Jessica sighed as she filled out the ultra-specific form JA-2B assigned for, “Ability Usage Against Armed Citizen” which she had to fill out twice. The evidence had been logged and much of the report filled automatically with the information from the incident and arrest reports. The paperwork for the robbery took about ten minutes, then another five for her personal paperwork, though most of that time was spent finding the correct document. She sent off the signed documents and stretched.
“Alright, paperwork has been filed,” Jessica announced.
Thomas had spent the time using his glasses while she used the computer. Jessica was a bit surprised that the Department’s database was only accessible via the hardline network the PCs were linked to, it also made sense to prevent tampering. She guessed it was necessary, though Jessica wasn’t caught up on the latest in cyberwarfare. She wasn’t going to question it.
“Excellent,” Thomas said, “Now we get to go back out and do it all over again!”
They went back to the garage, and quickly drove onto the streets of the Grand City once more. Thomas called in to continue patrol and they resumed the winding path through the edge of West End.
“So, how’d you enjoy your first arrest?” Thomas asked once they were settled.
“Underwhelming.” Jessica replied. She had admittedly hoped for something more like a TV show. Probably for the best it was so easy.
“I’ll bet.” Thomas agreed, “I suspect you’ll find most cases underwhelming unless the Citizen escapes the scene before you get there. Then we’ll do some investigating. I bet you’ll like that.”
Jessica nodded. She was an Agent, not an enforcer. They’d be pulled away if there was something more important for them to be doing. Thomas turned a corner and frowned, “Have you checked the BOLOs today?”
Jessica stared at him. She knew what that meant, a be on the lookout alert, but she didn’t know that there was a list of them. “No, Is that on the computer too?”
Thomas slowed at a stop sign and took an extra second to do something on his glasses. Jessica received a message, it was the BOLO list.
“Yes, but make a habit of uploading the list to your glasses in the morning. Delete it at the end of your shift so you’re not stuck with old information. Go over it so you know what to look for while we patrol. I doubt we’ll find anything this close to West End but I also didn’t expect my favorite coffee spot to be robbed today either.” He ordered.
Jessica couldn’t argue with that logic and began to read the list. The various descriptions of car’s and people were quickly read.
King chuckled, “I’ll keep an eye out for… a man in a Big Bad Wolf Costume. I absolutely want to know what he was thinking.”
She noticed the warnings attached to the names, and one kept popping up. Suspected member of Nameless. She’d heard that name before. She closed the list, trying to recall where. King remained silent, helpful.
“Talk to your TA,” King advised, “You’ll need to get to know him better regardless.”
Jessica pursed her lips, but it was naive to think she could go 6 months in the same car as someone with minimal interaction.
“What is Nameless? I feel like I heard of them but I don’t know where.” Jessica queried.
Thomas nodded, “Not too surprising, they don’t really work in West End. They were on the news a few years ago when Enforcers raided an office where they were making counterfeit credit chips. It was a big news story for a week. Then the story was dropped because people were asking how credits could be made and it was threatening people’s trust in the credit.”
Jessica frowned, that explained where she heard of them. “Ok, but what is it exactly?”
Thomas shrugged, “A gang? A syndicate? We’re not quite sure. They engage in a lot of Gang behavior, but they share territory with the two main gangs in Central.”
Jessica’s eyes widened, “There are gangs? I thought gangs were an old-world thing.”
Thomas laughed, “Shit, you were really screwed by the short training period huh?”
He chuckled and stopped at a light. He looked over with a bit of a smirk. “Yes, the Grand City has gangs, two of them. The council keeps them out of the news to keep the perceived crime rate down. They stay out of the rich areas of the City and remain generally non-violent, so we don’t constantly shut their totally legitimate enterprises.”
Thomas pulled over. “Let’s walk, turn on the body cams. Maybe we’ll find something interesting.”
Jessica nodded, her mind burning with questions. She had not been briefed on the state of crime in the city, which she was supposed to have been during a normal amount of training. She was suddenly very thankful that Thomas was as understanding as he had been. She was sounding like an uneducated civilian.
“We can talk about the gangs later but the nameless seemingly work in either territory, both competing with and assisting the gangs in their business. We don’t know why there isn’t action taken against them but what we can confirm isn’t a pretty picture. They are neutral, or very anti-council. They are cell-based, meaning the hierarchy of Nameless is barely known and members have little information about other cells. They could be terrorists, but they’ve taken no major violent action against the Grand City. Basically they’re a question mark.” Thomas exposited, finally answering her question, though it wasn’t a satisfying answer.
