Coerced to Death

From the moment she saw Ash, she knew what she needed to do. 

Despite being a widespread, underground organization with much more important matters to attend to, the rumors had spread like wildfire; once ignited, there was no stopping their range and speed. They all retold the same story: a young man kept appearing on Mafia territory, carefully weaving around buildings as if looking for something. He was faceless and remained such for quite a while; despite making the mistake of traveling so boldly on unfamiliar ground, he was sure to keep his head down. 

Until recently, the rumors had remained as such: small whispers among lower-ranking mafiosos. Ryder didn’t like whispers— she never did— but when they grew in volume, she couldn’t possibly ignore them. Now, to her dismay, she found herself entangled within the web of baseless tall tales as more and more people began to report sightings of this ghost. It was impossible to go anywhere within their underground empire without hearing about this spirit wandering about. 

It was near the point where it was being discussed among the executives; it would only be a matter of time before the Boss grew tired of his underlings’ gossip and tasked one of his trusted subordinates to find this mysterious spirit who had stirred up such a mess within the Mafia. 

It was only a few days later that the rumor became fact: the man— after weeks of dancing around surveillance and shielding his identity to the world— traveled in full view of some of the few cameras stationed on the various buildings within their territory. When she learned that their ghost now had a face, she was one of the first to ask to see the footage. 

The base that housed the cameras was small, and she was a notorious member of the Mafia, so getting lone access to the security feed was an easy task. She was grateful, too; the last thing she wanted to do was attempt to find one of the executives to accompany her. 

The door was closed behind her, and the young girl found herself alone in the small room. A multitude of screens plastered the walls, their eerie glow the only source of light to guide her steady movements. Her slender fingers danced along the keys until she found the recorded file she was looking for.

“Let’s see just who this ghost is,” Ryder muttered, pressing play.

The pixels before her played out his steady movements. His lean and lanky figure moved about cautiously as he navigated through unfamiliar territory. At that moment, she regretted being so eager to view the footage. 

The world seemed to slow down. Everything blurred around her, and no matter how hard she tried to pry her wide blue eyes away from the screen, all she could focus on was his face. Her blood ran cold at the display in front of her. Despite the grainy appearance of the feed (thanks to the heavy weather the area always seemed to experience), he was unmistakable.

“That’s…”

The sandy brown curls and the coat were unequivocal; she had seen them so often that they were practically ingrained in her mind’s eye. The video quality only dipped as it continued, but she could still make out every single minute detail on the boy from the array of grainy pixels. One caught the playful twinkle in his bright violet eyes; another captured the calluses on his slender fingers; and another held the rosen that always seemed to dust the frills of his navy overcoat. 

“It’s Ash,” she breathed out finally, her heart sinking in her chest. 

When Ash turned a corner on the feed, she got a better view of his older figure. Her breath hitched in her throat, her knees wobbling and clacking together, threatening to drop her at any moment.

He looked the same from the last time they had seen each other. The only differences were his sharpened jawline and slightly longer hair. He had gained several inches compared to her, but otherwise, virtually nothing had changed. 

It almost felt as if she was looking through a window into the past; a time that completely differed from the present... 

The times they had practiced dancing as children, laughing and giggling at their clumsy stumbling to the classical music playing from his Father’s study. He would lead her carefully around the moonlit-painted room, slowly teaching her the steps and snickering every time she had flickered her gaze at their feet, terrified of accidentally stepping on him.  

The times where they sat together at his Father’s piano, hands ghosting over each others', trying to learn soft melodies. His fingers would delicately dance over black and white keys, his eyes closed as he carefully performed next to her. Ryder had always been smitten with his musical ability; whatever he played— whether it be his violin or cello— she would always watch in disbelief, absolutely captured with his music. 

The times where they sat in comfortable silence, Ash carefully tending to the wounds she accumulated while working with his Father. He had such a gentle touch, even when he was young, and he had always made sure she was bandaged up properly after one of the several jobs she was forced to complete. She was never able to properly voice her thanks to him— she was always too tired— but he recognized how grateful she was when she wouldn’t pull away when he went to ruffle her hair afterward. 

