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It was not yet morning, but light crept gently in through the neutral
toned room, warming it across the walls.
Winter blinked her eyes open, her gaze going to the beams of sunlight that stretched across the floor. She sat up slowly, rubbing the remnants of sleep from her eyes. She breathed shallowly, sitting back and then rising again on tiptoes to move into the bathroom to wash up. The face that met her was red-rimmed, streaked with dark rings, the final residue of last night's constant chatter from the unwanted guest.
After her morning practice, Winter sneaked into the guest room. She reached in with the door of its lock open and quietly opened it just when banana started sliding off the bed from karina's sleep, landing softly beside the feet of Winter with a soft "meow."
Banana stroked softly against the legs of Winter. She bent down and gently patted the kitty, saying, "Good morning, Banana."
Her eyes drifted over to Karina, who was curled up tight under the covers with all features softened by sleep. Not at all like the incessant chatterbox she'd been the night before, this Karina looked peaceful. Winter took a deep breath and reached for her phone to call in the client.
Click.
"Hello?"
A warped voice came over the line. "It's me, um. Agent Owl!"
Winter raised an eyebrow. "Agent Owl? Really? Why not just use your real name?"
"Shh! This is covert, and I'm Agent Parrot," came the voice, and she could practically hear them grinning.
"We're trying to keep things under wraps."
Winter rubbed her temples. "Okay, whatever. When are you picking her up?
A stammer preceded her words and muffled laughter continued in the background. "So, here's the thing. We had a little chat after your last mission and thought it might be to your advantage if you kept Karina a little longer."
Furrows creased Winter's brow; her frustration level rose. "You want me to keep her? I'm not a babysitter."
"But think about it," they said, voice dropping to a whispered tone as if it was some sort of top-secret intel. "We could pay you more. Plus, we're tied up with other uh, targets."
Winter paused, despite herself. "How much more?"
The voice was triumphant now. "Let's say... a lot!"