“So why haven’t we investigated them further? The Bound Department’s the investigative branch of the enforcers in all but name, right?” Jessica questioned as Thomas led her into a small store that sold handmade crafts like candles and pieces of art.
Thomas began to browse as he answered, “Technically? Yes. Legally? No. We deal with either active crime that could be dangerous and require Bound action, or Bound are committing crimes, or a civilian Bound awakens and needs to be collected.”
Jessica nodded, she knew the official duties of her job, but her first day had been spent acting like an enforcer as opposed to an agent. The reason was because the majority of the crime in the grand city is spontaneous and can be handled by patrols. Murders and Kidnappings etc… were incredibly rare and usually easy to prosecute due to the surveillance state of the Grand City.
“So the Nameless” Jessica started, Thomas interrupted, “Just ‘Nameless’. You’ll be laughed at if you call them ‘The Nameless’.”
Jessica slowly nodded, “So, Nameless are not a Bound Agent’s responsibility, thus we don’t investigate them.”
Thomas nodded, “We probably should be, there are rumors that they employ unregistered Bound. But the Council refuses to admit that a Bound going unregistered is even possible so we are kept out of the loop.”
Jessica ponders that as Thomas continues looking at various knick knacks. He grabbed a small figurine. It was a hand carved bird, made of painted over replicated wood. Even with the thick paint it was obvious. It was only a few credits though and the paint job was pretty good. It was a dove, with pure white feathers and a little gray beak with that little bit of bright white that connected the beak to the head. It was cute.
Thomas paid for the dove, and left, leaving Jessica to ponder the whole thing quietly. It all seemed like a massive headache. The way Thomas spoke made her think he believed those rumors, and that was the exact reason the Bound Department was prevented from being allowed to directly investigate Nameless. Lovely. Jessica couldn’t even blame the council, if it was possible for Bound to walk around unregistered and the public found out the paranoia of the average citizen would skyrocket, and those that had no strong opinion towards Bound would likely become fearful of their neighbors and Bound alike.
Finally Jessica had to speak, the silence becoming uncomfortable, “You like birds?”
Thomas shrugged as they slowly walked back to their car. “Somewhat, but I didn’t buy it for myself.”
The tone was a bit tighter than Jessica expected, and she had a feeling that prying was a bad idea. She changed the subject.
“So, besides active crimes a BOLO’s what else should we be looking for?” Jessica asked.
Thomas smiled, “Nothing. Patrols are partially looking for criminals and partially having a presence in the area. The fact that we are here on the streets, especially with your uniform and purple armband will make people feel safe, even those that have a low view of Bound.”
Jessica gave a slow nod as she opened the car door. She pulled and climbed into the comfortable seats. “Because it’s proof that Bound are being controlled?”
“And put to use, yes.” Thomas confirmed. “You ready for lunch? I’ll pay today, cause it’s your first.”
Jessica nodded, she hadn’t felt hungry until he mentioned lunch, it was mid-afternoon all of a sudden and she was pretty hungry.
Thomas smiled, “Excellent, let me show you the best place to eat, and by best, I mean cheapest because eating gets expensive on patrol.”
About 30 minutes later, Jessica was eating a greasy burger from a diner she had never seen before. It was probably poisoning her but the warm, smooth, savory replicated meat was delicious, so she risked it. Jessica put the half burger down and wiped her hands on a cloth napkin. Taking a sip of orange juice refreshed her palate and she took a moment to that Thomas for paying a third time. It really was good for how cheap it was.
“I’m still in shock that you’ve never had fast food before.” Thomas commented. He acted like she had been beaten as a child.
“My parents were healthy. I had pizza once or twice a year, but we mostly made our own food. Besides, I like salads and wraps. I won’t lie, this is pretty good too.” Jessica replied.
She had eaten at places that served burgers but she never ordered them, opting for healthier items. It had taken a solid minute of debate to convince Jessica to get a burger this time around. She took another bite and got a mouthful of cheese along with the meat. IT was also replicated but Jessica just didn’t care.
“This is replicated, how the hell does it taste like this?” She asked, wiping her mouth of grease.
