There was a knock on the door, and Elliott looked at her oddly. "How do you two always know where the other one is?" he muttered as she went to let him in.
Before she could even say anything, Aaron said, "I'm so sorry."
She laughed and ushered him in. "It's fine. It's not like I would be asleep anyway."
"What’s that?" he asked, but she didn't answer. He sat down in a chair near the couch and declined the pizza Elliott offered.
Cadence couldn't help but remember that was the chair he was sitting in when he told her about Aislyn. He was still wearing the gray pants and light blue shirt he had been wearing earlier, but he actually looked tired for once as well, which was unusual. "Everything okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied. "Eliza came in after you two left."
"Eww," Elliott vocalized, hoping his reaction was similar.
"Don't worry... I learned my lesson. I got her out of there before she could try any of her little tricks. I think she's after power more than she's after me at this point. Something's definitely going on between her and Laura," he explained. "Other than that, I'm just having a hard time sorting all of this out. I got a ton of reports of Giovani and Zabrina sightings tonight, but they're almost completely from ex-Hunters and ex-Guardians. I'm just not sure what's going on."
Cadence crossed her arms and nodded her head. "That is odd. But some of them are coming from actives?"
He nodded. "Yes, a few. Not people who usually report. Has Cale been hearing much?"
She was a little surprised he'd asked. "Some," she admitted. "Has he been talking to you?"
Aaron shook his head. "Not much. I've been trying to leave him alone, but that may not be possible. Especially since you mentioned the helicopters."
"When did you talk about that?" Elliott asked, suddenly very interested and afraid he'd missed something.
"We haven't. I just mentioned it very quickly during the Skype. This is what I was thinking," Cadence explained. "Cale's information is that the Giovani spottings are centered around Sierraville, California, which is only twenty minutes by air from Reno. If that is the case, he can offer us support in several ways. Tracking, spotlights, even taking the shot, if need be."
"That's a game changer," Elliott concluded.
"It is a good idea. Here's my problem. Eliza's clearly not being straight with us. She's obviously talked to Laura without notifying me--or letting me listen in," Aaron said, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, fingers bridged in front of his mouth. "Also, did you notice I said Eliza would call her--and neither of them seemed to object?"
"I did..." Cadence said.
"Yes," Elliott exclaimed at the same time.
"So, she has a contact number." Aaron verbalized what they were all thinking.
"God, I kind of want to do it now just to make Eliza fall on her face when we take her off," Elliott admitted.
"I don't know..." Cadence began, "I have a lot of reservations about working with those people, especially Laura."
"Didn't buy the apology, huh?" Elliott asked, laughing.
"Uh, no," Cadence replied. "She's a lying bitch."
"Believe me, I have my reservations, as well," Aaron admitted. "If we decide to do it, I think we go ahead and let them think Eliza's leading it--even let her believe that--then yank her at the last minute. And I don’t want any of her people on the ground either. Meanwhile, Cadence, you'd have to coordinate with Cale's team in secret. The renegades use only weapons we issue to them and we do pat downs looking for titanium bullets beforehand. And, when this is over, I'll let them re-Transform if that's what they want, but Laura will either do the same, or spend some time in the makeshift cells in the basement of the staging building."
"So you do have a Hunter prison," Cadence asked, narrowing her left eye at him sheepishly.
He grinned at her, returned the expression and said, "Maybe. I don't tell all of my secrets, lady."
"Works for me," Elliott shrugged, interrupting their staring contest.
"But, wait a minute," Cadence said, finger in the air, "they need titanium to kill Hunters, but you guys are vulnerable to regular bullets. What about that?"
"Bulletproof vests?" Elliott suggested.
"Head shot?" she replied sharply.
"I've been thinking about that, too," Aaron admitted. "Why do they have to be armed at all?"
"Good point," Cadence agreed. "Take their guns away, or at least limit their bullet count, cut down on the vulnerability--I mean they still might over-power some of our weaker members," she said slyly, winking at Elliott, who just shook his head at her, "and I think we've minimized the risk. Haven't we?"
"Hey, I'm just here for the pizza," Elliott replied, right before she elbowed him in the ribs.
"I think this might actually work," Aaron said, the look of contemplation still on his face.
"Tell you what, let's sleep on it--not that any of us will--and talk it over in the morning, and then we'll let Ms. Sassy Pants produce the phone number she doesn't have, to call the person she doesn't like," Elliott proclaimed.
Cadence nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me."
"Why aren't you sleeping?" Aaron asked, a worried expression on his face.
As much as Cadence wanted to give a sarcastic answer, she was too tired to think of one. "I don't know. I guess my mind thinks I should start transitioning to needing less sleep already while my body completely disagrees. But then, even when I do fall asleep, I always dream about Jack."
"I'm sorry," he said, clearly genuinely concerned. "That's not good. If we go on this hunt in a few days, it's not going to go well if you are exhausted."
"I know," she admitted. "But I can only think of two nights since Jack died, besides when Elliott put me out, when I slept for more than a few hours--tops."
"What did you do differently then?" Aaron asked, as if there might be a connection.
"I... uh... I don't know," she said, obviously not telling the truth.
Aaron and Elliott exchanged glances. ""Lie much?" Elliott questioned, calling her out.
"Nothing..." Cadence replied. "I don't know."
"I think you do," Aaron said, squinting at her again.
Cadence folded her arms, and without making eye contact she quietly replied, "It was you."
"Pardon?" Aaron said, leaning forward even further in his chair.
Cadence sighed. "I know, it sounds stupid--or like I'm awkwardly and publicly trying to seduce you," she admitted. Elliott burst out laughing and she threw him another elbow before finishing her sentence. "I slept really well that night you slept with me, in Lincoln. And I slept really well the other night, after I saw you at the hunt, but I guess I could have just been really tired that night."
Aaron was quiet for a moment before saying. "Well, I need you at the top of your game, so I guess I'll be staying here tonight."
"I can't ask you to do that..."
"You're not. I'm telling you; I'm staying here tonight. You slept really well that night I spent with you in Paris, too," he reminded her.
"Wait--what?" Elliott asked.
They both ignored him. "I don't want to be a pain in the ass," Cadence said, shaking her head.
"It’s a little too late for that,” he said, clearly teasing her. “Look, as I explained to you earlier today, I'm still your boss. This is purely a business arrangement, nothing inappropriate; you can have Elliott sleep on the couch if you'd like, but I need you to get some rest, and anyone who doesn't understand that can come in and I'll explain it to him," he replied, matter-of-factly.
Clearly, he meant Cale by that last part. Cadence didn't know the doctor that well yet, but she thought he could certainly understand how important it was that she get some sleep. At last, she quietly said, "Okay. But Elliott doesn't need to stay. I trust you."
"Good," Aaron nodded. "I do have a few things I need to get done, so I'm going to run next door and finish up, and I'll be back in a little while."
Elliott told him goodbye, and he disappeared out the door to his apartment, the only other room on the floor.
"What happened in Paris?" Elliott asked.
"What happened in Tulsa?" she retorted.
"I'm guessing more than whatever happened in Paris," he admitted.
"It doesn't matter," she replied. "It was nothing. Honestly. And nothing's going to happen tonight."
"Now, that I believe," he said, nodding. "Unfortunately. But, I'm gonna go. I'll see you tomorrow, kid."
She followed him to the door, hugged him goodbye, and turned the lock, knowing Aaron would get in whether it was open or not.
