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the lot and drove around directly in front of me with Tatiana in the passenger seat.
    Neither of them looked over at the girl behind the paper on the bench next to them as they passed. I held my breath. I waited until the Audi drove out of sight. I waited some more.
    Get up! Go! I shouted at myself. I stood and immediately flipped up the hood of my shirt. I tugged on the hood trying to pull it right over my face. I marched back to the bus loop as quickly as I could without running.
    What could the Krylovs want with Gemma? Leverage on me? Did she have a variation too? The parts of me not compelled forward with fear desperately wanted to turn back around and find my sister. I couldn’t risk it though. What if the Krylovs came back? I’d have to get Ilya and return in disguise until steps away from Gemma’s personal door.
    I paced inside a glass shelter until a number 14 bus reappeared and admitted the waiting passengers. I kept my hood up on the bus for the entire trip back to the downtown eastside.
    I sped along Hastings to the Bella Maria, hood first, head down, until I reached the safety of the hotel stairwell. I paused for a moment to catch my breath. I took deep, calming breaths. I had not been followed, I was sure of it. Nothing had actually happened, apart from sighting Ivan and Tatiana. If I could lie down for a moment, I would be able to tell the others without freaking out at the same time.
    I slid my key card through the slot in my hotel room’s door handle and pushed into the room. Ilya and Faith were entwined on her bed, their partially clothed bodies moving above the covers. They kept kissing for a beat until the sound of the door registered and they broke apart.
    I felt the look of shock frozen on my face. They both looked at me with similar expressions. I turned around and closed the door behind me. I crossed the hall and knocked on the guys’ door.
    “Use your card!” shouted Cole.
    “It’s me. Irina. Let me in!”

Chapter 6
    “Back already?” Cole sat lounging in the room’s only armchair, lazily clicking an old TV remote and working his way up and down the channels.
    Jonah slept soundly in his bed.
    “I saw Ivan and Tatiana,” I said breathlessly.
    “What!” Cole shouted, then hastily glanced at Jonah, paused and lowered his voice. “Are you sure it was them?”
    “Yes. Not at first though. Ivan looks like he’s got road rash on his face. His arm is hurt too. Tatiana is still perfect though.”
    Cole’s features furrowed with concern. He massaged his face with both hands as though trying to erase my report from his memory.
    Ilya and Faith came through the door to find Cole and me face to face in front of the kitchenette sink.
    “This looks intense,” said Faith with an air of mild amusement.
    Ilya looked anxious and said nothing.
    “While I watched Gemma’s building, I saw Ivan and Tatiana, not my sister.” I shifted from one foot to the other, unable to stand still.
    “What! How? Why?” blurted Faith, wide-eyed.
    “What could they possibly still want with your sister?” said Ilya. He shoved a hand into his scruffy hair.
    “I have no idea, but they walked out after I’d been watching for about an hour. I never saw Gemma, but they had to be in her room if they were there the whole time I was.”
    “Or they were stalking her too,” said Cole with a disapproving look. Faith shoved his shoulder with no effect.
    “Do you think they could have been looking for me? For us?” I asked.
    “It’s possible.” Ilya looked out the window as though searching for something on the horizon.
    “If he knows we’re here though, waiting for us at your sister’s dorm room is a pretty long shot,” said Cole.
    “Maybe your sister is a variant too and he wants her for research,” said Faith.
    I gasped.
    “Don’t make this worse than it is,” said Cole with an eye-roll.
    “Gemma is Irina’s half-sister–on the wrong side. It’s not likely the girl has any variant genes,” said Ilya.