The gauchos of Paraguay and Argentina wrangle the best cattle stock for beefsteak in the world.

That is just a damn fact, Tasìa thought as she dug her knife and fork into one of the thin-cut medallions on her plate.

It was slathered in a variety of onions and peppers sauteéd in butter and a fair drizzle of a yellow bonnet based hot sauce. Though there were flour tortillas on the side, Tasìa did not bother to fill them up.

A heaping pile of arroz verde - long-grained rice, fresh spinach, fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, fresh mint and garlic, garlic, garlic, also accompanied the meal. She dug into it like a starving beast.

It was her first solid meal since the fish wraps the previous morning. Tasìa gulped from a light Cervaza Rubia.

She eyed her companion with a firm stare.

"This is as good as it gets. We should get on our knees and thank the higher authorities that they had the foresight to annex a chunk of Argentinian farmlands when they formed the Quadra."

León chuckled as he dug into his own meal.

"I scoff at the idea of thanking the Salvage for anything, and I work for the bastards."

Tasìa turned her head lopsided in a rare elegant display. Even strenuous activity had no effect on the lustrous cascade of her hair which she now played up for effect.

After her self-inflicted surgery, Tasìa spent a day sunbathing nude in her backyard to help her wounded flesh heal. Immediately after which she noticed the sheen of her hair had returned.

She now attempted to bedazzle the man sitting at her table.

"For the moment, we can leave our conscience behind and take in a respite of joy."

She said in a cooing mesmer.

"You really love to eat," León said, amused as he observed her.

Tasìa ignored the poke he gave her bubble as she answered.

"One day, after my metabolism slows down, I will be a fat little butterball with a husband who hates me for it," she said as she brought her bottle up in a kiss to the air, "cheers!"

León tilted his chin back and he gave Tasìa a warning with raised eyebrows. She had already heard the soft trod of a pair of leather boots behind her.

She peered up while leaning her head all the way back.

"Hello, Isabella," Tasìa greeted. The two exchanged a quick peck on the lips. Isabella placed her hands on Tasìa's shoulders.

"León, this is my god sister, Isabella Cuervo, the proprietress of this finest of dining establishments."

Isabella gave out a nervous chortle as she corrected Tasìa.

"The food is world-class, but the decor is strictly proletariat to chase off a certain unwanted element. Foodies."

Tasìa's lips pussed up. "I'm a foodie."

León nodded and bowed his head.

"It is nice to find something this good outside of Asunción or even Ciudad del Este."

Isabella smirked ever so slightly as she gripped Tasìa's shoulders a little harder.

"Now, what was that you were saying about a husband?"

Tasìa looked across the table and she smiled at León in embarrassment. She reached her head up once more to whisper into Isabella's ear.

"We are professional colleagues. I don't know where this is going, but don't blow this for me."

Isabella looked down impishly to Tasìa, and whispered in turn, "oh, dear sister, I promised to get you back, did I not?" Isabella straightened her posture and said out loud, "you are right, Tasìa, my dear, he is quite, quite on the cute side."

Isabella turned her attention to León. "I happen to be a lesbian, but, León, you should know, I am not dead to certain rarely displayed manly charms when I come across them."

She patted Tasìa on the head just as she began to walk away.

Tasìa was left bereft for a proper response. Several seconds passed before León interrupted the awkward silence.

"It is not every day . . . and I will leave it at that."

After Tasìa cleaned off her plate, she sat back and sipped from a second bottle while León finished his meal. He savored his meal, slowly.

As proper etiquette required.

Tasìa wondered what six months eating in a prison chow hall had done to her own sense of decorum. What did the man in front of her think of her?

He did seem to enjoy her company. Perhaps while in prison, Tasìa considered, she had developed a certain rogue charm that men found to be irresistible.

She thought of Faison's insults as they sat beneath the radio tower. He did not find her to be appealing in the least, but Tasìa shrugged it off. To be fair, she did shoot him in the face so he didn't qualify as the most objective judge of her charm.

Everyone else loves me and that is all that matters. Her inner voice rose to challenge her. Tasia, that's the beer talking.

León finished his meal, and he sat his utensils crossed together on the plate. He peeked up at her with a chuckle.

"You seem to be having quite the monologue going on upstairs," he said with a finger pressed against his temple.

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"Just thinking of a sniper I fucked over well and good."

A little thrilling chill ran through her at the sight of León's disappointment. It slipped past his defenses before he regained his comportment with a self-deprecated shrug and a long grin.

He had hoped she was thinking of something else! Tasìa recalled all of her prior commitments for the evening, to watch Annebél and Raúl make love, and to get more intimate with Jún-Jún.

Wow. It didn't take long to get over our little head, did it, mi chica?

Still, she would have loved to have a little, quick affair with the man, and would have, but for not being sure of the control she had over her bodily functions.

She decided to be direct, she grabbed the table with both hands and she leaned in.

"I saw that look on your face."

León grasped his chest with fingers spread out in a knee jerk denial.

She continued.

"It's okay. It is not like I wasn't thinking it myself. Tonight though, I'm overbooked on my commitments, and, hell, we have yet to discuss our mutual business." She gave him a wicked grin. "Another time, okay?"

To her delight, León blushed as he nodded his head.

Tasìa still wondered about her own motives and commitments. Should she not limit her own commitment to only one other to at least feign social reliability?

