“That means Two fifty!” She stood up immediately, eyes darting around the windowed areas until she spotted the truck blaring that same song.

“Sam, wait!” Sebastian yelled as they all found themselves running after Sam. “What are you talking about?!”

Renzo turned back in a hurry, however, running back for the digital table kiosk. [We haven’t even paid yet- hold up!] He shouted as he reached for his mobile, trying not to drop it while also quickly scoping out the truck outside playing the music.

Naturally, to avoid unwanted attention from passersby, Sam and the rest had slowed to a casual walk, trying not to directly eye down the truck that had pulled up to the curbside and out of the way of traffic. As Sam got closer, the door to the back seat opened and a younger male roughly dressed in a baggy hoodie and loose-fitting jeans held a hand out in a motion to approach.

[Are you looking for me?] He casually inquired once they neared speaking distance.

This guy is Rex’s contact?! Sam couldn’t help but feel like there was some mistake, but also felt perhaps it was on purpose. “Sí,” she nodded with her timid response. “Soy Ella.”

[Hey, hold on. Who are all these guys? I heard of two, not five,] he added with a wrinkle of his brow, noting Renzo hastily walking up to join the others looking on. But before Sam could think up something to say, he shook his head and shrugged. [Whatever, three of you here, two of you in the car up in front,] he spoke with a hand pointed towards the larger sedan parked just in front.

Meanwhile and before nodding in agreement to load up, Sam had her hands behind her back momentarily, making sure to click “send” on a pre-fabricated message to Hexa, which read: “Contact established. Going dark.”

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The two vehicles were able to pull off without commotion or any attention, but the atmosphere was stiff as it could get. Sam nervously sat stiff-shouldered between Sebastian and Kaylen in the backseat of the truck, which had at least turned its audio volume well lower than earlier, but she couldn’t find words to break the silence as they eased down the main street headed northbound.

Kaylen did seconds later, however. [Well?] She called out to the two seated up front. [Any reason why you couldn’t just come get us? Why such a roundabout way to get our attention earlier?]

[Are you really asking that kind of question?] The driver scorned. [Just sit tight- we got a long drive.]

Kaylen scoffed at the remark. [Okay? And? Can you at least tell us then why it took so long? Rex is the one looking for our help, so I’d say we deserve a little something!]

[Reaper moved. He was squarely located in Palermo,] the man they spoke to outside quickly and bluntly replied. [We even found out where he’s moving to as well. Does that satisfy you?]

The three in back remained quiet in acceptance of what they had all wanted to hear confirmed.

[We still have a few basement-level cells to operate from. And don’t try to make any calls. This rig is jammed from any incoming and outgoing signals.]

[Unless, that is,] the driver added, [One of us gives you permission to use the headset Enrai hooked you up with. Rex’s network has yours registered as is,] He added with a hand’s motion toward Sam and Kayen. [Ella. Emilia.]

Over the next tensely quiet five minutes, Sam never found a word to speak regardless of the storm of concerns and doubts raging through her head. Desperately wanting to at very least ask what they were headed into, Sebastian nudged her arm and provided her first slight sign of an answer on his mobile’s notepad.

“This is what I put together,” he spoke as he held the screen up for her to read.

“So this is what you were doing the whole time,” Sam paused once to grumble before finishing reading. All those gatherings Sebastian told me about earlier were in reference to this? A show of support for… SAU Representative Orsi? Whoever that is.

Sebastian withdrew his mobile and drew a wry smile. “He’s a big deal for their dreams… A dream of Argentina leading the SAU.”

[Bingo!] The man riding up front spoke up once more. [We can’t get nowhere in our hopes for restoring the Global Confederacy with a selfish terrorist at the helm! But the people don’t see that!]

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

The driver then loudly tacked on: [That’s why we want Reaper out of commission and enlisted your help. He’s about to be Orsi’s weapon, and we can only assume the worst if we let this Reaper character live long enough to see that through.]

Just what I thought. He’s really self-absorbed to the point he’s willing to become some… what… weapon of mass destruction or some shit?

Sebastian saw the frustration and pain from the sigh she let out. “Sam, are you still sure you want to continue?”

She weakly shook her head, hesitating before flatly responding: “I have no choice. Rather, he left me no choice, to be accurate.” And the last words were spoken as she took her notepad from her bag and handed it to him discreetly. “I know you’re going to be on the other side, but just in case.”

Sebastian flipped through it, scanning a few of the pages, noting they were focused on signals for various movement patterns as well as calls for cancellation and switch-up. He knew that she, Kaylen, and Renzo had a running plan but never thought to ask to see it. He took out a pen from his bag and began scribbling on the front page in tiny writing: “Is this the original or a copy?”

