Zaharah pulled Pharah into the throng of giggling tourists headed up to the boardwalk. She kept her eyes and her mind ahead, instead of their interlocked hands, and the softness of Pharah's skin and her glittery pink nail polish. Focus. It was easy to meld into the crowd, climbing the colourful steps up to the boardwalk, hide amongst the wide-brimmed hats and swishing skirts.

She herded the luggage to the front as they mounted the steep steps. Those who didn't want the exercise took the belts that flanked the stairs on either side. Zaharah remembered members of her team using them for exercise in the wee hours, before the shops opened.

Over a hundred steps took them up to the boardwalk where tourists lined the rails to take in the view of the harbour. On the opposite side stores and pop up stalls lined the walkways, selling clothes, jewellery, fired food and handmade wares. They passed a stall selling wide-brimmed straw hats and another with jewellery made from conch shells.

An electric energy pulsed through the planks, generated by the thumping feet of passerby and the excitement of children squealing of every foreign thing they spotted. Crowds and clusters of people dotted the boardwalk, debating what touristy thing they wanted to do next.

Zaharah guided Pharah around them, her eyes trained on the green space peaking out between the buildings. Jade and Roddi should be there by now. Unless... she dashed the thought from her mind before it could form. They'd be fine.

The path they took into the garden was lined with hibiscus and dark wood shaving. Tufts of grass poked between the gaps in the large tiles and morning glory grew wild on the lattices edging the garden. Even when they'd lived in the 700, they didn't come to the boardwalk often, despite the pocking pitch being only a block over. It was too touristy for her tastes.

Roddi's yellowish blonde hair stuck out amongst the cluster of lignum vitae trees. He scrolled through his phone while Jade sat on a stone bench digging through her backpack. The latter lifted her head as Zaharah and Pharah came down the path, her eyes locking on the intertwined finger.

Zaharah gave her a warning glance as she pulled her bag and the micro metal from her back. Warmth and the scent of fruity soap still lingered on her palm from holding Pharah's hand. She lowered herself on the bench next to her sister. "We need to figure out where we're going from here."

Home? Jade signed, as though it was obvious.

Zaharah shook her head. "I'd love to but we don't know what's changed. The house could've been sold. And that's the first place the Director may look."

You mentioned something about an uncle? Maybe we could find him?

"I remember an uncle, but I don't remember a name or a face." Zaharah rubbed her eyes and looked at Roddi. "I don't suppose you have any family here."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the tree. "Not any that I can go to. Didn't Elliot give you some directions? Told you to find someone?"

Cammi. Zaharah bit her lip, paranoia making her gut turn over. She'd rather rely on her own wits than fall into a trap. "Yeah but... I wanted that to be a last resort. I mean... I'm not sure who to trust at this point. I have money in my account. We could rent a place for the night and go from there."

"We should at least check out the place Elliot told you to go to."

Zaharah groaned. He didn't tell me where to go. He told me to find Cam and I don't even know where..." Her words trailed off as a thought crossed her mind. The text conversation during the rushout. She'd dare Cammi to reveal his location. "I do know where he is. But If I remember right, it's a bit far from here."

"I think it's worth checking out," Roddi said.

Jade scrunched her brow. Isn't Cam the person you told us about? The one who helped you? Wasn't he able to command Skorpi?

At the sound of his name, Skorpi popped his head up from her hood and beeped.

"Yeah... but..." Zaharah exhaled a breath.

But what? He could be a close friend of our family. We'd still be in Denden if it weren't for him.

"Or we could be walking into a trap? Forgive me for being paranoid after all that shit we just went through. We need to be careful here."

"I don't disagree," Roddi said. "But I think it's worth a shot. We could just check out the place out and if it seems sketchy, we go with your idea."

Jade nodded. I like that plan.

Zaharah rubbed her face, outnumbered by the group. "Any objections, just Pharah?" She looked to the DJ, who sat next to her on the bench, her brother's bag clutched tightly in her arms. A shrug of her shoulder was the only response she offered. "I guess it's settled then."

She wasn't fond of the idea, but at least she didn't have to shoulder the weight of failure if things went awry. "Skorpi, connect to Jade's phone and load the chat from Cammi."

The mechpet saluted her before diving back into her hood.

After a few moments, Jade turned her phone around. 1723 Amaryllis Road. Pinegrove, New Andros. The address Cammi had given Zaharah.

"That's on the northeast side." Zaharah stood and stretched. "We'll have to take the train to the New Andros District then walk. There's a station at the other end of the boardwalk."

Roddi tucked his phone away. "Cool. Let's move. We're losing daylight, and Jade and I spotted some cops patrolling down by the main road."

The trek to the Boardwalk train station took almost half an hour. They descended from the throng of tourist and suffocating heat and into the sleek glass doors. A blast of air conditioning washed over them, carrying the crisp scents of lemon and hibiscus. Their shoes clicked against floors polished to a high shine, and a voice called out departing and arrival times at regular intervals.

Across the way, steps lead up to the platform where the 19 train waited. They needed the 21 to get to New Andros. Zaharah moved to the north side of the station where the schedule was displayed on a giant screen. The 19 would depart in five minutes and the 21 would be there in thirty.

"Okay. I'll grab us some tickets," Zaharah said. "You guys wanna grab something to eat?" She knew the sandwiches they served at the rain station concession were top-notch, and she'd murder for a chicken BLT.

Jade nodded and she and Roddi made for the other side of the station, where vending machines marked the entrance to concession. Meanwhile, Pharah leaned against the ticket terminal, red-rimmed eyes out the door. Fresh ears glistened on her lashes and her body was held so rigid she might shatter if touched.

Zaharah wanted to say something, anything, to give her some closure, but all the patronising words died on her tongue. They'd lost Markus that morning, and nothing anyone could say to soothe the gaping wound he'd left behind. He'd been more than a caretaker during their time in Denden; he'd been family.

"You ever seen Goombay park?" she asked Pharah as she punched in the ticket order.

Pharah popped her head up as though she was waking up from a trance. "Only on TV."

"It's..." Zaharah's words trailed off as the machine beeped at her. Payment not accepted flashed over the screen in red text. "W-what...? What the fuck?" She moved from the ticket terminal to the ATM and scanned her thumb to bring up her banking information.

Account On Hold.

She stood there, staring at the screen, hands shaking, heart fluttering around in her chest. Her stomach felt as though it had turned to stone and sank to her feet. All that money, those stipends she'd been saving over a year. It was supposed to be her and Jade's future.

"We checked the bank machine and our accounts are frozen," Roddi said.

Zaharah resisted the urge to punch the ATM. "Shit." She should've known the Director would be that spiteful and petty. That woman probably reported them as runaway fugitives.

How are we supposed to find a place to stay? Jade signed. Without money, we're stranded.

"Wait," Pharah said, her voice cutting through their panic. "I think..." She dug through Devin's bag and came up with two pre-paid sand dollar cards. She stared at them for a long time, clutching them so tightly they curved at the edges.

"Holy shit..." Roddi breathed. "Devin, you fucking angel."

Pharah bit her lip. "He used these to buy his drugs." She shoved the cards into Zaharah's hands as though they burned her.

Zaharah accepted them with a nod, two silver cards worth thirty dollars each. She had no idea they still made these. It wasn't enough to put them up in a motel for the night, but more than enough to get them a train ride to New Andros. Which left with one option.

Find Cammi.