Meeting the scumbag again

Miriam darted across the sharp corner, her black veil fluttering behind her. She held her breath, avoiding detection. Suddenly, a tap on her shoulder made her spin around. A man in a face cap, dirty jeans, and a faded T-shirt stood before her. He nodded, and Miriam slid out a wrapped object from beneath her dress, handing it to him with a swift motion. Their eyes locked briefly before she vanished into the shadows.

****

Frederick paced back and forth in his office, papers scattered, chairs overturned, and his assistant cowered in the corner. Cassie burst in, surprised at how messed up the office looked.

"Frederick, what's wrong? Your assistant said you've been acting strangely and yelling at them."

Cassie began gathering the scattered papers and righting the chairs. Frederick raked his hands through his hair, his eyes wild.

"I lost the contract, Cassie. The company is going bankrupt."

Cassie's brow furrowed. "But you said you already secured it. What happened?"

Frederick slumped onto