Lara approached the concrete railway platform with an odd swishy noise emanating from her legs as her pants rubbed together.

  “The fabric’s a lil’ noisy,” said Evelynn as she walked beside her. “But it’s what I could do within a short timeframe.”

  Lara glanced at her. “I just want more pants. Please.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Listen,” Evelynn said softly and, concerningly, more supportive than her typical fashion. “I know that I’m technically supposed to say that when you’re out in the Quadrant you’re a representation of Freehelm and, more specifically, the Lissome -- NO.” She bit, suddenly back to her usual brashness. “You are a direct representation of me. And with everything that’s going on down there, I will not have my designs associated with a lack of professionalism after I slaved for four hours--”

  Penny arrived in time to hop into the conversation. “Okay, I don’t know what’s going on, but there’s a lot of security on board.”

  “What?” Lara asked.

  “Yeah, I knew things were messy down there, but I didn’t think they were this messy. Let me just tell you, you’re so brave to be doing this.”

  “Penny, I was talking,” Evie complained.

  “Evie, I know, but, like, the last time security got close to being this crazy was when she was detained -- but it’s not like I had anything to do with it!” Penny corrected himself in response to Lara’s double-take. “I wasn’t even actually there, I just heard about it.”

  Evelynn rolled her eyes. “Everyone heard about it, Penny.”

  “It’s not my fault they woke up the whole Quadrant because they can't keep track of their own child.” Penny responded in a quieter tone.

  “Funny, because, you know, I think that watching Knox that day technically fell to you.”

  “Oh my gosh, look at the time. You are cutting it so short -- let’s get you on this train.” Penny propelled Lara forward with the sheer force of one hand while the other held his tablet.

  She hastened her steps in response before ascending the train steps, and briefly turned back when he continued talking.

  “I’m going to go back to arranging your return time, not yet sure when that’ll be, but what I am sure of is that one of the bigger security guys will tell you.” He paused, rolling his eyes. “Probably going to be Ricardo. Always the big, muscle-y Alpha to get in your face--”

  “Thanks, Penny. I’ll… keep my ears open.” With that, she ran into the train.

  Lara made her way to the middle of the car and plopped down in a window-seat. Noticing two guards in black uniform and glassy helmets facing her way, she rested a hand on her brow, shielding her eyes from them as she glanced out the window to see Penny and Evelynn chatting away.

  Occasionally, Evelynn would stop and yell something at the girl with the tablet who’d accompanied her from her boutique. The girl would then begin swiping away and, at times, synced with Penny who would spontaneously swipe at his tablet before he looked back up at Evie with an exaggerated expression.

  Pleasantly separated from the two and behind an actual wall, they were entertaining and, had she not spent the first half of her day with them, might have even seemed enjoyable. In theory.

  Finally making the connection, she realized that they reminded her of Sammi -- if Sammi had grown up somewhere in Circa rather than in the quiet town they’d called home.

  Her thoughts abruptly ended as someone sat down in the seat across from her. Glancing up, she managed to restrain an eye-roll.

  Great.

  Jonathan settled into the seat, wearing a slightly off-white button down with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. “Zanatos didn’t tell me we were taking a trip.”

  Lara lowered her hand to her lap. A small jolt signaled their departure as the platform behind the window began to roll past.

  I should’ve waited for Scarlet.

  “I am going on a trip,” she responded. “For work. I’m not quite sure where you’re going.”

  “I was originally going to find you today because I wanted to apologize -- for last night. My tone -- everything -- had been tense. It’d been an incredibly stressful evening.” He sighed, brushing his hair back with a hand. “So imagine my surprise this afternoon when I found out you’re already working.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  She disregarded his apology. “I’m surprised Zanatos told you,” Lara jabbed, knowing fully well the trip was of her own creation.

  Jonathan sighed, peering out of the window. “He didn’t. Truth be told, things get so bogged down in our meetings that I don’t think half the information I need gets to me. I actually found out through a status update from one of the assistants.”

  “Penny.” Lara said, kicking herself for not catching the loose end.

  “No, Griffin.”

  Lara’s face betrayed her confusion.

  Jonathan’s lips broke a smile. “Yeah, they, uh. They can get very competitive.”

  Lara found that unsurprising, based solely off the time she’d spent with him, thus far. “That doesn’t explain why he’s sending you updates regarding Penny.”

