A huge, bulky man with a gaunt, sunken look on his face walked slowly down the quiet hallway, each step sounding louder in his ears than the last. His palms were sweaty, and his heart felt like it was beating too close to his throat. He stopped abruptly when he reached a huge mahogany door. The golden handle gleamed faintly under the chandelier light, almost mocking him.
He hesitated, his hand hanging midair.
For a few seconds he contemplated turning back, pretending he didn't get the message, disappearing altogether. But he knew that would be impossible. They would find him before he even got out of the building and then things would become even more complicated than it already was. The worse would be that he would end up dead.
So he forced his hand forward and knocked.
The sound echoed in the hallway like a death sentence.
