Charlie felt more confident as she jogged up behind the car and tapped her pistol on the glass in the passenger door. Juno and her friend both jumped.

‘Why are you tailing me?’ Charlie asked angrily.

Juno looked different. After three years, it was no surprise she looked older and she had the kind of build that was always going to pile on weight. But glazed eyes and rigidity in the facial muscles hinted that Juno had taken one of the milder z-mods.

It matched the gaze Charlie saw in her coffee shop on the man who now sat in the driver’s seat. He was Juno’s cousin, Mikey. Charlie had met him a couple of times at her apartment, but his hair had been in an Afro.

‘You dumped your phone and vanished on me,’ Juno said as Charlie lowered the gun into her bag.

‘Why make it easy for the cops to find me?’ Charlie asked.

‘I thought we were besties,’ Juno said.

‘You were doing lab work behind my back and mixing with a bunch of Seth’s friends who I didn’t like,’ Charlie said. ‘Frankly, I didn’t trust you any more.’

Juno sounded cross. ‘I made you my baby’s godmother. And I was left with nothing when you burnt the RV and robbed the equipment.’

‘I’m not here to rake the past,’ Charlie said. ‘Tell me why you’re following me around.’

Mikey leaned forward and tried to sound authoritative. ‘Why don’t you ladies chill? Charlie, please get in my car.’

Charlie thought for a second. She had the gun and four-year-old Patrick was asleep in the back. The vibe was messed up, but she wasn’t intimidated.

‘If this car moves one inch, I’ll shoot you both in the backs,’ Charlie said firmly.

‘I got no beef with yous, Charlie,’ Mikey said as he pressed the button to unlock.

Charlie got in the back and felt a wave of affection as she looked at her sleeping godson.

Juno had designed her son using a mix of her own and her old boyfriend Seth’s DNA, along with a bunch of mods that would ensure he was clever and strong, with a powerful immune system. She’d also followed a fashion that Charlie found creepy, combining his parents’ dark skin with striking blue eyes that would never occur naturally.

‘I’ve missed him growing up,’ Charlie said, keeping her tone bright, but concerned by Patrick’s filthy clothes and a urine smell.

‘The noisy prick’s best when he’s sleeping,’ Mikey said.

‘Are you still with Seth?’ Charlie asked.

‘Your sister killed Seth,’ Juno said acidly.

‘Fawn?’ Charlie said, shuddering at the name. ‘Are you mixed up with her?’