Act Like You Know

Leah sat down to the tape recorder again. She hated the awkwardness of this ritual, but it was nice to talk to something, even if silence was her only answer.

“Round one is in the books. And as we await the start of our second contest, everyone seems to be settling in.”

She tapped the recording button, paused for a drink of water, then resumed.

“Of course that’s purely speculative on my part,” Leah continued. “Thanks to AJ’s interference, I no longer have access to anything that would give me some sort of advantage as a contestant. It would seem that our surveillance equipment was included in that, as well as any access I might have had to the Victory Point master list.”

She paused again and collected her thoughts.

“Still, I see things. Groups moving about together. Friendships forming. I’d not go so far as calling any of them alliances just yet, but I sense a trend in that direction.”

“Of course this is entirely desirable from the perspective of the show. But I can tell you at least one contestant who seems to be standing chairless now that the music’s stopped.”

“I’ll not be maudlin. I can’t say I even blame them. And I suppose that some extent of isolation was even to be expected, given my role here. But in a contest that places a premium on hookups and relationship building, the whole thing does leave me at a rather distinct disadvantage.”

She gave her little microphone a tired smile, then addressed her silent masters directly.

“Does that concern you? I was told my primary duty was to keep the proverbial trains on time,” She said. “I suppose you can conjure another mistress of ceremonies, though between Projects Hellfire, Yama, and Duet, the cream of the crop is more or less spoken for.”

“Truth be told, I’d expected to hear from you after AJ’s little stunt. Not that I’m complaining,” She added quickly. “I’m starting to believe that when it comes to our producers, no news is good news. Threat to the show’s operations notwithstanding, I suppose the whole thing makes for fabulous drama from your perspectives.”

She paused to sigh, rubbing her forehead. She was being ridiculous. And she sounded petulant even to her own ears.

“But enough about me. I have no way of knowing yet, but I don’t think anyone’s yet broken our master’s resolve in the matter of fidelity. That it can be broken, I have no doubt. If not a crack, then I at least felt the ice melt somewhat during my own visit. And I was barely trying.”

“I wonder who will get there first,” Leah mused. “Were I a betting woman, I’d have said Hannah. She’s certainly got the know how. But the rumors I’ve heard indicated it didn’t happen. Julie’s too traumatized to have sealed the deal in my estimation. And I think we can safely rule out Megan, Ryan and AJ pending further alterations.”

“If one were to put gun to my head, I think the first one over the finish line will be-”

There was a pounding at the door. Leah jumped, knocking over the tape recorder. It clattered to the floor, the tape stopping abruptly as it did.

“Jumping fuck!” She cried, steadying herself.

The room went quiet long enough that she started to wonder if she’d imagined the whole thing. But a moment later the rapping came again.

“One minute!” She called out, scrambling to get dressed.

Leah shed her bathrobe, quickly slipping into a t-shirt and a flowing pair of summer pants. She stopped to preen her hair in the mirror only briefly, before moving to the door.

Her heart sank when she looked out the peephole to find the distorted shape of AJ leaning casually against the doorframe. The taller woman wore cutoff denim hotpants and a tank top that, like Leah, lacked any concession to underwear. A pair of mirror shades reflected Leah’s own door as the world skewed in a fish eye around her.

For good measure, Leah bolted the chain before opening the door.

“AJ, darling,” She greeted with a smile she didn’t quite feel. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“You got a sec?” AJ asked. “I wanted to know if you were up for some breakfast.”

“AJ,” Leah said, batting her eyes. “I mean no disrespect, but the last time I allowed myself to be alone with you, I ended up shot in the back. I suspect you remember it?”

“Yeeeaaaah,” AJ admitted with a frown. “That’s…kinda why I’m here, actually.”

Now Leah was intrigued. She examined AJ with an arched brow, until the bigger woman shifted uncomfortably.

“Look…I don’t regret the shooting. It did me right in the contest, and it was kinda fun to take a swipe back at the show,” She said. “But I feel kinda bad anyway. Not for what I did, but what’s come after, y’know?”

“I’m not following,” Leah said.

She understood, but she wanted to make her little rebel come out and say it. AJ sighed, pushing the sunglasses up into her reddish hair and sighed.

“Fuck it. The way you’ve been treated since the change? It don’t sit right,” AJ said. “I brought you into this fucking thing to see how the other half lives, right? Kinda put you in our shoes. But we’ve all been giving you the stink eye since I did it, and that wasn’t the point of any of this.”

