Striding quickly through the service door and into the parking courtyard, Anselme arrived just in time to spot a sleek silver Audi sedan slide over the low curb and disappear onto Rue Nicolaus Copernicus. Looking down at his blood spattered suit, he knew that taking public transit back to the office was out of the question. He pulled his phone from his pocket, cycled his VPN, and sent Ford a message, “I forgot my umbrella.”

Heading back inside, he descended the stairs to the parking sub-level. He waited under the bottom flight until he heard a car pull up and make the sound of a revving internal combustion engine three times before exiting the stairwell and opening the door of a steel grey Mustang. The passenger seat was covered in a clear plastic film and foot mat with all-weather rubbers. On the seat lay a matte black rubberized canvas raincoat that reached his ankles. He quickly tied the coat over his clothes and slid into the car. Ford waited patiently, scanning the area like a conning tower radar until Anselme was buckled in, then flipped the switch for silent mode and peeled off with a chirp of his tires. 

“None…