They'd only driven for a few minutes before Lassiter dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He kept his eyes on the road as he dialed and brought it up to his ear. "Bates, I need to talk to your CI, Jacott. How do I-" He grimaced as the voice over the phone snapped at him. He rolled his eyes before saying, "No, I don't want to arrest him. I figured something out about the bust and need to talk to him. Now."

Shawn raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked back at Gus.

Gus shrugged, curious about Lassiter's plan as well.

Lassiter continued his call, "Fine, text me the address. We're just north of town… For crying out loud, yes, I promise I'm not going to arrest him… No, I won't shoot him either. That was just one time!"

Shawn snorted quietly and Gus sighed when he realized the indignation in the smell of gunpowder had an underlying tinge of pride.

"Fine, I'll owe you. Thank you." Lassiter hung up and tossed his phone into one of the cupholders.

Shawn watched and asked curiously, "So… Exactly how many criminal informants have you arrested?"

"That depends. Are we counting you?" Lassiter grumbled.

"Technically, you've never arrested me," Shawn pointed out. "You were close a few times, but it's always been someone else slapping on the cuffs. Now, Gus, on the other hand…"

Gus kicked the back of Shawn's seat. "That was my idea, don't even."

The slight undertone of guilt in the cannon reverb shifted into gratitude. Lassiter snapped out, "Don't kick my car, Guster."

"So, what's the plan, Lassie? Why the detour?" Shawn asked.

Lassiter hesitated for a second as he considered his words. He finally answered, "You don't know for a fact that O'Hara's in trouble. You said her cover was compromised, but there's a chance it isn't blown yet and she can get out on her own. I don't know how you know it, but when your information is specific enough to know exact details of a building… it's usually right. And if you repeat that to anyone, then I'll be on record for shooting two CIs."

Gus couldn't help but ask, "Why did you shoot the first one?"

"He had a flamethrower," Lassiter answered proudly.

"... Of course he did," Shawn said, shaking his head. He glanced at the clock and asked more seriously, "So, why the meeting?"

Lassiter answered darkly, "I need to know if he's ratted out my partner yet."

Shawn traded nervous looks with Gus before saying, "Uh… Detective, don't you think-"

"Please, Spencer. Do you really think I'd try to beat information out of someone with two civilians in the car with me?"

"Um, no?" Shawn said, uncertainly.

Lassiter rolled his eyes as his phone dinged with a text. He glanced at it quickly before tossing it back in the cup holder. "What kind of a detective do you think I am? I'm going to ask some very specific questions and let him know about several specific consequences of not answering those questions. He's an informant, it's his job to answer."

Gus' skin crawled at Lassiter's dark, threatening tone.

"... Ok, that's an idea. One problem," Shawn held up a finger, "he's not your informant anymore. There's no way he's going to tell you the truth and risk waking up with a chain around his neck."

"Damnit, Spencer," Lassiter snapped. "O'Hara still hasn't texted back yet, McNabb is keeping an ear out for me, and I know the feds will try to write it off as her not being able to reach her phone. They won't move on anything unless there's actual proof that she's in active danger, or until they know exactly where Novikov is. Jacott has those answers. Do you have a better idea?"

"Yeah, actually, I do," Shawn answered tensely. "And my idea doesn't get Jules killed. Ask Jacott something else, figure out a reason for meeting with him. Let me read him, and I can tell you where he's been, who he's been with, and if he's sold out Jules yet. All without him running back to his new boss and telling him to get rid of the evidence. You've trusted me before, with way less. Trust me now."

Gus could see Lassiter warring with himself, police protocol and a general disdain of Shawn's chaotic way of doing things fighting against the need to get the bad guy and keep Juliet safe. It was obvious which side was going to win.

Lassiter turned off his sirens and slowed down to a less noticeable speed as he growled and said, "This is our only chance to talk to him without arousing suspicion. Don't make me regret this."

"Arousing? Really?" Shawn asked with a small smirk.

"It's a perfectly legit use of the word, Shawn," Gus sighed out, wishing that immaturity wasn't one of his friend's coping mechanisms.

Shawn ignored Gus' addition as he asked more seriously, "You sure you can talk to him without letting on we know he's switched sides?

"I know how to do my job…" Lassiter grumbled.

"Shooting things and doing paperwork, sure," Shawn agreed, "but misleading a criminal and not immediately arresting them? That's like… opposite-Lassie."

"Is that a challenge, Spencer?"

"Do you need it to be?"