Leah put a hand on her hips.

“Well I don’t know what you bloody expected,” She said. “I don’t blame you for feeling antagonistic, but you had to know the others wouldn’t be busting my fucking door down to bask in the pleasure of my company.”

AJ grimaced.

“Yeah, that’s the thing, see. I kinda…didn’t see that coming,” She admitted. “Not that I couldn’t have if I’d stopped to think about it, but that’s kinda my whole fucking problem. I don’t.”

AJ paused, collecting her thoughts.

“I’m like a fuckin…runaway train, you get me? I pick my track and charge down the motherfucker, and it usually doesn’t matter what’s ahead ‘cause I haven’t thought that far yet.”

“And this overture. What should I take it to mean, exactly?” Leah asked, arms crossed.

AJ chewed her thoughts over before answering.

“I wanted you to know what we were going through, right?” She said. “But you can’t really do that if you’re stuck in here alone and shit. I didn’t wanna fuck you over, just put you on a level playing field. But now that you’re here, we gotta include you or that’s not what you’re getting. So I guess I’m reaching out to fix some of that.”

Leah cocked her head, a bemused smile forming on her face.

“Are you apologizing to me?”

AJ shrugged, unphased.

“Yeah, I guess I kinda am,” She said. “Ain’t no thing if you can mean it.”

Leah digested that for a moment. Then she sighed, closed the door, undid the chain, and stepped out onto the landing with AJ.

“You mentioned breakfast?”

*****

AJ led Leah to the Seaside Cafe, one of the smaller restaurants that dotted the island’s landscape. AJ wasn’t quite sure what was waiting for them there. AJ had made inquiries, and honestly gotten a more sympathetic ear than she’d expected on the subject of their nominal handler. But how much of that would translate into actual support?

She was unsurprised to find Jake and Megan waiting for them, but smiled when she saw that Rachel had joined them as well. Loretta was there too, and she hadn’t even spoken to her. Her other expected guest was nowhere to be found, but even so, it was an encouraging turnout..

“Jake, Megan, Rachel,” Leah greeted a little stiffly as she took a seat at the table they’d selected.

AJ grabbed the chair next to her.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the company, but…what’s going on here?” The hostess asked.

“AJ came to us, and a couple others I guess, asking if we’d be down to include you in stuff,” Jake said.

“And you all agreed?” Leah asked.

Megan nodded vigorously.

“She made some very compelling points.”

Rachel looked between AJ, Leah and Jake.

“These three backed them. I’m not so sure myself, but they’re down, it’s good enough for me.”

“Farra brought me in,” Loretta said. “That’n I agree with her.”

AJ smiled at that. Doc was proving to be quite the ally.

“Where’s she at anyway?” She asked.

Loretta shrugged, but as though the conversation had summoned her, Farra appeared, wearing a black bikini with a flower sarong wrapped around her hips and legs.

“Sorry I’m late,” She said. “I’m sleeping in more since I got younger.”

“Where’s your double?” Loretta asked bluntly.

The comment made AJ cringe, but Farra only smiled.

“Researching. My job doesn’t stop because I’m on vacation,” She said, taking a seat.

AJ couldn’t help but notice the way Jake’s eyes were glued to Farra’s body as she joined them. He tried to look away, or at least be discreet about it, but wasn’t terribly convincing about either.

“I’m afraid Lori and I won’t be staying long,” She said, motioning to Loretta. “We’ve got a shopping trip to go on.”

“Oh, yay!” Megan said with a delighted smile. “I did one of those the other day! Me and Exe and Lindsey and…”

She seemed to remember herself then, and shifted uncomfortably. She tried not to look at Farra, but was no more successful at pretending she wasn’t than her brother.

An uncomfortable silence descended over the table. Farra broke it.

“How’s Ryan doing?” She asked.

Megan chewed her lip as though it were some strange new delicacy.

“She’s…good. I think,” Megan said. “We gave her a makeover and stuff. Whole new look and all that. We all kinda helped.”

Farra sat up a bit straighter, almost greedy for the information.

“How did he do with it? Is he…she…What’s she like?”

Loretta reached out and put a consoling hand on Farra’s thigh.

“She’ll come to you in her own time,” The southern beauty said softly. “You gotta let her cope on her own, I think.”

Megan looked relieved for the lifeline.

“That’s kinda what she said too,” She said. “I’m sorry, Dr. Jones-Ali, but she was pretty clear that she wanted to tell you about it herself.”

