Chapter 15

The Assault on Galley-La

"So many people!" Chopper looked through a pair of binoculars at the Galley-La Company Headquarters.

Luffy, Zoro, Maxwell, Chopper, and Nami had been staking out this place for a while. The sun had just gone down, and all of Galley-La seemed to be on alert. They had no idea where Sanji was. The cook had went off on his own, to find Robin his own way. Would he be successful? Who knows? Sanji always did have the uncanny ability to set things in motion. Maxwell just hoped it would help them soon.

The Strawhats had watched people trickle in and out of that building all day. People had evacuated to the necessary bunkers, for Aqua Laguna. None of the employees were taking chances though. The Galley-La headquarters doubled as Iceberg's house, and with the mayor on bedrest, he was more vulnerable than ever.

And Robin was going to attack tonight. They were sure of it.

"It's so far!" Luffy complained. He was getting anxious, waiting for some action. Not to mention, it was cold hiding in a tree at least 3 blocks away. The wind absolutely crazy, shuddering the leaves in there giant oak.

"You can just stretch your arms and fly over if an uproar occurs," Nami said patronizingly.

Zoro was leaning against the trunk, "Yeah. But if we're the ones to cause the uproar, we would have played right into her hands…"

"That, or whoever else planned this…" Maxwell had change back into his usual Warden armor. Though the noble disguise had done it's work, it wasn't meant for battle.

Maxwell had no illusions that Robin was just going to come quietly. They were going to foil an assassination attempt, when they were the ones being framed for it. This was their only chance to actually find Robin. She has had a lifetime to learn how to avoid people, and how to get rid of them. If she was gunning for Iceberg, then this would be the place. Robin's Devil Fruit relied on line-of-sight to make use of her power.

Maxwell just hoped they found out why she was doing this…

"Everyone has a weapon…" said Chopper. He was observing all the employed shipwrights around the building, "They look so strong!"

Maxwell took a turn looking through the dual lenses, "Yeah… Those carpenters look like they could pin down any pirate..." Galley-La certainly employed some rather rough characters. Most of them were men, muscular, and wearing some sort of loose shirt. Some had tattoos, others had scars, but all wore the same determined scowl. They were armed with muskets, riffles, pistols, clubs, even their usual work tools. These carpenters meant business.

"It'll be very bad if someone just barges in there recklessly," said Luffy.

Maxwell blinks and looks at Luffy. Nami sighs as her voice is laced with sarcasm, "I wonder who tried to get though earlier…!?" She was referring to Luffy's earlier breaking-and-entering, when Luffy had to make sure it was Robin, Iceberg had seen.

Zoro looks back at Max, "Tell me as soon as you see them make a move…"

"Right," Maxwell brings the binoculars back up to his eyes.

Zoro then stares at the Galley-La headquarter, "This is going to be a long night, but don't lose your concentration. If we don't catch her tonight… then we'll probably never know he truth. I don't think we'll ever get a second chance to find Robin."

"I'll definitely catch her!" Luffy also glares at the building. He already lost one comrade to this island. He wasn't going to lose another if he can help it. Luffy refused to believe Robin was doing this of her own free will.

Maxwell kept watch of the mayor's house. It was similar to a small castle really. A low sliding roof over walls of stone. A square towers extended bast the stone work, spiring from the centre of each facet. Arches and pillars stood at the base of the main face, creating a stretched out alcove so people didn't have to stand in the rain. The company logo displayed, proudly, on the tower. Maxwell counted at least three windows on the second floor. The curtains were drawn, so the Strawhats had no idea what was inside.

*BOOM!*

Maxwell flinched from the binoculars as an explosion went off from the corner of the building. The blast had gone off like a gunshot. They were certainly alert now. The assassination had begun!

Maxwell looked through the binoculars again and watched as the carpenters scrambled between rescuing the victims and chasing a fleeing figure. They were in full costume, no skin showing. Their costume was elaborate nobleman's garb with a feathered hat, and a wooden mask. But what really grabbed Maxwell's attention was the athletic feats they were performing. They were able jump onto the roof with just a whip and a jump. That certainly wasn't Robin.

Maxwell brought down the binoculars, "Damn, this is more of an assault than an assassination…"

"Eh!? Where's Luffy?" Chopper asked.

