EXSILIUM - contact.

[hostage]

UNIT№409



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

Comments

[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.

[hostage]

Are you really gonna blame this on the meth? After everything I told you? God. I mean, you guys are acting like I don't even have a reason.

I'm telling you, this is how he does things. He does it so you look like the crazy one and nobody believes you and then there's nothing you can do.

[legal_eagle]

Calm down.

[She lifts a hand but maintains an aloof, annoyed expression.]

Look, I don't have any connection to this guy of yours. I'm not gonna get emotional about him or what he might have done. I'm asking because these are the questions I have to ask if I'm evaluating your claims in a rational way. Okay?

[hostage]

[He grinds his teeth for a moment, but he does take a step back and lower his voice. He doesn't want to scare her.]

I'm not just making this up.