Farra sighed, but nodded her acceptance. The conversation was brought to a merciful close as Julie approached the table. She wore nothing but a revealing two piece, which AJ could only assume was some sick nod to the bikini baristas she’d heard of that populated the west coast.

“Heya, stranger!” She greeted Jake with a wink. “Long time no see.”

And wasn’t that interesting, AJ thought. She’d have to press Jake for details later.

“Morning, Julie,” He returned, eyes darting around the table.

When no judgment seemed forthcoming, he relaxed visibly.

“Can I get you guys breakfast?” She asked.

She took their orders, then scurried off to the kitchen. Loretta shook her head.

“I thought we’d talked her out of working this hard,” She said. “Isn’t she supposed to be rowing us across the island here in a few?”

“She’ll come around,” Farra said. “One day at a time.”

AJ admired the easy rapport between the two women.

“Rowing, huh? Whatcha getting up to?”

Farra smiled.

“Just a little shopping trip. A little island getaway for us girls.”

AJ smiled.

“Good for you guys.”

More positive signs that the right sort of bonds were forming. AJ could sense that Leah wanted to ask to join, but the hostess kept to herself.

“Thank you, guys,” Leah said, finally. “I know I’m not the most popular person on this island. But…it’s good to spend some time with people.”

AJ clapped a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t sweat it.”

“Absolutely,” Farra agreed, standing. “And next time the girls and I plan a get-together, we’ll be sure to give you a call.”

“Is it that time?” Loretta asked.

Farra nodded.

“I’d like to head to the docks,” Farra said. “Take in the ocean for a bit.”

“Alright. I’ll head on with you,” The redhead agreed. “But hey, Leah…don’t be a stranger. If our whole motto or whatever is that we’re in it together, that’s gotta include you, right?”

AJ caught Farra’s eye for a moment and mouthed. “Thank you.”

A wink and a nod was her only reply.

“Hey, Leah,” Rachel said. “Can I bend your ear for a sec. I’ve got some questions about…game stuff.”

“Everything alright?” Jake asked.

“Yeah. Yeah…just a bit of a private question.”

Jake gave her a concerned look, but let the issue slide. AJ gave her a more piercing one, and she averted her eyes. Curious…

“I’d be happy to,” Leah said with a smile. “Care to see the gym together?”

“Hell yeah!” Rachel said, flashing the devil horns.

AJ smiled and leaned back. Her conscience was that much more at ease.

If only the other issue weighing on it were as easy to settle.

*****

Farra and Loretta walked along the winding trail from the cafe to the docks.

“Thank you for stepping in earlier,” Farra said. “I was having a bit of a moment.”

Loretta smiled at her.

“It’s alright, hon,” She said. “It’s your child, I get it.’

“You were right, though,” Farra said. “I’m worried goddamn sick about her, but I can’t be a helicopter when she’s trying to figure out her new life.”

It was beyond bizarre to talk about her little boy as a “her”, but she was a bright enough woman to intuit that it was what her son-turned-daughter wanted.

Loretta, for her part, listened patiently and nodded along. The extent of her poise was impressive. She knew women her own age that didn’t have the maturity that Loretta did.

“You want my two cents?” Loretta asked.

“I’m openly panhandling,” Farra said.

That drew a giggle. She had a cute giggle, and a downright stunning smile.

“I think she’s gonna come to you. Probably not tonight, seein’ as you gotta spend it with Jake and all that,” Loretta said. “But tomorrow, for sure. Your kid strikes me as a bit of a Momma’s boy. There might be some foot dragging, but she’ll come around, and soon.”

Farra took a deep breath, nearly undone by the thought of what might be happening to her baby. For now, she forced it out of her mind. She had too much to focus on right now to let it consume her in the moment.

The pair had reached the dock, where one single sailboat was moored, a small cutter that could obviously fit a half-dozen people comfortably.

“Well, I would guess that’s our ride,” Farra said.

“MIght as well get rolling, then.” Loretta agreed.

They helped one another up the small ladder as the boat rocked in the harbor.

“I hope whatever sailing skills these people magic into Julie are good,” Farra said once aboard. “The water looks choppy.”

“She sure cooked well enough,” Loretta said.

Her new friend took a seat across from her on the larboard side of the boat. Farra couldn’t help but admire as she stretched her long, shapely legs against the railing and lay back against the vinyl couch. She wore a flowery blue beach slip that complimented her fair complexion and helped her fiery red hair stand out.