"Watch and learn."

It wasn't long before Lassiter was turning off his headlights to drive into a shadowy back alley that had Gus immediately wondering if they were about to lose a kidney. Lassiter drummed his hands on the steering wheel as he looked around, his chest reverb thrumming with nervous tension. Gus focused and tried to sense anyone else nearby, fighting the urge to lift his hand to his head. Almost immediately, he felt someone approaching them, bringing the thought sensations of clay molding along the edges of his vision and the taste of mashed potatoes.

"There," Shawn said, nodding towards a shadow pulling away from a darker shadow of a doorway.

"Alright, I know how well you Spencers listen when I say this, so let me be as clear as possible. Shut up, and let me do the talking," Lassiter ordered as he sat up straighter.

Gus could see Shawn tense at the words; he immediately reached out to squeeze Shawn's shoulder, both as a silent comfort and as a reminder that it wasn't the time to start any fights.

Shawn sent an angry broadcast: Clint Eastwood standing over another man, "I'll kick your ass so hard, you'll have to unbutton your collar to shit."

Gus smirked at the movie choice as he felt Shawn relax his shoulders, his red thoughts fading slightly as he watched a stocky bald man with stubble all along his jaw stride to their car. Gus patted Shawn's shoulder urgently as he realized Jacott was wearing the same outfit as he had in the dream. Shawn nodded in understanding: Zoro cutting away a dress.

Gus rolled his eyes and flicked Shawn's ear gently before sitting back and paying attention to the informant's thoughts.

Jacott stood next to the driver's side door and crossed his arms, looking in both directions before knocking on Lassiter's window. He barely waited for the glass to move away before asking, "Do you think you could have looked more like a cop if you tried? Come on, a Crown Vic? Really?"

"Sorry I didn't take into account what criminals would think of my car when I bought it," Lassiter sneered.

"At least Bates drives a Focus," Jacott grumbled before nodding towards Shawn. "You already replaced your little blonde girlfriend? He doesn't look like a cop, seems like an upgrade."

"My partner doesn't need to be dragged around in the middle of the night just to meet with the likes of you," Lassiter answered blandly while his reverb thrummed with rage. He jerked a thumb towards Shawn without looking away from Jacott, "They are none of your concern."

Jacott smirked. "She doesn't like being dragged around, huh? That's too bad… I would have liked to see her again."

The buttery taste of mashed potatoes spiked in amusement and Gus could see the memory right under the surface.

Two burly men grabbed the blonde woman he indicated and dragged her over. She wouldn't make eye contact, her hair fell over her face, and she seemed smaller without her suit or heels. He'd still recognize her anywhere. "Yeah, she's a cop. Detective Juliet O'Hara."

"No, n-no, please, let me go! M-my name's Amy Vera, I've n-never seen this man before in my life, I swear!" The woman said, her voice shaking.

Novikov's second in command looked at her uncaringly. "You're sure about her?"

He snorted. "She arrested me a few years ago. Yeah, I'm sure."

The woman looked up through her hair with wide eyes. "W-what? Arrested? I don't understand, I just came in to- Ah!"

The second in command backhanded her across the face with a loud slap. With both of her arms still being held, she wasn't able to do anything except continue to look miserable as tears began to fall. He was impressed despite himself; she could really play her part.

"Take her, we'll get to the bottom of this," the second in command said with a jerk of his head.

As she was dragged off, Gus held up his cuffed hands. "So, is that useful enough to get these off?"

Gus shook his head slightly as he came out of the memory, feeling like he was having to press back clay that was molding around him before he could reach the surface. He focused on his shield and forced himself to not react to the dissociative feeling of being pulled in too far; he couldn't blow this, especially now that he knew for sure Juliet was in danger. He remembered electricity running through his body in a dream and he desperately hoped that she wasn't feeling it for real while they were just sitting and talking.

Lassiter cut off another insult from Jacott, his face completely blank. "I need you to look into something."

"Yeah? And what's in it for me?" Jacott asked.

"You don't get arrested," Lassiter answered dryly as the smell of gunpowder twinged in regret. He paused for a second before continuing, "And we'll pay double your usual."

Jacott's clay flattened in surprise and he squinted suspiciously. "You will, huh? And why's that?"

Lassiter sighed, seemingly annoyed. "You're one of the few scum not in hiding right now, and my last guy managed to set himself on fire. I'd rather not talk to you any more than I have to, so double is the first and final offer. Take it or leave it."

