“Where are you taking me?” I ask.
“Temporary civilian housing.”
“That sounds like a euphemism.”
“It is accurate.”
“Those aren’t the same thing.”
We walk. My boots echo softly against the floor. His footsteps make almost no sound at all. That alone puts my nerves onedge. Even trained operatives make noise if they’re human. Even careful ones.
The housing unit door slides open with a muted hiss. Inside: a single room. Clean. Sterile. Too perfect. A low platform bed bolted to the floor. A recessed table. A wall panel that doubles as storage and screen. No windows. The air is cooler here, filtered to the point of lifelessness. I can smell the fabric on the bed—new, unused, faintly chemical.
“This is it?” I ask.
“For now.”
I step inside, turning slowly, cataloging exits, surfaces, blind spots. The door slides shut behind us, sealing with a quiet click that lands somewhere between my ribs.
I spin on him. “You’re not staying.”
“I am.”
“That wasn’t a request.”
He doesn’t move closer. Doesn’t lean against the wall. He positions himself just inside the door, arms relaxed at his sides, posture straight. He takes up space without encroaching on mine. It’s infuriating.
“You said housing,” I snap. “Not supervision.”
“You are not under arrest.”
“Then why am I being watched?”
He considers that. Actually considers it. “Because observation reduces uncertainty.”
“That’s your problem, not mine.”
“Uncertainty tends to become everyone’s problem.”
I cross my arms, nails biting into my sleeves. “You going to explain what I supposedly disrupt, or are we just going to trade ominous one-liners until I lose my mind?”
“I do not trade,” he says. “I assess.”
“Then assess this: I’m tired, pissed off, and not inclined to cooperate with mystery men who won’t tell me what game I’m in.”
“Language,” he says, almost absently.
I blink. “What?”
“Mystery man. Game.” He frowns slightly. “Those are metaphors?”
“You’re kidding.”
“No.”
I stare at him for a long beat, then laugh—real laughter this time, sharp and surprised. “Oh. You’re serious.”
“I am always serious.”
