Officer Matthew

The sedan is crushed against a tree, steam rising in the quiet dusk. Officer Matthew Cade stands still, eyes on the woman inside—young, broken, but alive. “No signs she tried to stop,” a paramedic says. Matthew crouches beside her. “You didn’t want to be found,” he murmurs. He watches her breathe, then softly adds, “But you were.” The lights flash behind him as he steps away.