The time they had met on the balcony, where she had left with nothing more than a pinky promise to save him from the living hell he was unaware he was trapped in…

Ryder’s memories clouded, jumping and skipping around to make up for an alarming amount of ones gone missing. The window cracked; it had long been tainted by what little things she did remember towards the end of their time together. 

She took a deep breath, steadying herself. She had left for a reason, and the fact that her childhood friend— one of her only friends— was sneaking around so close to her only brought about a sickening uneasiness from within her. If he were to find her…

No, she didn’t want to think about that possibility.

She couldn’t stay here longer; it was a conclusion she was reluctant to realize, but with Ash traveling so close, there was no other option for her. 

From the moment she saw Ash, she knew what she needed to do. 

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“What the hell do you mean?” 

Ryder flinched at his sudden tone, her throat dry. She clutched her glass tighter, looking away. 

The bar was empty; there were never that many patrons at this hour of the night, to begin with. Stools were neatly placed at forlorn tables, each long since wiped clean. Moonlight peered through the windows, pooling onto the tiled floor and painting pictures with the shadows on the wall. 

The front counter of the bar held the only two patrons. The bartender stood idly to the side, his attention tied to the few dirty glasses he had yet to clean and the rag cloth in his old hands. He had been in this business for a while; he knew better than to eavesdrop on these customers’ conversations. 

A tall lanky man was perched on a stool beside Ryder, his hands preoccupied with his glass. His black coat hung off his broad shoulders haphazardly, revealing his dark suit underneath. 

Ryder had invited him to a few drinks when he returned from his overseas mission. Originally, he thought it was for leisure; a celebration for his success. But when he saw that she was dressed for business— dawning the same coat and formal wear she wore to work— he quickly learned that wasn’t the case. 

“I mean, I need to get out,” she repeated, not daring to look at the man beside her.

“And you’re telling me?” He asked incredulously, swirling his drink slightly. “Do you have any idea how fast that could get you killed? You know how it is—” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she interrupted suddenly, turning around to face him. “Leave the Mafia and become a target— a traitor. I’m not an idiot, Kai.” 

“Well, obviously you are,” he snapped back. He reached over, grabbing her by the collar of her coat and pulling her towards him suddenly. “Why the hell are you telling me this? I’m an executive. If I let it slip to the Boss, you’d be killed immediately. Hell, he’d probably make me do it.” 

“I-I needed to tell someone,” she said, avoiding his amber eyes, too ashamed to meet them.

Kai scrutinized the girl in front of him, scowling slightly. She looked so weak— so fragile— this wasn’t the hunting dog the Mafia put their pride in, and this certainly wasn’t the one he had allowed himself to become friends with. Fear was something foreign in her features, but he could tell the moment her leg began bouncing against the tile; they had known each other long enough for him to read her like an open book. But what had startled her into leaving? 

“Just because I like you doesn't mean I’m putting your needs over that of the Mafia’s,” he said, letting go of her without warning. She stumbled forward, catching herself before she could fall into him.

“I never said you needed to. I just want you to keep quiet until…” Ryder trailed off for a moment, biting her lip. She hunched over the counter, moving her drink aside. She had barely touched it; the ice was beginning to melt. Her appetite had been long gone, replaced with a seed of guilt that was slowly growing within her. It built up in her throat, practically strangling her voice and preventing her from telling him the truth. 

“Quiet until what?” 

“L-listen,” she started, wrapping her arms around herself. Her long bangs fell into her face, covering her eyes momentarily. “Someone is looking for me, and if they get their hands on me, then it’s all over.” 

The man laughed crudely; “That’s what you’re worried about? Who is it? I’ll kill them myself. You’ll just have to owe me a favor.” 

