COVELENT: XenoTrait

Amme noticed the man three weeks after starting her part-time job at the café.

The place was small and warm, tucked between an old bookstore and a tailoring shop. Steam fogged the windows every morning while the smell of roasted coffee beans filled the street.

Every afternoon around four, a man appeared across the road. He never came inside... he just watched.

He was tall and always wore a dark jacket, his hood pulled low. He stood in a slightly different spot every day.

Amme tried to ignore him, until the day he smiled.

He checked his watch. ”Routine matters. Predictability made things easier.

Amme finished her shift at exactly 5:30 p.m. She wiped the counter, laughed with coworkers, then stepped outside alone.

Every day I studied her movements, waiting for the right moment.

Tonight would be different.”

He crossed the street and then... a familiar voice interrupted.

”Hey, babe.”

Abel wrapped an arm around Amme’s shoulders, kissing her forehead casually.

The man stopped walking.

”Again... the boyfriend. Always appearing at the worst possible moment... That man, Abel. If only I was given permission to kill by the boss... I’m pretty sure the boss wants to kill him on his own...” he thought.

”I’m sure he would if he knew. It’s just that this guy is not what I would consider valuable information.”

Memories surfaced.

”Kade,” a deep voice said.

Kade bowed. ”Yes, sir.”

Markus spoke in a deep voice. ”Make sure to only report valuable information when you are on this mission. And... this goes without saying...” His eyes sharpened. ”You mustn’t hurt Amme.”

Kade looked toward Abel while grinning.

Abel didn’t know why the hooded guy bothered him so much.

He had noticed him days ago while waiting to pick Amme up after work. The man never bought coffee, never spoke to anyone. He just watched.

Abel trusted instincts more than explanations.

And his instincts were loud.

”You know that guy?” Abel asked quietly as they walked away together.

Amme shook her head. ”No... but I think he’s been around a lot.”

Abel glanced back.

The man had already disappeared.

”Failed attempts,” Kade pondered.

Over the next week, Kade tried again and again.

Once, when Amme was taking out the trash behind the café, Abel showed up.

”Hey.”

Abel hugged Amme.

Amme thought, ”I can’t believe it has been two months since that day.”

Memories surfaced.

”Hello,” she said while looking at Abel.

Abel replied, ”Yeah... nice weather we’re having, right?”

”I still can’t believe I ended up falling for him,” she thought as they walked back into the café.

Kade tried another time when she walked home alone.

”This might be my only chance to do it,” he thought.

Then her phone rang unexpectedly. A voice convinced her to wait until he came to get her.

”She cut the phone. Okay, this is my chance.”

He started walking toward her, only for Abel to appear.

”Thanks for waiting for me,” Abel said.

Kade thought to himself, ”This man keeps interfering... the boyfriend is a problem. Time to change the plan.”

Kade, while standing outside of the café, mumbled, ”If Abel keeps interfering... then Abel simply needs to be removed from the equation temporarily. Not harmed... because I can’t. I should just distract him so that the task can go as planned.”

On a Friday evening...

The café closed late after a busy shift. Rain fell steadily, washing the streets in reflections of yellow streetlights.

Abel texted, ”Running late. Just wait ten minutes for me.”

Amme’s phone buzzed. She saw the message and replied, ”Ok.”

She waited at the bus stop, clutching her umbrella, scrolling through her phone.

A white van rolled slowly past her and stopped.

The side door slid open.

Before Amme could react, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.

Her phone hit the pavement as the van sped away.

Abel arrived moments later, jogging toward the café, shaking rain from his jacket.

”Amme?”

He stopped as he saw her phone lying on the ground, screen cracked, rain collecting on it.

His heart slammed against his ribs.

He looked up just in time to see taillights turning the corner at the end of the street.

”No.”

He ran to his car and started it instantly. The engine roared as he chased the fading vehicle through wet streets, keeping just far back enough to not be noticed.

He thought, ”Whoever took her knew exactly when I wouldn’t be there... this wasn’t random... wait... what, the warehouse?”

The van finally stopped at an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the industrial district.

Abel parked in darkness behind stacked containers and watched.

Two figures dragged Amme inside.

One of them stepped briefly into the light. The hood fell back.

Abel’s fists clenched. ”I knew it... the thought crossed my mind. It’s the man who is always outside of the café.”

He pulled out his phone with shaking hands and dialed.

The call connected.

”Felix?” Abel whispered.

A calm voice answered, ”Yeah. What’s wrong?”

Abel kept his eyes fixed on the warehouse doors. ”They took Amme, and I followed them... I know where she is.”

A pause.

Then Felix’s tone changed. ”Who is they?”

”Send me your location... don’t go in yet.”

Abel swallowed hard. ”I wasn’t planning to wait.”

Felix replied quietly, ”You will if you want her alive. I’m coming.”

Abel stared at the dark building as lights flickered on inside and sent his location to Felix.

Abel pondered, ”I’m tired of waiting. I don’t know what they might do... I’m going in for Amme.”

Inside the building, he saw Amme tied up to a chair.

He clenched his fist. ”No.”

He walked hurriedly to Amme and shook her.

”Amme!”

”Ugh... she is out cold... let me untie her and get out,” he thought.

Abel was undoing her knot when he heard footsteps echoing.

He turned around instantly.

”You... what are you trying to do here?”

Kade spoke calmly. ”Me? Oh, I’m just doing my job.”

He paused for a second and brought out a pocket knife.

Abel went into a fighting stance. ”You wanna fight, huh?”

Kade scoffed. ”Fight you... hmm.”

Kade lunged in Abel’s direction, and Abel saw it coming and blocked the knife with his hand.

Blood dripped from his hand onto the knife.

Kade said, ”Now.”

Abel replied, ”Huh? What are you talking about?”

A man hit Abel in the head.

Blood gushed out as Abel fell onto the ground, passing out.

Kade rummaged through Abel’s things and found a wallet with his ID.

”Abel Yellow, huh.”

While going through his pockets, a vial with green liquid fell out.

Kade smirked as he paused for a second, ”The boss will like this development.”

Kade called, ”Reina... tell the boss that I got Amme and someone who was carrying Serum X.”

Reina replied, ”Serum X? Really? This is great news.”