The deserted roads and light drizzle misting the air was enough to give him the chills. One could be out in this weather for an hour and barely get wet, yet, he felt his clothes sticking to his skin, making his body shake to ward off the cold.

The streetlights down the road were blinking, signaling the late night- or early morning.

Few would dare to be out this time a day, much less in this weather but he couldn't help it. Something had drawn him outside, guiding his every step like an invisible force.

With no real clue as to where he was headed, Kevin followed along quietly, enduring the temperamental weather in stoic acceptance.

Unsure how long he'd been walking down city blocks at a hasty pace, he glanced around, seeing but a few souls sharing his fate as they made their way down sidewalks with umbrellas drawn, or the hoodie of their sweatshirt covering their hair.

His feet hit a puddle, jerking him back to attention and he glanced up in time to see the silhouette of a blonde woman half a block away. With her back turned toward him, she proceeded hastily, her ponytail whipping back and forth with each forceful step.

Quickening his pace, Kevin felt the adrenaline rush through his body, sensing the deep connection to the woman he was following.

Something told him to reach for his badge but when his fingers searched the deep pocket of his black dress pants, it wasn't there. Likewise, his Glock was missing, the empty holster still attached to his leather belt.

Drawing in a deep breath, he began to jog, unable to bridge the distance to her. As the mist turned into a heavy rain, Kevin grew desperate, the need to catch up with the blonde stranger becoming overbearing.

At last she slowed down and turned toward the road, a faint smile playing on her features as she waved at an approaching car, the black sedan stopping short of the sidewalk.

"No, wait!", Kevin screamed when he saw the driver's hand push the passenger side door open, allowing the woman to step into the car.

With a cordial nod, she followed suit, taking a brief moment to look back at her follower, smiling as she disappeared inside the sedan.

"Jenny!"

The desperate cry instantly brought him back to his senses and Kevin sat up in bed, his arms and legs shaking, his ragged breathing disturbing the otherwise quiet bedroom.

Covered head to toe in sweat, he fought to regain his composure and lower the incessant thumping coming from his chest.

"Honey, is everything alright?"

Warm fingers appeared by his arm, gently massaging the tense muscles down below. Barely able to get the haunting image out of his mind, he looked over at Jenny, seeing the worry and fear in her eyes as real as his.

"S…sorry, just a bad dream…", he stammered, feeling the fingers around his upper arm tighten.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah…", he finally said, lying to her and himself, "It's just this case. I think it's getting the better of me."

"Well, from the sound of it, that's no surprise. Did you want me to make you some tea or grab you some water?"

Leaning into her touch when she gently caressed his cheek, Kevin shook his head, taking a moment to relish her presence as his body calmed down.

"I'll be fine, sorry about that. Go back to sleep."

Taking a moment to reach over and kiss the hand by his face, he forced a reassuring smile that didn't even come close to convincing her. Then, not daring to say another word, he laid back down, hoping and praying that this wasn't a frightening omen of what was to come.