…

…

…

Luffy was gone.

"MAKER DAMN IT LUFFY!"

O O O

Maxwell and the others had no choice but to charge towards the building.

"ARGH! Why doesn't he ever listen!?" Nami yelled as they ran down the street. Luffy had probably gone ahead as soon as the explosion happened.

"No use complaining now!" said Zoro.

"Maybe Robin is in the crowd!" suggested Chopper, "What should we do? Do we need to sneak—!?"

"Subtlety has already thrown out the window, Chop!" Maxwell yelled, from behind. He was still the slowest out of everyone of the crew. Maybe those old man jokes were starting to catch up with him, "The plan for all of us to go together, and Luffy just went on ahead without us!" Maxwell swore, if Luffy wasn't made out of rubber, Maxwell would have zapped him into oblivion.

"Actually… this may be to our advantage," Nami suggested. "Do you think that Luffy would use stealth to enter the building?"

"Probably not." "Not a chance in hell!" "Not! Not!"

"He likely flew or charged in from the front. It's good if he got in. He's probably being chase around by the shipwrights!" Nami explained.

"Yeah. I agree." "Agreed! Agreed!" "Where are you going with this Nami?"

The navigator continued explaining, "When the enemy boss appears, everyone will chase after him. So, the front of the building should be poorly defended right now. We can use this chance to get in!"

"Wait, what sort of logic is that!?" Maxwell looked at the navigator as they ran. There were at last 300 people on the company grounds!

"I see. So Luffy's recklessness gives us an opportunity!" said Zoro.

"I agree! So we can just charge in there!" yelled Chopper.

"Wait, guys if—!" The others didn't listen as Max tried to speak.

"Jump over that wall!" "FOLLOW LUFFY!" "Yeah, let's go!"

Zoro, Nami, and Chopper all jumped over the bared fence that surrounded the property. There were no spurs at the top. Just a tall black iron fence. Maxwell was the only one not to jump, and he was glad he did.

The mage was the first to notice the crowd hadn't moved much, if at all. All the employees were still in the courtyard. Maxwell had no idea how many people went after that one distraction, but if they only sent a small force…

"Well… shit."

"IT'S RORNOA ZORO!" "AND THERE'S MAXWELL TREVELYAN!" "GET'EM!"

"WAAAHHH!" Chopper and Nami screamed in terror. They hadn't left at all.

"Guys! Move!" Maxwell yelled at his friends. They didn't need to be told twice. Chopper, Nami, and Zoro were booking it along the fence. Meanwhile, Maxwell waited behind the fence.

There was no running form this. They were separated, however briefly. The shipwrights were all too hot-blooded to listen to their explanation, and they were probably going to split up and try to get all of them. Maxwell had an advantage though. If they went after him, they'd all get bottlenecked coming through that gate.

"Here we go…!"

Maxwell twirled and then slammed his staff down on the concrete. Glacial Strength, a stronger version of Ice Wall, grew along the fence. The glacier hid him for view. Maxwell didn't run though, the spell was a diversion. From the street, Maxwell cast Winter, Inferno, and Storm runes all over the cobblestone. A magical minefield laid between him and the gate. Maxwell had no doubt some of the carpenters might try to climb the ice sheet with their tools. Maxwell believed he could snipe them off the top, easily enough.

The gates burst open, and Galley-La shipwrights charged around the corner, coming straight at him. That was their mistake. Carpenters either froze or got blown up from the glyphs bellow them. Those that got got in the Storm glyphs were subject to a Static Cage. They leave the boundary, they got electrocuted and got chucked back into the epicentre and knocking down their fellows.

All the while, Maxwell flung arcane bolts with his staff. Addition spells such as Arcing Surge and Wildfire, were slung at the shipwrights. Maxwell tried to keep his spells to non-lethal amounts of energy. They weren't enemies, technically speaking. Still, any shipwright that got close enough was either slashed with a Spirit Blade or were sent flying with a Fortifying Blast.

Maxwell could hear more outcries of carpenters on the other side of the fence. It seems Zoro was finally dealing with the lions share of Galley-La, and now the shipwrights were paying for it.

Maxwell could honestly say Zoro was unlike any swordsman he'd seen. His strength was incredible, and Zoro's dedication to swordsmanship was the stuff most knights could only dream of. This whole world was filled with crazy and incredible people. Maxwell had no doubts Zoro was kicking their collective asses.

