SATe [✔]

[21] vulnerable

I'd hurriedly left the apartment, almost forgetting to throw on some of the boots left in the hallway. I hadn't heard someone sound more worried than Perry did over the phone, so I didn't give myself even a second to worry about anything but that. I hadn't even considered how I was going to get back to the SATe base; I barely had a vague location, and the only vehicle I owned was across town at work.

When I had gotten downstairs, I realised that Priestley was standing there, leaning against her car and looking at me like I'd thrown an egg in her face. The last I'd seen her she'd been sent home in a fit and refused to leave. I had to consider that she'd probably been brought back in a hurry after Alexandria's injury. Her hair was still damp from a shower she'd taken, and she looked a little less put together than usual; sweatpants and a loose top being chosen to cover her frame. In comparison to the often-tailored suits and formal dresses, she looked far more relaxed and approachable. It was a wonder she didn't dress like this more often.

"We went to the hospital to see if that's where she'd gone, but there's been no activity there. On the contrary, most of the doctors seem to have 'taken unpaid leave' if we are to consider the nurses reliable," She'd spoken unprompted as she'd walked towards me and nodded to the doorman who hovered in the doorway as he let me out. The man waved with two fingers before disappearing back into the building.

"So, what's the plan? How are we going to find Marie?" I said as I walked towards her. A finger had gone to her lips in an instant, and I could feel my cheeks going red already. She'd scolded me like my mother would've done, her eyes glaring the same way. I hadn't considered it was information not to be shared on public streets.

"We're thinking of hitting up some of the high-activity areas for different alien species. Either we'll bump into some Avvon or another species will have information," She continued in a whisper, refusing to turn her scowl back into the smile she'd given to the doorman.

"That's not much to go on," I respond, my hands going over my chest as we walk to the car, her with a slight skip in her step. She'd been carrying a metal device and was focusing on it rather intently.

"She's disabled her tracker and doesn't have a communication device," She revealed, sounding a little irritated by the fact. It didn't necessarily surprise me that Marie would be cunningly brilliant if she needed to be. Still, I couldn't imagine her leaving the relative safety of the base without good reason. My assumptions were verified when we'd gotten into the car, and she'd continued, "Plus, she's been in this field for more years than I can count. If she wants to avoid us, she can do so, terrifyingly easily."

She had put the car in the ignition but stopped at that point, her eyes widening to something outside of the vehicle. I'd expected something like a small child at the least, and Marie at the hopeful. Instead, I'd turned to a view of Victoria, hovering near my car door and looking relatively uncomfortable; her eyes averted from Priestley with a glum expression.