The cab rolled to a slow stop just off the dusty curb of a run-down street where the only color came from a flickering neon "VACANCY" sign.

Ariel kept her head down, tugging the hoodie further over her face as she reached into her bag and handed the driver a crumpled bill.

He didn’t ask her any more questions.

She stepped out quickly, the sharp scent of gasoline and damp concrete filling her nostrils.

Her sneakers scraped against the gravel as she made her way to the motel office, a squat little building with peeling paint and dusty windows.

The inside was no better than the outside.

The room was...