Special Agent | ✓

Thirty-Four

a/n: early update alert

THIRTY-FOUR

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Quinn had done her best to work the case — her own case — from Kat's apartment. As things were, she had no access to the Agency database, and therefore no access to any of the required case files she'd need to actually review the evidence put forward against her. These were facts which had grown to annoy her over the course of a few slow days, where her research had led absolutely nowhere.

And it's all because of Kent. The thought slipped by before she could stop it, drove a lance of pain and anger through her mindset. She'd tried pushing through it, but would have to roll with the tide of emotions it brought.

She'd decided to fight, Quinn reminded herself. She would not — could not — see this as anything else but a matter of logic and facts. To her, who did what and who said what would have to be pushed aside. She needed to stick to the cold, hard facts, or she would find herself with a bullet lodged in her head.

But it was hard, especially when she was all but locked inside. Kat had been coming and going as if the front door was the revolving type, busy with all sorts of recitals and meetings and fittings. Meanwhile, Quinn had been turned into a frenzied monster of efficiency. She'd cleaned the entire apartment a number of times, attempting to numb her mind when she found she couldn't apply herself to what she really wanted — clearing her name.

She would need to rely on Adina for that, and she absolutely did not want to do that. It would mean putting Adina's entire career in jeopardy, not to mention her life if it was discovered that she was actively collaborating with a woman currently targeted with a kill order.

You know what Chief Tibble said. She'd stand by you.

But Quinn was worried that doing just that would end up hurting those closest to her.

As the apartment had been furiously cleaned by Quinn, she'd started doing some digital cleaning of Kat's various tech-devices. It had ended with her camped out on Kat's couch, browsing through the files of her hard drive as the poor laptop was suffering by Kat's overload of data.

Because cleaning the computer was not difficult or mind-numbingly boring enough to stunt the racing of Quinn's mind, she found herself ensconced in thought once again. She wanted to get out of the apartment — just like she'd done when she'd gone to the shooting range. However, doing so would mean worrying Kat, and it, in itself, was a stupid move as it could mean Quinn was discovered.

No one knew of her connection to Kat, except Hypatia.

Speaking of Hypatia, Quinn thought, reaching for her newly acquired phone. She'd called Ryonne to inform her of her situation, which had followed by the prompt suggestion Quinn should let Hypatia ship her off to a country lacking extradition treaties. When Quinn had told Ryonne she intended to sort the mess out, the woman was forced to back down. Quinn knew the suggestion only had her bests interest at heart — namely, keeping her alive — but she couldn't leave everything hanging like this.

This wasn't like when she ran off to Paris as a young woman, when she'd left everything behind. She'd had nothing then, but now she had a life. A great job, and people she cared about. People she didn't want to leave hanging.

Briefly, Quinn thought of one one person she hadn't spoken to since jumping out of the window at Ricci's gala. She couldn't stop herself from wondering what he'd thought — how he'd reacted, to her conviction. Adina had told her he'd attended the meeting of Chiefs together with Kent, which ultimately forced Quinn to entertain the thought of him being a part of this kill order in the first place.