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Sebastian’s arrival to her doorstep an hour later couldn’t have come sooner for Sam. He initially intended on explaining everything Vincent had spoken to him about, but priorities were in dire need of rearranging upon seeing the emotional state Sam was in. And if anything, there wasn’t anything of substance they could accomplish that night with that information as it was, leading him to instead focus on providing the much-needed shoulder.

Sebastian found himself later that night staring at the wall right across the bar counter where he sat, waiting for Sam to come back from the bathroom. He sat with a half-empty beer bottle in hand, but was the least of his focus. He saw Sam in several photos that caught his attention, each of various points in time from her grade school years, and in each of them he saw a picture-perfect smile in each one. But it was that smile that had him feeling like he was looking back at a complete stranger. He pulled up his holographic display from his watch and slid over to an older photo album. He swiped until he saw the first picture he ever took of her: the day he bought her a change of clothes following her failed operation in Bogota, and going by the nervous but youthful smile, it seemed she enjoyed her soccer team themed outfit.

And again, his focus fell on her smile. That was the Sam he always knew.

[What the hell kind of lives do people lead here to create such a… I don’t even know what to call it.]

He then saw who he knew had to be her brother in several others. It surprised him as he assumed Sam would ditch those on sight given her circumstances. But as he looked, he saw the same hollow, picture-perfect gaze from his subdued, socially acceptable, weak grin. He compared those appearances to her father’s, recalling much more straight and honest vibes during the times they met, even though he got the sense something important was missing from how he reacted to Sam’s situations. [He definitely cared more on the surface than what I could gather from her mother’s reactions, but then again, was that just part of his ingrained routine?]

He let out a sigh, closing his watch display and took another sip from his bottle. [Seeing all of this, it all really makes me want to stay with her even more. If I could give her anything that they couldn’t…] After a long, difficult swallow, he found himself humming that tune again.

“Hey,” Sam softly called out from the other end of the wall as she exited the bathroom. “I had been meaning to ask about that.”

Sebastian straightened up as he watched her take her seat next to his in her bathrobe with warm, humid air following her from her shower. He noticed her eyes were still a bit puffed up from crying earlier. “Yes? About what?”

“You’ve been humming that song a lot since before we left the Philippines. Why that group?”

He could tell it bothered her, but it had him confused as she never even gave off such as a hint that she recognized the song until now. “Well…” He looked again back over at the family photo wall. “Your father told me about this group. He said it was a very popular group here across Eden Territories when he was younger.”

“Yeah,” she replied with a wry grin, now seated and reaching for the unopened beer he had left for her once she got out. “That’s what I grew up to. We all listened to them quite a lot. And… I quit listening to them the day the family fell apart, and once my brother ran off, it made me completely shut it out of my mind,” she explained, now cracking open her bottle and taking a long drink.

[Well, shit, maybe I should’ve thought about that possibility before getting hooked to that damn song.] “I’m sorry, I-”

“-It’s okay, you wouldn’t have had any clue,” she quickly replied with a more relaxed smile. “Besides, you had better taste as it was. Seventh decade music beats fifth anyway, right? Just like our song from before.”

“I don’t have any preference for any special decades,” he joked back, taking another sip. “I just like good songs.” His hand now found hers, fingers intertwining as he continued: “Besides, we have a lot of new things to see in a week. Maybe it’s a good time to find a new song before then.”

Sam’s smile rapidly faded. “I know you said you’d explain what happened earlier… about what your meeting was about. Can I ask something first before that?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“Remember how we said we’d visit my home and then yours?”

“Right. Why?”

“I really, really want to leave.”

[Oh, it really is heavier than I thought.]

“Like, tomorrow. I really need to get out of this place before I completely lose it. Can we go straight back to Bogota? Please?”

He saw the sincerity and seriousness in her eyes, and it had been a long while since she last spoke her mind about something she normally hid. He was tempted to let her calm down before making a decision she might regret, but couldn’t given the thought she really might just lose it as she said. “If it’s been that crazy, okay. Let’s change our shuttle tickets.”

