MARK

I sat frozen in the driver's seat of the beat-up Honda sedan. Outside, the New York winter was brutal. Frost clung to the edges of the windshield, and my breath plumed in the freezing air of the cabin. I was shivering just ten minutes ago. But suddenly, the cramped space felt like a furnace.

A prickle of sweat broke out along my hairline. I reached up and forcefully loosened my tie, yanking at the stiff collar of my dress shirt. The air in the car had grown inexplicably thin. I felt like I was suffocating. I reached over and cracked the window an inch just to get some oxygen,...