She was unconvinced; this thing in her hand couldn't have been the reactor vent Heisenberg complained so much about. It was nothing more than what he said it was; a metal vent, albeit the one in her hand, was rusted and the wires on the end were frayed and stripped of their cable sleeves.
Narrowing her tired eyes, Irina shoved it into her coat pocket and thanked Leonardo for finding it for her.
"It's no problem," he grunted.
Locking up his workshop, he turned and gave her a curious look.
"What do you need all this scrap for? Are you making something?"
Irina hummed. "Not me in particular, but someone else I know. He gives me a list and I retrieve the parts he needs."
She wasn't lying, but she thought it was best to leave out who sent her on these errands.
Leonardo grinned knowingly, making Irina curious. She puckered a brow.
"What?"
He shook his head. "Rumors are you fancy a lad in another part of the village. Anton has seen you sneaking out and returning days later."
Fancy a lad? Irina groaned. She was too wrapped up in her arrangement to consider what the villagers thought about her.
"It's not like that," she calmly rebutted.
Taking a deep and uneven breath, she explained.
"I've been running errands to earn some money, and he's right, I have been sneaking out, but because it's an uncanny arrangement and my boss doesn't want to draw unwanted attention."
And because he's a monster who will most likely kill me and everyone I tell if he finds out.
Leonardo hummed. "What's he making? Seems pretty damn big if he's wanting to keep it a secret."
"I have no clue," Irina answered in honesty.
She was curious too, but if it was anything like the creature who maimed her in the heart of the factory, which still made her fear the lower levels, then she didn't want to know.
The aging man brought up his hands. "I understand; it's none of my business."
Irina wanted to clarify, but decided against it and nodded. She watched him as he walked past her, then followed him from the backyard and into the street.
"You know," Leonardo mentioned. "Luiza has been asking about you."
She narrowed her eyes. "How come?"
"Worried, I reckon. You know how she is; ready to lend a hand to those around her," he answered with a shrug.
Irina gently smiled. "She's a sweet woman. I haven't had the chance to go see her since I started the errands."
She wrote a letter, but with everything going on, Irina pushed it to the back of her mind. She heard from Elena at breakfast that Luiza sent the horses to the village near the reservoir; the houses below the clinic were washed away and the old man who took care of the windmill needed the horses to aide the villagers who lost their homes. Irina was upset to lose them but thankful that the horses were in better hands.
Perhaps when she had the time, she'd thank her.
"I'm fine – not really. Tell her not to worry about me," Irina uttered.
Leonardo grunted. "Make time to do it your damn self,"
"Yes sir," she said in agreement.
He turned and narrowed his eyes. "And get some rest. You're worrying Elena."