Jacott thought for a minute, even though Gus knew he'd made up his mind as soon as Lassiter had finished talking. The informant finally crossed his arms and asked, "Alright, what do you want to know?"

"Some of the men in Novikov's gang were using Makarov pistols; that ammo can be a bitch to find over here," Lassiter answered. "I want to know who's supplying him. His stash from home won't last long."

"I deal with drugs, not weapons," Jacott said with a hint of panic in his voice.

"Which is why we're paying double. You think I want to ask you?"

Jacott snapped, "Do you have any idea how suicidal looking for that information would be?"

"You know, I'm pretty sure your name slipped out during a few of my interrogations…" Lassiter said with a deceptively light tone. "I'm sure there's several people in prison who'd be thrilled to hear that you'd been picked up for drugs again."

The mashed potatoes soured in anger and Jacott clenched his jaw as he gritted out, "Fine. But it's going to take me time."

"Forty-eight hours. Same time, same place. Don't be late," Lassiter said with a predatory grin as he rolled up the window.

Gus watched the clay fold in on itself: Fear, a pair of handcuffs, a route to the southern border, Novikov.

A bubble in the clay opened and Gus could hear a dangerous voice with a Russian accent.

"You have quite the wealth of knowledge… and very questionable loyalties. I'd like to offer you some friendly advice..." A sharp buzz sounded out, followed by a strangled yep and a gasp for breath. "I don't take betrayal lightly."

Gus looked up and watched as the chained detective sat back up on her knees, panting for breath as her whole body shook from the latest shock. He was pretty sure the tears weren't an act this time as she blinked them back and glared at Novikov and the remote.

"Don't worry boss," Gus reassured the Russian as he remembered his brief stint with the chain around his neck, "I'm your guy, through and through."

The memory faded as Lassiter drove the car away, and Gus spun around in his seat to watch Jacott turn and disappear back into the shadows. He felt for the taste of mashed potatoes, needing to know what the informant had decided to do: Indecision, a glass of alcohol, a bed, a clock.

Gus breathed a sigh of relief; the informant wasn't running back to Novikov, which meant they didn't have to worry about what he would tell the mob boss. The thought sensations faded away and Gus realized he'd been clutching his bracelet during the whole conversation. He didn't know why some people seemed to have louder thoughts, but it was disconcerting when he had to fight to not be drawn in.

Lassiter's carefully controlled emotions suddenly flared red as he gripped the steering wheel tightly and growled, "That son of a bitch."

"You caught it too, huh?" Shawn asked grimly.

"He was hardly subtle. I cannot believe I just let him walk away. Damnit!"

"It was the right call, you couldn't risk spooking Podovsky," Shawn pointed out grimly. Gus wondered if he was even aware that he was still using movie bad guy names for the mob boss.

Lassiter growled and turned on his headlights to pull onto the road. "Please tell me I didn't just burn my best lead for nothing."

Shawn looked at him in surprise. "Wait, that stuff about the guns was real?"

"Of course it was real, why would I lie about guns?" Lassiter asked, just as surprised.

"You lied by telling the truth. That is so sexy…" Shawn shook his head at himself and his thoughts bounced faster as he re-focused.

The tips of Lassiter's ears turned red and he snapped, "I told you, I know how to do my job. I didn't become the youngest Head Detective in Santa Barbara's history by accident, you know."

"I guess not." Ocean waves crested as Shawn brought his hand to his head. He ignored Lassiter's scoff as he rattled off his observations. "The club's on this side of town. Novikov's there, so's Jules; at least, they were when Jacott was there. He wouldn't have been testing you if she was-" He swallowed and quickly continued, "Novikov likes the show, he's going to want to show her off as long as he can. But the stage is only good for another hour or so until the place shuts down…"

Lassiter's chest reverb thrummed deeper as he made his own assessment, "She'd be easier to rescue in transit, but that's assuming he's planning on taking her with him. He's left a body every night."

Gus noticed he wasn't even questioning Shawn's deductions.

"Jacott was supposed to be tonight's message," Shawn added. At Lassiter's questioning look, Shawn pointed at his neck in explanation. "He had some marks. Not much, he probably started spilling information as soon as he was able, but they were there."

"Good. The bastard deserves it." Lassiter pulled off to the side of the road and stared ahead as he thought. He finally asked, "How sure are you about what you said about the club?"