There was a pause after Maxwell knocked out a few more shipwrights… It seems they were all defeated.

The mage immediately rushed towards the gate, careful not to step on anyone. Maxwell saw a lane of moaning shipwrights to the right side of the building and immediately followed it around the bend. There he caught up with Zoro, Chopper, and Nami, "Guys!"

"Taken care of your fair share, Max?" Maxwell noticed Zoro was holding one of his katanas backwards.

"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KNOCK OUT ALL OF THE SHIPWRIGHTS!" Nami yelled at the swordsman. It was a scolding, not a question, one Zoro ignored.

"I think you got more than yours, Zoro," Maxwell smiled back. He noticed Chopper being starry-eyed at Zoro's strength.

"Whatever, let's go!" said Nami, and rushed towards the entrance. Nami had actually been here before, so Maxwell and Chopper followed her lead.

As or Zoro…

"Zoro, this way!" Chopper called back to him.

"Yeah," Zoro responded… and then took a totally other direction then where they were going.

"ZORO!" "I SAID THIS WAY!" "HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW WHERE TO GO!?"

O O O

Maxwell, Chopper, Nami, and Zoro all ran through the halls of Galley-La Headquarters. They had already reached the second floor and where heading for Iceberg's room.

"There! That door in front of us has to be it!" Nami pointed at the double doors with some chairs in front.

"There's a lot people lying in front of it!" Chopper noticed the bodies. Fallen guards from whoever infiltrated the building, no doubt—And no it was not the Strawhats.

Nami pointed the door out to Zoro, "Now! Go straight! We'll crash through the door!"

"Don't order me around!" Zoro barked back at the navigator. Still, Zoro charged straight towards the door, two of his katanas drawn.

As Zoro cut down the door and the group burst into Iceberg's bedroom, there was another crash that came through the west wall.

"WHERE'S ROBIN!"

"Luffy!"

"LUFFY!"

"A hindrance."

Maxwell immediately took note of the five assailants. Three of the five were complete strangers. Kaku, the shipwrights who had inspected the Merry, was standing with them, all in costume. There was a tall gruff man with a bull horn haircut, a blonde woman with sharp glasses, and a man with shaggy hair, top hat, and a pigeon on his shoulder. And then there was Robin, who stood with them, wrapped in a cloak. She didn't seem to expect her former crew bursting in. A man, who Maxwell assumed was Iceberg, laid on the floor. Injured, but alive.

"LUFFY! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN ALL THIS TIME!" Zoro yelled at his captain who had made the hole in the wall.

"Robin! I'm so glad to see you!" Chopper called out to their fellow pirate.

Nami seemed confused however, "W—What's going here!?" She recognized some of these people.

"Aw jeez…" the man with the pigeon said coldly.

"Strawhat… Paulie…!" Iceberg croaked on the floor.

Maxwell then noticed another man, standing with Luffy. A man in denim jacket, and cracked goggles on his head. Paulie seems to be in shock and disbelief, "Iceberg… What… What in the world is going on!?"

"…Paulie, why didn't you run away!?" Iceberg tried to yell, but his breath seems laboured.

This only made Paulie's anger rise, "What is this…! It's like—! Why are you guys dressed like THE CRIMINALS WHO'RE AFTER ICEBERG'S LIFE!? KALIFA! BLUENO! KAKU! LUCCI!" The assassins didn't even seem fazed by their identities, "STOP JOKING AROUND, YOU BASTARDS!"

Luffy seemed to recognize some of them as well, "…Oh yeah! Those are the shipwrights you were with earlier! That's the pigeon guy! Right?" Luffy looked at the shocked shipwright.

"Hey, I recognize the square nose," said Zoro.

"I know, Zoro…" Maxwell kept his staff at the ready.

"Could this mean… that the assassination was an inside job!?" Nami watched the four assailants.

Rob Lucci looked at Paulie with a cold glare, "Paulie, to tell you the truth, we are actually government intelligence operatives. You'll forgive me if I apologize, right…?" Maxwell didn't even see a smidgeon of remorse, "We were companions… We built ships day in and day out… If it's too sudden for you to believe, would you like me to… step on Iceberg's face or something?"

