Unspoken

Ryder takes Katie's warning, absorbing it without flinching. His eyes roam hers. "I don't like crossing anybody, let alone a spitfire like you. There's an awful lot of "me" and "I" in there though. I get the feeling you've got more at stake here than these two blokes."

"She's close to the victim," Jason intervenes. "But don't think we don't feel just as strongly about not being crossed."

"If I'd wanted to cross you, I would have killed you a minute ago." Ryder turns a chair around to straddle it, and sits back down. "Either we call a truce or you all can walk. Up to you."

Before any more can be said, Carson raises his hands. "Look, guys. Let's do what we came here for, huh? Ryder, we didn't trust you, but we'll try. You didn't trust up, but hopefully we proved we're on the right side here. It's done. Now let's move on with plans, or we're never going to get what we came here for."

"Thank you." Ryder nods. "So you're here to find an antidote. And you're assuming it's in the lab of the Agency base here."

"Right."

"Then let me explain a few things..." Ryder proceeds to tell the three that he had an inside contact at the Agency who had been feeding him information for over a year, that he'd been sharing with TJY. He had never ventured close to the facility, scared of blowing his cover, or his contact's cover. He knew where the lab was because of his contact, and he knew the daily routines of workers there, by observing with binoculars from a safe distance. He knew where the lab was located through blueprints that had been smuggled to him, and he knew the different levels of security.

By the time he finishes telling them all of that, the afternoon has wore on. "But... the problem is, that the last two days, there's been a lot of traffic. The authorities have been down there, checking things out after a disturbance call of some sort. I haven't been able to dig deep enough to know what's going on. But it might take a couple days to get close enough to get in."

"We don't have that much time," Jason argues.

"Then you'll wind up inside as a prisoner." Ryder purses his lips grimly. "It's just that simple."

"But..."

"Jase," Carson interrupts. "He's right. Better to risk taking longer and do this right, than storming the castle when we're so outnumbered. We need to come up with a way to get in under their noses... under their radar. The only thin we can do is pray that Angel will last until we can get back to her."

Bags are unpacked and dibs are called on the beds or the couch for the night. They would all bed down early, for it would be a very early start in the day. Ryder wanted to set out on foot while it was still dark to reach a good vantage point where they could observe the Agency's movements.

The sun is sinking low on the horizon, and insects can be heard, bringing the night in. Jason stretches out on the living room couch and stares up at the ceiling, exhausted, but far from sleep. Carson sits in the kitchen at the table, going over the base blueprints. And Ryder sits on the back porch swing, looking out into the darkness. He had grown quiet after their late supper, seeming to have a lot on his mind, though he had not shared. While nerves had settled along with distrusting tension, something had still gone unspoken.