The laboratory was cold. The lights were off except for the desk lamp. It cast a cone of white light through the dust motes dancing in the air. They moved slowly like stars in a dark sky. Moro sat in the center of the light. He was cleaning a scalpel with a soft cloth. The metal clicked against the tray. Click. Click. Click. The sound was rhythmic. It measured the silence in the room.
Dante stood in the doorway. He did not knock. He did not speak. He waited in the shadows. His coat absorbed the darkness around him. His face was hidden from the light. Moro did not look up. He knew who was there. The sensors had triggered when the door opened. The air pressure had changed when Dante stepped inside. He continued cleaning the blade. The steel was sharp. It reflected the lamp light. A glint of silver cut through the dimness.
