EXSILIUM - contact.

[hostage]

UNIT№409



_“ Hey, it's me. Wait for the thing. _”

Comments

[action]

[legal_eagle]

[Knock knock knock.]

[hostage]

[Even though he was waiting for it, he takes his sweet time walking over to the door to open it. And of course he didn't clean up. He hasn't bathed or shaved in a few days. He's probably even been wearing the same clothes the whole time. Enjoy that, Sonya. He doesn't greet her. He simply steps back to let her in before she decides to shove past him or something.]

[legal_eagle]

[It's not...pleasant, walking back in here. No matter her tough talk and swagger, she's not over her hatred of Pinkman. Or her fear, maybe, if it is fear after all. And it's all so fucking dumb, because it's not like he actually raped her - it's not like he actually even hurt her - but it's just...

When you have a moment where you feel helpless, you don't forget that. Or she doesn't, at least.

Her step is still steady when she comes inside - flats, not heels, just in case she has to run - but her manner's tense. She turns to face him as soon as she's inside the door.]

Hi.

[hostage]

[He can tell she's scared. It's funny that he did that to her, that he worked so hard to make her scared just so he could use that to control her, and now he doesn't even know what to do with it.

Some protégé of Heisenberg, huh.

He takes a few slow steps further from her, turning his gaze to the floor.]

What do you want?

[legal_eagle]

Checking on you.

[She laces that through with sarcasm that's not actually there.]

I'm worried about your health, Pinkman.

[hostage]

I'm not gonna do anything.

[legal_eagle]

Gonna do anything.

[She leans back against a wall, raising an eyebrow.]

Future tense. Why future tense?

[hostage]

That's what you're worried about, isn't it?

[legal_eagle]

[A withering glance.]

I was coming to see whether he'd gutted you on his way out the door. Why are you talking about doing things, future tense? What do you have in mind?

[hostage]

Saul didn't tell you.

[legal_eagle]

[Her eyes narrow.]

He told me that your buddy's gone.

[hostage]

Yeah. Sure.

[The next words are accusatory, but he's calm about it. Because he's exhausted, emotionally and physically.]

Did you maybe tell anyone what I said to you about everything? You know, like especially the stuff I told you not to tell him.

[legal_eagle]

[And her brows draw together in return. For once she's honest when she replies:]

Pinkman, I don't give away information unless there's a good reason for it. If other people know what I know, I've got less of an advantage.

[hostage]

[He scoffs at that, but whatever. If that's what she says.]

[legal_eagle]

Why did you ask.

[hostage]

I don't think he's gone. I think he's on to me.

[legal_eagle]

[To her credit, she lifts her chin, narrows her eyes - considers this.]

Why do you think that?

[hostage]

I think I messed up. With him or with Saul or with you. I let something slip, and he caught onto it, and now... I dunno. He's not gone. I can just feel him out there.

[legal_eagle]

[She gives a half-shrug.] You ever experience paranoia in other contexts? Not that I'm saying you're paranoid; I'm just trying to establish a psychological baseline.

[hostage]

[He's a meth-head, Sonya. But that question insults him anyway and he turns away from her.]

Forget it.

[legal_eagle]

[And now she's insulted.]

What - don't be delicate, Pinkman.

[hostage]

I'm not crazy.

[legal_eagle]

[Again, she shrugs, this time a bit more aggressively.]

Good. So have you been paranoid at other times. It's a psychological effect of drugs, right?

[Sofiya Karimov: has never taken drugs in her life.]

[hostage]

I told you, I'm not on anything.

[legal_eagle]

Yeah, but habitual use leads to persistent effects.