“Oh, right,” she added quickly as she straightened up. “After I see Grandpa one more time. Wanna come with me this time?”

“Why would I not?” He smiled back. “And I’ll start looking for a new song.”

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●　● Outskirts of Bogota, Colombia

Hexa had well established their presence since the SAU’s military and humanitarian aid team finished their cleanup of the mess that came about that last June. Although investigations would continue well into the unforeseen future, they returned regional security back to Colombia’s authority, and they chose to put their faith in Infinity rather than face uncertainty with their paramilitaries.

But not all was well just because the violence had stopped. The key political progress the Rocha Family had invested so much into was already well underway, and any of their cooperation with the Colombian government and the SAU was only for show.

“He just left the runway,” Adrian spoke quietly into his communicator as he watched from his binoculars from the very same mountain-side camp Isaiah’s old team used back in June, overlooking Bogota from above. “Ready to start on objective two.”

He stood alone, however, only accompanied by the communication equipment he had set up all around him. And rather than having his own LTAC behind him, covered in tarping, he had only his bike to turn to.

“What did you recover?” Rex’s trademarked distorted voice came through the other end of the line, seemingly impatient. “I expect you gathered information on the Curtana’s whereabouts.”

“Even better,” Adrian quipped, taking a seat on his stool, putting away his binoculars. “Codename Angel has the whereabouts. You, ah, know who that is, I assume?”

“Did you or did you not get information on the Curtana from Alexander Knight?”

[I really don’t like this Rex character taking over. Makes me wonder what happened to Bishop, barely even got to know the guy,] Adrian thought as he remained calm, fighting his urge to talk back. “Let me play you something I captured. Here,” he spoke as he reached over to his watch.

--“I got two things gathered here,” spoke Al’s voice over the recording Adrian played. “If what I dug up here is true, Angel has passed on the Curtana to someone Underground. And two, her next heading was the SAU but not sure which country. I thought it was here in Colombia, but no sign of major movement at all. My only other lead left at the moment is that spot in Southeast China that was linked to the materials Sam gathered. Find me there tomorrow.”--

“For a rookie, I’m impressed,” Rex replied after a brief silence. “You managed to get that intercepted, given the level of security Mr. Knight is known for. Your Union Rep (in reference to National Representative to the SAU) has prepared you more efficiently than I could’ve imagined.”

[And he really needs to keep Orsi’s name out of his mouth. This Rex guy really has no clue…] “I simply did what I had to. Now, am I clear to start objective two?”

“You may proceed. Your men will arrive in exactly two days for objective three.”

“Bender, out.” Adrian put away his communicator with a huff of anxiousness, now looking back over to a handbook he had over on the table that read “Hexa Ap-50 Flight Operation Manual”.

[Bishop, Rex, Reaper, whoever the hell. I might be a rookie here more or less, but damn it if this doesn’t get things started the way they needed…]

He then reached beyond the manual to grab a small clipboard he had notes written on, flipping to the page where he last left off. [Well, all I can do now is to figure out when they are moving these.]

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The next evening, well after the sun set, a bullet train inbound from Sao Paolo slowed its approach as it entered the city limits.

Sam was sound asleep, head soundly nestled on Sebastian’s shoulder as his head leaned against hers. He too had been asleep until a soft notification alert eventually stirred him from his slumber. Trying not to awaken Sam, he pulled his left wrist around slowly and just enough to come into sight, looking down once his focus came to. [You know the code. I don’t know where I’ll be so make yourselves at home,] read the text message from Renzo. He awaited the moving to the next message as he figured there had to be more than one, enough to wake him, at least. [Oh. How long are you staying again?] read the next.

[He already told me about that this morning,] he thought to himself as he rolled his eyes. [And same thing for how long we were to be in town.] He began to ponder his decision to stay with his brother instead of his sister, but then remembered Sam next to him. [Nah, a good little visit is good enough.]