SUBJECT NINE | KIRIN O'CONNOR

TWO

"SO, WHO'S IDEA was it it keep your identity a secret?" Daniel questioned, still taking down notes from what Frances had previously said.

"We'll get to them shortly." Frances paused. "But first, we split up into two teams. I was with Kirin."

The girl smiled softly, wondering how the boy was doing. She hadn't seen him or the others since they arrived at this so called place of safety.

She just wanted to see them again.

"We hoped to find some rich idiot on the island or a hotel. I don't really know. All we wanted to know was that we weren't completely alone."

Frances chuckled as she remembered the lengthy discussion that Henry and Scotty had about billionaires and wether they were murderers or not.

"We searched for hours. There were no people. No houses like everyone was hoping. No sick hotels. Nothing. We tried to keep searching." She wet her bottom lip. "But we had to go back at some point. We had to rest."

D A Y   O N E

"Alright, everybody up." Kirin spoke, making everyone slowly standing up.

France found herself compelled to do what the boy was saying. She even took a step closer to him and cursed herself once she realised that she did.

"Why did I just do what he told me to do?" Henry questioned.

"It's that captain daddy voice. You just can't fight it." Ivan responded, making Frances let out a small laugh. "I mean look at me, I've loathed him since middle school and my ass got up."

"Look, obviously rescues coming."

"Obviously." Frances muttered, although it was loud enough for Kirin to hear.

He chose to ignore the comment, and rather just send Frances a small glare before he continued on with what he was previously saying.

"But if there's some sick hotel around the corner and we're to lazy to go find it, we're gonna feel like total dicks." Kirin shrugged. "So, I think we split up, head in separate directions. Just send someone back when you find something. Everyone from here over, you're one group. I mean-"

Kirin whistled towards Frances, gaining the girls attention before motioning to the spot next to him. She lowered her head even more and made her way to stand beside him.

He placed his hand on the small of Frances back to guide her out of the way. Frances quickly stepped away from the boy, not wanting to be tempted to look up at him.

"I mean from here over." He repeated now that Ivan was no longer in his group and Frances was. "The others, you're with me. Let's go."

"It's still happening. It's like a tractor beam." Henry said as he found himself following after Kirin.

Hours had past, the group was exhausted and they still hadn't found anything. Frances legs ached, but she knew that she couldn't complain, if she did, Kirin would probably only push her harder.

"I'd like to humbly suggest that we go back." Henry spoke up. "This is obviously a wasteland."

Frances was walking ahead of the boys, so she turned and faced them. It was the first time she had really taken in any of their appearances.