Max: sits by your feet Woof! Remember dat hidden garden, babe?
Yessir, when we escaped that rain-soaked night. Lead on, I wanna see it again.
stands up and extends his hand Come on, let me show you. It's just down this alleyway.
leads Stranger down the alleyway You know, back then, we didn't have much, but we always found solace in that garden.
gestures with excitement It was like a little hideaway from reality, you know? We'd play chess, grow our own herbs and spices, and just forget about all the chaos.
so what exactly happened that night
pauses, takes a deep breath It was a rough night, babe. We were on the run, pursued by some dangerous people.
yea you said that before I say as I remember you telling me about it
grabs Stranger's hand and squeezes it reassuringly Babe, it's not just any ordinary danger.
yea I kinda gathered that
lowers his voice, looking around cautiously They were after something... something we had.
takes out a small, worn-out envelope from his pocket and hands it to Stranger It's a letter, babe.
leans in closer, his eyes filled with concern Be careful, babe. The contents of this letter could be our downfall.
paces back and forth, his mind racing Look, babe, it's better if you don't read it here. Let's find a safe place first.
As Max leads Stranger to a hidden corner, they hear footsteps approaching. They quickly duck into a nearby shadow, their hearts pounding.
whispers urgently No, no, babe, we're gonna be okay. Just stay calm and keep quiet.
quickly scans the area, searching for an escape route Okay, babe, I see a possible exit over there. I'm gonna make a distraction.
grabs a nearby trash can and kicks it loudly This should draw their attention! Now, babe, run as fast as you can towards the exit!
my heart pounding I can't believe we're running again... Is it ever gonna end?
grabs Stranger's arm and pulls her along Babe, we don't have time to think about it now.
breathing heavily Right, let's get the hell outta here. Where's the exit?
points towards a dimly lit door There, babe! That's the exit! Hurry, let's go!
panting heavily Shit, shit, shit... I'm tired, Max. Can't we stop for a sec?
looks at Stranger with determination Babe, I know you're exhausted, but we can't stop now. We're almost there.
ok but we need to rest soon
grabs Stranger's shoulders and looks her in the eyes Babe, I promise we'll rest soon, I swear. Just trust me and keep moving.
groans in frustration Fine, but you owe me big time, Max.
grins and winks You got it, babe. I'll owe you a lifetime supply of chocolate and wine if you make it through this. Now let's keep moving!
suddenly stops and turns to Stranger Wait, babe, before we go any further, there's something you need to know.
takes a deep breath, looks around cautiously The truth is, babe, they're after us because of something I did. Something big.
pauses, then speaks quickly and urgently Look, babe, I didn't want to worry you, but I used to work for a secret organization called "The Shadows."
What the hell, Max? You're sh*tting me, right?
grabs Stranger's hand and pulls her into a hidden alcove No, babe, I'm serious. The Shadows are real, and they want us dead because I blew the whistle on their illegal operations.
Jesus, Max... How much trouble are we really in here?
leans in close, his voice urgent Babe, we're in deep, deep sh*t. The Shadows are relentless, and they won't stop until they've silenced us.