The text message was brief, but it sent a wave of terror through me.

*Patient room 402 motion sensor triggered. Guest access logged under name: J. Bellamy.*

“Get in the car,” Charles said, his voice dropping an octave.

He opened the passenger door for me, his hand steady despite the freezing wind.

I scrambled inside, the cold leather of the seat burning through my thin trousers.

Charles ran around the hood, jumped into the driver’s seat, and fired up the engine.

The heater roared to life, blowing lukewarm air into our faces as the wipers began to fight the heavy snow.

“How far is the facility?” Charles asked, shifting the car into drive.

“Ten minutes,” I said, my chest so tight I could barely breathe. “If the roads aren’t iced over.”

The tires spun on the fresh snow before catching traction on the dark asphalt.

We surged forward, leaving the dark silhouette of the Crystal Oak behind us.

I stared at the dashboard clock, the digital numbers ticking away too slowly.

“Why would Julian Bellamy go to her room now?” I asked.