The guards do not come for the spy before breakfast.
There’s a sharpened piece of metal in her bread, no wider than her finger, four bobby pins in the bottom of her stew bowl. She shoves them inside her tunic, eats quickly, and passes the tray back without a word.
The woman doesn't meet her eyes, just sighs and looks bored.
***
Dredge settles on the lawn chair next to Siri.
“You're moping,” she says, grins wide enough Siri is almost, almost surprised her face doesn’t split. Amost.
“No I’m not,” she replies, and moves her bookmark forward before closing her textbook.
“Yeah, you're,” Dredge replies. “You've been moping since the boss left.”
“I am not moping.” She glares at Dredge, and Dredge just grins back.
‘Sure are,” Dredge disagrees. “Husband did it all the time, I know what moping looks like.”
Siri rolls her eyes and opens her book again.
“My wife said I did the same,” Runner offers, from across the fire, grins too when Siri glances up to glare at her. “It’s definitely moping.”
From their chairs, Birdy and Photo giggle.
“I’m not moping, I’m nervous. Without her around, we’re likely to be split up again.” She closes her book again, sighs.
“I say we leave,” Twist says, low. “There’s nothing keeping us here, except that the boss promised to come back here.”
“She told me to keep her things safe.” Siri meets Twists eyes across the fire. Twist shrugs.
“You could do that on the road too.”
“We’re too hard to find on the road.” Siri shakes her head.
“Doc, and I mean this in the nicest way you can take it, but the boss ain’t coming back from Dog Town.” Drummer shakes her head and all eyes turn to her. “That ain't how this shit goes. Woman goes somewhere else because someone high up in the Legion says she should, and she doesn’t come back.”
“She will,” Siri says, quietly. “She will, she always has before.”
“First time for everything,” Drummer says, shrugs.
“Didn’t your mama ever tell you not to fool around with a married woman?” Runner asks, rolls over onto her back, laughs. “Mine sure did. Never ends well.”
“I’ve made worse decisions in my life,” Siri sighs, and opens her book, again.
“I’d say the Boss is actually about the worst decision a person could make, no offense intended, Doc.” Dredge laughs. Siri gives her a sideways glare. “I’m sure she’s lovely past all the murder.”
“I could make commentary on your choices in romantic entanglement too, if you’d like,” Siri offers. “How long has it been since you were separated from your husband?”
“Well, he’s dead, and even when he wasn’t, wasn’t like he owned me and tried to make me have his babies. All in all, I’d say Twist is probably a better idea than an officer’s wife.”
“You might be right,” Siri sighs, closes her book again. “I think I'm going to go to bed.”
“Seeya in the morning, Doc,” Drummer murmurs, and the others around the fire nod in silent agreement.
Say They Fear Her (f!courier/siri) (dubcon, referenced noncon) (104/109b)
There’s a sharpened piece of metal in her bread, no wider than her finger, four bobby pins in the bottom of her stew bowl. She shoves them inside her tunic, eats quickly, and passes the tray back without a word.
The woman doesn't meet her eyes, just sighs and looks bored.
Dredge settles on the lawn chair next to Siri.
“You're moping,” she says, grins wide enough Siri is almost, almost surprised her face doesn’t split. Amost.
“No I’m not,” she replies, and moves her bookmark forward before closing her textbook.
“Yeah, you're,” Dredge replies. “You've been moping since the boss left.”
“I am not moping.” She glares at Dredge, and Dredge just grins back.
‘Sure are,” Dredge disagrees. “Husband did it all the time, I know what moping looks like.”
Siri rolls her eyes and opens her book again.
“My wife said I did the same,” Runner offers, from across the fire, grins too when Siri glances up to glare at her. “It’s definitely moping.”
From their chairs, Birdy and Photo giggle.
“I’m not moping, I’m nervous. Without her around, we’re likely to be split up again.” She closes her book again, sighs.
“I say we leave,” Twist says, low. “There’s nothing keeping us here, except that the boss promised to come back here.”
“She told me to keep her things safe.” Siri meets Twists eyes across the fire. Twist shrugs.
“You could do that on the road too.”
“We’re too hard to find on the road.” Siri shakes her head.
“Doc, and I mean this in the nicest way you can take it, but the boss ain’t coming back from Dog Town.” Drummer shakes her head and all eyes turn to her. “That ain't how this shit goes. Woman goes somewhere else because someone high up in the Legion says she should, and she doesn’t come back.”
“She will,” Siri says, quietly. “She will, she always has before.”
“First time for everything,” Drummer says, shrugs.
“Didn’t your mama ever tell you not to fool around with a married woman?” Runner asks, rolls over onto her back, laughs. “Mine sure did. Never ends well.”
“I’ve made worse decisions in my life,” Siri sighs, and opens her book, again.
“I’d say the Boss is actually about the worst decision a person could make, no offense intended, Doc.” Dredge laughs. Siri gives her a sideways glare. “I’m sure she’s lovely past all the murder.”
“I could make commentary on your choices in romantic entanglement too, if you’d like,” Siri offers. “How long has it been since you were separated from your husband?”
“Well, he’s dead, and even when he wasn’t, wasn’t like he owned me and tried to make me have his babies. All in all, I’d say Twist is probably a better idea than an officer’s wife.”
“You might be right,” Siri sighs, closes her book again. “I think I'm going to go to bed.”
“Seeya in the morning, Doc,” Drummer murmurs, and the others around the fire nod in silent agreement.