The Weight of Innocence

. A flickering neon sign. The kind of place that cha

at me. He took the money, handed me a key on a plastic

r from the office. The door stuck when I tried to open it. I

of the room. A television sat on the dresser, a relic from a decade that had ended long before. Th

sweet

. Every part of my body hurts. The hospital had sent me away with pain pi

incent's message still burned into my mind. I should g

And I needed something to contact my parole

eiling. Water stains shaped themselves in

d nurses interrupted every hour. Not before that, in the warehouse. Not before that, my first night out of prison

would help.

sed m

ist

Not fully a flashback. Something

Late at night. Ju

ng me to do," Marcus said. He paced the

oof," I said. "Real evi

know it

t. We will

re wide with fear. "Anastasia, if

does not

d. Someho

r. Blood spreads across white carpet.

nded your own busin

looked

n. My legs re

d toward me. L

r tu

replaced the office. Flames every

is. You got

to say, but

ed the wro

m so

o l

us's face appeared in the fire.

throat. Squeezing. Tigh

k. No hands. No fire. Just a filthy motel cei

shirt. Two hours had pas

in the cracked mirror looked like someone losing a fight she never asked

was rock

I hea

e. Idlin

und stayed steady and low

and crept to the window. I lifte

rom my door. Engine runnin

chi

spital. It had to be. They must have followed the cab

was hammered. I backed away from t

see me instantly. The bathroom wind

and shoved at the small grimy window. It resisted. I pushed

up. Pain shot through my ribs. My ankle warned me I was m

nt I was stuck halfway. I wiggled forward

t up my ankle nea

y behind the building. Dumpsters. Tra

jured ankle allowed. The moment I heard th

new I

it. I could barely put weight on my leg. My arms did all the work. I

I climbed down and dropped to the other sid

round the corner

ley on this side was narrow and boxe

u

tep hurts. The end of the alley grew closer. A s

ley behind me. Headlight

hed h

ening. Ten feet

ts front grille closing in. They were not try

into the wall as the SUV tore past, missing me

ll and broad, framed by the headlights. He stepped closer. A shaved he

d. His voice was deep and rough. No

t the wall. No doors.

d into hi

rty alley behind a cheap motel and

dlights blasted across the alley fr

scar turned, sh

the last moment it swerved and screeched t

nger door

" a voic

ha

than hit the gas the in

and the wall looked impossibly small, but Ethan aimed for it anyway. Me

n took a sharp turn. The tires w

till behind

kno

e spiral ramp at full speed. Level after level fle

you doing?

ust

top. Open air

id into a spot. He kille

n," he w

he footwell,

oss the rooftop. Its headlights swept over our ca

right in

d the roof. Searc

ve. Barely a bre

window of the SUV slid down. A rif

" I whi

see

It moved slowly, aiming at shadows. If

Loud and close. Someone must have

nside the SUV. The windo

ard the exit ram

til the siren grew louder a

sat up and

you o

and half of the city. I had been saved by a man who o

id. "I am

Me ne

arking garage. Two strangers caught i

re, Vincent watch

as planning h