Chapter 2

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Jayden gazed out at the sleeping town as Peter maneuvered the SUV through the streets of Queenstown. He hadn't realized until then just how much he had actually enjoyed this place. He loved the view, the placid waters of the lake, the food, the people, and even the crazy sports. This was a perfect holiday spot. He'd definitely be back.

The drive was exhilarating, and Jayden allowed his eyes to feast on the rough beauty of the Central Otago area. Coarse, snow-covered mountains, pristine blue lakes, and twisted, gusting rivers came together as one in picturesque harmony. Now and again, distant winding roads led to vineyards and orchards and the remote formless dots of farmhouses. Sometimes the roads were so close to the edge of the cliffs Jay felt they were toying with the end of the world.

Three and a half hours of driving later, they arrived in the city of Dunedin on the east coast.

"So this is it? This is George Street, the center of the city?" Jay asked as they came through the short length of the Octagon toward the north end of the town.

"Yep," Pete responded, coming to a stop at the traffic lights on Hanover Street. "It's a small town, bro. The Edinburgh of the South, they call it. We'll have to park in the Meridian car park building. Damn busy on a Friday. Bloody students everywhere."

"A city of students, huh?" Jayden commented, eyeing the crowd crossing the streets in front of them.

"Yeah," Pete responded, taking out his cell phone.

Jay glanced at his friend, his eyebrows rising. "Not supposed to be texting while driving."

Pete chuckled, and his thumbs moved faster like he was on a texting marathon.

Jay shook his head and turned his attention back to the streets. There was a thick crowd of students, and they were exceptionally well dressed. There were young men in fashionable jeans and coats (a few in shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops), while the young women wore flimsy coats, super skinny jeans or leggings and miniskirts, and three-inch heels. They strode and mingled as they laughed and chatted with their shopping bags in hand. The flawless faces of the girls were similar to that of the supermodels back in New York, by design, no doubt. Not bad for a small city from a near-forgotten country. Certainly few in New York would be familiar with this place.

Perhaps it was for this very reason that his eyes were suddenly drawn to a young woman striding across the street. She was completely different from the others. She wore a bright-blue coat that had seen better days, and her long, dark hair was a mess, streaming around her as she dashed across the street. She darted her way through the crowd, passing through them like a trained soldier racing through a minefield. He noticed she wasn't wearing the high heels so liked by others. Instead, she wore a pair of white sneakers that were a complete contrast to her black jeans. Jay had to shake his head. She had no sense of fashion whatsoever.

"Done! You didn't see that," Pete said.

Jay glanced at his friend and saw Peter slotting his cell phone back into his jeans pocket. As the traffic lights changed to green and Pete's foot pressed on the accelerator, Jay glanced at the girl in the blue coat. He noticed she had slowed down her pace. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a cell phone. As she strolled toward a door, her head was down as though she were reading a message. Jay glanced up and saw the logo in blue, big bold letters that said ANZ Bank.

Not long after that, Jayden found himself in the Dunedin Public Hospital cafeteria. He looked about his surroundings in astonishment. The atmosphere was as grey and dull as the faded wall paint, washed-out carpet, and the smell of hospital food.

He watched an elderly patient sitting across the table from them, trying to pick up a sandwich with wrinkled, liver-spotted hands that shook with the desperate determination of old age.

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