It would be best if Gus wasn’t here when she arrived.You know, just in case she realized what Gus had done.
Jin nodded.“She’s not far.The children and Caius are with her.”
Gus glanced at Brooks, signaling with her eyes that it was time to go.
To her surprise, rather than excuse himself, he smiled and moseyed over to Jin, handing him something.“I suspect this is for you.”
“What’s this?”Jin asked, taking it.
Gus craned her head, wondering that herself.
“All the evidence I collected about the fake Belladonna and the people they were working with.”
Where had he gotten that?And how?And why was he giving it to Jin before talking it over with her?
Brooks turned to Gus with a challenge in his expression.“Ready, station administrator?”
Gus deflated.
So—he’d finally put it together.That Gus was Titan’s administrator.The person of legend and his boss.No, he’d known all along, Gus corrected herself.Probably from the very beginning.He was just no longer pretending not to see.
Gus could have protested, but what was the use.He’d already come to his conclusion and no amount of objection on her end would shake his belief.
So, why bother?
Turning to go, she paused.“I’m really glad to see you well, Jin.”
She’d been worried after the forty-three’s last gathering when she realized his soul had come untethered from the drone.It was nice to see order restored.Even if his form had changed.
“This has been fun.Maybe we could do it again,” Jin offered.
Oh God, no.Anything but that.Gus didn’t think she’d survive a round two.
Outwardly, Gus remained calm, limiting herself to a mumbled, “I’m not sure about that” as she followed Brooks deeper into the room, to a hidden entrance.
She eyed it, then Brooks, letting him see her unhappiness.
He smirked.Even going so far as to waggle his eyebrows at her as if to say, “after you”.
“We’re going to talk later,” Gus said in a low voice as she slid past him.
“Whatever you say—boss.”
This was the trouble with humans.They were like an invasive species of plants who kept returning no matter how many times or how severely you cut them back.She got the sense that no matter what she did or how she threatened, Brooks would do what Brooks wanted.No matter the possible consequences.
“You ignored my orders,” Gus said, deciding to confront the problem head on rather than ignoring it as she had in the past when they were both pretending that she wasn’t Titan’s administrator.
“I did.”
Gus eyed his back.“You must know I’m considering whether to kill you or not.”
He was too smart not to realize.The least he could do was pretend to be repentant.
“You won’t,” he said.
Gus arched an eyebrow.“Oh?”
He sounded very certain of that.
