“God, I hope so,” Michelle replied, and Ana nodded to show her support. They’d been together on enough assignments that Michelle knew one beer would be it for both of them. Neither of them would risk the mission.

Recycler and Tinker made their way to the bar. Omweer stayed in his seat and gave them a withering look over his glasses. Then he went back to reading his journal. What a peach, Michelle thought.

“Give me one of those,” Tinker said. He was dressed in his usual beach-bum attire. Puka shells, raggedy blue jeans, and a button-up denim shirt opened enough to show off his tan and his sun-bleached chest hair. “Not bad,” he said, taking a chug. “Got anything to eat?”

Ana turned and pulled out the galley’s metal drawer. “Looks like sandwiches.” She took the drawer all the way out and put it across two of the seats. “Help yourselves, folks.”

Everyone grabbed a sandwich and went back to their seats to eat. Michelle grabbed two sandwiches, one for her and one for Sheeba.

“Here you go,” she said as she sat down. “I hope you don’t mind roast beef.”

The Angel smiled. “Not at all. Thanks for thinking of me.”

“We’ve gotta think of everyone now,” Michelle said. “The only way we get the mission done is by having everyone’s back. And remembering why we’re here. But this isn’t anything new for you.”

“And this is why you left your little girl?” the Angel asked.

Michelle toyed with the wrapping on her sandwich. “She’s the only reason I’m going.” The thought made her feel as if she were being punched in the heart, and she got up to go grab a tissue. On her way back from the bathroom, she saw Recycler sitting by himself.

“Hey there, Tiago,” she said with a smile. “How’re you doing?”

He gave her a wan smile. She liked his face despite the mash-up of colors. A far as jokers went, she’d seen far worse.

“I read in your dossier that you were recruited off Heróis Brazil,” she said. “Have you ever been in real combat before?”

A bitter smile appeared on his face. “I lived in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. My card turned and I figured out what my ace power was when I got caught in the middle of a shoot-out between the curinga and Colombian gangs. I turned myself into a fortress of trash, and stopped them from killing a whole crowd of people,” he said proudly. “I only went on the show because I was going to go to jail for kicking their asses.”

“Good,” she said. “Then I can rely on you not to lose your head in a fight.”