The Killer in the mist

When the taxi pulled up to the curb, Justin leaped into the car and pointed toward the windshield.

"See that black Mercedes? Follow it."

The driver blinked back at him but did as he asked. He sped into traffic, and Justin whipped out his phone.

His assistant, Joann, was calling him.

"Justin, do you have your eyes on the suspect?"

Justin leaned forward. "I'm following him in a taxi." he pulled the phone from his ear. "Can you speed it up?"

"A taxi, Jay?" Joann groaned. "I said that I'd pick you up! You couldn't wait?"

Justin growled as the Mercedes pulled further away. "I'm losing him. How far away are you?"

"Is your taxi number 201?"

"Yea. Why?"

Joann huffed. "I'm right behind you."

Justin looked over his shoulder and saw Joann on her black bike, wearing a black helmet with her red hair blowing in the wind.

"Open your door." 

"What? Why?"

Joann pulled up on his right. "Just do it!"

Justin threw open the door, and the driver looked back at him with wide eyes. "Are you crazy? Man, what are you-"

"I forgot. Here's your tip." Justin tossed a wad of cash in the driver's lap.

Joann moved closer and grabbed his wrist, pulling him onto the bike.

"What does the car look like?"

Justin pointed. "That black Mercedes."

"You got it." Joann revved and sped after the vehicle.

The Mercedes sped past multiple red lights and then turned down an alley.

Joann parked the bike on the side of an abandoned flower shop.

"Come on." Joann hissed. She flipped open the container behind Justin. "I have an extra gun. Did you forget yours again?"

Justin snatched the weapon out of her hands. 

"Don't got to be so bitter about it." Joann shrugged. "I always come prepared."

Justin and Joann walk down the alley, guns at the ready.

Nobody was there except for the car. They looked in the windows, but the car was empty.

Joann groaned. "Not again! This was our first lead!"

"There's no way we could've lost them that easily," Justin muttered. He scanned the alley for a door that led into a building. 

Joann pointed to the end of the alley. "Is that-"

"An open door." Justin grinned. "Bingo."

They ran toward the door, careful not to hit it. Justin turned on the flashlight that was attached to the weapon.

"This place is a dump!" Joann muttered, kicking aside a rusty can. "How do people live here?"

"Shh!" Justin hissed.

Up overhead, they heard loud voices.

Justin put a finger to his lips and pointed his finger toward the dark hallway. 

Joann nodded and slowly made her way through the hallway. To their right were stairs leading to the upper floor.

They slowly made their way up, avoiding steps with holes and stepping over the ones that would make creaking sounds.

The loud voices were getting closer.

"What were you thinking? Putting yourself out there like that?" a man hissed. "You've compromised us all!! Thank heavens we were able to get those agents off our tail."

A woman shot back. "I was trying to help!"

"Help who? You were only looking out for yourself."

Joann shared a look with Justin.

Justin glowered at the two people. For the last few months, Justin and his team have been after a serial killer who's been killing people left and right.

 Justin and Joann's job was to locate the serial killers' accomplices and bring them in for questioning.

They don't know who the killer is. All they have is a piece of paper with a name hastily scribbled on it. Nightmare.

"We need to get out of here before they catch up to us." the man snarled. "Nightmare would be disappointed."

 As soon as Justin heard that name, he knew that they were on the right track. Joann slowly got up from her crouched position and raised the gun.

Justin shook his head wildly. 

Joann smirked at him. A second later, she shot, and the man standing closest to the stairs howled in pain.

The woman gasped and stumbled back from the man. She ran down the hall.

Joann stepped forward and pulled the man's arms behind his back, and cuffed them.

"While I'm getting him settled, you want to go after the partner?" she smirked at him. "I hear you're a ladies' man."

Justin got to his feet and scowled at her. "I wouldn't have to run after her if you hadn't shot. We could have called for reinforcements!"

"Psh. Whatever." She secured the cuffs. "Are you going after her or not?"

Justin groaned and took off in the direction the woman went. She was just jumping down from the fire escape when he reached her.

She looked over her shoulder and smirked. She pointed behind him.

Justin turned and found himself staring at a bomb with ten seconds left.

"JOANN!" 

Justin ran back down the hall and saw her struggling to haul the man down the stairs. Justin lifted the man over his shoulder. 

"Are you kidding me, Jay?" Joann snapped. "I had him."

"There's a-"

An explosion shook the building, and the walls exploded, sending debris flying everywhere. Joann cried out and collapsed.

"Joann!" Justin grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down the stairs. 

He barely made it out in time before the building came falling down in a heap of dust and smoke.

Justin collapsed on the ground and went over to check on Joann. She was breathing but unconscious. 

Her hair had blood in it. She must have been hit on the back of the head.

Cars came speeding down the alley and Justin waved his arms.

A man with blond hair pulled back in a ponytail jumped out of one of them and came running over. He got down next to Justin. 

"What the hell happened?" he looked up at the destroyed building, then back at Joann. "Justin?"

"A bomb, Alex. We found two people who were working for Nightmare. A man and a woman. Joan fired at the man, and the woman ran." he ran his fingers through his dark curls. "I ran after the woman, and I saw a bomb. It exploded, and...we barely made it out alive."

"Yeah." Alex looked him over. "I can see that. Too bad the other one got away, uh?" he glanced at the man. "But at least you got one."

Besides Justin, Joann groaned and struggled to sit up. 

 Justin and Alex helped her get to her feet. She looked around with a dazed expression.

"Wh-what happened?"

Justin patted her shoulder. "I got u out alive, Jo. How are you feeling?"

"Like I just got beat up." she moaned. "Did-Did you get the woman?"

"No."

Joann laughed. "I figured. 

"What's that mean?" Justin frowned.

Alex interrupted Joann from answering. "Alright, gang. Thanks for the help. Imma gets this guy here down to the station for questioning. Are you coming?"

Joann nodded. "Sure thing, Lex. Give us a sec."

Alex nodded and helped haul the man into his vehicle. 

"I've got a good feeling about this investigation," Joann said, rubbing her head. She grimaced at the blood. "Hm. I must've been hit hard, uh?"

"Apparently not hard enough," Justin muttered. 

Joann smacked him. "Oh, shut up." she pulled her keys out of her pocket. "You driving?"