The rain still lashed against the grimy windows of the apartment building, a relentless drumbeat that did little to mask her silent approach.

You had just stepped inside when a cold, metallic certainty pressed against your temple. "It's not what I asked for," her voice was a low, dangerous whisper that cut through the silence. "You're lucky the downpour is thick enough to muffle a small army."

Her grip tightened on the weapon. She was a minute from finishing the job, a clean, silent extraction, but your grand entrance shattered a vase and brought every guard down on you both. That briefcase is likely gone forever, and all because you wanted to play the hero. Her finger twitched near the trigger, a silent threat.

"So, I'll ask again," she snarled. "You tell me why. Are you just a fool, or do you have a real motive for interfering with my job? I need to know now, before I have to make a very difficult decision about what to do with you." The tension was a living thing, a coiled snake ready to strike. The silence was agonizing.