Paulie shook in rage, "Stop messing around! That's enough… The voice I heard earlier in the cow mask matched yours… Dammit, you bastard! YOU CAN SPEAK PLAINLY! YOU MADE FOOLS OUT OF ALL OF US!"

"Stop! Paulie!" Iceberg tried to warn him but it was too late.

"PIPE HITCH KNIVES!" Paulie threw a line of rope, with hundreds of knives knotted into it's weave. He swung it, fully intending to wrap it around like am iron maiden.

But Rob Lucci moved too fast for an ordinary human.

"Shigan."

Lucci closed the gap between them, and pierced Paulie's chest his his bare finger.

"Sweet Andraste…!" Maxwell's eyes barely registered that attack. How did he move so fast!?

"You still don't get it, do you Paulie?" Lucci withdrew his bloody finger and let the carpenter fall to his knees.

"Hey! Rope guy!" Luffy cried out in alarm. Maxwell swore Paulie said something, but he couldn't hear it. Amazingly, Paulie only fell to one knee, despite the open wound.

"Don't bother resisting… We've mastered skills that soar far above those of humans. We've spent countless hours training in martial arts that makes the body a weapon. Rokushiki. The strength of who has mastered it's equal to 100 men."

"…Why would you—!" Paulie tried to rise, only for Lucci to grab his shoulder.

"No matter. Your life will expire, either way… even though we were friends…" Lucci raised a hand to strike.

"Lucci! You bastard!" Iceberg cried out in fear of his employee.

"STOP IT!" Luffy swung an extended kick at the treacherous assassin, only for him to catch Luffy's sandalled foot.

Luffy then Lucci as an anchor point to draw in closer.

"GOMU-GOMU NO—" "Tekkai." "—GATTLING!"

Luffy swung his barrage of punches at the spy. Sure, Lucci had let go of his foot, but only to take a horse stance. The assassin took all the punches head on, "…What!? It's didn't work at all!?"

"…This is annoying. Soru."

"Huh!?" Luffy looked on in shock, "He disappeared!" It was a rouse.

"Shigan." "AUGH!"

Lucci reappeared in front of Luffy, and struck his weaponized finger at Luffy's neck. Luffy was then sent careening towards his crew, on their side of the room.

"LUFFY!"

"…KEHA!" Luffy had but struck, but the finger didn't pierce his neck. That last attack still packed a punch though. Luffy just wretched in his throat with pain.

"If you had a normal neck… You'd now have a hole in it, and would have died instantly, rubber-man.

Luffy then took advantage of his floundering and stretched out to grab Paulie. The rubber man jumped to his feet as the shipwright came to there side.

Lucci was only mildly surprised, "…What are you doing, Strawhat?"

"You're planning to kill him!" Luffy retorted, "Weren't you shipwrights together!?"

"'Til a moment ago, yes… But now it's different." Maxwell swore, this Lucci-guy was the definition of stone-cold killer.

"You really are a traitor! Fine then," Luffy glared as he yelled, "Anyways, I promised this guy, that we'd beat the crap out of the guys who tried to kill Ice-Pops!" Paulie looked up despite his wounds. Luffy always did have his eccentricities.

Kaku then spoke up, "…Why do you side with Paulie…?"

"'Cause I got business with you too!" Luffy then looked to Robin who was standing in the back, "Hey Robin! What're you doing with these guys!? If you want out of the crew, at least tell me why!"

"Yeah! They're government officials! Why!?" Nami backed up her captain. These were the last guys Robin would ally with.

"…You people don't seem to listen very well… I told the cook and the doctor goodbye… Didn't they tell you?"

"I did!" Chopper burst out, "But I don't get it either! Why!? Robin!"

"To grant my wish!" Robin glared at them, "A wish that can't be achieved, if I stay with you people! …To accomplish it… I will sacrifice anything!"

"So…" Zoro stared down the black haired woman, "That's why you're able to frame your friends as assassins without hesitating? What's this wish of yours, anyway!?"

Robin's face darkened, "I don't have to tell you."

"Don't try to understand her…! She's…!" Iceberg barely croaked before he suddenly yelled, "Are you crazy, Nico Robin!? Do you understand what you're trying to do!?"

