Midnight

The night is a frozen tableau of December, the streets of Atlantic Avenue slick with sleet and illuminated only by a lone arc‑lamp and the warm glow of a nearby café. Spike Walters, a seasoned taxi driver, is perched in his yellow cab beside the massive Union Station, his breath fogging in the bitter air as the clock strikes midnight. With no passengers in sight and the next train delayed, he endures an aching wait, his gloves numb and his mind turning over the monotony of an all‑night shift.

Beyond the harsh wind, a shadowy figure appears, clutching a battered suitcase that seems out of place in the deserted scene. The brief exchange that follows hints at a hidden urgency—a whispered request, a cryptic name, and a promise that something important will be delivered before the night ends. As Spike hesitates, the silence of the station becomes charged with the sense that a larger mystery is about to unfold, drawing the weary driver into a tangled web of intrigue.