Page 25 of Petal

I try to process the info. Where is Kai?

“So the word is…” Marlow’s voice is quiet—too quiet—as I raise my eyes to meet his. “You need to be around the security quarters after dark.”

My heart starts pounding at the words. It’s a message. “When?” I say on a short exhale.

“I don’t know. But you can’t go straight there. So go walk around, hang out until dark, then make your way to the Diggs.”

My heart starts beating so fast that I bite my lip, drawing pain to block my nervousness.

Marlow explains the map of the island, which will be complicated to navigate in the dark without knowing it. But I can ask random passersby. There are no active cameras inside Ayana itself—for privacy. The word is ironic.

Marlow grabs the door handle, ready to leave. “You know where to find me in case you need something,” he tells Katura over his shoulder like they’ve been neighbors all their lives. “If you can’t, any security guy can hit me on the radio.”

When Marlow leaves, I don’t hesitate, don’t ask Katura to come with me—she shouldn’t be involved, whatever happens. After all, she came here to stay. And all I want is to leave. With Kai.

I walk out.

The strangest thing about this world is that it’s full of contrast. Compared to the Eastside, hell, even most of the mainland except the central part that still looks more or less normal, the Ayana Resort is truly paradise. It comes alive as the night falls, and I go up and down random paths and staircases, veering among the garden patches, fountains, noticing what looks like restaurants, and bars hidden among lush greenery.

There are a lot more people out—it’s really a vacation place if you don’t think of its purpose. An assortment of clothes from beachwear to high heels and dress shirts and pants. Mostly a younger crowd, my age, but I spot older folks here and there and wonder if they work for Archer. There is more staff than we saw during the day. Lights and lanterns pop up in more places, illuminating the dazzling luxury.

No one pays attention to me.

It’s weird and liberating. I wonder if I would recognize any faces from Deene, but I feel so nervous and like an outsider that I start avoiding looking at people.

They said about a hundred people came here for spring break. Over twenty left. Twenty went to the Eastside. Several died. Thirty or so from the mainland were selected to come. Marlow said several dozen people were hired to work in the lab and data center. Plus staff that come from town and security personnel.

When I do the calculations, I realize that Ayana is like a small town, with over two hundred people here at any given time. With that, I gain my confidence back—I am just like anyone else here.

It’s been half an hour since darkness fell, and I find my way toward the northern edge of the resort. The dark ocean down below sprinkled with boat and yacht lights is my reference point. Marlow said the security personnel quarters are north, almost all the way to the checkpoint.

I skirt the darker buildings as I walk. The noise and lights fade slowly as I get closer to the outskirts of the resort.

My heart is pounding. This might be a trap. Katura trusts Marlow like she’s known him for years. It’s unlike her. The guy looks sweet and all, but no one here dares go against Archer, I’m sure.

I walk out into a wider path that turns into a parking lot of bicycles and scooters. The Diggs are just down the road to the right, Marlow said. I hurry down the dark path, my feet tripping on the uneven dirt road.

There are voices and laughter as I near the two-story wooden buildings that are nothing like the main resort area. They are nestled in the jungle. There are no fancy gardens or fountains here. Scooters and ATVs are parked upfront. A grill is going by one of the entrances. Low male laughter comes from another. This looks…normal.

Slowing down in the darkness, I sink into the shadows, skirting the darker building on the side with no lights at all and no windows—newer construction. There are building material piles. Tall stacks of wood covered with tarps tower like ghosts in the dark.

What am I supposed to do now?

My heart booms.

I linger in the shadows, frantically searching around for any clues I might have missed.

I am so focused on the buildings in front of me, taking in every detail, that when the soft crackling of dry leaves on the ground comes right behind me, it jerks me on the spot. Before I can turn, a hand grips my mouth and an arm wraps around my waist.

I don’t try to resist. My heart is pounding as I go lax.

The grip is forceful but not painful, rather protective, pressing my back flush against a tall broad form. The stranger’s lips are against my ear as a soft whisper seeps into me:

“Be very quiet, baby girl.”

My heart does a flip.

The arms softly loosen around my waist.

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