Welcome to StoryTimesOnline.com, your go-to destination for Free Online Stories! Explore our collection of engaging 5 Minutes Stories, featuring thrilling Mystery & Crime tales. Perfect for a quick escape, our stories offer adventure, suspense, and excitement in just a few minutes of your time.
The Vanishing Witness
Yet, as Claire turned the corner toward her vehicle, her telephone rang.
“Analyst Harris, it’s earnest. Marcus Graves is missing,” said Official Lopez, his voice thick with alarm.
“Missing? What do you mean missing? He should be in defensive care!” Claire’s heart skirted a thump.
Lopez moaned, the earnestness clear. “He was most recently seen the previous evening. His condo’s vacant. His gatekeepers are no more. No indication of a battle.”
At the apartment building, the entryway was totally open, and the weak smell of lifeless espresso waited in the lobby. Claire pushed her direction inside, her senses fully on guard. The condo was a wreck. Furniture upset. Papers dissipated across the floor. Yet, no indication of Marcus.
She squatted by the upset table, filtering for pieces of information. A little, folded note grabbed her attention. She unfurled it cautiously. It was hurriedly jotted: “They know. Have no faith in anybody. They’re coming for me.”
Her heart sank. Marcus had been attempting to caution somebody. Yet, who?
Claire hurried out, calling for reinforcement. She wanted replies, and she wanted them quick. As she strolled to her vehicle, a chill ran down her spine. The entire city appeared to be pausing its breathing.
Her telephone hummed. Another lead. An unknown call had come in. The voice was twisted, however the message was clear: “The docks. 12 PM. To find Marcus, you’ll be past the point of no return.”
Claire’s heartbeat stimulated. She needed to go with a decision: appear at the docks and hazard strolling into a snare, or continue to search for another lead. In any case, she didn’t have the advantage of time. On the off chance that Marcus was as yet alive, she was unable to allow him to get past her.
Earnestly, Claire headed to the docks. The region was barren, the main sound the delicate lapping of water against the wharfs. Her headlights slice through the dimness. She stopped, getting out with her firearm drawn, her eyes filtering for any indication of development.
Out of nowhere, a shadow dashed from behind a compartment. Claire froze, observing intently. A figure arose — tall, with a particular limp. It was Marcus.
“Marcus!” Claire yelled, surging toward him.
He turned, his face pale and worn. “Criminal investigator… they’re all over. You need to stop them. They — ”
Before he could get done, a sharp break reverberated as the night progressed. A shot struck the holder next to her. Claire pigeon to the ground, her heart hustling. Marcus, with a frightened look, tumbled to the floor, gripping his side.
“Remain down!” Claire shouted. She discharged an admonition shot, expecting to drive away whoever was shooting.
Yet, it was no utilization. A figure rose up out of the shadows — a man in a long coat, his face to some extent covered. Claire remembered him right away.
“Victor Reyes,” Claire mumbled. She had trusted she was off-base.
Reyes grinned. “You ought to have known. Marcus was continuously going to be my contingency plan. Presently, you and your valuable observer can vanish.”
In a moment, Claire was on her feet, terminating at Reyes. Be that as it may, he was at that point gone, slipping once more into the haziness.
The quiet that followed was stunning. Marcus, blood dribbling from his side, was attempting to relax.
“Remain with me, Marcus,” Claire asked, stooping alongside him. She applied strain to the injury, her brain previously hustling for the subsequent stages. “We’re getting you out of here.”
Through a scowl, Marcus dealt with a powerless grin. “You’ll get them, Investigator. I realize you will.”
Claire gestured, her purpose solidifying. Reyes thought he had won. Yet, he hadn’t represented Claire Harris. She wouldn’t stop until the organization was obliterated and a fair consequence was given.
The test of skill and endurance wasn’t finished — it had recently started.