I did not stop running until I reached my car parked two blocks away under a broken streetlight.

My hands shook so violently I could barely get the key into the ignition.

The engine roared to life, and I tore away from the curb, leaving the restaurant behind.

I drove through the empty streets of the coastal city, my headlights cutting through the thick fog rolling off the bay.

The moisture clung to the windshield, and the wipers made a rhythmic, irritating slap against the glass.

My phone buzzed on the passenger seat, the screen illuminating the dark interior of the car.

It was another text from Daniel: *Hurry. I don’t know how much time we have.*

I pressed the gas pedal harder, the tires splashing through deep puddles along the boulevard.

The massive brick estate on Cumberland Avenue loomed in the darkness, its windows dark and lifeless.

I parked on the street a block away, turning off my lights to avoid attracting attention from the main house.

The wet grass soaked through my shoes as I hurried toward the side of the grand building.