"Did you say that he contacted us?" asked Maitho, caution automatically creeping into his voice. The conversation with Charon had left an imprint on his mind. Now he could not look at Brigid without being careful about his words. "Why would he do that?"
"I'll answer that," said Brigid, looking back at her teammates, one of whom looked solemn while the other seemed like she was scrutinizing Maitho. "But before I do," Brigid continued, "I need to know what Charon told you."
Even though Maitho was expecting a remark about his conversation earlier, he still couldn't help but feel underprepared. He really hadn't planned a response. All he could do was rely on the truth. "I can't say."
The sigh of frustration that Epona delivered was audible enough to send a wave of guilt coursing through Maitho. Even Bevan's look of dismay was like a physical punch to the gut. But telling the Celtic team about what Charon had told him might not exactly with their support. In fact, it might widen the divide that existed between them and Maitho.
"Noo ye'r holding secrets tae?" said Epona, her tone accusatory. So much for trying to build some kind of trust with her.
"I thought you wanted to end this," said Brigid, her head tilting to one side, as though she was daring for a response.
"My conversation with Charon has got nothing to do with Raiden," said Maitho, feeling defensive and uncomfortable with the idea that once again, he was being questioned by the team.
"How do you know if you haven't told us?"
"How do you know your history with Raiden isn't important if you haven't told me?"
The silence that followed was like being in a minefield. All it took was one wrong word or phrase, and the result could be an explosion of aggressiveness. Maitho wasn't certain if the resulting attacks would be only verbal.
That was when he noticed something odd. Or perhaps odd enough that it hadn't revealed its presence since the first time he had made contact with the Celtic team.
Epona ran a hand through her hair and walked over to the rows of monitors. She didn't argue back or try to throw another insult. It wasn't the best reaction, but Maitho was not complaining.
The woman started tapping at the desk. At first, Maitho assumed that she was doing something to keep herself occupied. But upon closer inspection, he noticed that there was a touchscreen embedded into the table. Epona used it to dialog boxes and perform actions that he couldn't clearly see.
"Can we talk, Maitho?" said Brigid, already walking towards the door leading to the secondary hallway.
Despite everything, Maitho was looking forward to the conversation. Perhaps he hoped that there would be a better exchange of information between him and Brigid. It was a small hope, but it was better than the alternative. He followed her.
Upon entering the hallway, he discovered Brigid pacing impatiently, stopping instantly at his arrival. Maitho was reminded of a bull that was just about to charge, kicking the ground to throw up dirt as it sighted its target.
"Let's try that again," said Brigid. "What did you discuss with Charon?"
Miatho shook his head. "No matter how many times you repeat, my answer will still be the same."
"I knew you would say that," said Brigid, instantly changing her demeanor. She now seemed more poised, like she wasn't agitated in the slightest. Maitho wondered if she had put up an act up until now in an attempt to throw him off. "So allow me to respond."
She placed her hand on his shoulder. The grip was strong, but wasn't uncomfortable. "I can understand you. After all, Raiden practically invaded your life without you even noticing." Her face took on a form of pity, like she couldn't believe Maitho had not paid attention to his situation better. "He talked about you like he knew you. Like he had been watching your every move. He knew that you marked your calendar to show that you had just one month left to live. He even knew you watered your plant in the middle of the night. Those are intimate details. So I wonder what else he knew, hmm?"
She squeezed his shoulder, this time sending a jolt of discomfort. It still wasn't hurtful, but something told Maitho that perhaps pain might just make its appearance soon. Regardless, he didn't interrupt her. He watched her get ready to deliver her next lecture. His eyes bored into hers without fear or malice.
Brigid continued. "You said it yourself. You just want to get this all over with and go back to your life. You know, water your plant." Her fingers began to dig into Maitho's skin. "Your best chance at that is through cooperation. Don't ask questions. Just answer or nod and stay out of the way."
Gripping her hand with more gentleness than she offered, Maitho moved it from his shoulder. "You don't want me here because I don't care about the influence you hold here." He let go of her hand, but it didn't drop down. Instead, in a controlled movement, Brigid brought her hand to her side. "You don't intimidate me."
