What is discouraging is how bare that slope is. There are only a few scattered bushes, with some thicker growth closer to the units themselves. Some of the vegetation may even have been planted by the residents.
That means if I want to get out of here, it would have to be at night, when no one could spot my silhouette moving across the hillside.
At the far end of the long line of houses, I see a large elongated building connected to another structure that disappears partially behind another hill.
From what I remember from the map, the administrative buildings form a star-shaped layout, with each arm extending into a different sector.
"That long structure at the bottom of the valley is our recreational building, with the dining hall and other rooms where activities take place," Mr. Miller explains.
We drive down the slope, and for the first time I can see small figures moving around, the residents of the sector.
Some couples are strolling along the promenade that runs between the two main rows of residential units.
The strip between the buildings opens into a wider area that resembles a small plaza. There is an outdoor gym, and I suspect this is also where people hold barbecues. From a distance, I can also make out something that looks like a fighting arena, with benches arranged around it.
So everything Mr. Gomez described is now right in front of us.
For reasons I cannot fully explain, my entire body feels slightly tense. There is a strange excitement in me, because myprevious life is so drastically different from what I am stepping into now.
This is a completely foreign world with unfamiliar rules, and beside me stands an alpha who is essentially a stranger, with what seems to be a murky past.
What kind of man is he, really? He saved me, but… Ehhh. I'm not going to romanticize this situation or start imagining stupid things, even though… something in me seems a little excited about it, but I quickly shut it down. I should avoid thinking too deeply about it, since I do not plan to spend the rest of my life with him anyway. My goal is revenge on Tanner, and that is all I intend to focus on.
Still, I know I cannot act on any escape plan right away. I need to watch, figure out how this place works, and learn the layout. Which means I’ll probably have to deal with this guy, even if it’s only a little.
One thing’s clear: I can’t gettoo closeto him. I don’t want to feel guilty when I eventually run from this island, and I definitely don’t want to start liking him too much. That would just make everything messier for both of us.
So for now, I just wait for my chance to get out.
As we drive between the buildings, I notice several couples sitting on benches along the promenade.
All eyes turn toward us with open curiosity. There is probably not much excitement here.
The main promenade between the rows of units seems to stretch farther on, likely toward the beach. From the aerial map I saw earlier, each sector has access to a small private beach.
Mr. Miller stops in front of one of the units, and I am quietly pleased to see that behind this particular one, as well as three neighboring units, there is fairly dense shrubbery and several large boulders. A very promising situation.
Mr. Miller steps out of the quad, and Eliano grabs my suitcase again like there’s no room for debate.
I pout a little. I mean… I could even respect how stubborn he is. Not a lot of twenty-year-olds have that. Still, it’s a bit annoying.
Umm…
Then, I look at our unit. There is not much to look at. It resembles a container house, a long rectangular box with a few floor-to-ceiling windows.
About thirteen feet wide and roughly thirty-three feet long, which makes for a very small living space. I suspect it was transported to the island in one piece.
Mr. Miller swipes a card across the glass door at the front.
I notice the number etched into the glass:
Unit 71.
We step inside.
"Welcome home, sweet home," Mr. Miller says with mild amusement, sweeping his hand in a circle.
My expression falls almost immediately.