For the second time, Farra caught herself ogling Loretta, though thankfully due to Farra’s sunglasses, she didn’t seem to notice.

“You really think that’s what it is?” Loretta asked. “Magic, I mean?”

Farra considered that for a moment, then shrugged.

“Arthur Clarke’s Third Law,” She said.

Loretta raised an eyebrow.

“You wanna run that by me in non-nerd?”

“If an ant is getting burned, does it really matter whether it’s a magnifying glass or the finger of god?” Farra asked. “It basically means that any technology that’s advanced enough is basically magic to anyone who doesn’t get it. Whatever these monsters are doing is pretty far behind my comprehension.”

“Fair enough,” Loretta mused. “Guess it doesn’t really matter when you put it like that.”

Farra nodded.

“And if you’ll indulge me for a moment, might I express something else sentimental?”

Loretta smiled, waving her hand in a “by all means” gesture.

“That meeting with Julie yesterday…that was a good thing,” Farra said. “Thank you for making some time for her.”

Loretta scoffed.

“Time I got. Friends I don’t,” She said. “Besides, it was nice just relaxing a bit. Thinking about something other than this damn game.”

“Agreed. I’m glad we’re doing more of it,” Farra said. “But even more than that, she needed it. Did you happen to see her this morning? She looked almost perky.”

“In spirit, maybe,” Loretta said, a grin forming. “I thought she looked tired, though. So did Jake. You know they spent the night together last night?”

“So I’m told. Though I have it on good authority that they didn’t go any farther than second base,” Farra said.

That authority was AJ’s, who got it from Jake himself. God bless that girl for keeping her in the loop.

All to the good, truthfully.

“Well, I’d still take that as a good sign that she’s open to having some fun,” Loretta said. “And give yourself some credit, you came to me about both Julie and Leah.”

She turned to Farra, slipping her glasses up over her blue eyes.

“We make a good team, Farra.”

Farra smiled.

“We do.”

“Hey guys! Sorry I’m late!” Julie’s voice called out.

The two women turned to find her approaching up the dock. She’d ditched her bikini and now wore a pair of wite, blue striped hotpants and a tiny, midriff bearing parody of a sailor suit as a top. A matching cap sat atop her flowing blonde hair, and she clicked along effortlessly in a pair of strappy white high heels.

Taken together, she looked like the sort of woman who belonged spraypainted on a WWII bomber.

“Take your time,” Loretta assured her. “We were just shooting the breeze.”

“Just the one of you, huh?” Julie asked Farra once she’d shimmied onto the ship deck.

“That’s right,” Loretta said for her. “Guess she’s got the other one studying.”

“Damn, that’s cool,” Julie said, a note of genuine admiration in her voice. “I really admire that kinda dedication.”

“Yeah,” Farra said, “You know what they say about idle hands…”

“Sister, I know what you mean,” Julie said.

She’d untied the boat by then, then gave it a kick. Her balance on the heels was remarkable. The boat began to drift, and Julie effortlessly made her way over to the wheel.

As the boat moved away from harbor, Farra looked up toward the mountain where her other body was doing its real work. She felt bad about the lie. Dishonesty was a poor repayment for new friendship. But it couldn’t be helped. For everyone’s sake, some things were better played close to the vest.

*****

Lindsey blew a sticky strand of teal hair from her face as she climbed. Even dressed conservatively, in a sensible tank top, khaki shorts and boots that were sensible for this sort of thing, the hike was brutal.

She stopped to take a deep breath, wiping her damp brow. She was so fucking thirsty. A real outdoorsman could have cracked open a coconut or a pineapple or something and drank the water from it. A real outdoorsman probably would have remembered to bring a water bottle in the first place. But she wasn’t a real outdoorsman, or even a particularly good pretend one. So instead, she stopped at the first scenic overlook she could find and plopped down on the picnic table there.

This was stupid, Lindsey reflected. Even for the two victory points her mysterious benefactor was paying her, hiking all the way up to an isolated cabin all by herself was a dumb thing to do. Could someone murder her up here? She hadn’t read the rules well enough to know for sure. It’s not like she was doing so well in the contest that she was even worth killing anyway, and they sure couldn’t get away with it. But given the rules stipulated that she couldn’t do anything that would hurt her chances in the game (whatever that meant), and that the sum total being offered was 20% of that needed to put her over the finish line, it was a proposal too good to refuse.

Still, when she tried to think of why else someone would offer her 2VPs to lure her up here, and explicitly to come alone and do anything they said, she came up empty.

