"Fort Lauderdale, Florida." Kaitlyn frowned and wondered why those words slipped out of her mouth. Somewhere deep in her subconscious, she knew that was where she was supposed to be. She wished she could take back the words once they escaped. The security team would probably come looking for her and ask if anyone had seen someone matching her description. She could kill the lady, but that seemed harsh. If they followed her to Florida she would just have to loose them.

"Well, that's quite the trip. You might want to grab a few snacks."

Humans ate all the time, she reminded herself. If she wanted to blend in, she had to act the part.

"You're right," she said, smiling. "I'm starving."

She made her way to the back of the store and grabbed a couple of bags of chips and two candy bars. When she reached for the b.u.t.terfingers, a memory crossed her mind. She looked to be around twelve years old, and she was rummaging through a plastic pumpkin filled with candy, searching for b.u.t.terfingers.

A slow smile spread across her face. She was starting to welcome the memories. It was like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle slowly fitting together. Once she had all the pieces, she would have a clear image of who she used to be.

"Don't forget to grab a drink." Marcy tilted her head towards the cooler.

Right. Can't forget a drink, Kaitlyn thought wryly as she reached in for a bottle of water.

"That will be seven dollars and ninety-nine cents."

Kaitlyn stood there confused for a moment until her processor flashed money. She scrabbled through her bag and pulled out her money and dropped a hundred dollar bill on the counter.

Marcy eyed the bill. "Don't you have anything smaller than that?"

Kaitlyn flipped through her bills; she really should have researched more. Finally, she found one that had the number ten on it and handed that to the woman.

"Thanks, that's better. And be careful flashing that kind of money around. The world is filled with bad people." The woman handed her money back which Kaitlyn stuffed into the side pocket of her bag.

"Bad people?" Kate asked.

"Don't you watch the news?"

She shook her head no. "I only watch movies."

The woman was looking at her strangely, and Kate realized she said something wrong to draw attention to herself.

"Thanks for the advice. I'll be more careful from now on." Kaitlyn turned to exit the building.

"Have a safe trip."

"Thank you." Kaitlyn could understand why the IFICS were concerned about her interacting with humans; she wasn't very good at it. She felt like a fish out of water. The saying had just popped into her head, an element of the slang chip, she suspected. It reminded her of Quess and made her feel strange. She didn't have time to a.n.a.lyze feelings; she had to get to the bus station.

It was as if she were set on autopilot. At the bus station, a kind-faced gentleman in a uniform helped her find the right bus.

She boarded the bus and made her way to the back. She wanted to be able to see who entered, and also she had quick access to the emergency exit.

The memory of the attack kept playing through her mind as she watched the scenery pa.s.s. The bus rolled down the highway in the early morning, once in awhile they past quiet little towns. She couldn't stop thinking of the the woman at the gas station's wordsa"bad people. Why was there so much wicked in the world? What would make someone want to hurt a defenseless woman?

Kaitlyn scanned her information drive and was appalled to see that in the United States alone over 1.2 million incidents of violent crimes were reported yearly. Over 90,000 of those incidents involved rape.

She stewed over the statistics for many miles, and it fueled her desire to make the world a better place. Could one person really have that much of an impact? One less woman being abused would be something.

Without being obvious she observed the pa.s.sengers. It was interesting to see people outside the setting of the compound. She wondered if anyone on the bus had been a victim of a crime, or if there were criminals on board. More than likely there were both.

There was a young couple sitting diagonal from her. They didn't seem to be very happy. The young woman had her arms crossed against her chest and the man stared out the window. She wondered if they were in a fight and if so what about? She felt a pang of loneliness for Lucas. She would probably never see him again.

An old lady sat across from Kaitlyn. She pulled yarn out of her bag and started knitting. Kaitlyn watched her old hands move at a rapid pace. Kaitlyn was fascinated as the yarn started to become a large square.

The old woman caught her eye and smiled.

"Do you knit?"

Startled Kate shook her head no.

"It's relaxing. Helps make the time pa.s.s. I could teach you if you want."

"No, thank you."

The woman shrugged and went back to her knitting.