“A change in the replicator instructions. Each place does it slightly differently but generally they increase the fat content.” Thomas answered, mouth half full with his own burger. “It really makes all the difference. Most replicators are standardized to make 93% lean ground beef, for health reasons.”
Jessica nodded, that made a lot of sense. The Grand City did not want an unhealthy populace that reduced productivity and would weaken the city’s economy. At least, Jessica thought that was the reason. She finished her burger and munched on some fries. They were similarly greasy and very salty. She had a few more and sipped at her juice.
Thomas looked at her, “I’d ask about your childhood but…”
Jessica shrugs, “I’m Bound, my entire life is in my file. I already had my privacy phase in my teens.”
“You’re still a teenager.” Thomas pointed out.
Jessica rolled her eyes, “You know what I mean. I went a solid two months without my glasses and guessed my mother’s door password to set my own locks to my door. But I got over it. It sucks but I’m Bound, with preternatural powers.” Jessica had a few more fries before wiping her mouth and leaning back in the chair. “
Thomas nods, “Yeah, I can see that. Same story as most rookies then.”
Jessica could believe that. She was under no illusions that much of her life was a series of unique struggles. Of course, Maddie was pretty unique. Jessica scowled thinking of the video. Thomas waves the comment away,
“I didn’t mean it that way, I saw that video and that wasn’t normal, or right. But the privacy thing is a pretty common issue people go through.” He explained. It was Jessica’s turn to wave his comment aside.
“It’s not you…” She sighed, “How many Bound even are there? I saw a bunch in the Department, but I can’t imagine every Bound works there.” Jessica asked.
Thomas laughed, “You’d be surprised. Businesses need permits to hire Bound and it is very hard to get that permit. The department is pretty much the only job a Bound can guarantee they’ll work. I’d say 90% of the City’s Bound work there. As for the city, last I checked it was approximately 300 Bound, out of the approximate 1.2 million total citizens. It’s a really small number.”
Jessica whistled. She figured they weren’t common but wow. That explains why she’s never seen a non-agent Bound. They really were all agents. Jessica just sighed. Unfortunately, that just reinforced just how serious Director Hernandez’s threats were. Granted, Jessica could probably get another job with the few companies that do have permits to hire her.
“Please, as if we’d allow that,” King chuckled. True, Jessica was not just going to leave and find another job. She wasn’t going anywhere. If only to spite the Director.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“EG346. Do you copy?” Dispatch sent over the radio on Jessica’s belt. Thomas answered his own and responded.
“This is EG346, what’s up.”
“We need agents at 442 Fillum Dr. Apartment 23. A code 120-C was called in.” Dispatch said.
Thomas looked annoyed, “Gladys?”
“Yeah,” Dispatch responded, “But agents need to be on the scene. You know them.”
Thomas rubbed his face. “It’s my rookie’s first day, is there anyone else?”
“You’re showing a 311 two blocks away. No one else is nearby.” Dispatch said, taking a more authoritative tone. “So get over there, copy?”
Thomas groaned before answering, “EG346 responding to the 120-C. We’re 5 minutes out.”
Thomas stuffed the last bites of his burger into his mouth, he stood up and waved for Jessica to follow. She sighed and followed, wiping her hands off on a napkin as she walked, dumping the cloth in the disposal bin. Jessica hurried to catch up to Thomas, who was schooling his face into a pleasantly professional veneer.
“Who’s Gladys? And why are you upset about a 120-C? That’s a Bound breaking and entering right?” Jessica let the questions fly, her confusion about his reaction. Thomas shook his head.
“Gladys is a 95 year old woman with memory issues. It’s probably dementia or Alzheimer's but most of the records on how to diagnose and treat the disease in any meaningful way was lost. She lives with her daughter and Bound grandson, who she forgets about every few months or so.” Thomas explained with a thin smile.
Jessica processed that for a moment, “So the 120-C…”
“Is her grandson, probably. But that’s why we have to check. It’s technically possible a Bound has decided to break into a random family’s apartment on the edge of West End so we get to deal with her.” Thomas gave a deep sigh.
Jessica was a bit taken aback, “So this woman is suffering from mental illness and you’re sick of dealing with her?” She asked carefully.
Thomas shook her head, “It’s not that… you’ll see in a bit, building’s up here. She was only a few years old when the Grand City was founded. Her family was one of the locals who managed to be let in before the walls closed and the Final Siege happened. She is not a fan of Bound or the Bound Department.” He opened the door for Jessica as he spoke.
