Chapter 206: Chapter 206 - Manhattan
Marybeth flicked her fingers at Malcolm, a quick sign that the streets were clean.
She stayed by the window with Lance and Aljun while they kept watch from the second floor, checking the street and the rooftops for any movement.
Malcolm moved first. He opened the window and slipped out.
Iyisha followed him into the sunlight, squinting a bit as she dropped down. The others came after, landing close and staying low.
They started moving right away.
Malcolm took them through a corner, then another block, then another, and they followed his pace without talking. The streets they passed were empty, and it stayed quiet long enough for them to move without worrying.
Then the sound started to shift.
Iyisha heard voices ahead, faint at first, then clearer as they got closer. People talking. Footsteps. Normal movement.
She glanced toward the sound while still walking.
They were getting close to where people were.
They slowed near a corner, and Malcolm glanced back at them before giving a small nod.
They split without a word.
Marybeth moved ahead with Lance, keeping a steady pace, while Malcolm stepped off with Iyisha and Aljun. They adjusted their spacing and walked into the flow of people, matching the movement around them.
Iyisha kept her head forward, but her eyes moved.
The street was alive.
People walked past them in groups, some talking, some moving fast, some just drifting along. A few passed by on skateboards and bikes, weaving through the crowd. The road itself was clear of cars, but it did not feel empty because everyone was out and moving.
There were more people than she had seen in a long time.
Shops were open.
She saw doors pushed wide, shelves inside, people stepping in and out like it was normal.
Aljun turned his head from side to side as they walked, unable to hide it. His eyes stayed wide, taking everything in.
Iyisha slowed for a second when she saw someone holding a phone to their ear, speaking into it like the world had not ended.
Her step faltered.
Malcolm reached back and caught her wrist, then pulled her forward without looking at her.
She moved again and kept pace.
"Did you see that?" Aljun said under his breath.
Iyisha nodded, keeping her eyes forward as they walked.
She noticed another man standing near the road with a phone in his hand, and as they passed, both she and Aljun glanced at the screen. Photos filled it, arranged in rows, something like insta.
Iyisha looked at him. "They have internet?" she asked, her voice low but sharp with surprise.
"This place is amazing," Aljun said, unable to hide it.
Malcolm spoke without slowing. "Local network."
Iyisha looked ahead again. "Even so, that’s still something."
"It is," Aljun said quietly.
They walked a few more steps, and then he slowed. His attention shifted to a group off to the side, people wearing gloves and working with plants laid out on tables.
He looked back at them. "I think this is where I go."
Iyisha met his eyes. "Good luck."
Aljun gave a small nod, then stepped away from them and moved toward the group. He blended in without hesitation.
Iyisha watched him go for a second, then faced forward again and kept walking.
Iyisha slowed when something large moved along the road beside them. It looked like a bus but somehow different and it rolled to a stop like it had a schedule to keep.
People stepped out one by one and tapped a card near the door as they passed through.
She watched it longer than she should have, then forced herself to look away and checked behind them.
Marybeth and Lance were already across the street, moving with a different group, keeping their distance like planned.
They had agreed to split and move around first, learn what they could, then meet back at their spot by five when the streets would be crowded again and easier to disappear into.
Iyisha faced forward and kept walking.
They passed a restaurant with people inside, sitting at tables and eating breakfast, talking like nothing was wrong. Doors along the street kept opening and closing as people went in and out of buildings, carrying bags, heading somewhere.
She looked at Malcolm.
He was frowning.
"You’re worried about Lance?" she asked.
He glanced at her. "A bit."
She nodded.
They had planned it differently at first, but it would have drawn attention. Malcolm and Lance together stood out too much, and even now she could feel people looking their way.
Heads were turning.
She reached into her bag and pulled out a face mask, then stepped closer and handed it to him.
"You’re getting too much attention," she said under her breath. "I can’t blame them." She grinned.
He took it and put it on without arguing.
Iyisha followed his line of sight and saw the cameras fixed high above, angled toward the street, covering the flow of people below.
She kept walking and shifted their path toward a nearby building.
They stepped inside a clothing shop, and the air changed at once. It was cooler inside, cleaner, with soft lighting that made everything look polished. Dresses hung in neat rows by color, and mirrors were placed along the walls. A few customers moved between racks, running their hands over fabric, talking quietly.
"Good morning."
A man approached them, mid-twenties maybe, wearing a fitted shirt with a small logo on the chest and a name tag clipped near the collar. Chris. His posture was straight, his smile easy, the kind that stayed in place no matter who walked in.
"Hi, I’m Chris. What are you looking for?" he said, his tone smooth and practiced.
Iyisha hesitated for a second, then slipped her hand into Malcolm’s arm. "We’re looking for a dress," she said. "We have a date tonight."
Chris’s smile widened just enough to show interest. "Alright, I’ve got something for you. Come with me."
They followed him deeper into the shop, past racks arranged by style and color.
"Busy today," Iyisha said as he started sliding hangers aside.
"Yeah," he said. "Festival’s close, so people are out more."
Iyisha glanced at Malcolm.
He gave a small nod.
She looked back at Chris. "Any place you’d recommend for a date?"
Chris let out a light chuckle as he checked another row. "There’s a community movie tonight. People gather and watch. Me and my partner are going too."
Iyisha nodded.
"You’ll need two credits to get in," he added.
"Credits?" she asked, then quickly corrected herself. "Right."
Chris gave her a brief look, then pulled out a pink dress and held it up against her. "This might suit you."
The fabric was soft, the cut clean.
She took it and checked the tag.
5 credits.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"I... don’t think this suits me," she said.
Chris paused, and something in his expression shifted. His eyes flicked to Malcolm, then back to her. "Alright," he said. "What kind of budget are you working with?"
The tone changed just enough.
Iyisha caught it.
She straightened.
"We’ll check somewhere else," she said, already turning and pulling Malcolm with her.
"Sure," Chris said, the smile still there but thinner now, more polite than warm.
They stepped back out into the street.
The noise hit them again.
Iyisha let out a breath.
Out there, they had guns, ammo, a car, fuel. That meant something.
Here, it meant nothing.
She looked at Malcolm. "We need those cards," she said under her breath.
Malcolm nodded as he watched the people moving around them.
They kept walking.
