The Breach

2. Faultlines

Paul woke up around seven, same as usual. His body clock was well used to it by now, seven being the usual time he would feed the dogs and take them for a walk around the compound. Even though the dogs were safe in Washington now and the only mouth to feed he had was his own, old habits die hard. It was still time for him to get up and get going. He had a job to do and new friends to make. The friendship he was about to secure on that day might actually be a crucial one if he wanted to receive the information he needed.

His Rivian truck was fully equipped not only for safe rest and travel, but luckily also for making breakfast. Rummaging through all the equipment he had in the back he finally managed to find a portable gas stove, two pots, canned beans, bread and a coffee grinder. He had more than enough coffee, but his food supply was slowly running out. Maybe after the meeting he will be able to restock what he needed most. Oh, what we wouldn't do for some eggs to go with the beans!

Waiting for the food to heat up and for the coffee to brew he reached for a map, marking his current position on the trail. Still a few hours to go before he reaches New York. The last time he went there must have been on a trip with friends, long before the Division and long before the First Wave. David was there too. Maybe he will be able to find him in New York? As much as he really wanted to hope that it might happen, he also knew the odds. If David was alive, he would have probably contacted him by now. It still didn't stop him from looking though and probably never will.

When the food was ready Paul took a moment to enjoy the meal and drink his coffee. It was the tiny everyday rituals he enjoyed the most during these crazy times. It helped him feel grounded and somewhat secure at least for those few minutes it took for him to finish the meal. He cleaned the dishes afterwards, breathed in and got back into the car to drive the last miles he had left before arriving in New York.

***

„So you're telling me that you have no idea what happened?"

Kelso was obviously angry. Not only did Parnell and his accomplice manage to escape, but said accomplice was also identified as one of their agents who in turn was nowhere to be found now. Of course she was angry. But Blaze was angry too and he was not going down without a fight.

„I just told you exactly what happened. Step by step. What more do you want?"

„I need answers! I need to know where she is right now and what she's doing. I need to know if she's alive. Or rogue. Or kidnapped. I need answers."

„And I'm not going to give you any because I don't have them myself, okay? I told you everything I know. I was just as surprised to see her there as you are right now."

He was telling the truth. They ran every possible test there was to run on ISAC, launched every available diagnostic tool, used every back door they could find to try and determine her status. ISAC's answer was always the same. Status unknown. It didn't help that she was one of a very small group of individuals in the entire SHD that could manipulate ISAC however they wished.

„So I'm assuming the data we have on her supply run yesterday was fabricated?" Kelso went through all the data again, trying to connect the dots in a way that would make sense.

„Of course it was. She used it as a diversion to hide her actual position. She knew that if she simply went offline somebody would notice. It was a well planned meeting and she was well prepared."

„So she was planning to meet with Parnell for what? To hunt him down? To help him?"

„I don't know."

„Figures."

Blaze was getting tired of this conversation. His back hurt, his arm hurt, he was desperate for a hot shower and a good night's sleep. And yet Kelso was keeping him by her desk for at least two hours now, constantly running in circles with assumptions that had absolutely no ground in reality. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and massaged his temples to calm down a little.