"I should."
Maitho shook his head. "But because we are not going to stop this verbal spar, let me tell you this. I hope it gives you pause to think." He leaned forward slightly, wanting her to see that he was not trying to play with words or trick her. "Whatever you think I'm going to do, I don't care about it. I'm going to get to the bottom of this, even if I have to do it alone."
He stepped back and allowed her to think. It would definitely be dramatic to leave the hallway. But he wanted her to think. He needed her to respond. Her reaction will tell him whether his words had any effect on her.
"That's it? I don't know you thought that was going to convince me."
"If I walk through the front doors right now, Raiden is going to leave you alone. Which means, you don't get to know what happens next."
"I think you missed the part where Cray wanted to trap us in his mansion."
"Yes, but yesterday night was different wasn't it?" said Maitho, standing back straight. "He had no problem disarming all of us, but spent the entire time trying to convince me to join him. I wonder why."
She in turn seemed to contemplate. The shifts on her faces were like tectonic plates moving; revealing the changes on the surface in small tics. "I guess we'll have to see. Besides, we might need you now that Raiden mentioned you specifically in his message." Eventually, she brushed past him.
When he the door opened behind him, he turned around and spotted Bevan push past Brigid, offering her a meek nod. She held the door open for a moment, looking at her teammate. "I think Maitho and I have done all the talking."
For a moment, Bevan hesitated. He looked like he was about to abandon whatever quest he was on and walk back. Instead, he gave Brigid a warm smile, which seemed to transformed the expression on her face. He definitely had some effect on her. "I'm only going to take a quick moment," said Bevan.
Whatever she wanted to say might have lost its opportunity. She eyed Maitho one last time, warning him about something and closed the door behind her.
Bevan blew out his cheeks, as though he had just been held on trial in a courtroom. Maybe he might just have been.
"I feel like I'm being interviewed today," said Maitho, showing a smile to reveal that it was a jest, "and you're probably the guy who's going to recommend me to the boss."
"I doubt my recommendation will do anything," said Bevan, lifting his shoulders and allowing them to drop down, as though he was getting tired of holding them up. "But hear me out. I don't know how to say this, so I'm going to blurt it out the way it sounds in my head."
Watching Bevan struggle made Maitho uncomfortable. Yet it was better to offer the man the time to find his own words. He was on a mission and it was best if he completed it.
"I'm sorry that I didn't make a stand for you. Or even try hard enough. I am not the most influential or articulate. But I should have said something."
Bevan let out an air of relief. It changed him from someone looking like they were carrying a weight on their shoulders to someone with the energy to sprint for miles. He even bounced lightly on his heels.
"What are you doing Bevan?" said Maitho.
The sudden question made Bevan stop his movement, instantly turning his body rigid. "I'm sorry." He said that as a statement, and not as a question to inquire further.
"You are taking responsibility for things that are beyond your control."
A slow sense of realization dawned on Bevan's face. He looked still looked unconvinced. "But look at what we have done." He waved his arm, as though there were people in the hallway surrounding them. "This is not who we were Maitho. We were better. Now it's reached a point where you practically can't wait to get rid of us."
"Yes but that is my decision and mine alone," said Maitho. He gripped Bevan's biceps lightly and looked him in the eye. "Don't let this consume you."
Bevan seemed to say something, but closed his mouth and nodded. While his reaction conveyed a certain meaning, his expression said something else.
Maitho decided that he needed to remove this sense of guilt that seems to be bubbling inside Bevan. "No one deserves to beat themselves up for taking a chance at kindness," said Maitho.
This time, the reaction was more genuine. The corners of Bevan's eyes matched the smile he showed. He instantly dug out his smartphone. "I'm going to call you. Don't save my number as 'emotional guy'."
Maitho laughed. "Never came to my mind but I like your suggestion."
Bevan responded amicably and then began walking towards the security room. "Let's go. It seems Raiden wants to meet you."
"I heard," said Maitho. "Not sure I share his excitement." Saying that, he followed Bevan, knowing full well that what he was about to do might break the other man's trust.