“No, you don’t understand,” she cried out. Her voice wavered, and her breathing became labored. God, how was she supposed to tell him? She couldn’t even begin to explain the situation she was in; how her past was dangerously close to capturing her yet again. 

Kai fell silent. He had never seen her like this, so vulnerable. Was… was it that serious...?

“I need to get out. I need to make sure they can never find me again.” 

“And how are you going to ensure that? If I understand what you’re saying, then these ‘people’ obviously have been able to keep track of you.” 

“That’s why I needed to tell you that I’m leaving,” she said, looking back at him. “So that way, when it happens, you aren’t surprised or anything.” 

“When what happens?” He asked, his brow raising. 

She remained quiet, drumming her fingers on the counter. She just couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes, especially not now. 

“When what happens?” He asked again, an edge to his voice. “Look at me, goddamnit!”

Her chest heaved suddenly, and her body crumpled under the weight of her reality. She ran a hand through her hair, letting out a strangled sigh. Her fists clenched, her eyes shut tightly. It was going to be difficult— painful, even— but it was the only way out of the dire situation Ash had unknowingly put her in. She needed out as soon as possible, and she was determined to make sure that he or his Father would never be able to find her ever again. 

She let out a shaky breath, letting slowly turn into a sad laugh. What else was there for her to do? No matter how she looked at it, there was only one possibility for her.

The man’s amber eyes narrowed a slight fear building within him, consuming his thoughts. He had never seen her like this, and it was more than unsettling. 

“H-hey,” he started, his voice dropping slightly, “what’s wrong?” He reached over, hesitantly putting a hand on her shoulder. 

Ryder turned her head, looking up at him between strands of her light hair. For the first time that entire night, their eyes met. A silent moment passed between them, as they both attempted to read each other’s minds through the lens of their eyes. 

“Thank you,” she said suddenly. A small smile pulled at her lips as she lifted her head, her brows tilting slightly. 

“Thank you for everything you’ve ever done for me. I know friendships aren't normal in this line of work, but thanks for sticking by me.” 

Kai’s blood ran cold, and his grip on her shoulder tightened slightly. He was on the edge of his seat, but he couldn’t find the courage to get up and confront her properly. 

“W-what do you mean? Why are you getting all sentimental on me?” He laughed nervously, his brows furrowing.  

“I love you, Kai, you know that?” She continued, ignoring him. She reached up, putting her own hand over the one on her shoulder. She squeezed it tightly, letting her eyes trail up his arm and to his face. “You’ve been the best goddamn friend I’ve ever had.”

The man sputtered, a mixture of confusion and panic choking him. He gripped her tighter, scared that she was going to disappear at any moment. He didn’t understand, why was she telling him this now? She wasn’t drunk— why was she getting all sappy?

Ryder stood up suddenly. She reached forward, catching the man in an unexpected hug. Her arms wrapped around him tightly, clutching his trench coat, as she held back a few tears pricking at her eyes.  

Kai was frozen. His arms were loosely wrapped around her as his panicked brain tried to keep up with what she was saying. Before he could even comprehend the meaning behind this sudden affection, she pulled away, heading towards the door. 

Stuck at the edge of his chair, he watched as she walked off. Every fiber of his being coaxed him to grab her— to demand just what the hell she meant and just what the hell she was planning— but he couldn’t bring himself to move. His body was waiting to spring forward, but he remained paralyzed. 

Why couldn’t he move? 

“W-wait—!” It was a whisper on bated breath, and by the time Kai had finally lunged forward, hand outreached to grab the collar of her coat, she was out the door. His fingers only just brushed against the fabric, before he was sent toppling to the floor, startling the bartender.

Ryder didn’t even bother to look back; she couldn’t bear to see him again, especially now that he figured out what she meant. 

She had made her decision, and there was no going back now. Her legs carried her forward, her back straightening as a strange confidence brewed in her limbs. A sense of calm washed over her small figure. 

From the moment she saw Ash, she knew what she needed to do. 

Ryder Harrow needed to die.