“Good holy fuck,” a familiar voice cried, snapping Lindsey out of her thoughts.

It was slightly accented with what Lindsey had only just recently come to recognize as a Middle Eastern accent. Farsi, specifically, she corrected herself; a distinction she hadn’t even known had existed before she’d started spending all her time with Ryan.

Lacy, now. She reminded herself.

If Lindsey were going to insist that everyone else properly gender her roommate, it would probably be a good start to do it herself.

“Hey…Mrs. Jones-Ali,” She called out, waving.

Farra’s look changed to one of concern.

“Are you okay? It sounds like you’re having a stroke.”

Right. The thing. She thought with a sigh.

Lindsey strolled up to Farra, wrapping her arms around Farra’s neck. She pulled her close and gave her an open mouthed kiss that lasted exactly as long as it took for Farra to wrench free.

“What the hell are you doing?” Farra asked, eyes blazing.

“I’m sorry!” Lindsey said. “It’s one of the stupid fucking challenges I took. Everything I say comes out as gibberish to people until I French kiss them.”

Her touch caused steadily building arousal in others, too, but she kept that one to herself for now. She suspected Farr would figure it out in good time.

Thankfully, for the moment, Farra seemed to relax at her explanation.

“I see…why in god’s name did you take that?”

“For the points, obviously,” Lindsey said, looking Farra up and down in hopes of a way to change the subject. “You look like you’re limping. Are you okay?”

“My feet hurt like a bastard,” Farra admitted, making her way over to the picnic table.

“Why the hell are you hiking in flip flops?” Lindsey asked, wide eyed.

Farra took a swig of her canteen before offering it to Lindsey, who took it eagerly. The water was cold and fresh, soothing as it made its chilly way down her parched throat before settling into her stomach.

“The dictates of my condition stipulate that both my bodies wear matching clothes at all times. There’s wiggle room for changing, but it’s unbearably uncomfortable if I do it for long.”

“Oh,” Lindsey said, absorbing that. “But like, if you’re gonna go hiking, why not make both bodies wear…I dunno, boots and shit?”

“Because it would have looked awfully suspicious to send the me that’s going shop hopping with her friends out in hiking gear.”

“Oh,” Lindsey repeated, then began to understand what she was hearing. “Oooooh. So you’re the one behind all this cloak and dagger shit.”

“I should have thought that was obvious when you saw me here,” Farra said. “We’re well out of the way here, which is sort of the point.”

“Uh huh…” Lindsey said carefully. “And what’s this all about?”

She was suddenly cursed with the mental image of the two of them staring one another down at a picnic table like they were in a Quentin Tarantino movie, and began to laugh. The visual was ridiculous.

Farra cocked her head.

“You’re a very odd girl, you know that?”

“I’m sorry,” Lindsey said between breaths, “I’m..my brain…it’s dumb.”

She waved a hand.

“Just like, tell me what the fuck’s going on.”

Farra looked uncertain, but nodded.

“I’m in a bit of a pickle with you, Lindsey,” She said, in what sounded like the start of a prepared speech.

That brought a fresh gale of giggles. She was sure that whatever Farra was going to say was important. She really needed to stop. But that thought only made her laugh harder, and soon, she was turning red.

“I’m so sorry,” She repeated, then snorted a laugh that made her laugh even harder.

Farra shook her head and then began to laugh herself; a nervous one that soon devolved into musical bubbles. And just like that, the law of contagious emotions overcame both of them.

By the time they finally pulled themselves together, they were sitting side by side and staring out over the cliff.

“You didn’t do it, did you?” Farra asked. “Sabotage Ryan, I mean.”

Lindsey thought about correcting her on the name, then decided against it.

“Nah, man. I just feel really shitty for her. Other than maybe Megan, nobody’s got it tougher,” Lindsey said. “Also, I got kind of this soft spot for fuck ups, since I kinda am one. Me and her are sort of kindred spirits in that way. Plus, it’s just nice to have a friend in a game full of strangers.”

She produced her phone, pulling up her personal app.

“I took your points. 2 VPs is a pretty sick payout,” She said. “So I gotta do what you say.”

Also, she couldn’t lie. That was another of the stipulations she’d taken. At the moment, though, she suspected this demonstration would prove the more convincing.

“Be honest. You can’t lie to me,” Farra said, making the terms explicit.

As soon as the words left Farra’s lips, Lindsey felt them asserting control over her.

“You really had nothing to do with it?” Farra repeated.

