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My friend looks up from her desk, from Simon to me and back. She slowly stands up. “Okay.” She walks toward me. “What’s going on? You’re as white as a sheet. Did something happen?”

I nod. “I got fired. I have to pack up. Ten minutes, then I’m out.”

Her mouth drops open. “Don’t mess with me,” she hisses at me.

Shaking my head, I lower my gaze. “Simon will tell you all about it. I . . . I have to go.”

“We’ll see about that.” She turns toward our boss’s office. “Okay. Go home. I’ll come over as soon as I can. This isn’t the end of the story.”

With trembling fingers, I grab my bag from my office, where a security guard is already waiting for me.

When I try to put my smartphone in my bag, he shakes his head. “Phone, tablet, smartwatch.”

“Right,” I mumble. I don’t even have a personal phone anymore. That’s my connection to the world. I really am dizzy now.

Nothing in this office belongs to me. I pull the few personal photos off my monitor frame. On my way out, I grab my favorite mug from the break room.

Ricky jumps up when we get to the elevators. “Parker?”

I shake my head. “Ask Carly. I don’t have a phone.” I laugh. What an absurd situation.

The security guard shoves me into the elevator. I turn around inside and wave to Ricky. Shit. The doors close and we head down. Only yesterday I was standing in front of it, hoping that this damn elevator would bring me an answer. Now I got it.

We both step out into the lobby, and my companion follows me to the gate, which only opens with my keycard.

“Key,” the guy demands.

I hand him the card hanging around my neck. He points to the turnstile, which can be passed through to the outside without authorization.

In a single step, I’m outside. My life here is over. As if on autopilot, I walk toward the exit doors. People are walking behind them.

Life goes on.

Dazed, I step out into the New York spring. Is the city always this loud?

The honking of cars is deafening.

I turn to one side. Take a step. Stop and turn around.

A taxi. Or maybe a bus?

Uber. No. I don’t even have a phone.

Where’s a bus stop?

Across the street, a bus is pulling into a stop. I jerk my head to the left and run into a damn e-scooter that has no business being on this sidewalk. I stumble toward the street. Just get to the bus quickly. My foot slips off the curb. I flail my arms, trying to keep my balance. I don’t know what or who is to blame for my failure. Lack of sleep? The stress of the night? Getting kicked out?

My arm slams into the curb, and a searing pain splits it in two. I can’t think of any other reason why everything goes black before my eyes. But not before I realize that my gaze is following my arm and landing on the street. The e-scooter rider is moving away against the flow of traffic. Instead, a car rolls toward me.

Instinctively, I turn away from the sight, force my head to turn the other way, and see a strange red and white object on my forearm. What kind of stick is sticking out of my arm? That’s the last thought I have. Fortunately, the world around me sinks into a black hole.

Chapter 24 – Evan

The vibration penetrates right down to the deepest recesses of my brain.

After the shock in Parker’s office last night, I’m not ready for reality.

Fuck, I want to sleep. Sleep and forget.