Maybe she could fit in. So far no one had treated her differently. Other than some gross guy with a mustache that kept turning to leer at her. Doing a scan Kaitlyn realized the man was s.e.xually aroused. The thought repulsed her. She wanted to use a pressure point to make the man pa.s.s out, but she knew that was not a good idea. She didn't need to draw attention to herself in the enclosed environment.

Why Fort Lauderdale? Why couldn't she remember if it was her home?

In Alexandria, she switched to the train without incident. The further south they went the less the leaves had changed. The stunning red, golds and orange turned to all green. She watched the sun set and rise again from her window seat.

She dozed off with her head against the cool window and dreamed of Evan. Only this time, the dreams were more than just flashes. They were complete scenes. They had been in love; that much was obvious.

Kaitlyn woke up from a particularly vivid Christmas memory. She had just been about to open a small package from Evan, her cheeks flushed with happiness. She searched her memories but couldn't find that one.

As the train drifted into the station, she wondered what it meant that she was dreaming and thinking of Evan when her heart ached for Lucas.

Chapter Twenty-Three.

After twenty-one hours on the road, between trains stops and layovers, the train finally pulled into the station. She was certain she hadn't been followed. Search teams were probably still combing the woods for her.

When Kaitlyn got off the train in Fort Lauderdale, she had a feeling she had been there before.

Could her instincts have taken her home? The thought scared her. What was she going to do, just waltz back into her old life?

She was way beyond that point.

Maybe she could get back on the train and go further south, or even west. But there was something about the coast line that was drawing her in, so she shouldered her bag and started walking. Palm trees lined the road. For some reason this made her miss Quess, and their walks. A palm tree could never replace her favorite birch tree.

Kaitlyn wandered down the highway, following the signs that said "Beach". She crossed a large bridge. Cars whizzed by, and a few of them honked their horns. She had no idea what that meant. The smell of the salt air tugged at a memory. She was getting fragments, but nothing strong and overpowering like the earlier memories. She must have spent a lot of time near the ocean in her past life, which would explain the pull.

A parking lot edged up against the sand, and Kaitlyn mounted the long boardwalk that led down to the beach. Neon lights ran down the length of the boardwalk. People sat on the edging, bikers road by and few people skated past her.

She left the sidewalk and stepped onto the sandy beach. The grey-blue ocean spread before her beneath a sky of white, fluffy clouds. There were couples walking hand in hand or sitting on blankets near the water while their children made sand castles. Kaitlyn pulled off her shoes and stepped barefoot onto the warm, gritty sand, making a straight line for the water. No one gave her a second glance. For the first time in her new life she felt invisible. She was just another person enjoying the beach. The thought was comforting, even though she knew it was far from the truth. She would never be truly human again.

It felt so natural to step into the surf. The ocean waves lapping against the sand and her feet had a calming effect on her. Almost like the way Lucas calmed her mind.

She noticed some people were sleeping on the beach, and she wondered if she should do that as well, but her sensors flashed Caution. After a quick scan, she realized she needed to find a hotel. Reluctantly, Kaitlyn made her way across the beach and back to the main road.

Several hotels lined the street, many of them flashing Vacancy signs. She entered the first hotel and greeted the clerk behind the counter.

"I would like to stay the night, please," Kaitlyn said.

"Of course." The older woman turned to her computer and started clicking on the keyboard. "One night will be ninety-seven."

Kaitlyn reached in her bag and handed the clerk a hundred.

"No, sorry. We need a credit card to keep on file."

Kaitlyn stared at her blankly.

"A credit card. You know, the plastic card with one of these symbols." The clerk pointed at a sign on the counter.

Kaitlyn's scans recognized the five colorful emblems. Within seconds, she knew what each stood for and she knew she didn't have one.

"I don't have one of those," she said, holding out the hundred dollar bill. "I only have cash."

"Company policy. No card, no room."

Kaitlyn shoved the money back in the side pocket of her bag before she slung it on her shoulders. "Do you know of any hotels in the area that don't require credit cards?" she asked stiffly.

"Sorry, dear. Those kinds of no-tell-motels are across the bridge on the bad side of town."

Why did everyone keep saying bad? Bad people. Bad side of town.

