Katrin's question hung in the air.

"No? Sometimes. Not really," Rafferty answered.

Katrin seemed amused.

Why are you here?

"Get dressed. I want to show you something," said Katrin.

"Ok," Rafferty said uncertainty.

She felt strange changing with Katrin watching from the doorway, but Katrin didn't seem to be going anywhere, so Rafferty folded herself into one corner of the room as best she could, and buckled into her gear. She picked up her sword as she turned around and headed back to the doorway.

"Do I need to get Trevor?" she asked.

"No, we'll leave the boys at home," Katrin said.

Trevor's going to hate that.

"Doesn't your Jack do what you tell him to?" Katrin asked.

"Um, kinda," said Rafferty.

Hardly ever.

"You have to get Jacks properly trained, otherwise it's just rules, rules, rules, work, work, work, all the time, time, time," Katrin said, as she started down the hallway.

Rafferty laughed as she followed Katrin. When they turned off of J Hall, she looked over her shoulder to see if Blaspheme had noticed. It seemed she had not.

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"What about Seth and Brianna?" Rafferty asked.

"Just us tonight. That a problem?" Katrin asked, glancing back.

"N-no," Rafferty said.

I still don't know what's going on.

Rafferty thought they might be headed for the small service door near the back of the building, the one the Sisters used for trash removal and never bothered to lock. That was the place most girls used if they were feeling rebellious and wanted to sneak out. But Katrin turned right at the bottom of the stairs, not left. Katrin, it seemed, was going to walk right out the front door.

Justin, a C Hall Jack who was posted at the door, looked up as they passed. Katrin never broke stride, she just held up two fingers as they walked by. Justin nodded, and that was that.

Rafferty may have argued with Blaspheme over who was Max's favorite, but Katrin was the top rated Hunter on the board. She spent the most time out in the Breaks, and B Hall was usually first up for the really important missions. If there was a favorite, Katrin was it.

When they got outside, Katrin turned around.

"Try to keep up," she said, as she took off across the flats.

They spent the next hour sprinting across the open landscape, Katrin gracefully hopping over the uneven patches. Rafferty was almost certain she was faster than Katrin, at least when she really turned it up, but she'd almost fallen three times. Katrin bounced over the rough spots with the ease of someone jumping over a puddle.

When they stopped, they were standing in front of the remains of a large, square building. It looked like it used to be the sort of place Gus called a factory.

"What is this?" Rafferty asked, secretly pleased that Katrin seemed to be breathing harder than she was.

"Somewhere I come when I'm stressed. You've had a rough couple of days. From everything I've heard about you lately, I think you might like it too," Katrin said.

Rafferty was trying to figure out what the hell any of that might mean, when she heard the angry metallic clang from inside the building.

She thought she knew what it was.

Katrin smiled.

"Let's face it. There's only one way Hunters can really blow off steam," she said.

Another clang.

Rafferty felt the excitement rise in her chest.