CHAPTER 2
THE LAST DAY—THE BEGINNING
AUGUST 24, 2017: NEW YORK CITY0400 hours: Sweat flowed freely down his forehead and onto the pillowcase, turning the pillow into something akin to a wet towel. Despite the cool climate in the apartment, his body lay sprawled over the rumpled sheets, legs sticking over the end of the bed. His eyes remained closed as he listened to the monotonous ticking of the clock on the night table. Slowly, his eyes opened from another night of miserable sleep. He momentarily focused on the streetlight outside his bedroom window, the sole source of illumination at 4 a.m. He lifted his head and one by one he slid his legs off the bed and touched the floor. The cheap acoustic tile felt hard and cold against his feet. Light-headed, he collapsed over the bed, his legs d