Shawn took a breath to answer before pausing, himself. He gave Lassiter a searching look before answering without flourish, "One-hundred percent on the private stage, eighty percent on the soundproof office. Purple walls, neon strips along the ceiling, serving barbecue wings tonight, at least one of the dancers is wearing glitter. Though, that probably doesn't narrow it down much."

Lassiter sighed before picking up his phone, muttering to himself, "I really wish I knew how you knew that…" He brought the phone to his ear and only listened for a second before saying, "Chief, we have confirmation that O'Hara is compromised and taken. She's at Titters, the new… gentlemen's club."

Shawn froze before leaning back to whisper to Gus, "He can say 'Titters' without batting an eye, but not 'stripper'?"

"Maybe he thinks it's just about the type of laugh?" Gus whispered back.

"Oh my god, I know what tits are!" Lassiter exclaimed. His face suddenly went blank, "Uh, I am so sorry you had to hear that, Chief."

While Lassiter was distracted by his embarrassment, Shawn asked even quieter, "Anything new?"

"Not really," Gus answered under his breath, "Jacott went home, not back to the club, if that helps."

"It might…" Shawn said as his thoughts began to race.

"I picked up Guster and Spencer as ordered and was bringing them back to the station when Spencer had another…" Lassiter grimaced, as though the words were physically painful to say, "...vision. I decided to follow up on it and contacted Bate's CI. He gave us enough intel to narrow down the location."

Gus shared a surprised look with Shawn. While technically the truth, Lassiter was still deliberately misleading Vick.

The reverb in Gus' chest seemed to shift slightly as it began to resonate with the sound of ponging balls. Lassiter looked over at Shawn before answering seriously, "Yeah, I do."

Shawn's thoughts tinged blue and Gus knew his would be doing the same thing if he could read them. Lassiter didn't give his trust easily.

"Chief, we don't have time for that. We have reason to believe that we only have an hour or two to move before it's too late. Most of our guys are still at the station, tell them to gear back up. The feds can collect Novikov once we're done with him." Lassiter listened to the phone and visibly relaxed. "Thank you Chief, I'm going over there now to case-" His eyes widened as Vick spoke and his thoughts flared red. "What?! Chief, you can't. He doesn't care if Juliet's in danger, he'll only be-"

Vick interrupted him and Lassiter stilled. The temperature in the car seemed to drop several degrees as he spoke in a deadly calm voice. "That is my partner. There isn't a single thing you or anyone else can say to keep me off of this rescue mission."

Vick said something else and Gus felt like he could breathe again as the quiet fury in Lassiter's thoughts calmed. "Yes Ma'am, understood." He looked over at Shawn and Gus in the next pause and rolled his eyes, the atmosphere in the car returning back to normal as he grumbled, "Yes, I'll make sure they don't do anything stupid. Tell the teams to get here ASAP."

Lassiter hung up and stared at the phone in his hand for several seconds before asking, "You know that thing the chief does when she says one thing and means another?"

Shawn raised an eyebrow and answered, "Yeah…?"

Lassiter shoved the phone into his pocket as he growled, "I hate it when she does that."

He pulled the car back onto the road and drove with a new purpose. Shawn's thoughts began to synchronize and bounce together as he looked over with a serious expression. "You know we're not going to let you bench us, either, right?"

Lassiter sighed and answered in a low voice, "I know."

Shawn nodded with determination. "Good. Because I have a plan."

"This is a terrible plan," Lassiter said as he pulled the car over a few blocks from the club.

Shawn smirked and scanned the empty street. "Careful Lassie, you're starting to sound like Gus."

"He's right, it's a terrible plan," Gus pointed out.

Shawn looked back and asked, "Are you staying here then?"

Gus rolled his eyes at the dramatics. "Of course not. I was just agreeing with Lassiter."

Lassiter growled, "I don't need your endorsement, Guster. There are so many ways this can go wrong. What if Jacott went back, he'll recognize you in an instant."

"He was too scared to tell the new boss he'd been talking to a cop and went home. It's fine," Shawn quickly waved off the concern.

"You're civilians. Civilians who are insanely good at getting themselves into trouble..."

"Which means we're also very good at getting out of trouble!"

Lassiter rubbed the bridge of his nose as he sighed. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"You agreed with it because it's the right play and you know it," Shawn said evenly. "We're the only ones who can get in without raising suspicion, and you need eyes on Jules before you guys storm the castle."

"...If you're right and O'Hara is near the back, then she'll be vulnerable for too long once things go down," Lassiter reluctantly agreed. "But that doesn't mean that you two being in there will help things. You could just as easily end up as extra hostages."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Shawn said with a slight shrug.

