Blindfolded

The story opens with a fresh arrival in San Francisco, the city’s hills and fog‑cloaked bay painted in the amber glow of a setting sun. From the deck of the ferry the narrator meets his long‑time acquaintance Henry, a confident Californian who has arranged a clandestine job that “lies outside the law.” Their banter about uncanny looks‑alike faces and whispered instructions sets a tone of camaraderie tinged with unease.

As they step ashore, a cold thrill of danger flashes through the crowd, crystallized in the cold, snake‑like stare of a mysterious stranger. Henry’s nervous caution and the hurried push toward a hotel hint at a covert mission that will test both discretion and courage. The scene brims with the restless energy of a bustling port city, promising a tale of intrigue that begins the moment the ferry slips away.