Grayson checked his laptop one last time, the faint glow reflecting off the sharp lines of his face as he snapped it shut. Everything he needed was already packed, documents, clothes and his gadgets, he never traveled without it. Still, his hand lingered on the zipper of his bag, as though hesitation itself had weight. He slung it over his shoulder and left the house quietly, the door closing behind him with a soft, deliberate click.
Dawn had just begun to stretch across the sky. Snow drifted down in thin, lazy flakes. His boots crunched lightly as he crossed the porch and slid into his truck. The engine rumbled to life, familiar and grounding. Grayson pulled out, tires cutting clean tracks through the snow as he drove down the road that led away from town.
He didn’t expect to see anyone
