P4l Outer Banks Novels & Stories

Ang ambon ay naging isang malamig na kumot na bumabalot sa bawat sulok ng baybayin. Ang bangkang sinasakyan nina Panni at Jinyan ay dumaong sa isang tagong pantalan sa gilid ng Safe House 44—isang lumang mansyon na gawa sa bato at kahoy, nakatago sa gitna ng mga naglalakihang puno ng pino. Malayo ito sa ningning ng lungsod, malayo sa mga camera, at malayo sa ingay ng Lu Corporation. Ngunit habang papalapit sila, hindi kaligtasan ang naramdaman ni Panni, kundi isang pamilyar na bigat sa kanyang dibdib.

Max claps me on the back as he passes. Jozef doesn’t look at me at all but he does, very slightly, dip his chin in my direction. From Jozef, that’s practically an embrace and I find myself grinning. The third van pulls out. The second van follows. The first van is for us. The drive to the Outer Banks rental takes two hours. The house is on Hatteras. Two storeys, weathered grey shingle, a wooden walkway over the dunes to the beach.

“Patricia?” Patricia smiled. “I haven't been to the beach in twenty years. I'd love to go.” Victoria looked at Michael, who had moved on from smashing carrots to smashing peas. “The beach it is.” The house was on the Outer Banks, a sprawling rental with floor-to-ceiling windows and a deck that faced the ocean. Victoria had found it online, had booked it on a whim, and now stood in the living room, watching the waves crash against the shore. “This is amazing,” Liam said, running past her with a boogie board.

Everyone is prepping for the late night activities. Pelican Bay loves to celebrate. I lock the front door and turn off the panel of lights for the dining area. Enough brightness flows in from the front windows, so it doesn't make a difference. Pearl, carrying a large canvas sack with two beach towels rolled up and sticking out over the top, hurries by the front window. She turns long enough to catch my attention and waves as she walks on.