Minutes before everything led to the barn, while Marcus was still inside the house and Viktor remained in the car, the night felt deceptively calm. The village lay silent around him, the faint glow of distant lights barely touching the road. Viktor leaned back in the passenger seat, one arm resting near the window as he pulled out a cigarette. He lit it with practiced ease, inhaling slowly before lowering the window just enough to let the smoke drift outside. Marcus never liked the smell, and even though he wasn't there, Viktor kept the habit.
He exhaled, his eyes scanning the empty street out of pure instinct rather than concern. At first, nothing seemed out of place. Then, in the side mirror, he noticed movement.
Someone was approaching.