Robin stared down at the injured mayor, "…You no longer have the right to say anything. Keep your mouth shut!" Maxwell realized in that moment, Robin didn't need a pose to use her powers. Arms popped out of the ground and on Iceberg to pin him, "I will not let anyone interfere!"

"Iceberg!" "Robin! What're you doing!? Are you serious!?"

"Robin, What happened to you!?" Chopper cried out in desperation, "Are you really our enemy!? Robin!"

The woman didn't answer.

Lucci then stepped in front of her, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to stop you right there… We have to find a very important person after this, so we're in a hurry. We have no more business in this mansion… and we don't have any business with you, either. Kalifa, how much longer?"

Kalifa looked at her timepiece, "…2 minutes."

"This is sudden, but… in 2 minutes, this mansion will be engulfed in flames."

"What!?" Luffy wasn't the only one that was shocked.

"Fire is a very convenient way of destroying evidence," Lucci continued, "If you do not want to burn to death, I suggest you evacuate quickly. That is… if you can." Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno lined up in front, making a wall between them and Robin.

Zoro slowly drew his sword, "It looks like they mean to eliminate us. Nico Robin seems to want to stay on the other side… Luffy, are you okay with Robin leaving the crew?"

…

…

…

"HELL NO!"

Knowing his captain's heart, Maxwell cast a Barrier spell around them all. Everyone needed so sort of protection, and Maxwell, Luffy, and Zoro were their main fighters right now. The Strawhats and assassins were at a stand off, but Maxwell knew that wouldn't last long.

"The flames will rise from a number of rooms on the first floor soon. But the culprits were pirates… These things happen," Lucci explained.

"So they're planning to pin this one on us as well, huh…?" Maxwell muttered to himself.

Nami assembled her clima-tact, "To think that you do as you please while pretending something else did it… Talk about rude!"

"You're already criminals. I see no problems with that," Blueno crossed his arms.

Then the clock ticked, 9:59.

Robin lifted her hood up, "I'll be going then."

Lucci didn't even look at her, "Yes you've done your part."

"Wait! Robin! I won't accept it!" Luffy yelled at her.

"Goodbye…"

"ROBIN!" Both Nami and Chopper yell after her.

Maxwell heard a cough, his eyes flickering towards it. It was was Iceberg, "…Don't let her go…! Don't let Nico Robin…!

Luffy finally charged, "Where are you going now!? We just found you!" Blueno however, intercepted him, getting in front, "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Luffy kicked him in the face.

"Tekkai," However, the kick did nothing, and Blueno just grinned.

"…What is withers guys and their hard bodies!?" Luffy glared at the agent.

Surprisingly, Blueno actually answered, "Our bodies are trained to the point of mimicking an iron shell. We can heighten our resistance, but taking hits is not our only skill."

"I SAID GET OUT OF MY WAY!" "Kami-e."

Luffy threw a flurry of punches but the tall bull just avoided them with unnatural flexibility, "It's like he's a floating piece of paper…!"

Luffy noticed Robin moving behind the human blow-tube-man, "Robin! Wait!" Robin was heading towards the window sill.

Maxwell shifted the weight on his feet, pacing in place. The assassins were underestimating them, gloating what they could do. And this gave Maxwell an idea. "Not yet…"

"You…!" Luffy refocused on his attention on Blueno, "Gomu-Gomu no— BULLET!" Luffy had thrown his fist back then brought it forward with an almighty punch.

"Soru."

But like Lucci, Blueno also disappeared.

"It only seems as though I've disappeared," Blueno said from behind Luffy, "With the explosive power of my legs—"

"YOU!" Luffy pivoted to punch the assassin, but Blueno dodged again.

"—Geppo—I can kick the air and float..."

"He's flying!" Chopper exclaimed. Blueno did seem to be floating in the air. Each kick had an explosive puff that moved him upwards.

"And…" Luffy realized his mistake to late. They WERE assassins, "Rankyaku." Both Kalifa and Kaku had Soru'd behind Luffy and kicked at him. Luffy barely turned in time to take it in the stomach. But that wasn't the worst of it…

"GET DOWN!" Nami, Maxwell, and Chopper barely ducked by Zoro's warning before a sudden force ripped through the room. It was like a giant blade had slashed at them. One made of air.

Luffy had been thrown out of the room through the door. But the rest of the force was blown clean through the walls.

"LUFFY!" "They can cut the wall with their kicks!?"