Gus cut in before Lassiter could change his mind. "All we'll be doing is making sure no one tries to take out Juliet when you guys come in. Buying time is our specialty."

"Fucking terrible idea," Lassiter muttered to himself. He took a deep breath and continued at regular volume, "I can't give you any weapons, you might be searched. I'll make sure I'm one of the first people in the building. If anyone asks, I'll tell them that I dropped you two off near a bus station because you couldn't be trusted to stay safe."

"... Is that why you're parked next to a bus station?" Gus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Lassiter said with a slight smirk as he avoided looking at the covered benches right in front of them.

Shawn snorted a laugh before opening the car door. "See you on the flip-side, Lass."

"Try not to get yourself killed…"

Shawn grinned. "Aww, look at you, worrying about us!"

"You are untrained civilians going into a dangerous situation. If I'm worried about anything, it's losing my badge over this."

"Uh-huh. You care."

"Please, you are a thorn in my side."

"Love you too, Lassie!" Shawn climbed out of the car and Gus followed, ignoring the worry buried in the blue smell of gunpowder. Lassiter drove away as soon as they were on the sidewalk, and they were left alone.

"Whelp, looks like we've got another walk in the dark ahead of us."

"Great."

The streets weren't as dark as their last walk, streetlamps and neon signs lighting their way between pockets of shadows. After several blocks, Shawn pulled Gus into a dark corner and looked both ways before asking, "Are you sensing anything out here?"

"Like people nearby?" Gus asked in confusion. "I'm getting a bit from inside the buildings, but it's really muffled. I don't think anyone's following us if that's what you mean…"

Shawn reached up to pat the wall next to him. "This is the back wall of the club, can you feel Jules?"

"I'll try," Gus answered uncertainly. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes while holding his hand up in the psychic gesture. He focused and tried to make out individual thought patterns within the blended murmur of faint sensations.

At first, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to make anything out; it was like trying to listen to individual conversations within the hubbub of a crowd, if the conversations were glints of light that he could see in his peripheral vision but not when he was looking at them straight on. He let out a breath and tried to relax, sorting the sensations across his skin without focusing on any one of them. Slowly, he was able to make out slight differences in the feelings: Fur under his hand, sharp teeth against his tongue, water down his back, and pop rock fizzles that were almost buried under the pull of cooling wax.

He tried to focus in on Juliet's thoughts, paying attention to the visual sensations in the building as well to look for her bubbles, but they were too faint to pick up anything other than fear tempered by hope. He opened his eyes and answered Shawn's intense look, "She's there. I can't read her, but I don't think she's being hurt right now."

Shawn visibly relaxed in relief before asking, "What about Chekov?"

Gus glared at him. "No, you take that back. Bad guys only."

"Onatopp?"

"You know she's a woman, right?"

"You were ok with Klebb…"

Gus thought for a second before agreeing, "Fair enough. I don't know what he feels like, but he's probably in there if Juliet is, right?"

"Yeah." Shawn started to walk towards the front of the building. "You ready to accept a job from the mob?"

"Not really…" Gus muttered to himself before jogging to catch up with his friend.

Shawn's thoughts bounced faster with adrenaline as the front door to the club came into view. He grinned recklessly and looked over at Gus. "Remember the play?"

Gus sighed at Shawn's excitement as he answered, "You told me the play like ten minutes ago, of course I remember it."

"Normal memory is dumb, I had to make sure," Shawn said as he clasped Gus' shoulder. He spoke louder as they neared the bouncers outside the club. "Dude, we're going to a strip club. we couldn't even get a shower first?"

Gus let himself fall into character as he answered, "Do you have any idea how lucky we are to have gotten here before they closed? I'm not waiting for tomorrow night, Shawn. We're doing this now."

"Technically, it's today's night," Shawn pointed out as they stopped in front of the two large men. "Hello, we want to see naked girls and talk to a mob boss."

Gus couldn't tell if the smell of tobacco was the bouncer's thoughts or his breath when he growled out, "Get lost, punks. Find another bar."

"I think you should check with your boss," Shawn said cheerfully, easily ignoring the obviously threatening looks. "Novikov's going to want to see us. Tell him Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster have reconsidered his offer."

