That night, a blizzard covered the city. From my office window, I watched snow gather against the glass.
The warmth inside the lab kept fogging one corner of the window. Beyond it, the cleared road to the institute was disappearing under fresh snow.
The FBI had questioned Julian and released him on bond. The board had removed him, and the patients had been transferred to a public hospital with little time left.
The lobby had been cleared.
Then, my desk monitor chimed. It was a notification from the institute’s head of security. He had flagged the external cameras at the main gate.
Lena stood in the doorway. “Dr. Vance, you should see this.”
I turned to the monitor.
Julian knelt in the snow beyond the institute’s iron gates. Snow coated his hair and expensive coat. Beside him, his mo
