The Buitenzorg station was loud with the sound of steam engines and the shouts of hawkers. Julian was standing near a stack of tea crates when an old man with a thick mustache approached him. The man didn't shout his wares but slipped through the crowd and tugged at Julian's sleeve.
"Tuan Elias," Pak Kumis whispered hoarsely. "There's a delivery of rice from a friend in the north. He said this rice is specifically for the blue-eyed youth."
Julian frowned, but his instincts flared when he saw the rice parcel. Once he opened it behind a station pillar, he didn't find the usual side dishes. At the bottom of the basket, hidden under a layer of wilted banana leaves, lay a Lurik Handkerchief tied in an odd knot.
"The storm is raging in the north, do not return before the skies clear," Pak Kumis said softly before vanishing into the crowd of passengers.
Julian felt his blood run cold. He recognized that handkerchief. It belonged to Kartika. That knot was the highest danger signal they had ever discussed in their secret code. Batavia was no longer safe. His mother, Anne Marie, and everyone he loved might be on the run—or worse.
He immediately sought out Adrian, who was talking to farmers at the end of the platform. "Adrian, we have to go. Now," Julian whispered, his voice trembling but firm.
Adrian looked into Julian's eyes and understood instantly. He saw the handkerchief in Julian's hand. "Friedrich?" Adrian asked shortly.
"The Marechaussee have moved. This message is from Kartika. The house in Penjaringan might have been raided," Julian answered.
Adrian wasted no time. He called a local youth and whispered instructions in Sundanese. "Elias, we can't go back to Batavia via the main route. We must climb the mountain slopes. There's an old cave, a former hideout for local rebels unknown to the Dutch soldiers."
Julian looked toward the north, toward distant Batavia. He felt like a failure. He wanted to save his brother, yet he had brought the storm to their doorstep. Gripping Kartika's handkerchief tightly, Julian stepped after Adrian, heading into the Buitenzorg forest as it began to be swallowed by thick mist.