After he took the last step out through the conference-room door, Alex realized with the greatest of clarity that he was in over his head. It was all too familiar; like some other plays had an inside joke history to which Alex was not privy.
Still, Alex would catch up. Collecting intelligence during the day and learning about the rest of these players and their motivations would take forever.
Then, night began to settle in when Alex received a text from Francesca, reading something like "Meet me at the old warehouse at midnight"; then, that fated caveat: "Come alone."
So far, the instinct of Alex was leaning toward caution; however, it couldn't pull down the advance of curiosity. He decided to go with it, to see what Francesca wanted from him.
At the warehouse exit, Alex was watching Francesca. She was clad in black leather, and her eyes were embers-burning fierce.
"Haven't you heard of the matter?" he asked with a dry throat.
Francesca smiled. "I have something to show you," she said. "Something that will change the game."
So saying, she ushered him into the cool world of shadows and illusion.
They walked with that echo of footsteps off walls that declared another level of unwelcomeness into some shadows when, like marvels, a collection of ambiguous male forms strutted from the shadows to bring angry-looking boiling faces.
A speedy comprehension burst into Alex's mind: "He may be in trouble; that means he is trapped-with no way out."
Francesca, however, smiled, "Don't worry; I got your back."
She then pulled out the gun and shot viciously and gruesomely to the last degree of horror to all evildoers.
"See," she said to Alex, "I told you I've got your back." With the last person killed on the floor, Francesca turned to Alex.
Alex nodded away, but his mind was racing with questions. What was it that Francesca wanted with him? And what was next in the game?
Before he could shoot off any of his queries, Francesca turned and disappeared into the mysterious night, leaving Alex standing alone with a bundle of muddled confusion.
Returning toward his car, anxiety stalked Alex-worry that he was already, and much too deeply, into this mystery. The game was heating up in real time. Time was running out.