Maxwell also eyed their captain with worry, but he knew the barrier had done it's job. That was probably the only reason, that Luffy didn't get gutted. That, and Luffy took the actual impacts, not the resulting shockwaves.

"If you have the speed to create a kamakase, then it's possible… That's Rankyaku," Kalifa explained after the fact. Maxwell moved in front of Nami and Chopper, who were too shocked to do anything. He was still looking for his opening.

Zoro however, charged forward, clashing blades with Kaku, who had a carpenter's saw, "We met on the ship Roronoa."

"You're not a shipwright!" Both men drew another weapon and clashed again, "So your inspection at the time—"

"Unfortunately for you, I was serious when I appraised it," Kaku interrupted the swordsman.

"…Don't I know it," Zoro and and Kaku then exchanged a flurry of slashes. Each fighter striking, blocking, and countering one another.

Robin pushed the window open, and Maxwell got ready. He eyed Kalifa, Blueno, and Lucci, wondering who would react first. Thank the Maker he studied up on those Spirit spells.

"Don't go Robin!" Luffy yelled from the end of the hall, "I'm not done talking to you!"

Robin turned around to face him, "No, I'm done. We will never meet again."

"You're done with him…" The three assassins perked up as if they just noticed him, "But are you done with me?" Peaceful Aura had done it's job.

Robin's eyes widen, "Damn—!" Maxwell morphs into the Frost Step.

The comet moves in an arc. Kalifa and Blueno react but even they can't catch mist. All they could get is a layer of ice on their limbs, and they had to pull back to not get frostbite.

The spell was brief, however. When the spell ended, Maxwell sees Lucci standing right in front of him.

"MAX!" "Shigan."

Lucci pierces Maxwell's shoulder with his finger… Only, there was no blood. In fact it was almost like he was feeling hot air. Maxwell had expected this. In a split second, Maxwell had performed a Fade Cloak. His most important spell at the moment. Momentarily surprised, Lucci could barely brace when Maxwell quickly brings two fingers to his forehead, and performs a Fortifying Blast.

The mystic explosion knocks Lucci to the side of the room, and Maxwell makes a break for the window. Robin quickly tries to escape out the window sill, "Oh no you don't!" —but that's exactly what Maxwell wanted. The mage throws away his staff, tackling the fleeing archeologist, as they both fall out of the window.

Maxwell holds onto Robin for dear life, arms wrapped tightly around her waste. Robin struggles to get him off her as they tumble free fall in the air. She pushes and pries, but the mage just won't let go. He even tries to get a better hold of her, moving up her torso.

Maxwell then sees the ground and summons a Winter glyph below them. As they enter the circle, the two turn into the freezing comet of the Frost Step. The frost cloud spirals and swerves in the air, as if showing the conflict still going on in the mist. It flys out and over the fence and onto the streets.

The spell disperses with the impact and the two tumble across the street… only for them to fall into a cannel. They hadn't let go each other, or at least Maxwell hadn't let go yet. Maxwell barely got a breath in as the cold water enveloped him. It was worse for Robin, she was a Devil Fruit User. Anyone with Devil Fruit powers is helpless in the water up to the shin.

They still struggled with one another, but now they were both fighting for air, and fighting the current, on top of their wrestling match. Maxwell then realizes her weakness and tries to find solid footing on the bedrock. The water was at least 8 foot deep, and the storm wasn't making things any easier. But Maxwell did find a footing and holds Robin above him, so her head was above water. She goes limp, having no choice in the matter.

Maxwell takes that as his signal to jump up for air. He breathes deep, making sure he still had a tentative hold on the woman. Then Maxwell wraps one arm around her and drags her, swimming, back to a ledge.

"Dammit Maxwell…! Let me go!" said Rodin. Her voice was still defiant, even with the water sapping her strength.

"I did not… tackle you out a window... just to see you drown!" Maxwell speaks between breast strokes. The mage finds a stairwell leading into the water and swims them towards that. There, Maxwell latches on and hauls himself and Robin out of the water. Both of them panted from exhaustion, fighting that current.

"Now… What in Andraste's name is going on, Robin!?" Maxwell finally looked at the archeologist. The mage still kept her in the water up to her knees. He wasn't going to risk her running away.

Not now, not when he wanted answers.