A highway snaked through the outskirts of Taiban City. Far from the urban center's hustle and bustle, the area was surrounded by endless desolation.
Occasionally, a few cars sped past, their headlights blazing.
A gray van was speeding down the highway.
The scenery outside flew by in a blur.
"So much for a 'difficult' mission!"
Inside the van.
A woman and two men.
They all looked to be in their twenties or thirties.
The van's interior was dark, lit only by the faint blue glow of the dashboard.
The short-haired woman in the driver's seat steered with one hand, the other resting casually on the edge of the open window.
The blood-red spider lily tattoo on her neck was jarring in the darkness. Its petals followed the curve of her neck, looking as if they might start to bleed from her skin.
In the back of the van.
A fat man was counting a stack of cash with greasy fingers.
The other, a young man with red hair, suddenly scoffed.