The building looked like a carbon copy of her own, which made sense as most of the residential buildings were prefabricated during the construction of the Grand City. While it had technically been founded before the Wars, the Grand City wasn’t closed off from the world as it is today. A local Bound warlord attempted to conquer the city for himself and failed, but a 2-year siege occurred after he failed to breach the walls. Unfortunately for the warlord, the Grand City had fabricators and the City was large enough that it had its own weather microcosm.
At least that’s what the history books said. They got enough rain to sustain their population. Apparently, there were a lot of attacks on the walls in that time, though only a few are old enough to have been present. The Grand City was 92, from its closure at least, so that would mean Gladys was 5 when that all happened.
Jessica walked up the stairs behind Thomas to the second floor. They walked down the hallway, Jessica appreciating the tasteful design the building had chosen. It was a stylized leaf pattern that would change colors for the seasons. The leaves were pink on a purple background for springtime. Jessica smiled, a hint of jealousy welling up in her that she couldn’t afford a place like this, but she was still a trainee. That would change shortly.
Thomas knocked on the door and took a step back. Jessica stood off to the side, and made sure she had the same polite smile on her face that her TA did. When the door opened a harried woman stuck her head out with a slightly worried expression, only to fall into embarrassment as she clearly recognized Thomas.
“Agent Erikson. You’re looking well.” She put a hand to her forehead, where a white band of cloth held back her hair. She wiped sweat off her brow, her pale skin was a bit flushed and Jessica could see an apron on her front with a few fresh stains on it. Her red tee was stained with sweat and there was flour on her jeans. “I’m making dinner, will this be quick?”
Thomas smiled in sympathy, “I’m sorry Ms. Havill, but Gladys called again.”
At that the Ms. Havill looked shocked. “How? She doesn’t have her glasses anymore. She couldn’t have called.”
Thomas shrugged, “I don’t know, but she did. We have to come in, I'm afraid.”
Ms Havill nodded, “Yes yes, please come in.” She backed out of the doorway and Thomas walked in.
Jessica followed and walked into a well lived-in space. It was a tidy apartment, everything in its place. Jessica could see the living room, not dissimilar to her own, but a bit bigger with a recliner in addition to the couch. She could hear what she swore was the Court Cam broadcast but why? Then she remembered what Ms Havill had said, Gladys didn’t have her glasses. Gladys was using a tablet or perhaps a wide screen on the wall to watch the program.
Jessica followed Ms Havill and Thomas toward the Court Cam broadcast, coming from an open door in the hallway. On the way Jessica spied the kitchen unit, which looked like someone spilled a cup of flour on the counter then sneezed. Jessica could smell fresh bread baking in the little oven.
Jessica herself couldn’t afford to have a separate kitchen unit, so it was just the replicator. This she wasn’t jealous of though, since she had no time to cook for herself regardless. Thomas waited as Ms. Havill walked into the bedroom, the broadcast cut off and an old woman’s surly voice cried out, “Oh, What’s up your ass? I was watching that!”
Ms. Havill whispered something indistinct, and Gladys, who the voice must have belonged to said, “I don’t have them, you took them from me remember? You sure I’m the one with the memory is- Don't go in there!” The sudden shriek caused Jessica to flinch.
Ms. Havill walked out swiftly, holding a pair of glasses in her hand. She spun in the doorway and wagged a finger at her mother. “Mom, you lost these when you kept wasting these good people’s time with your nonsense. Now you will apologize to these nice Agents and let them leave to do actual work.”
Ms. Havill waved Thomas in and he plastered on a grin. Ms. Havill sent Jessica an apologetic look. Thomas entered, Jessica on his heels. The moment Jessica laid eyes on Gladys, the old woman went red. “Who are you? Get out! I won’t let you fuckers into my house!”
Thomas stepped in between them, blocking Gladys’ view. “Jessica, would you check in on Mike, make sure he’s alright.” He asked, “I’m sure Erica can show you to his room.”
Jessica nodded, not wanting to deal with the woman’s vitriol. Backing out of the room she met Ms. Havill’s gaze, “May I check in on Mike?”
Ms. Havill, or Erika? Felt better to stick with Ms. Havill for now, nodded. She walked to the door at the very end of the hall, the master bedroom. Jessica noted that Ms. Havill’s bedroom was between his and Gladys’ as if to act as a barrier. When the door was opened, Jessica knew why.