“Nah, man,” Lindsey said, then shifted uncomfortably. “Although…I do feel a little responsible. I dunno for sure which of us left the door unlocked, but it was probably me. I do it all the time back at home.”

She shook her head.

“I grew up in this really small town, yeah? Michigan. Way out in the boonies,” Lindsey explained. “I haven’t even taught myself to lock my doors in New York fucking City. Forget this place.”

“That’s not your fault,” Farra assured her, placing a hand on her thigh.

She now sounded as protective as she had been accusatory.

“I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to accuse,” Farra said, as if sensing Lindsey’s thought. “I just couldn’t rule it out. Not with you being his roommate.”

Lindsey sighed.

“I guess I kinda get that, but like…goddamnit, I just blew all my bonus points on clothes and changes for her and shit,” She said, unable to keep a trace of anger out of her voice. “I mean, you’ve seen her, right? What more do you need to see to get that I wanna help.”

At this, Farra averted her gaze, a disturbed look on her face.

“Oh…fuck,” Lindsey whispered. “Have you _not _seen her?”

“No,” Farra admitted, and with such genuine hurt in her voice that Lindsey wanted to give her a hug. “I haven’t seen Ryan in days.”

Lindsey reached out and put a hand over hers.

“It’s Lacy, now,” She said. “She changed her name. Full break and all that.”

“It’s…what?” Farra asked.

For a moment, Lindsey was sure she was going to cry, but she composed herself almost immediately. Lindsey gave her hand a squeeze anyway.

“That will take some getting used to,” Farra said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it, even.”

“Oh, it’s cool!” Lindsey said, brightly. “She got this thing that made people recognize her new…name…”

She realized her mistake when she saw Farra’s face drop even further. Now there was a tear running down her cheek.

“It’s just as I feared. I’m losing my own child…”

“Heeey, it’s okay,” Lindsey said, putting an arm around her. “She didn’t change…y’know, her personality and stuff. She’s still Ryan. She just looks different. And let’s be real, Farra, she looked pretty damn different as it was.”

Farra gave her a long look, then nodded. She seemed to be getting a grip again. The extent to which this woman could ride an emotional roller coaster and stroll through the exit composed was something beyond admirable.

“Why the new name, though?” Farra asked.

Lindsey considered that.

“For Jake, I think,” She said. “It’s a whole…what’s the word…New identity thing?”

“Dissociative,” Farra provided.

“Yeah, that,” Lindsey agreed. “It like, forces him to acknowledge her as a girl. And it doesn’t start with an R or whatever, so she feels different, y’know?”

“I guess I do,” Farra said. “That doesn’t make it sting less, but I do understand the decision.”

She pondered it for a moment.

“But…why that one?” She asked.

Lindsey beamed.

“She picked it herself! Kind of ironical like."

"Ironic, you mean?" Farra corrected her. Lindsey waved that comment away.

Farra let out a long breath.

“Well, I suppose…Lacy will come to me on her own time,” She said. “Thank you. For everything. For me, and especially for Ryan.”

“Yeah,” Lindsey bristled. “Don’t mention it, I guess. I just wish you people trusted me more.”

Farra responded with a weak smile.

“This whole proposal was a coin with two sides,” She said. “You did my son a service I could never repay you for. 2 Victory Points will have to suffice. I still want to win to put her in the best position possible, you understand.”

Lindsey raised her hands.

“Hey, I’m not gonna complain about 20% of my win condition in a single stroke.”

Farra gave her a long, critical look.

“20? Who taught you math, girl? It’s 2%.”

Lindsey shook her head.

“Look, I’m not a number scientist,” She said.

Farra only laughed and shook her head. She placed a hand on Lindsey’s thigh and gave it a squeeze.

“I’m sorry I doubted you,” She said. “I didn’t even doubt you that much, in truth. I just had a chance to do some due diligence and reward you at the same time. You can’t blame me, can you?”

“No, I guess not,” Lindsey said. “It sucks, but I get it. You gotta make your list and check it twice and all that shit.”

Farra nodded.

“Leah was number one. And you’re number two.”

Lindsey felt relieved, but curious as well.

“So, I gotta ask,” She said. “If the points are one side of the coin, what’s the other? Like, what’ve happened if you’d caught me in the sabotage or whatever.”

Farra’s grin was so cold it made Lindsey flinch.

“Then I’d have spent the rest of the game destroying you,” She said. “And when I find out who’s done this? That’s exactly what I plan to do to them.”