The dim, pale lighting of the Chinese restaurant was anything but according to the taste of the immaculately dressed businessman seated in the corner, waiting for his appointment. It had already been a poor enough day for him, with his car breaking down minutes after leaving the office for the meeting, meaning he had to walk all the way. Though the restaurant was not far off, the inconvenience itself was enough to put him in a black mood. And now he had been waiting for the better part of an hour for this old Chinese man who had been entrusted with his finalizing the transaction between their two companies. He had called an hour before, saying he had encountered a minor disturbance at work but would not be long.
A strong believer in superstition, Charlie was sure bad luck came in three's and he nervously awaited the final act. As he ordered his fifth glass of water, the gaudily dressed waitress who had been observing him for quite some time approached the table.
"Can I interest you in one of our special fortune cookies, sir? " she smiled cheerfully.
"No, thank you, " Charlie replied, "I'm just waiting for an appointment. ".
"Are you sure, sir? Wouldn't you like to know your fortune? " she smiled brightly again, pushing a tray with delicious looking chocolate cookies toward him. With nothing better to do at hand and no hope of his business partner arriving any time soon, Charlie lifted one cookie off the tray. The waitress flashed another friendly smile and left.
Charlie pulled the slip of paper from between the two folds of the cookie and put on his glasses to read the tiny print.
"Your life is in danger. Say nothing to anyone. You must leave the city immediately and never return. Repeat: say nothing. ".
Charlie frowned and read the message again. It seemed like an odd thing to be written on a fortune cookie. It must be some kind of prank, he assumed. Irritated, he looked up to find the waitress who had given him the cookie, but she was nowhere to be seen.