Chapter 76 Ghosts In The Plaza

• (POV: Elena)
• A sour feeling stayed long after that meeting with the rough character from Madrid, tension tightening around my shoulders like a noose. Back he’d come, or one of his crew - certain as sunrise. Their code ran deep: press anyone who stood apart, test those who hesitated. A new threat added to the list, another dark shape moving at the edge of sight where so many others already crept.
• But Elena was a creature of discipline now. One stumble wasn’t going to stop me. Tasks waited - new names to build, funds to gather, just enough to hold this shaky existence together. Most who came were nameless, pushed by trouble, searching for exits I could fake. Their need fed mine - their payments bought distance between me and what chased from behind.