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Working Stiff Rachel Caine 27660K 2023-08-31

Manny’s body language visibly relaxed "You’re okay," he said He sounded shaken "You’re really okay"

"Of course I’un froed hi"

"I alorry"

"Okay, worrying more than normal"

Manny looked over his shoulder, first at Bryn, then Fideli "I know about her What about hiht"

"Test hie full, right?" She took the syringe froers and disposed of the rest of the blood in a haz-rabbed a test sheet from the box, and went to Fideli’s side "Knife?"

"Yo," he said, and took one out of his belt--a big, wicked thing with an edge sharp enough to cut the light Pansy pressed it lightly to his thumb and smeared the thin crimson line that appeared onto the paper

Blue halo

"See?" she asked, and handed Fideli’s knife back "You can get up now It’s okay"

Manny clearly didn’t agree, but he didn’t argue "We can’t stay here," he said "I’ve already called the vans We’ll be moved by the end of the day and in the new location"

"Manny, there’s no need to do this We can stay here"

"No I need to move Too many people in and out It’s not secure"

Pansy rolled her eyes "Not what I needed today All right, we’ll move But first, Bryn needs her inhibitor booster, and then I’ll send theht" Manny pointed at a set of boxes across the lab "Third carton from the bottom I packed it underneath the extra saline"

The boxes weren’t labeled, Bryn realized--not a single one "Do you remember what’s in every one of them?" she asked

Manny looked at her "You can put your hands down," he said "I’ to shoot you"

"Yeah," Pansy said, as she walked toward the indicated boxes "But only because I took his gun"

"You really remember what’s in the boxes There must be two hundred of the the crated machines Yes I do"

"What happens when theyvans?"

"I pay thereen eyes were less crazy now, and he frowned as he looked her over "You don’t look so great"

Bryn laughed a little "It’s been … stressful"

"They were letting her rot," Fideli said, "for science"

"Really?" Those eyes gleaet any records? Video? That would be very useful"

"Jesus" Fideli raised his voice "Pansy, you really sleep with this guy?"

"I keep one eye open," she called back, as she restacked cartons--keeping them, Bryn noticed, in precisely the sa and needle kit "Manny, stop being so creepy It ful for her It really was"

He didn’t look noticeably sorry "I’ like that …"

"Yeah, well, I hope you won’t have the opportunity to do it on me," Bryn said "Where do I sit?"

"Over here," Pansy said She hooked the IV bag on a rolling stand that hadn’t yet been packed and pulled over a straight-backed chair Bryn sat and let Pansy nuuide in the needle It still, as always, hurt, but the cool rush of fluid into her veins soothed things nicely "Should take about an hour I’ to eat?"

Food Bryn’s stomach ruht about food for so long, it was an abstract concept "Uh, anything," she said "Whatever isn’t packed, I guess"