‘That’s what you called it before.’
‘I’ve never called it that and how did you know it was there?’
‘The deeper I made it through your tunnels, the more I started to think we had a friend in common.The Starmap was a guess, but I should have known then that it was you.’
‘Why?’
‘You designed it for the Estate.Little stars and guidance marks carved into the lower walls for you and Mimi to find your way safely in the dark in case of emergencies.You called it theStarmap.’
‘Bullshit.’
Lachlan sighs, looking around.‘I didn’t see it before.’
‘Seewhat?’
‘That this is all you, isn’t it?This place was an old high rise before.Tough as nails but crude as fuck.The base, the tunnels, all your clever upgrades… we talked about building a place like this while we were on Sable Key.I think we have a very talented mutual friend.’
Kade wonders if he’s talking about Lee.
‘I don’t know what—’
‘TheIvy Wallwas your invention.’
‘You mean theVine Mesh?’
‘A series of fibre optics woven beneath laminate, creating seamless flow capture, a conceptyouinvented, by the way.Yeah, that was all you.We called it theIvy Wall.You said it was better than cameras in the corners like spiders.’
‘There’s no fucking way.’Kade feels vaguely dizzy.‘You’re wrong.’
‘I was only wrong about believing that you were dead.’
Staring at the walls, Kade slows his breathing, focuses on what’s real, what he canfeel.Feet.Knees.Knuckles.Ears.Thirst.
He presses his thumb into the tattoo on his wrist.
‘I taught you that,’ Lachlan observes quietly.
‘What?’
‘Your wrist.It’s yourNeiguanpressure point.You’d get sick and dizzy whenever you had an anxiety attack.I taught you how to press it for relief.You tattooed a small crescent moon there yourself years later, stick-and-poke.’
‘Liar.’
‘Do you still count the rings in a cut-down tree?’
Kade’s face goes warm.‘Stop talking.’
Nothing in this room went the way he expected.
It’s likehe’sthe one drowning.
‘I’d know you anywhere,’ Lachlan whispers.‘No matter the name.’
‘I’m leaving now.’Kade swallows hard, turning away.‘Boss’ll be in soon.’
‘Kade,’ Lachlan calls out softly when his hand touches the door.
‘What?’