On the bed was a 15 year-old boy who was sitting with knees pulled to his chest. He was watching something on his glasses, barely giving his mother a second glance. The purple armband sat on the bedside table. Ms. Havill smiled at her son, the same look Jessica’s father had last night. It was a mix of pride and sadness that parents the world over seemed to master.
“Mike, an Agent is here to speak to you about mammy. Would you talk with her a moment please?” She asked her son. The boy shrugged, eyes not leaving the projected image.
Ms. Havill pursed her lips a bit, “Please, be patient. He doesn’t like talking to people much. I’ll be in the kitchen, we can have a proper introduction there.” and the woman hurried away, no doubt worried about her bread.
Jessica sighed, taking stock of the room. There were a few posters projected on the walls, various old world bands and a few new world movie posters. There were also a few physical figurines. She saw a Captain Buck figure and smiled. She looked over to Mike, still sitting on the bed. What there wasn't, was a desk or any other place to sit.
“Mind if I join you on the bed?” She asked, earning another shrug.
Jessica smiled and sat at the foot of the bed, so that Mike was facing her. She didn’t look directly at him, instead letting her gaze settle on the wall. Jessica waited a good few seconds in silence trying to figure out what to say. She was saved from the awkward moment by Mike.
“I’m fine,” He said, Jessica nodded and said, “That’s good.”
Another moment of silence. Mike stopped looking at his glasses and sent a bit of a glare her way.
“No,” He tried again, “I mean that I’m fine. I don’t need to be checked on.”
Jessica rolled her shoulders, she could say it was just her job to make sure, but something told her that was the wrong way to go about this. So instead she took the focus off of Mike.
“I get that, honestly I just want this day to be over, ya know?” She bemoaned a bit. The universal language of complaining seems to be the best she could come up with.
Mike shrugged. Jessica continued. “I mean, a few hours ago we stumble upon a robbery, nearly get shot, have to write a metric fuck-ton of paperwork, then come here to a false alarm when we should be on the street. I feel like I shouldn’t be doing all of that Day One but here I am.”
Mike gave her a questioning look. “Then why are you still here? I’m fine.”
Jessica looked at him, “Because I just turned 18 a few days ago, and I know that’s bullshit.”
Mike scowled, Jessica returned a flat look. “If you were fine you would be spread out on the bed, not curled up like you had a bad dream.”
Mike adjusted his posture immediately. Jessica remembered doing the same thing when her mother explained similar observations. The instinctive reaction to hide her thoughts and feelings was something Jessica understood.
“Look, I’m not gonna pry, just want to tell you to keep your chin up.” Then she thought of something.
Looking at the armband she thought about King, about her relationship with her Entity. She still was distant, Entities were generally dangerous, and Most of what’s available on them speaks of possible reasons why they attach themselves to humans. Hidden motives that are generally pure conjecture but could still possibly be true. King, naturally, denies that any of these ulterior motives have truth to them, but he’s never actually explained why he chose her beyond vague notions.
Despite that, King had been there for Jessica, and a part of her knew that he always would be regardless of his personal motives. It wasn’t trust per se, but it was something sturdy. The foundation of trust perhaps. Maybe Mike could benefit from that same foundation.
“Have you spoken to your Entity recently?” She asked. Mike’s face went a shade paler as his eyes widened. It made Jessica laugh. “You're not in trouble for it. Mine talks to me every night when I fall asleep.”
Mike calmed down then shrugged a bit. So Jessica continued. “I can’t say you should trust it… but, It’s not as though they have anyone to spill your secrets to.”
Mike frowned and looked at her, “What do you mean? Like talking to him about my problems? What can he do?” He looked a bit angry now, Jessica suspected he was angry about a lot. Probably a lot of it was aimed at his Entity.
Jessica shrugged, “Anything you want. I can’t speak for it, but it’s not as if your Entity has anything better to do than listen to you vent. Talk about what’s bothering you, about how school’s going, and why it sucks because it always sucks. Talk about things you don’t dare say aloud. It’s… freeing.”
Then Jessica smiled at the memory of the amusement park she made, the morning sucked but it was fun. Her face screwed up, “I can’t tell you that it’ll have anything helpful to say, mine’s cryptic like nothing I’ve ever heard, but he’s a good listener.”
Mike looked at her, then squinted suspiciously. Suddenly his eyes went wide, “Wait! You’re that girl from the solstice video!”
