“That’s the plan,” I replied.
Cindy ripped the paper from the pad, then handed it to me. “He lives in a loft. The building can be a bit dicey as far as the kind of people that live there, or so William told me.”
I took the paper, angled it toward the light, and read over the address. 2536 Blinker St. #25A. “I’ll keep my eyes peeled for any sketchy folks. It won’t be a problem.”
“Thank you again. I am beyond grateful for this.” Cindy folded her arms across her chest again and shivered, trying to stay warm.
“You’re welcome,” I replied, tilting my head.
Anna grabbed my arm and led me to the door. She glanced over at Cindy who paced the dim room while rubbing her arms, then blew into her hands.
“You’re sure you want to do this?” Anna asked.
“Yeah. It’ll be fine and won’t take long.” I looked over to Cindy. “Just stay low and I’ll be back before you know it.”
“If anything looks off or doesn’t feel right, cut and leave,” Anna whispered to me.
I nodded, then slipped the mask on. I flipped the hood of the coat over my head and turned toward the entrance.
Anna walked over to the window, pulled the curtain to the side, then peered out to the parking lot. She moved her head about, scanning for any movement. “All right. Looks good.”
I opened the door and stepped outside to the chill of the midmorning air. I moved down the sidewalk, around the corner of the building, and past the front end of the SUV.
My hand dug into the pocket of the coat, fumbling for the keys. I skirted past the front bumper toward the driver’s side of the vehicle, opened the door, and climbed inside, keys in hand. I closed it behind me and shivered.
Ash gathered on the windshield, blocking my view. I set the keys in my lap, then rubbed my hands together to warm them up. The joints ached from the bitter cold and hurt to bend.
I studied the paper one last time, going over the route. Cindy kept the directions to Jessie’s place short and brief. A number of turns and a handful of streets would lead me there. It didn’t look complicated or that far away, barring any trouble.
I grabbed the keys from my lap, slipped them into the ignition, then fired up the SUV. It idled a bit rough. I pumped the gas, revving the engine. It surged and rattled some, but kept operating. I turned the windshield wipers on, knocking away the ash.
Shifting into drive, I pulled away from the corner of the motel, and drove through the parking lot and under the awning in front of the dark office. Once on the street, I punched the gas.
The SUV tore down the deserted road, plowing through the ash that refused to stop falling. The dark, gray sky overhead cleared some, offering a bit more light. Thunder continued to rumble behind the clouds. Flashes of white lightning caught my eye in the distance. The haze lurking around the tops of the buildings receded some, showing more of the sprawling structures.
My head stayed on a swivel, checking the driver and passenger side windows for any threats on the sides of the streets or flanking me. All seemed to be quiet.
I passed a few cars moving at a snail’s pace on the other side of the road. The drivers looked in my direction as I drove by, but I couldn’t make out their faces.
I glanced at the street sign mounted at the top of the intersection light I approached, then back to the directions. I pumped the brake, looked both ways, then turned east.
A truck sat parked in the middle of the road, both driver and passenger side doors wide open. I slowed, then made a wide arch around the vehicle.
I drove past the truck and kept going, moving around any other vehicles that sat in the street before me. What few people walked down the sidewalks, braving the unforgiving weather, looked my way. Their covered heads moved in sync with the SUV as I drove by. They stared a moment longer before going on about their business.
The remainder of the drive to Jessie’s place went by without incident. I pulled into the alley next to his building and killed the engine. I stuffed the paper into the pocket of my coat, then dropped the keys in after it.
I checked the side-view mirror, then pushed the door open and got out. The wind rushed me, hitting my chest like a thousand fists. I shivered. My hands slipped inside the coat’s pockets to keep them warm.
I walked around the corner of the reddish-brown brick building with my chin dipped, and trudged down the sidewalk toward the entrance, looking for any people heading my way.
A black-tinted glass door swung open from the building, and a slender figure walked out, wearing a light-blue jacket with the hood covering their head. They trotted down the steps, then turned my way.
The gaunt, pale face of the bearded man looked at me through the ash. His sunken eyes narrowed, then squinted at me. He reached inside the pocket of his coat and headed right at me.
I pulled my hand from the warm depths of the coat’s pockets, reached under the flap of the jacket, and grabbed the grip of the Beretta. He passed by me, nudging my arm with his elbow, but kept moving.
I peered over my shoulder, watching him cross the street to the other side and disappearing into the falling ash. I climbed the four stairs to the entrance, removed my hand from the Beretta, and opened the door.
Ash blew inside the entryway, gathering on the tile floor. Darkness loomed, making it hard to see. I stepped through the opening
