The streets were deserted in the dead of night, with headlights casting streaks of white light across the asphalt. Bruce leaned against the steering wheel and glanced down at the brief text message on his phone—
“Maximum three days off. If you don’t come back after three days, I’ll blow your head off!!! —Diana”
He smiled silently, tapping the steering wheel with his fingers. The tone was all too familiar, like all her threats—rough yet tinged with concern.
He whistled, turned the car around, first selling the old vehicle at a used car market, then purchasing a pickup truck for over $20,000 at a nearby auto supermarket. The vehicle had a faint gasoline odor and looked sturdy enough to meet all his expectations for a tool.
Before returning to the apartment, he had thought he’d need to pu