Sam took it to read before scribbling down her answer: “I made this copy for you, and Renzo made one for Dani. Study it.”

[What’s going on back there, huh?] The driver asked, suspicious of their silent yet busy exchange.

[Are you really asking that kind of question?] Sebastian mockingly replied in his natural Colombian accent for the first time since getting in the truck. [We got a long drive, right? What’s wrong with getting ready?]

Sam withheld her proud chuckle, also glad to see Sebastian becoming more himself by the day, as guilty as it still felt. The air settled down over the next moment, taking in a deep breath, staring out into the busy highway ahead.

Well, all that’s left that I can’t even begin to figure out is Mom’s last message. I hope she hasn’t replied yet- not while we’re on this trip, however long it is.

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▽　▽　▽

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●　● Palermo District, Buenos Aires, Argentina, SAU

Amelie’s eyelids slowly opened, fluttering open and closed a few times as if to confirm she was awake. She felt the cold floor on her left cheek and her curled up hands, prompting her to sit up but not in any hurry for she knew what the circumstances had to be. Her eyes scanned the dimly lit, cramped quarters. Other than the lone metal door that had no handle was a cot and a toilet.

“Too cliched,” she huffed before chuckling at the irony of her situation. “Again, I thought I raised you better,” she repeated as if she knew Isaiah had to have been near.

[Oh, look who’s up,] a locally spoken dialect came over a small speaker.

Amelie didn’t know much Spanish herself, but being of the Rioplatense flavor made it impossible. “Alright. What do you want?” She asked, unamused.

[Yessir, she’s awake,] the voice spoke away from the microphone before a shuffling sound was heard.

“Pardon my fellow hand’s manners,” Orsi’s voice spoke in an eloquent manner surprising to her. “So sorry to see you in such a predicament, Angel.”

Amelie’s heart suddenly jumped into her throat the second she heard that name. “You?! You were killed in action back in Rio last war!”

Orsi chuckled before responding: “Funny you mention that, yet there you are after walking into a trap without sending a cover fall first. Must be because of your son, but I don’t blame you.”

“Where is he!?” She now shouted out of desperation as she stood up, suddenly sensing the absolute worst.

“Why? He delivered you to me and went back about his business- well, our business.”

“Then what do you want with me!?”

“He doesn’t know that I know you so well, Angel.” He couldn’t see the fierce stare she gave the speaker during that moment, but he assumed as such based on his tone. “He may have your best interest at heart by personally choosing to put you there, but I need some insurance.”

“He wouldn’t ever deal in such a way, obviously,” she seethed through clenched teeth.

Orsi chuckled once more. “Not to keep him in line, but to keep your daughter in line. Has all this time made gotten you out of practice? Out of touch?”

Amelie released the tension in her hands, letting out her own disheartened chuckle. “She doesn’t care if I live. You failed to do your research there, Alabaster-”

“-A typical bluff-”

“-Oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t call you that since Alabaster died over ten years ago back in Rio. Now that I put your voice together with what I’ve been able to gather lately, it’s so strange to imagine you would take the identity of an SAU representative… A politician here of all things?” She added with a mocking huff. “What, you must be Bishop, then.”

“You still have a bit of juice left in your tank, I see,” he unexpectedly answered without hesitation through his sudden and distinct, digitally masked voice. “Sit back and let the better survivor story get things done.”

Amelie was aghast. “Are you serious?! You just… turn on the foundation just like that? Why join a pro-Confederacy team after everything you sacrificed before!? Why- make this one make sense, you bastard!!” Her incensed questioning was cut short by the speaker’s lit LED turning off along with the disappearing of the audio feedback. “Well!?”

A difficult, heavy-hearted period of silence passed with a brewing storm of anger along with regret swirling through. But slowly, her inner thoughts and the drumming of her heart died down just enough to remember one piece of solid ground to stand upon that she had left herself days before. “They know what to do,” she confidently mumbled to herself through her anguish, still unable to help but feel defeated not just by the seeming betrayal of an old acquaintance but through yet another disastrous, untimely inability to follow through with one of her most critical jobs: Her family.

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An undetermined distance away, Representative Orsi had cleared his throat with an amused smirk as he took off the headset and handed it to the communications operator next to him. [You can take the rest from here,] he spoke to him as he stood up to leave.

[What was all that about? What did she say?] the operator asked, unaware of the conversation details.

[Nothing of any threat to us.] He nodded before opening the door to the cramped room. He then turned after thinking for a brief moment to speak: [Notify me of any movement from Reaper in any event he makes one toward her direction. We can’t afford anyone to be swayed just before our biggest moment.]