“I’m glad to, hon. I was worried I’d bothered an old man for nothing, but he’s in this, isn’t he?”

“We had cues he was.”

“Let us know if you need anything else.”

“Thanks,” Tristan said.

The conversation wrapped up with some goodbyes, and the call ended. Windows closed, and parts of Kenzie’s computer-cube went dark.

“We’ve got one group passing through later this afternoon. We could postpone it if needed. These guys are Houndstooth’s recommends,” Tristan said. “Victoria? You’ll handle it?”

“My cousin will come with. Just in case they’re keeping an eye out for me and have surface-to-air planned.”

“Missiles?” Chris asked.

“Anything,” I said.

“They’re starting to adapt,” Tristan said. “Info and help?”

“As far as info goes,” I said. “Natalie said someone tried hacking into the Wardens’ headquarters, specifically targeting my mom.”

“Wasn’t me,” Kenzie said.

“I feel like if it was Tattletale, they would have been cleverer about it. Sveta, since you were seen too, though they probably can’t connect you to your past self, you might want to make sure all accounts are secure.”

“Okay,” Sveta said.

“Then that only leaves Rain,” Tristan said. “Decompress, take notes, do whatever. We leave to meet him in a few minutes.”

He was taking on the leadership role. Ashley had seemed to want it, and she’d included herself when Houndstooth had wanted to meet people in charge, but she wasn’t fighting him on this.

I noted that, and I wondered.

I watched as the tight cluster of the group broke up. No longer gathered around the screen, standing behind Kenzie’s desk, they moved toward their individual spaces. Chris had the largest bubble around him, where he didn’t have people within it. His gait was different than it had been.

Ashley went to her board. She’d been quiet throughout, and now she stopped in front of her whiteboard. A mix of her writing and Kenzie’s marked it, with her writing along the center, each line slanted as if it was written on an angle, like a tower of stacked coins that was about to buckle and fall. Kenzie’s writing marked the bottom third, with a few drawings of eyes.

Whatever means of communication they had devised between them, I couldn’t decipher it. I couldn’t even begin to read Ashley’s handwriting. Kenzie went to Ashley to resume their prior discussion.

“You okay?” Tristan asked. I turned to look. He was talking to Sveta. “You didn’t like that talk about war.”

Sveta shrugged. She smiled as I joined their conversation. “Thank you for the hug. I didn’t even realize how upset I was until you came up to me.”

“Anytime,” I said.

“Was it the thought of Weld over there that got you?” Tristan asked.