there are prizes all around you if you're wise enough to see

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[maxxx]

( Max gets out on his own, apparently women are helped from cars.

"Great, you can follow me this way," the blonde says, leading the twins. He marches them through the lot, making small talk before reaching Rosalyn's trailer.

He knocks and calls into the trailer. "Rosalyn, it's Johnny. Your management representatives are here!" A beat passes, "Rosalyn," he pulls down on the handle and lets himself in. "Rosalyn, are you --" His heart drops as he yells her name and rushes over to her, before calling behind him. "Call 911!"

[tearhiseyesout]

Oh my god. Is she alright?

[Maybe Max should take over this because Jaqueline is ... not carrying this well (4).]

I ... I'll call an ambulance.

[And she'll step out to do just that.]

[maxxx]

( Johnny is apoplectic, (1) whether this is because this is a major professional setback or he really liked her, that's yet to be determined. )

Is she -- ?

( he rolled an (11) so he did better than his sister )

Fuck, I need to make a call.

( he also heads outside, but instead of calling an ambulance, he puts on his frantic voice and calls his mother (15) )

[tearhiseyesout]

[Helena sees Max's name on her caller ID and glances at her watch. She knows her son is supposed to be in a meeting with Hernandez right now. She frowns, before answering.

"Did everything go well with Hernadez?"]

[maxxx]

Mother.

( and, again, loving pleasantries are skipped altogether. his mother was always business first, as was his father. )

We were too late.

( He knows they would be, but, he sells the surprise. )

You and dad were right to be suspicious. Someone's after the higher order. When we arrived, she was dead in her trailer.

[tearhiseyesout]

[Helena's shoulders straighten, because this is not what they need right now. She drums her fingers against her desk as she considers her response.

"How long has she been dead? Is there any evidence of who might be responsible?"]

[maxxx]

( He ducks back into the trailer as Johnny runs past and down the stairs. He drops to the ground and he absconds the contents of his stomach.

Inside, Max does his best fake CSI impression.

He leans over )

I don't think it's been long. She was alone. She's in her robe. No sign of any foul play. There are no ligature marks around her neck, no -- apparent wounds. And I can't detect anything magic. Could a civilian have gotten this close?

[tearhiseyesout]

["Hunters do have their little tricks. Never mind slayers." Helena pinches the bridge of her nose. "Gather you sister. I don't want either of you to be at risk should the perpetrator be lying in wait. Send me a door and I will have David collect you."

It is time for efficiency, rather than lingering to wait and see.

[maxxx]

( He hangs up, leaves again, and steps across and over the bile. Gross.

He sidles up to his sister. )

I need to find a door. Ready?

[tearhiseyesout]

[Jaqueline nods, before glancing over to one of the trailers that was left open in the chaos as other people started to realize what's happened.]

Will that one work?

[maxxx]

( Max puts a hand on her shoulder and hands her his phone. )

Take a picture, I'll be right back.

( Moving over to the assistant, he drops down and makes eye contact. A hand to his shoulder, he smiles, calming the man as he speaks. )

Shh. It's okay. You didn't see us, you found her alone. You don't know who called the cops.

( Finding the camera on one of the trailers, he waves a hand before rejoining his sister to await David and his door. )

[maleficum]

[Jaqueline does as she's told, snapping the picture and sending it to her mother. As she passes Max's phone back to him, David opens the door to the trailer in front of them with a nod.]

Your chariot awaits.

[maxxx]

Ladies first.

( He lets his sister step in first, knowing they'll be cut off from the next moves. But, this keeps their hands clean. )

Hope you have this, Rusty.

[maleficum]

He'll have to.

[And with that, he'll take the twins back into headquarters, and Rusty will handle clean up. He'll obscure Lucas' presence just enough to show that a hunter was there but not who. He'll make sure he wasn't seen on any of the cameras, and he'll be gone before Hernandez's "husband" is even informed.

And with that, he'll text Ezra to let him know that they're in the clear.]

[praevaricatio]

( Ezra plays getaway driver, the group having scrubbed the scene and checked out of the hotel earlier in the day, directing the car back to the airport.

His phone sits in the cup holder between him and Lucas.

He checks his rearview to merge back onto the highway. )

We'll book tickets back in person. Do you mind checking that message?

[abad_influence]

[He does, pulling down the notification so he can see the text.]

It's your husband. Everyone's clear, they're heading back to base.

[Which Lucas does not want to know where that is, so hopefully they're not heading there.]

[praevaricatio]

They're on the inside now. We're on the outside.

( He'd have given something to keep Lucas outside as well, but Hernandez made that impossible. )

Do you have any objections to going back to Lawrence?

[abad_influence]

[He shakes his head.]

Probably makes the most sense until I figure out what my family's doing next.

[praevaricatio]

Then that's where we'll go.

( Lucas' burner comes to life, vibrating, screen illuminating MOM )

[abad_influence]

[He takes a deep breath, before reaching for the phone and lifting it to his ear.]

Hey, Mom.

[The anxiety and tension still hasn't ebbed away yet, but it probably won't until he's safely out of Mexico.]

[disputable]

You answered. ( she wasn't expecting him to! ) Honey, hi. I'm sorry, I was just calling to - to leave a message. I didn't think you'd pick up.

( she's not going to ask, she's not going to ask, she's not going to ask )

[abad_influence]

We're in the car. Everything's fine. It's done.

[She won't ask, but he'll tell her.]

We're on our way back.

[disputable]

Really? It's done, it's over.

( She looks to Michael sitting across from her, taking his hand with her free one. )

Are you okay?

[abad_influence]

I ...

[No, he's not. Not emotionally. He doesn't like it when the line is blurred between hunter and assassin. But he's alive. He's free.]

... I'm not hurt.

[disputable]

Come back. Come back to us.

( She speaks volumes. )