18Chapter 4: Standoff
"I think Sephiria knows," I say nervously, keeping my head down but also watching for anyone familiar as I follow Train into Caffé Cait Sith.
"Of course she does, Sephiria knows everything," he immediately replies as he ushers me in the door, and I stop short so quickly that he runs into me. "Hey, last time you were the one running into me," he says, grinning.
"You knew who I was?" I ask almost incredulously as I move out of his way. We walk towards a table, where Sven and Eve are already seated, and Train plops down into a chair.
"Of course I did!" he says, sounding wounded. "I didn't get where I am now by being ignorant and inobservant." Sven scowls at him.
"Inobservant isn't even a word, you idiot. It's unobservant," he says, then looks at me. His eyes - well, eye - widens in shock. "Train, you really are an idiot! She's one of our targets!"
"She works for Chronos," Train says simply, as if that explains everything.
"All the more reason to turn her in! Her bounty is huge!" Sven argues, and I take a seat.
"Look, Sven, can I call you Sven?" I say. "What Train failed to mention is that Chronos put out those posters. There is no bounty. I'm actually on an assignment to bring him in." I fold my arms and lean back in my chair, grinning at Eve as I notice her glaring at me.
Sven sputters. "And yet your're sitting here with us! What's your game?"
"She doesn't have one," Train interjects. "She's tagging along with us for a week. I want to show her what it's like without Chronos breathing down your neck."
"Are you kidding me?!" Sven shouts. "She could be tricking you! She's probably already sold us all out, we could be sitting in a trap for all you know!"
Train stands up, glaring daggers at Sven. "She is coming," he says, a cold tone of finality in his voice and a fiery determination in his eyes that dare anyone to argue.
'And there's the Black Cat...' I think to myself.
Sven opens and closes his mouth a few times, looking like a fish out of water. It's almost comical.
"She took me hostage," Eve says quietly. Here we go. This isn't going to end well.
"I gave her back," I mutter through clenched teeth. "Not even a scratch on her."
"Tell that to the needle marks in my neck and leg," Eve snaps at me.
"She did WHAT?!" Sven thunders, then glares at me. His tone turns dangerously dark and quiet. "Get. Out. I don't want you anywhere near us. You're going to walk out of this cafe right now, and if I see you anywhere near us again, you won't live to regret it."
"Fine," I say, realizing there's no winning here. He'll never accept me. I stand to leave, and Train puts a heavy hand on my shoulder and forces me to sit back down. "Sit down, you're not going anywhere," he growls.
"Yes, she is!" Sven shoots back. "I don't want her anywhere near Eve, or you for that matter."
"Oh, so it's fine that I used to work for Chronos and turned Sweeper, but she can't? Fine! Good luck finding another place to sleep tonight, since I'll be spending the night in the hotel room that I paid for," Train spits. "C'mon, Mina," he says, snatching my hand up, "we're leaving." He pulls me towards the door.
"Good luv paying for another night in that hotel room os yours, since you don't have a target anymore!" Sven shouts at our backs.
"Neither do you!" Train yells back at him, smirking. I can almost feel Sven fuming.
"Well, we do have a target," I say to Train as we head out the door, pulling Erva Lang's poster from my pocket.
"Nice," he says, grinning. "He should be enough to pay for another night in the hotel, and maybe a way to our next city."
"Or," I say, thinking, "you could just stay in my room. Chronos paid for it through the end of the week. If I check out tomorrow I could convince them to give us the rest of the money and then we'll have food as well."
"You're already thinking like a Sweeper," Train says proudly, patting my head. "Let's head back then."
"You can have the bed if you want," I say as I open my hotel room door and toss my coat on the couch.
"Absolutely not," Train refuses. "I may not be a gentleman like Sven, but I'd never allow a lady to sleep on the couch in her own room."
"Me, a lady?" I laugh. "Clearly we haven't met." I extend my hand towards him. "Hi, I'm Mina Sinkya, nice to meet you."
Train cackles. "I like you more and more already," he says, plopping himself down on the couch. Does this man ever sit down like a normal person?
"So, what's our next move?" I ask, sitting down on the coffee table across from him. Train frowns, his forehead furrowing. He looks deep in thought.
"Well, for starters, we need to find word on where Lang is hiding out," he says. "We'll head there once we know more and then lay low for a while as we collect enough info to catch him without him even knowing we're looking for him."
I rest my elbows on my knees, and my chin in my bandaged hands. "Well, I can tell you he's in Amelly. But that's all I know," I say, thinking back to a conversation I had heard outside Caffé Cait Sith earlier this morning.
Train nods. "Then we'd better leave first thing in the morning. I'll go grab us some food and see if I hear anything else while I'm at it," he says, digging through his pockets for money, I presume. "Damn, Sven's got it..."
I pull my card from my pocket. "Here," I say as I hand it to him, "this has some money on it. Not much, but enough for something for the both of us to eat. The rest of my money is back at my apartment."
"Sweet, I'll be back in a bit then," Train says, hauling himself up off the couch. "Oh wait! Hand me your phone."
"What for?" I ask as I pull it out of my pocket and toss it to him.
"I'm putting my number in it in case you need to contact me for anything," he explains, punching numbers into my phone and handing it back to me. He heads out the door andI look down at my phone.
He's put his number in all right, but he's also put his contact name as his name followed by a heart and a cat emoji blowing a kiss. I roll my eyes and leave it for now, then settle myself in on the couch to watch TV until he gets back.
An hour and a half later, I'm pacing the room. I haven't heard from Train at all and the voices in my head are acting up again. I tried calling a few times, but got no answer. Despite barely knowing the guy, I'm worried. I compose a text on my phone.
Mina: Everything ok? The food must be cold by now.
To my relief, I immediately receive a reply.
Train: I'm being followed. Check out and head to Amelly without me.
Mina: What? Why? What's going on?
Train: I think Chronos found me.
Here's a little teaser while I write the next chapter!
Love you all!