  Jonathan chuckled at that. “He sends me updates about everyone.”

  “Was Griffin the one who sent you the update about Knox, too?” She asked, unable to stop the question from trickling over the dam within her that was holding back questions she knew would only lead to more.

  Jonathan’s demeanor shifted as it had when they’d been in the interrogation room. “In a way,” he said. “He sent it to my wife, Julia.”

  She went silent, gazing out of the window at the passing buildings. When he didn’t say anything, she felt words bubbling up and out of her. “What business do you have to attend to in Gurram?”

  He looked back at her. “Why?”

  Lara briefly raised an eyebrow. “I’m genuinely hoping you didn’t tag along just to supervise.”

  “Those meetings weren’t exactly the most productive with regards to the current state of things in Gurram.”

  “I can imagine. What, with the concerning amount of potential for unrest in Quadrant 2 to bleed into Quadrant 4.” Lara held her eye contact, watching a brief flicker of surprise across Jonathan’s face.

  “You’re well informed for someone who’s only been here a few hours.” When she didn’t respond, he gave in. “No one wants to get their hands dirty. Get involved, it’ll look like we’re pandering. Don’t get involved, risk looking like we don’t care.”

  “So you’re saying those meetings were so unproductive that the moment they were over, you were going to get on a train by yourself and head down?”

  “I’m accompanying the new recruit to ensure things go smoothly,” he said, flashing her a smile that seethed “check”. “How is Zanatos having you handle things when we arrive?”

  “He’s been in meetings for the majority of the day and thus afforded me the independence to proceed as needed.”

  Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “That seems incredibly unlike him.”

  “Maybe he trusts me to carry out my tasks to the best of my abilities.”

  “Hm. So what exactly are we looking to accomplish?”

  Lara furrowed her brows. “Accomplish?”

  “Yes, what’s the goal here, going to Gurram?”

  Lara thought of the young man they’d bumped into, and then of the woman she’d seen on screen at the Lissome.

  To apologize.

  She really didn’t know if her appearance would make or difference, or if it would even really matter. But an overwhelming sense of personal guilt was driving her to act, even if it was senseless.

  Or selfish.

  “I’m hoping to gain a better understanding of the perspectives and feelings Gurramians have regarding current events. Maybe I can find something that Q2 could use to help ease the strain on their relationship.”

  “So, an ambassadorial role?”

  Lara answered carefully, completely unsure as to whether an apology would even do anything other than ease her conscience. “I think at this stage it would be more beneficial to just collect information. I’m not interested in serving as a representative, or anything like that.”

  She turned her face to the window, feeling Jonathan’s eyes on her.

  “And those methods entail?”

  “Wandering in, immersing myself,” she answered, sounding mildly more irritated by how entrapped she was becoming in her lie. “I didn’t want it to feel like business; I wanted to go in and seem like I just genuinely care -- because I do.” Lara faded out toward the end of her sentence, embarrassed by her slip. It felt like a sign of weakness.

  And it was. She’d inadvertently killed someone. The creature would’ve never been there if she’d made a different choice, she thought; if she’d just faced the danger and tried to make it past the dogs and down the stairs, or found a way to lift herself back up to the vent. Now someone was dead.

  The dull sound of passing wind outside the train gave her something to focus on while Jonathan digested her response.

  A moment later, he got up and walked towards the two soldiers at the front of the car.

  Lara sighed in relief and basked in her brief isolation before he returned.

  When he sat down, she noticed the guards entering the car ahead, with one tapping his helmet. When the door closed behind them, she looked back out of the window.

  “A personal approach may be the best course of action at the moment,” said Jonathan, prompting Lara to face him. “A barrage of soldiers and security would most likely take away from that, and display the exact opposite.”

  Lara felt a surge of disbelief. “You’re going out there without security?”

  “I’m accompanying you, so now technically I’m the security,” he said with a small smile. “Believe it or not, I’d also like to learn more; find out if any realistic improvements could be made.”

  “It’s not your quadrant,” she said, remembering Evelynn’s comments about his ability to swoop into other Quadrants’ affairs.

  “I believe you just suggested that it may very well become my problem.”

  Lara grimaced, finally yielding.

  Jonathan chuckled. “It looks like my week’s going to turn out to be more interesting than I expected.”