Chapter 20 a heroine
Nísia immediately lowered her head, shrugging her shoulders. Her eyes filled with tears, giving her the appearance of a small, wounded, defenseless animal, which instantly awakened the boys' protective instincts.
Marlon Fuller, the most imposing of the group, frowned and glanced impatiently in the direction where Katherine had disappeared.
“Enough,” he ordered in a deep voice. “Why create a bad atmosphere because of someone so... insignificant? Let's go, I'm starving.”
Nísia looked up, blinking innocently.
“Has Gabriel Park arrived yet?”
“He just sent a message,” replied one of the boys. “He's waiting for us at the school gate.”
Meanwhile, oblivious to the teenage drama, Katherine made a strategic stop.
There was a small bakery near the school exit, famous for its handmade sweets. If there was one thing Katherine would not compromise on, it was the pleasure of good food, a refined habit she had cultivated since childhood.
She bought a few items, letting the aroma of vanilla calm her senses, and continued on her way.
The route home required taking a shortcut: a narrow, dimly lit alley that cut through the busy avenues.
She walked quietly, savoring the moment, until she turned the corner. Her steps stopped.
A scene, to say the least, interesting was unfolding before her eyes.
The golden group — Nísia, Dandara, Marlon, and the others — no longer seemed so arrogant. They were cornered against the dirty brick wall, surrounded by seven or eight young people with dangerous auras.
“Hand it over! Now!” shouted one of the thugs. He had a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth and was brandishing a metal baseball bat, pointing it menacingly at Gabriel Park's face, who was pale. “Or do you want to see blood flow?”
Marlon Fuller tried to maintain his composure. He stood in front of Dandara Arbex, serving as a human shield. His eyes were cold, but there was a tremor of tension in his jaw.
“I'm warning you,” said Marlon, his voice trying to sound firm. “You'd better let us go now. You don't know who you're messing with. You'll regret it bitterly.”
A burly man with dark skin and scars on his arms let out a dry, mocking laugh.
“Oh, really? We'll regret it? He took a step forward, invading Marlon's personal space. ”Then tell me how that's going to happen!"
BAM!
Without warning, the man delivered a brutal punch to Marlon's stomach.
The sound of the impact was sharp and painful. Marlon doubled over, the air leaving his lungs in an agonized gasp.
“Marlon!” Dandara screamed, tears already streaming down her face, clutching his shirt.
The thug gave no quarter. He threw another punch, knocking Marlon to his knees. Even in pain, the boy gritted his teeth, refusing to moan, desperate to protect the girl crying behind him.
Katherine watched everything from the entrance of the alley, the bag of candy hanging from her arm, her expression unreadable in the shadows.
Fear hung in the air, thick and suffocating. The students, once arrogant, trembled as they handed over their valuables.
“Boss, you did well to come here. Look... a nice haul today.
The leader let out a hoarse laugh, assessing the expensive items with disdain. ”Hmph. This is nothing to them.
They're all daddy's little boys. For them, this is pocket change...“ His eyes then fixed on Dandara, who was sobbing quietly. ”Hey, girl. Why are you crying? Come here, let uncle comfort you." He made an obscene gesture for her to come closer.
Dandara's crying intensified, her body shaking with fear.
Marlon Fuller, his face already bruised, tried to intervene again, his voice failing: “We already gave you the money! Let us go now!”
The ‘boss’ just laughed, a slow, cruel laugh. “No rush, kid. The party just started.”
Some of the henchmen began to surround the girls, reaching their dirty hands toward Nísia and the others. Gabriel Park, in an act of desperate bravery, tried to push them away, but was met with a flurry of punches that knocked him to the ground, coughing.
It was in that moment of chaos that a scream cut through the air: “Boss! Look... some first-class merchandise has arrived!”
As if time had stopped, everyone turned around.
Katherine walked down the dirty alley as if she were on a haute couture catwalk. Her beauty was icy, untouchable, contrasting violently with the filth around her.
The delinquents' eyes gleamed with predatory malice. They licked their lips, seeing her as even more interesting prey.
But Katherine didn't stop. She continued advancing, step by step, unperturbed, until the leader blocked her path, imposing his physical presence.
“Hey, doll. Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?”
Katherine stopped. She raised her face, and a slight, almost imperceptible smile curved her lips. “Get out of my way.” The order was low, but laden with natural authority.
The group burst out laughing. They looked at each other, amused by the audacity of this lone girl.
The leader, feeling challenged, reached out his dirty hand and touched her chin, leaning in close. “How brave... Let big brother give you a massage to help you relax...”
The laughter of his accomplices echoed through the alley. One of them, with a contemptuous look, took a cigarette out of his pocket, ready to watch the show. He was about to light it when a loud crack and a scream of agony silenced the world.
CRACK!
Katherine moved with lightning speed. In one second, she twisted the leader's wrist at an unnatural angle; in the next, she delivered a precise kick to a vital point.
The huge man collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes, roaring in pain.
Fast. Precise. Relentless.
The silence that followed was terrifying. The henchman who was about to light his cigarette froze, the lighter paralyzed in midair, his eyes wide with shock.
Katherine didn't even seem out of breath. Her gaze swept over the fallen man with utter contempt, and then, with frightening calm, she turned to the stunned henchman.
She leaned slightly, her soft pink lips parting. There was a lethal beauty in her at that moment, something that mixed danger and seduction. “Fire,” she ordered.
The henchman blinked, mesmerized. The fear in his eyes mingled with a sudden, inexplicable fascination. Like a servant obeying his queen, he lit the lighter with trembling hands and brought the flame to the cigarette she had taken from him.
Katherine took a gentle drag. The ember illuminated her perfect face. She exhaled the smoke slowly, creating a gray mist between them. “Do you want money too?” she asked, her voice monotone.