HEāSĀ WELL-AWAREĀ OFĀ HERĀ STAREĀ ,Ā almostĀ hyperĀ focusedĀ onĀ whereĀ theĀ womanāsĀ gazeĀ goesĀ ,Ā whatĀ itĀ findsĀ fromĀ himĀ (Ā allĀ theĀ thingsĀ itĀ takesĀ andĀ takesĀ ,Ā allĀ theĀ sightsĀ sheĀ mustĀ seeĀ inĀ theĀ shapeĀ ofĀ himĀ )Ā .Ā thoughĀ sebastianĀ doesnātĀ knowĀ theĀ actualĀ ,Ā PHYSICALĀ DISPLAYĀ ofĀ deathĀ thatĀ swampsĀ himĀ inĀ aĀ goryĀ hazeĀ ,Ā heāsĀ accustomedĀ toĀ theĀ silentĀ weightĀ ofĀ itĀ allĀ ,Ā theĀ internalĀ painĀ ratherĀ thanĀ anyĀ externalĀ giveawaysĀ .Ā mollyĀ isĀ DANGEROUSLYĀ CLOSEĀ toĀ himĀ asĀ sheĀ absorbsĀ hisĀ presenceĀ ,Ā digestsĀ itĀ ,Ā takesĀ herĀ timeĀ withĀ aĀ responseĀ andĀ letsĀ herĀ wordsĀ hangĀ heavyĀ onĀ theĀ airĀ whenĀ theyĀ finallyĀ slipĀ fromĀ herĀ lipsĀ .Ā demonsĀ ,Ā sheĀ callsĀ themĀ ,Ā andĀ heĀ acceptsĀ theĀ descriptionĀ .Ā āĀ youĀ donātĀ haveĀ toĀ apologizeĀ ,Ā āĀ heĀ offersĀ inĀ responseĀ ,Ā eveningĀ outĀ theĀ toneĀ ofĀ hisĀ voiceĀ .Ā heĀ triesĀ toĀ addĀ someĀ levityĀ toĀ theĀ wordsĀ ,Ā butĀ itĀ doesnātĀ comeĀ throughĀ .Ā āĀ thisĀ secondĀ halfĀ ofĀ myĀ lifeĀ ,Ā thisĀ wholeĀ CIAĀ thingĀ ā¦Ā iĀ getĀ moreĀ bloodĀ onĀ myĀ handsĀ asĀ aĀ resultĀ ofĀ itĀ ,Ā butĀ itāsĀ somethingĀ iĀ choseĀ thisĀ timeĀ .Ā thisĀ partĀ wasĀ myĀ doingĀ .Ā militaryĀ ā¦Ā NOTĀ SOĀ MUCHĀ .Ā āĀ aĀ faintĀ chuckleĀ ,Ā butĀ theĀ smileĀ doesnātĀ reachĀ hisĀ eyesĀ .Ā āĀ youāreĀ terriblyĀ closeĀ toĀ meĀ ,Ā youĀ knowĀ .Ā notĀ thatĀ iĀ mindĀ itĀ ;Ā justĀ makingĀ anĀ observationĀ .Ā āĀ hisĀ blueĀ gazeĀ travelsĀ anĀ evenĀ pathĀ acrossĀ herĀ faceĀ ,Ā andĀ onlyĀ becauseĀ ofĀ theĀ sightĀ ofĀ herĀ doesĀ heĀ finallyĀ smirkĀ .Ā āĀ harboringĀ aĀ hiddenĀ secretĀ agentĀ .Ā makingĀ himĀ coffeeĀ .Ā iĀ evenĀ letĀ youĀ touchĀ myĀ tagsĀ .Ā āĀ aĀ glanceĀ downwardĀ beforeĀ heĀ tucksĀ theĀ dogĀ tagsĀ backĀ intoĀ hisĀ shirtĀ ,Ā hidingĀ themĀ awayĀ .Ā āĀ youāveĀ certainlyĀ goneĀ fartherĀ thanĀ mostĀ ,Ā mollyĀ gilbertĀ .Ā itāsĀ unfortunateĀ thatĀ iĀ canātĀ stayĀ muchĀ longerĀ ,Ā orĀ happenĀ intoĀ yourĀ partĀ ofĀ theĀ worldĀ onĀ aĀ moreĀ regularĀ basisĀ .Ā butĀ ifĀ youĀ everĀ findĀ yourselfĀ wanderingĀ theĀ streetsĀ ofĀ londonĀ somedayĀ soonĀ ā¦Ā āĀ hisĀ browsĀ quirkĀ upwardsĀ andĀ heĀ takesĀ anotherĀ sipĀ ofĀ hisĀ coffeeĀ ,Ā notĀ yetĀ breakingĀ theirĀ mutualĀ ,Ā intenseĀ stareĀ .Ā āĀ letĀ meĀ buyĀ youĀ dinnerĀ ,Ā atĀ leastĀ .Ā ASĀ THANKSĀ FORĀ THISĀ .Ā āĀ aĀ pauseĀ .Ā āĀ allĀ ofĀ thisĀ .Ā ā
his Ā words Ā all Ā sound Ā terribly Ā heavy Ā āøŗ Ā like Ā every Ā syllable Ā is Ā dragged Ā from Ā his Ā very Ā soul, Ā like Ā his Ā tongue Ā doesnāt Ā know Ā how Ā to Ā say Ā them Ā without Ā great Ā effort. Ā or Ā maybe Ā sheās Ā just Ā imagining Ā it Ā . Ā . Ā . Ā the Ā many Ā ghosts Ā around Ā them Ā certainly Ā make Ā it Ā easy Ā to Ā speculate. Ā she Ā wonders Ā how Ā much Ā the Ā cia Ā thing Ā is Ā actually Ā a Ā choice Ā made Ā in Ā full Ā conscience Ā and Ā how Ā much Ā of Ā it Ā is Ā a Ā sentiment Ā that Ā heās Ā already Ā been Ā ripped Ā of Ā every Ā other Ā choice. Ā maybe Ā if Ā youāve Ā killed Ā once, Ā if Ā youāve Ā already Ā lived Ā through Ā a Ā physical Ā war, Ā then Ā nothing Ā else Ā feels Ā clean Ā enough Ā afterwards.