Kaitlyn pushed the gla.s.s door open and stepped back outside. She didn't need to sleep, but her body needed to recharge, and if she stayed awake too long it would drain her energy. And when she was on the run, that wasn't ideal. She needed to find a place to rest for the night. She also needed to find a change of clothes.

Follow your instincts.

Kaitlyn walked, letting her feet take her wherever they wandered. Off the main highway and deep into a residential part of town, she pa.s.sed colorful Spanish-themed houses with brilliant green lawns beneath the spray of sprinklers.

She had been wandering for two hours when a wave of familiarity washed over her. She had been here before. The sun had set and the street lights came to life.

She turned left down Green Street and walked to the end of the cul-de-sac. Without a thought, she came to a stop in front of a large white stucco home. The porch light was on, and lamps glowed from several windows. She stared at the wooden swing on the porch, and images flashed before hera"sitting on the swing with her parents, and later, with Evan. This house had been her home. Her body tingled with excitement. Her parents were behind the door.

She fought the urge to run up the stairs and ring the doorbell. It would be cruel to come back from the dead. Her parents would never understand. Her excitement quickly turned to overwhelming sadness.

Kaitlyn hung her head and spun on the ball of her foot, leaving without a single glance back.

On autopilot, Kaitlyn took a left down Sanders and a right down Oakwood Drive. Evan. Her body was pulling her to Evan. She wanted to resist, but her feet kept moving forward. Just one peek. She wanted to see him, she had to, and then she would leave.

She was watching the pavement, lost in her own thoughts, when she heard laughter. She looked up to find a couple walking towards hera"a blond-haired guy and a beautiful blonde girl.

Kaitlyn's body revved up, and just as quickly her body stabilized as her sensors overrode the fight or flight impulse.

Evan.

Her eyes met his, and she forced her face to stay blank.

"Ca.s.sidy?" His voice was incredulous. He abruptly let go of the woman and stepped forward.

Ca.s.sidy. Not only had the IFICS taken her old life, they had given her a new name.

"Excuse me?" Kaitlyn pulled her hat down lower.

He was silent for a long time, his girlfriend shifting uncomfortably behind him, and Kaitlyn in front, standing still, her heart hammering.

"I'm sorry." He shook his head, his face pale. "You look like someone I once knew."

Kaitlyn covertly scanned Evan and was surprised to see he had a wedding band on his left hand. She glanced over at the blondea"she wore a matching band. Kaitlyn gritted her teeth; he hadn't wasted any time moving on. She kept her face expressionless.

"It's uncanny, really. The resemblance." Evan's face looked pained. "It's like seeing a ghost."

The blonde woman came up and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "Sorry, sweetie," she said. Addressing Kaitlyn, she added, "He lost someone once. Any girl with dark hair and your build always stops him in his tracks."

"It's okay." Kaitlyn was proud when her own voice didn't waver. "I saw a movie once where they said everyone has a twin."

"We should go, babe," the blonde murmured to Evan.

Evan's eyes were glued to Kaitlyn's face. It was making her uncomfortable.

"Your friend's name was Ca.s.sidy?" Kaitlyn asked the question before she lost her nerve. "What happened to her, if you don't mind me asking?"

"She was murdered. A long time ago."

A long time ago? Kaitlyn opened her mouth to ask "how long?" but Evan spoke again, turning to his wife. "The resemblance really is uncanny, isn't it, Rachel?"

The woman nodded in agreement, her sapphire gaze regarding Kaitlyn seriously. "Yes. It is eerie. Come on, babe. Let's leave this poor girl alone. We're sorry to bother you."

Kaitlyn nodded but didn't say anything more as the woman took hold of Evan's arm and pulled him past her. She could smell his cologne as he pa.s.sed, his eyes catching hers one last time. Kaitlyn breathed deeply; the scent was so familiar. She continued down the sidewalk, her hands still shaking from the encounter.

How could he have replaced her so quickly? He was married?

Something wasn't right. Quess had said Evan was twenty-one, and it had bothered Kaitlyn at the time, but she wasn't sure why. If she was only seventeen, had her parents let her date a twenty-one year old? A cursory scan of state laws told her that was illegal.

She was murdered. A long time ago.

How long?