Disguised in Silence

Dusk had just begun to settle across the city, casting long shadows along the sidewalks as cars rushed by, their headlights flickering in the growing gloom. A yellow taxi slowed to a stop in front of a grand, gated mansion tucked away in one of the city's wealthier districts. The house, surrounded by trimmed hedges and stone statues, had the cold, impenetrable look of a place where secrets were well-kept.

The back door of the taxi opened slowly. Chantel stepped out, clad in a crisp white nurse uniform. Her face was almost completely obscured—she wore a standard white surgical mask, and large round eyeglasses that distorted her features just enough to mask her true identity. Her long brown hair was tucked neatly under a nurse's cap. The disguise was almost flawless, though inside she trembled with nervous energy.