The person steps off the concrete ledge and plummets to what will no doubt be their death.

However, instead of landing in a pile of broken bones and a growing pool of blood, they somehow manage to achieve the impossible by landing directly onto their feet.

Both girls' mouths drop open in disbelief.

A long moment of tense stillness passes before the figure unhurriedly steps out into the light, revealing a man who Emelia realises can't be much older than herself.

Even from this distance, Emelia can tell that whoever this man is, he is by no doubt attractive. In any other situation, his tall, slender physique and headful of dark curls would make her swoon. However, when she hears him speak, the chills already rolling down her spine turn into ice-cold needles.

"Who are you calling a cockroach?"

Wait, what? It's impossible for him to have heard Staniskav's words from all the way up there. It's also impossible to survive falling from such a height, yet here this man stands, completely unscathed.

Emelia can't comprehend how Stanislav maintains a neutral expression through all this. He doesn't even seem surprised. Perhaps he's accustomed to seeing people fall from the sky.

"François Dashiell," he drawls. There's zero benevolence in his smile. "Finally, we meet again."

"Unfortunately," François replies dryly. He, too, sounds French but his accent isn't as prominent. He must have learned English at a very young age.

"I assume you know the reasons why I called you here tonight," Stanislav says. It isn't a question.

"I assume you're going to tell me," François responds.

"Your activities here in London."

"How would you know anything about my activities?" François scowls. "Have you been stalking me, Stanislav?"

The older man smiles as he slowly shakes his head and says, "I don't need to spy on you to know of the crimes you commit."

François suddenly laughs, his following words dark.

"You would know all about illegal activities, wouldn't you, Stanislav? You sign disclosure contracts with the British government to cover up unjustified slayings."

Stanislav smiles with a hint of complacency but denies whatever the other man has accused him of, responding, "The only agreement the prime minister and I have established is in our shared belief that England has the right to be protected from the likes of you and your kind. We take the safety of this country's citizens very seriously and will not standby and watch you spill blood in our streets."

"No blood has been spilt here," Jacques speaks up but Stanislav ignores him, continuing to address François.

"Being here without expressed permission from the British government is an offence," he says, "And taking lives on foreign land is a serious crime."

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Jacques snaps. "We haven't killed anyone. "

"Yet." Finally, Stanislav acknowledges him. "But it's only a matter of who, when and where." His glare returns to François and he says, "You're both to be out of England before the end of this night."

"You have some nerve thinking you can order me what to do," François growls through gritted teeth, eyes flashing with fury.

"You have no authority here," Stanislav responds with a sneer that then morphs into a sinister smile. "If you refuse, I am well within my rights to use deadly force."

At this, François' nostrils flare wide and his hands ball into fists at his sides so tightly that they tremor slightly. For a long, terrifying moment it looks like he will attack Stanislav and his men, but then he takes in a slow, determined breath, almost as if to centre himself - or reel in his temper - and says in a harsh but controlled voice: "That won't be necessary. We were planning to head home soon anyway."

Stanislav's smile slips. He looks slightly disappointed, although Emelia can't comprehend why. Had he been hoping for a fight?

Taking this as their cue to leave, Jacques pushes away from the front of the car and starts to walk back round to the driver's side. Half a second later, François turns to follow him and as soon as his back is turned, Stanislav reaches into the inside of his jacket. When his hand re-emerges it is clutching what looks like a long-barrel handgun.

Emelia and Sofie watch in horror as he raises his arm and aims the gun at François' back, his finger already beginning to squeeze the trigger-

"Fais attention!" someone shouts from a distance.

They appear from out of the shadows like a phantom, moving with incredible speed across the street, colliding with Stanislav and knocking his arm to the side just as his finger completely squeezes the trigger.

Pop! The sound of the gun going off shocks Emelia. Gunfire is always so loud in the movies - so obvious. In reality, that single shot sounds like nothing more than a high-power firecracker. It rings out across the street, echoing off of the nearby buildings, and leaves a strange leftover ring in the air.

Stanislav grapples with his attacker - an individual dressed all in black - but loses his grip on the gun. It clatters to the ground and is then kicked out of reach by his assailant.

"What is this?" François has turned back around. He looks furious, and rightfully so. Someone just tried to kill him.

Stanislav stumbles back and looks at his comrades who appear slightly startled.

"Shoot them!" he shouts. It's an order.

A devilish smile spreads across François' face as the others reach for their own weapons.

"Oh no," he says, the sinister excitement in his voice sending chills down Emelia's spine. "I wouldn't waste my bullets if I were you."

Darting forward, François grabs one of the gunmen before any of them can aim at him. He forces the man's arm upwards before forcing his finger down on the trigger. There's a single shot and then the man drops like a rock, the bullet having taken off half of his face. Blood and bits of brain stain the concrete beneath them.

François grins like a madman as he says, "Now blood has been spilt."

___.___

Well, that escalated quickly... 😐 Something tells me this isn't going to end well but let's not jump to conclusions, people 😅 Please vote and comment if you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks so much for reading!