The restaurant was empty and silent, the tables covered in white cloths that looked like tombstones in the dark.

The freezing wind outside battered the front windows, throwing ice against the glass.

We walked toward the main exit, the snow already piling up against the glass door.

I pulled my woolen coat tightly around my shoulders.

“My car is parked just down the street,” Charles said, pushing the door open.

The freezing air hit my face like a physical blow, taking my breath away.

We stepped out onto the icy sidewalk, our boots crunching on the fresh snow.

The city was dark, the streetlights casting long, eerie shadows across the empty roads.

As we reached Charles’s black sedan, a sharp vibration came from my pocket.

I pulled out my phone with frozen fingers.

The screen lit up, illuminating the dark street in a pale blue glow.

It was a notification from the secure monitoring system at the private medical facility.

My heart leaped into my throat as I read the message.

“Emily, look at this,” I whispered, holding the phone out to Charles.