"We keep circling around the same problem," the Colonel said. "We don't know them well enough to know what they really care about. We don't know what would hurt them the most." He took a drag from his cigarette.
"What if we could get to know them?" Miles suggested.
"Don't be crazy," Alaska said. She blew a smoke ring.
"No!" Lara said, way too loud.
Everyone looked at her.
She blushed. "Sorry."
"Go ahead and say it," Miles urged her.
"Well, I just thought… we don't really have to talk to them. I mean, their rooms say a lot about them. They flooded Alaska's room because they knew she cared about books. It's pretty obvious."
"So if we get in their room," Takumi said.
"We'll know what they care about," Miles added. "That's a great idea."
Lara avoided his eyes.
"Hm. It shouldn't be too hard to get in their rooms," the Colonel said. "They aren't here during the weekends."
"But what about the Eagle?" Gus asked.
"Oh come on," Miles said. "There's six of us. It shouldn't be that hard to distract him, right?"
"Yeah," the Colonel said. "We'll split in teams of two. One team to distract him and two teams to check the rooms."
"Or we could just go in at night," Lara said.
"Oh. Yeah, that's a plan too."
"There are three rooms," Gus said. "It's perfect. Three teams of two."
"Then I'm going with you," Alaska said. "We'll take Kevin's room."
"Then me and Takumi will take Longwell's room."
"You mean Takumi and I?" Takumi said.
The Colonel sighed. "You know it's bad when the foreigner corrects you."
"Anyway," Miles said. "Lara and I will take… uh, who's left?"
"Erik and Barton," Alaska said. "They share a room."
"Okay."
A short silence fell.
"Maybe Lara should be the Colonel?" Gus suggested.
"Are you trying to get court martialed, Lieutenant Waters?"
They all laughed.