Both bouncers straightened up at Novikov's name, and Gus didn't have any time to react before his shoulder was grabbed and he was roughly dragged into the bar. Thoughts slammed into him and he focused solely on his shield as he was pulled, blind and deaf, through the crowd. A door closed, the thoughts grew quieter, and Gus felt like he could breathe again.

"How do you know that name?"

"I told you, man. He gave us a job offer, we're here to accept. Just tell him Woltz is here, he'll know what it means. I can sense he's nearby."

Gus focused on the real sensations around him as he kept all of the mental ones at bay. They were in a small, bare room with a few cabinets and chairs, the walls were thin enough for the bass of the music to filter through and the unique smell of a crowd mixed with alcohol filled the air. The door behind the bouncers opened and a familiar mook looked in, asking in a deep voice, "Did I just see you bring in… Oh. You did. Wow, how'd you guys get back to town so fast?"

"Andre! Long time no see! We managed to hitch a ride back into town, but not before worrywort over here," Shawn jerked his thumb towards Gus, "convinced me to rethink your guys' offer. So, we're here to deal. Where's Novikov?"

"My name's John…" The deep-voiced mook said in slight bemusement. He looked at one of the bouncers and nodded towards the door. "I've got this, you can go back up front."

"Thank god…" One of the bouncers muttered as they left the room.

Shawn smiled proudly at the questioning look John was sending his way. "Yep, I just have the effect on people. So… Novikov?"

"You call my boss a murderer, turn down his generous offer, then get tossed out of a car… and I'm supposed to just bring you to him now without asking any questions?" John asked, closing the door and crossing his arms threateningly.

"Look, I'll admit, there can be times that I'm a bit too stubborn," Shawn said as Gus nodded emphatically in the background. "And I don't always react well to people out-cooling me. But when we were tumbling in the weeds and the rocks, I had a moment of clarity. I saw the truth, and it set me free. We're all connected in this great world of-"

Gus cut him off, knowing the speech wouldn't end until he did. "I told him the police are useless and we'd be safer with you guys."

"We threw you out of a car…" John reiterated.

"And the cop's response to us nearly being kidnapped was to send us to his dad's house," Gus quickly countered. "Please tell me you see how ridiculous that is."

John hummed in response and looked back at Shawn. "You seemed pretty against our methods…"

"Yeah, well, I like cheating spouse jobs even less, and Gus said we won't have to take those anymore if we get 'properly compensated' and whatnot," Shawn said lightly before crossing his arms. "But, one caviar-"

"Caveat," Gus corrected.

"I've heard it both ways," Shawn replied quickly before completing his thought. "We don't get involved with any of that stuff. We solve cases, I read people, we go home."

"That could probably be arranged," John said as Gus heard the rumble of a train deepen in cautious interest. "But who says the offer's still open?"

Shawn grinned, his thoughts ponging in victory, "We found you guys, didn't we? Just a few hours after being left in the middle of nowhere without phones or money. If that's not proof of our skills, I don't know what is. You'd be lucky to have us."

John narrowed his eyes as he thought, the rumbling growing louder. He finally pointed at them while saying firmly, "Stay here. I'll be right back."

He quickly left the room and the door clicked loudly as it was locked from the outside. Shawn glanced over at Gus and sent a questioning broadcast: Juliet, a partial map of the building, a clock.

Gus closed his eyes and felt for the fizzles on his skin, trying to narrow down where it was coming from in the physical world. He saw a translucent sheen before it popped and focused on that as well, using both sensations to track Juliet: Fear, aches and pains, determination, a list of intel and observations, hope.

Gus opened his eyes with an impressed huff; Juliet was restrained and hurt, and she was still doing her job. He met Shawn's eyes and nodded, not wanting to risk saying anything out loud in case they were being watched. He knew where she was.

Shawn smirked darkly and stared at the door, his legs jiggling as he kept his arms crossed. Gus knew he was debating breaking out and trying to find Juliet right away, but they both knew it was too risky to make a move before the cops came in.

The rumbling train began to move back towards their room and Gus focused on the sensations accompanying it, sharp teeth on his tongue and slightly sweet, pickled herring. He made a face at the taste; he hated fish.

The door unlocked and John entered the room before stepping to the side to reveal the dark-eyed man behind him.

Novikov smiled slightly as he looked them over, clearly taking in the dirt still covering their faces, their ripped clothes, and their clear resolve. His thoughts were just as controlled as his voice as he said, "Well, you two are just full of surprises. You have my attention, let's talk.

A/N: There won't be any update next week, I'm out of town and won't be able to upload. See you guys in 2 weeks!