Chapter 2

November 27, 2576

Portland, American Pacific Northwest

Northwest Riverfront Sector

0745 Hours

Jin leaned the doorjamb of his bedroom, his arms crossed. His gaze rested on the girl’s face as she rested in his bed. The blanket over her rose and fell with her soft breathing. Her color was better and he had cleaned the street grime off her face as best as he could. There was a definite aura about her that mystified him.

Her clothing was plain and simple: tight blue jeans—synthetic replicas of the ancient favorites—favored by all young women in the winter months and a large gray sweater that was not stylish, nor flattering. She wore no jewelry of any fashion but the oddest thing in Jin’s mind was the girl’s footwear. Before covering her, he had removed the girl’s shoes—rugged, practical (in his mind), waterproof light hiking-class boots—and discovered ice inside them. The boots alone told him the girl was no prostitute or call girl but a working girl. The substantial water inside the waterproof boots made him wonder how a sensible working girl had come to be wading through water on one of the coldest nights of the year.Maybe she’s dumber than you think, murmured his brain. He snorted, embarrassed, and was glad the girl could not hear his thoughts.No, he told himself.Something forced her to act unnaturally. Her shoes are too sensible for her to be running through puddles.

He frowned in thought. It had been snowing the prior night. No puddles would have been around to splash into the girl’s boots.Where did the water come from? he wondered.

On the bed, the girl stirred, her right hand sliding from under the blanket to rest at the base of her throat. Her hand was clasped into a tight fist which he had been unable to open—without hurting her—and he wondered what secret lay hidden there.

Shaking his head, Jin muttered, “Making a lot ou