keys lay heavy in my pocket the moment my hands left the steering wheel. Dust settled on the hood of the beat-up hatchback like a blanket of sleep. The neon signs along the highway blurred into a kaleidoscope of reds and blues as I switched on the interior light, flicking the cigarette between my fingers.

I took a long drag, the nicotine burning a familiar trail up my throat. Three days back in the city and my body still hadn't adjusted to the lack of caffeine. My reflection in the rearview mirror showed a man who looked like he hadn't slept properly in a while. The stubble on my jaw scraped against the collar of my dirty T-shirt as I shifted in the seat.

The U盘, or rather what was left of it, lay beneath the seat. A cheap USB stick I'd carried from wherever the hell I'd been. It wasn't much, just a plastic casing, but it felt like it weighed a damn ton. Inside was everything I had left. Photos, contacts, a bunch of documents... and a few things that could probably end up getting me killed.