EXSILIUM - contact.

[hostage]

UNIT№409



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

Comments

[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.

[legal_eagle]

I'm not accusing you of that. If I were accusing you of that, I'd say something like, "Hey, I think you're making this up." What I'm doing is asking questions, and it would be excellent if you were to answer them.

[hostage]

Yeah, I get paranoid. When I'm high.

[legal_eagle]

[She raises her eyebrows in a brief, sardonic, Well excuse me princess sort of look, but accepts this.]

Okay. Has he ever done anything that drastic before? Faked his death?

[hostage]

He never had to. Used to be he could just kill a rat before they rolled on him.