[hr][b][h1][color=d5dbdb]Samantha Cole[/color][/h1][/b][hr][hr]
[i][u]Old Raygate, Prince Ed-Field.[/u][/i]

Sam hunkered down in the doorway of one of Old Raygate's neglected factories. She guessed it would have been some kind of automotive plant, judging from the residual smell of oils and other fluids. Rust on the fittings, grime on the windows, and plants forcing their way through cracks in the parking lot all gave this property a time-of-death around a couple of years. She picked the cleanest spot of the arch and shimmied herself into a meager amount of comfort before popping the latch on her messenger bag.

The crinkling plastic of today's rations sent her back to the institution. It reminded her of the film she'd had to tear away from their mass-produced meal trays. She ate automatically, as if a reflex, like breathing. At this point in her life, she barely bothered to make note of what was in the package. These days, it was all about getting in and out before making a lasting impression on anyone.

The day's events replayed in her mind while she absently chewed. She was vaguely aware of the taste of oatmeal and raisins. The irony of having to subsist on junk food was not lost on her; especially as she involuntarily recalled how she'd refused her last client.

[i]"I don't scramble police bands,"[/i] she had said. [i]"Whatever it is, you're gonna have to do it without me."[/i]

That thought made her chuckle. She would rip off countless marks for food money, but she wouldn't take a high-profile job that might have set her up for a year; maybe more. Her levity passed as she remembered his reaction.

[i]"You had your chance."[/i]

Now that was an odd thing to say to someone you wanted to help you. At first, Sam had figured he and his buddies were going to knock over a jewelry store and didn't want the cops to be able to coordinate the chase. But the area of coverage and the scale of it...

She poked at her tablet half-heartedly and pulled up an area map of the target in question. There weren't many locations of any real value; just a lot of fairgrounds and such. Why should that pull the attention of any criminal with enough funds to request a communications blackout, never mind whether she could do it or not. She stopped chewing for a second and, just for that moment, could not get past that conundrum.

[i]"Just 'cause I didn't do it, doesn't mean it didn't get done."[/i] Sam's voice of reason prodded her. She whisked away the area map and pulled up a few news sites. The absence of any notable events was a little too consistent for her liking. The only thing she found was a few promotional websites for some DOVE rally.

[i]"Oh hell..."[/i]