Epilogue

 

As Joshua walked back to his hotel in the predawn light of Chicago, he retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. He took deep breaths as it rang, only to nearly jump with relief when voice mail picked up.

“Hi, Colleen. It’s me, Joshua. Look, I know it’s been a long time since we’ve talked, but I was thinking that maybe—”

He never got the chance to finish. A large, beefy hand grabbed his arm, pulling him into an alleyway. A white-hot, excruciating pain shot through one side of his back, about kidney-level. He didn’t even have time to cry out. His eyes just squeezed shut as his face twisted in agony.

Then everything went black.

THE END