Jún-Jún, and León, was that stretching things? But she had so much time to make up for!

Her next thought was sobering.

Nande.

At the time that she and Jún-Jún committed to take some time that evening to explore their newly found interest, he was still unaware Tasìa had discovered and returned his deceased wife's remains.

Her first thought was he won't be in the mood for lovemaking, her second thought was what a shit I am for thinking that.

Why was that so bad? She had a man that committed to her time table to explore as she felt capable. She needed to selfishly guard and treasure this acquaintance for the opportunity it presented.

Still, she would need to be there for Jún-Jún that night. He'll still need someone to hold him. After all, he'll be ready again, soon enough.

León reached over the table and grabbed her hand.

"Everything alright," he asked. "You appear conflicted."

Tasìa chuckled. "If you only knew the half of it, you would run, run, run, right out that door over there." She cleared her throat. "León, is it possible that the EU could be targeting me because I'm carrying around Demona Heloïste's personal assistant?"

"Oh, business."

She nodded, and with a nasal squeal to her voice. "'Fraid so, big, tall, strapping buddy."

He got a laugh out of her once again playing the sweet goofball.

León wiped his face down with a napkin.

"Oh my. But, seriously, yes, now that you mention it, they most definitely want to get a hold of that."

"Just before our meeting, she paid me a visit."

León blinked. His forehead ruffled in confusion.

"Demona. She had a message for you. León, I think you are more aware of how it possibly could be that she is sending a message from the other side of the grave more than I am, so let's skip the part where I have to explain it to you."

He sat back in his chair, appearing more relaxed than before.

"I wasn't feigning shock, my lovely friend. I'm genuinely surprised that her intricate little plan worked. What did she say?"

Tasìa sighed as she recalled the encounter.

"She hoped her sacrifice was worth it. She expects you now to proceed with due haste to the Awoken Child."

León looked up with his head leaning off to the side as he also shook it.

"Are you familiar with English, Tasìa?"

"I studied it in school. I'm awkward at it though."

"You see, this is classic Heloïste. She designates that phrase in its archaic English form in her plan book as the Awoken Childe. As in Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came. Yes, she is that pretentious."

Tasìa shrugged, "I don't get it."

León leaned forward as he explained it.

"It's Demona Heloïste. Self-designated la espía por excelencia, the spook most quintessential, in the English. It would be insulting to her memory if you did get it."

Tasìa tossed her hands up. The ambiguity seemed all so superfluous.

"Then what does this elaborate fabrication actually point to?"

"An abandoned laboratory where she has some unfinished work stored."

Tasìa laughed. She calmed her fidgeting hands as she sprawled her arm across her chair.

"Is it well guarded?"

"Yes. Most definitely."

"It sounds exciting."

His reaction was most telling. León's elbows were planted on the table, his hands balled up together to cover his mouth. His eyes grew focused as he watched her.

He was taking a great deal of care choosing his next response. It would be a deflection.

He doesn't want me there. What is he trying to hide?

"There is another matter much dearer to your heart, Tasìa."

With those words, León retrieved from his jacket pocket a flash drive and he placed it on the table in front of her.

"Everything you need to know to rescue your aunt Tatiana is there."

Tasìa gave a big, warm, and gobliny smile though her mind was elsewhere. Intuition told her Awoken Childe had a great deal of bearing on the answers she sought.

León continued.

"I disagree with Lt. Colonel Sol. He believes a large squad of specialists in hostage rescue, with you serving as the scout to spearhead it, would be the optimal approach. The general, however, thinks along with me, it is best taken as a solo mission with you as the infiltration agent. That is why I am here to give you this, even though Sol wanted me to persuade you into joining us."

Tasìa turned the drive around in her thumb and forefinger. Her smile was sincere, but the other matter predominated her thoughts.

To learn more beyond what Sol or Kutuzova wanted her to know, Tasìa schemed to obtain the contents of León's own mobile, and she could with a simple flip of an app on her neoPalm to do her dirty work for her. However, she would need to be in close proximity to him for several minutes to allow time for it to breach his data, and this conversation seemed to be winding down.

Tasìa peered over to the pool tables. There was a couple playing billiards. She knew Ydreäs, but not the new chica with her. Four other tables were occupied. A slow night, but then again, it was a Wednesday.

Her plan was doable.

Tasìa threw him a shy smile.

"I don't know how to thank you for this."

He looked away for a moment as she expected him to. Then he looked her in the eyes and said in a bold but humor covered tone.

"Well . . ."

He fell for it.

Tasìa giggled. She pointed with her eyes to the bathroom in the dark shaded hallway on the other side of the room.

"You know that 'another time' I mentioned earlier? That could be now if you are up to it."

For a brief moment, he froze like a deer in the headlights before he regained his composure with a nervous snort. Tasìa grabbed his arm and led him out of his chair.

"Come on, you. Let's not make this awkward, okay?"

Tasìa grew nervous as she led him. Her stomach quivered and her guts knotted.

It's too big of a step!

She looked around. Nobody watched them. Perhaps, they appeared merely as a couple freshening up, and not as one looking for a place for a quicky.

Tasìa shoved him in the lavatory. She took another peek out, shut the door behind her, and locked it.

Upon turning around, Tasìa gasped an, "Oh my!"

León was already ready for her.