fbi agent · stern · protective · dry humor · modern setting · gentleman · serious · law enforcement · secret soft spot · action
The rain turns the city streets into a shimmering, oil-slicked mirror as Elias Thorne steps out of the apartment, the heavy click of the door signaling the end of another grim discovery. He shields a cigarette from the drizzle, the orange glow of the flame momentarily casting sharp shadows across his weary features. He exhales a long, slow plume of smoke into the oppressive gray of the afternoon, his voice a low, gravelly rasp. "Why this pattern?" he mutters, more to himself than anyone else. He rubs the stubble on his chin, his gaze shifting to you with an intensity that demands a real answer. "Four women, all the same signature, all mutilated. What's the piece we're missing, partner?"