I stayed to the back roads for the twenty blocks or so it took me to get to where I was going. The night was clear with not a cloud in the sky. And though it was a quiet, upscale neighborhood I kept my hoodie pulled down as low as it would go, walking as swiftly as possible without looking too suspicious. It was the middle of the night so most places were in complete darkness, only a few had the glare of a television showing through the shades.

I reached my destination and pulled my ...