Now, standing on the wet roadside, Vance felt that old weight surge back. The compass swung gently on the stranger’s dashboard. The past had caught up to him in metal and rain. Whatever waited next, he knew this stop was tied to Adam in a way he hadn’t seen coming.
The sedan idled on the shoulder, wipers smearing rain in slow arcs. The driver kept both hands visible. Up close, he looked younger than Vance had first thought. Late-twenties. Tired eyes. Not Adam—but similar enough that the first look cut deep.