The Last Drive of the Night

The clock on the dashboard ticked ominously as Alex navigated the empty streets of the city. The rain had stopped, leaving the roads slick and the air cold. It was the final drive of the night, and Alex was grateful for the routine that had become a comforting ritual. The client, a woman known only as Miss White, was always late, but tonight, the silence in the car was deafening.

Alex's name was not on the registration papers, and he was paid in cash. He had no idea who Miss White really was or why she hired him. She had a house in a secluded area of the city, and she always asked for a specific route that seemed to avoid certain streets. Alex had never questioned her, nor had he ever wanted to. He was just a driver, and this was his job.

The car approached the turn-off for Miss White's residence. Alex's heart raced as he remembered the first night he was hired. She had called him in a panic, her voice trembling with fear. She had told him she needed a driver, and he had agreed without hesitation. It was the kind of job that required no questions asked, and Alex was all too familiar with the kind of work that went on in the shadows.

As the car pulled up to the gate, Alex could see the silhouette of Miss White waiting. She wore a trench coat that concealed her face, but there was something about her posture that made Alex's instincts twitch. She motioned for him to wait, and Alex killed the engine, his hand instinctively resting on the door handle.

Miss White approached the car, her voice steady but unyielding. "Get out, Alex," she commanded.

Alex's hand stayed on the door handle, but he didn't move. "I'm not leaving until you tell me why you're here."

Miss White hesitated, her eyes flickering with a mix of fear and anger. "You have no right to know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Then I guess I'll have to wait," Alex replied, his voice calm and resolute.

Miss White sighed, a sound of exasperation mixed with defeat. "Fine, but you're going to be sorry for this."

She handed Alex a manila envelope, and he opened it to find a series of photographs. Each one depicted a different man, each one looking exactly like Alex. The final photograph was a composite of the faces, pieced together to form a single image.

Alex's breath caught in his throat. "What is this?"

"It's you," Miss White said, her voice tinged with sadness. "You're not Alex. You're me."

Confusion clouded Alex's mind. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm a double agent," Miss White continued. "I've been working for both sides, trying to gather intelligence. But now they know I'm compromised. They're coming for me, and they're coming for you, too."

Alex's mind raced. "But I don't understand. How am I involved?"

Miss White's eyes met his, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "You were cloned, Alex. You were cloned from me."

The revelation was staggering. Alex's life, which he had always taken for granted, was a facade. He was not who he thought he was. He was a clone, a carbon copy of someone else, and now, he was in danger.

"You have to run," Miss White said, her voice urgent. "They'll be here soon."

Alex hesitated, torn between the woman in front of him and the life he knew. "I can't just leave. What about you?"

Miss White smiled, a ghost of a smile that faded quickly. "You're my only hope, Alex. You have to live, to tell the world what I've done, and what they've done to me."

With those words, she handed him a set of keys. "Go to the address on the back of the envelope. It's the only way out."

Before Alex could respond, he heard the sound of tires screeching in the distance. Miss White's eyes widened in terror as a car pulled up to the gate, the headlights cutting through the darkness.

"Run!" she shouted, pushing the envelope into his chest.

Without hesitation, Alex opened the door and fled into the night. He ran, not knowing where he was going, but knowing that he had to keep running. The car behind him pursued, the sound of the engine echoing in his ears.

Alex turned a corner and found himself at a small, secluded park. He stopped, gasping for breath, and looked at the envelope in his hands. The address on the back was a safe house, a place he had never seen but had been instructed to go to in case of emergency.

With a deep breath, Alex began to walk. The city was a labyrinth, and he was lost, but he knew he had to find his way out. He had to tell someone about Miss White, about the clone, about the danger that still lurked in the shadows.

As he walked, the rain began to fall again, a gentle drizzle that seemed to cleanse the world of the night's chaos. Alex's heart was heavy, but his resolve was firm. He was no longer just a driver; he was a part of something much bigger, and he had a story to tell.

The night had been long, but the journey was just beginning.