Marks pulls Maddy away from her mom, and the group heads toward the lobby, blankets wrapped tightly around bodies and rebreathers fastened upon pale faces. Elisabeth and Laura head off first with curt nods and suppressed tears. Ken suggests that the rest of them stay together until Laura contacts that her and Elizabeth are safe. "What does it matter?" Josh quips both flippant and nervous, and Ken and Mark exchange a glance. Ken looks away first, not wanting to say it.
"Our plan might change if theirs does," Mark eventually says.
And Maddy takes it upon herself to be more explicit. "Mom and Laura are going to very public places – the hospital and bank. If they're captured or killed, I suppose we have to decide if it's even worth it breaking into Hope Plaza to get to Terra Nova, or if we should just flee the city center and stay in this century."
Josh glares at his sister poignantly as the youngest whimpers and clings to Ken's legs. "I want mummy," she whines. Ken awkwardly pries her off his legs and scoops her up, cradling the small child in his arms.
"Hey," Ken says softly, pulling his rebreather back so he looks less scary. The rebreather on Zoe overtakes most of her face, it being an outdated model of Josh's from years ago. "I know we just met, but I am friends with Maddy and Josh and your mum, so that makes us friends, too. And friends don't lie to each other, do they?"
Zoe shrugs in response, refusing to meet his eyes.
"I promise that everything will be okay," Ken says. "This is just a crazy adventure! We're going to walk around the city center so you can see Chicago before you leave, and then you're moving to your new home. And your mummy will meet you there. Until then, you have your big brother and big sister, and me and Mark."
Zoe peeks over at Mark, resting her head on Ken's shoulder. "I like Mark," she says astutely. She then raises her head suddenly and look directly at Ken, her large brown eyes searching his face. Zoe scrunches up her forehead. "I'll trust you that we will have an adventure today and see mummy later, but you need to cross your heart on it."
Ken manages a crooked smile at the six-year-old's sincerity. He draws an invisible cross over his heart. "I cross my heart I will do everything I can to get you back to your parents."
Zoe nods and following suit. "I cross my heart that I will trust you. I like you now, too," she says and wraps her arms around his neck, comfortably hugging him.
Mark grins at the innocent affection unfolding before him and pokes his tongue at Ken. "If only Addie could see you now," he muses with a knowing smile to which Ken blushes profusely in response. Mark turns to Maddy, hoping to see her more relaxed but his expectations fall short.
"We should stop wasting time and try to get ahead of Phoenix," is all she says when his eyes land on her rigid form. He tries to reach for her hand, but she pulls away and leads the gang toward the door.
Zoe is visibly amazed by everything she sees out on the streets, continuously craning her neck towards the tall buildings, jumping at every clanging sound and whirring buzz that fills the city. They spend hours walking and walking. They pass the school and hospital following the main, busiest streets, with crowds getting larger, smells getting stronger, and buildings getting taller the nearer they become to Hope Plaza. Not wanting to risk a run in with the extra security that will undoubtedly be in the area, they circle backward, this time taking the quieter streets and slipping through alleyways.
They divided into two teams – Ken, Josh, and Zoe all sticking together, and Maddy and Mark – and always kept no more than five or six feet between them, switching off now and then who was leading and who was following.
Mark is expertly navigating them through some alleyways when they encounter their first hiccup – population control officers running retinal scans on some homeless individuals ahead, rounding up the criminals and sending the others off to find a different nook for loitering.
Maddy tries to stop suddenly, but knowing that will cause more attention than desired, Mark easily brings a hand to the small of her back, guiding her along. As they pass the officers, Mark glances over their shoulders at their communicators and sees an image of Maddy's face in the top corner with a red priority warning. He blocks her view and hurries her slightly.
The two pass inconspicuously with the other three on their heels. Once they are in the clear, Josh, Ken, Maddy, Mark, and Zoe all group together. "That was close," Maddy stresses, and Mark wraps his arms around as if it is the most natural reaction in the world. They take a break from the constant walking and stretching their tired limbs. It is then that the two guards receive messages on their communicators. Mark reads aloud the simple confirmation: "good".
"Laura and mom made it off the grid alright," Maddy nods to herself. "We should all split up then. It'd be safer since I'm the face everyone will be looking for."
A follow-up message comes through relaying the rendezvous point with Emily and the two other women, and after everyone glances at the location without daring to say anything out loud, Mark and Ken slam the electronic devices on the ground, grinding them under their shoes and leaving nothing for the fugitives to be traced with.