heās Ā quick Ā to Ā change Ā the Ā subject Ā and Ā chuckle Ā it Ā off, Ā even Ā though Ā she Ā notices Ā it Ā doesnāt Ā seem Ā very Ā sincere. Ā he Ā notes Ā how Ā close Ā they Ā are Ā and Ā suddenly, Ā sheās Ā hyper aware Ā of Ā her Ā leaned Ā in Ā body Ā and Ā the Ā staring. Ā her Ā mouth Ā parts Ā at Ā the Ā realization Ā and Ā she Ā pulls Ā back, Ā her Ā elbow Ā once Ā again Ā finding Ā the Ā table Ā to Ā lean Ā on. Ā she Ā feels Ā fionaās Ā presence Ā behind Ā her. Ā ā you Ā know, Ā i Ā always Ā knew Ā you Ā had Ā the Ā worst Ā taste Ā in Ā guys Ā but Ā former Ā soldier Ā turned Ā cia Ā killer Ā might Ā be Ā the Ā worst Ā yet. ā Ā despite Ā her Ā better Ā judgement, Ā she Ā finds Ā herself Ā swatting Ā at Ā the Ā air Ā to Ā dismiss Ā her. Ā she Ā isnāt Ā helping Ā the Ā confusion Ā and Ā heaviness Ā she Ā feels Ā āøŗ Ā nor Ā the Ā undeniable Ā draw Ā of Ā this Ā man. Ā ćĀ Ā Ā believe Ā it Ā or Ā not, Ā this Ā wouldnāt Ā be Ā my Ā first Ā time Ā toeing Ā the Ā line Ā of Ā the Ā law Ā or Ā common Ā sense. Ā first Ā time Ā harbouring Ā an Ā agent, Ā though.Ā Ā Ā ć Ā sheās Ā smiling Ā now. Ā it Ā wonāt Ā hurt Ā to Ā make Ā this Ā conversation Ā lighter.Ā Ā thenĀ Ā something Ā will Ā be Ā light Ā in Ā this Ā room, Ā at Ā least. Ā she Ā takes Ā another Ā sip Ā of Ā her Ā coffee Ā as Ā she Ā observes Ā his Ā features, Ā in Ā search Ā of Ā the Ā truth. Ā ćĀ Ā Ā thanks Ā for Ā letting Ā you Ā break Ā and Ā enter Ā and Ā stay Ā here Ā ? Ā iām Ā not Ā sure Ā i Ā had Ā a Ā ton Ā other Ā options, Ā you Ā know. Ā what Ā with Ā the Ā whole Ā possible Ā killer Ā out Ā there Ā and Ā the Ā killer Ā in Ā here.Ā Ā Ā ć Ā still, Ā she Ā smiles Ā at Ā him Ā again. Ā it Ā never Ā hurts Ā to Ā make Ā new Ā friends Ā around Ā the Ā world Ā in Ā her Ā line Ā of Ā work, Ā no Ā matter Ā what Ā the Ā profession. Ā ćĀ Ā Ā but Ā iāll Ā keep Ā it Ā in Ā mind Ā if Ā i Ā ever Ā go Ā to Ā london. Ā might Ā happen Ā faster Ā than Ā youāll Ā know.Ā Ā Ā ć Ā she Ā side Ā eyes Ā her Ā and Ā atticusā Ā work Ā wall. Ā who Ā knows Ā where Ā the Ā next Ā place Ā will Ā be.