CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE – THE HUNT IS ON

The harsh light of morning filtered through the thin curtains, rousing Jasmine from her uneasy slumber. For a moment, she forgot where she was, panic seizing her chest as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Reality crashed back, and with it, the weight of her situation. Jasmine groaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she forced herself to face another day on the run. A rumble from her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten since... when? Yesterday? The day before? Time had become a blur. Jasmine peered out the window, relieved to see a diner across the street. She could grab some food and maybe a newspaper, try to get her bearings. Twenty minutes later, freshly showered and wearing her least conspicuous outfit, Jasmine slid into a booth at the back of the diner. A waitress with a kind face and tired eyes approached. "Coffee?" Jasmine nodded gratefully. "Please. And, um, do you have a newspaper?" The waitress - her nametag read 'Betty' - smiled. "Sure thing, hon. Loc