Jessica winced, proceeding to rub the back of her neck while admitting, “Yeah, that’s me.”
Mike was suddenly very interested in the conversation, “You totally got them back! It was awesome.”
He smiled, “You think if I awaken I could do something like that?”
Jessica’s weak smile dropped, “Don’t even joke about that.” She said harshly.
Mike reacted like she’d slapped him. He pulled back and turned, his back leaning against the wall. “I wasn’t joking.” He muttered.
Jessica sighed, shit. She needed to say something quick. “Look, I’m sure the video was fun to watch. I can’t imagine what school’s like for you… well, I can as you saw but you know what I mean. Right?”
Mike went back to shrugging. So Jessica continued, “Look, I can’t say I fully regret what I did, but…” That sounded really lame. Mike was getting a look in his eyes that Jessica didn’t like.
Jessica pushed back and leaned against the wall as well. “I used my ability on my mother.” She admitted. Mike sent a sideways glance, surprise clear on his face. Jessica took a deep breath and continued, “She… took her own life because of it.”
Whatever Mike was thinking, his train of thought crashed. “What?”
Jessica nodded, “She decided she couldn’t live after I awakened, so she ended her life.”
Mike’s face slowly morphed into one of horror, “I- I’m sorry.” He managed to say.
It was Jessica’s turn to shrug, “Thanks, but… she wasn’t like your mom, if I’m honest. I doubt you would do what I did, but…” She turned her head to face him.
“Look, actions have consequences and they aren’t always obvious. I won’t tell you not to awaken. You could probably do a lot of good with your Entity’s ability but… Be careful, and patient. It’s not worth doing that without a lot of thought, ok?”
Mike looked a bit sick, “Yeah, ok.”
Jessica hopped off the bed and stretched, “Alright. You seem OK, so I’ll stop bothering you.”
Then Jessica decided a bit extra care wouldn’t be a bad thing. She held out a hand to Mike. He looked at it for a moment, then reached out to shake it. Jessica leaned forward and tapped her chip to his. Shaking his hand she told him, “If you need help, I recommend you give me a call. Unless I’m in a life or death scenario I’ll pick up, ok?”
Mike slowly nodded, and Jessica turned to leave, “I’m sorry about your mom. That really sucks.”
Jessica paused then nodded, “Thanks. It does, but I’ll be OK. Talk to you later,”
With a wave she left Mike’s room and closed the door. She walked past Gladys’ open door, not even looking as she passed. Gladys didn’t notice her. She saw Thomas talking to Ms. Havill in the kitchen. He was leaning on the counter while Ms. Havill leaned against the oven. They were talking like old friends, and Jessica almost didn’t want to interrupt.
“Hey, Mike’s going to be fine.” She said, Thomas giving her a smile, “Great news. He’s a good kid. I hope he’ll be an agent someday.”
Standing straight, he held out a hand to Ms. Havill, “Agent Adams and I need to get back to it, but thank you for the hospitality.”
Ms. Havill returned a tired smile, “Thank you for coming over, and I’m sorry about my mother. She’s… a character.”
Jessica asked the obvious question, “Why keep her here, if it’s not too personal. Wouldn’t she be happier in a nursing facility?”
Ms. Havill’s face informed Jessica that it was, in fact, too personal. “I’m doing just fine, thank you.”
Thomas opened his mouth, but Dispatch interrupted him.
“EG346, do you copy?”
Thomas sighed, “EG346, we are still dealing with the 120-C.”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to cut the visit short. You’ve been 86’d.” Dispatch informed him.
Thomas frowned, “Seriously?”
“EG346, you are code 86. Do you need agents sent to relieve you?”
Thomas just frowned then responded, “No, it’s all clear here. Heading back to HQ.”
Jessica was a bit surprised, but considering her day so far she figured it was par for the course. With quick goodbyes Thomas and Jessica left the apartment. Thomas gave her a smug look.
“Way to put your foot in your mouth.” He laughed, a blush showing on Jessica’s cheeks.
“It’s a valid question. Especially if she can’t keep her mother from wasting Department resources.” Jessica argued, defending her admittedly insensitive question.
“Maybe, but people have their pride, and in the Grand City you don’t really have much else.” He explained as they walked down the stairs, “Let’s hurry back, I want to know exactly why we’re being recalled.”
Jessica sighed and followed her TA.