Chapter 12 — Caught in a Trap
Bullets pinged and sparked off the overturned table where Deacon and Nora were hiding. Both wore expressions of gritty determination as the Super Mutant's assault rifle rapidly discharged with a tat-tat-tat-tat-tat sound.
Deacon's eyebrows rose and he counted down silently with his fingers. Three, two, and one.
They both rose up from behind their makeshift cover and fired their weapons with impunity right at the Super Mutant's head. Blood exploded out the back of its skull and it collapsed to the ground in a bestial roar.
While they waited for the smoke to clear, they listened carefully for other mutants that might be in the high rise. At this point, one mutant's death was like kicking a beehive. Ten more mutants were likely to storm them, at least that's what happened on the 3rd floor. However, Nora had the foresight to rig some frag mines in key doorways which cut their work in half.
As Nora reloaded her gun, she thought back to the time when she and Travis snuck past a group of Super Mutants while on their way to save Vadim's ass from some low time raiders. Now here she was, gunning mutants without a second thought. Times had certainly changed.
Deacon snuck out from behind the cover first. He scurried down the hallway in a crouch. Nora kept her gun trained on the vacant hallway just in case Deacon's presence spooked something, but the spy came right back and shook his head. He pantomimed an "okay" and Nora followed behind him just as quietly.
Although Deacon was an insufferable liar who spent five months presumed dead, Nora secretly admired the spy. He was smart and tactically minded. When he wasn't spewing complete bullshit, Deacon was a pretty decent guy — but Nora would never say that to his face.
They snuck down the hallway of a ruined apartment. The furniture was still mostly intact and they passed at least two bathrooms that were in pristine condition. The Hub use to be an apartment complex for rich couples with no children, Boston socialites and social climbers, and the odd technological tycoon hoping to score a prestige job at Wattz Consumer Electronics or even Vault Tec. They stopped in front of a giant metal door which looked more at home in a bank rather than an apartment building, and as soon as they got close to it, the chip in Deacon's pocket beeped. The door unlocked and slid open to reveal a cache full of weapons, ammunition, and supplies.
Deacon cleared his throat and stood up. He arched his back in a stretch and a couple of joints popped. "Let's replenish our ammunition and grab a few more stims. I'll contact Des and let her know that the Hub is cleared out and ready for colonization."
Nora nodded. Her own back ached from crawling through broken elevator shafts and partially collapsed hallways.
"I've got to make a call as well." She replied.
Deacon's expression was masked behind his glasses but Nora was sure he was giving her a disapproving look.
Nora ignored it and stepped into a nearby business room and withdrew a small communicator from her jacket pocket.
"This is Nora. I'm reporting in to the Directorate. Does anybody copy?"
"I copy you." Dr. Filmore's voice said.
"My work topside is coming to an end. I did what I could to get some more people as allies. The Railroad is offering to help, as well as the Minutemen. Goodneighbor is still contested but there are about half of whom will led aid if the Mayor asks them to. Diamond City's allegiance is a little more shaky. We've got maybe 10 or 12 allies there, but the rest don't trust us after what happened with Mayor McDonough."
"Can you provide a rough estimate in terms of manpower we can expect should fighting break out?" Dr. Filmore asked.
Nora broke down the numbers while trying to keep out the hopeless despair in her voice, "We've got 60 from the Railroad which includes the members and the freed Gen-3 synths willing to fight, 30 from what the Minutemen could scrounge up among the settlements, 25 confirmed allies in Goodneighbor and at least 10 from Diamond City. Preston Garvey, the general for the Minutemen, is also offering heavy artillery if we need it. It will not reach the CIT but it will reach the Logan Airport. Unfortunately, ammunition is limited so we should use it only as a last resort."
Dr. Filmore sighed. Nora knew the numbers were paltry. An army of 125 people plus a little artillery didn't stand a chance against a force of Power Armor wearing, military trained, and battle hardened soldiers.
"Where are we on the synth rollout and weapons upgrades?" Nora asked.
"Dr. Secord assures me that we have 70 battle ready and fully outfitted Gen-2 synths on standby. If we can postpone any violence for a couple of weeks, we could easily triple that number. As for the improvements, we've prioritized that the they go to the Gen-2 synth division, the Directorate, the senior scientists, and those Institute staff who choose to fight. We can send out a Gen-2 to drop off a weapon for N1-08 if you wish."
"That is probably wise." She replied. "I will be relaying back tomorrow as scheduled. Anything else I need to know?"
"No Mothe—I mean Nora." Dr. Filmore hastily corrected.
"It's okay Allie." Nora replied. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She turned off the communication device and then walked back into the hallway. Deacon was leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette and watching her intensely.
"What!?"
Deacon smirked, "Nothing, Wanderer. It's just nice to see some of your old fistey mojo back. You are taking names and taking charge. I like that."
Nora shot him a skeptical look, "I don't really have a choice. If I don't do this then we're all toast. The Brotherhood and their great big airship will be a permanent mark in Boston. They are already swaying some people, especially over in Diamond City, to take their side by playing on their bigotry and fear."
Deacon nodded, "Yeah and you could've easily caved to that fear but you didn't. Here you are, sticking your neck out for a group of people who have torn your very life apart. Now don't get me wrong, most organizations are gonna spoon-feed you their own patented form of bullshit but you took what the Institute was saying and threw it back in their face. You questioned what they were doing and what they were asking you to do, and now you're trying to create a world that can serve as many of us as possible."
Nora cleared her throat, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were complimenting me Deacon."
The spy shrugged. "So what if I am. Anyway don't get use to it Wanderer. There's more than just personal pride riding on these next few weeks."
The duo went back to the elevator and then Nora pursed her lips. "So what's the choice Dee? We going up or going down?"
"Down." Deacon said quickly. "I—I mean it makes no sense in going higher up in the air when the ground is just as nice."
Nora punched the button which would bring them to the ground floor and the elevator doors closed.
"If I didn't know any better Dee, I'd say you were afraid of heights."
The spy's face gave nothing away, "That's impossible. I'm only afraid of radgulls…well radgulls and spiders but I haven't seen any live spiders so …"
Nora snorted. She holstered her weapon and gave the spy a comforting pat on the back. "It's okay you know. Some of these skyscrapers get really high. Once I went to the top of Trinity Tower with Nate —They use to have a glass observation platform at the top — and I could feel the building moving in the wind."
Deacon clenched his jaw and his skin took on a slightly green color. "How fun." He said emotionlessly.
"ZZZZZound Floor!" The elevator chimed.
The doors slid open. Deacon and Nora did one final sweep with their guns drawn before making their way into the setting sun.
Nora lowered her gun and the duo walked down the alley and back towards Goodneighbor. They weren't far away but Deacon still insisted on silence as he remained vigilant and watchful for ambushes. As they neared Postal Square, Deacon held up a closed fist and they both stopped. Nora glanced around for anything out of the ordinary but she didn't see anything.
"Deacon?" She whispered.
"Something doesn't feel right." He murmured. "Watch where you step and let me go first."
She nodded and the spy crept along the half-burned shrubbery and cobblestone sidewalks. Nora followed close behind but when she got to the middle of the square, something flashed in her peripheral and she turned her head.
At that moment, she heard the sharp bounce of a grenade and her blood ran cold.
"RUN!" She yelled at Deacon.
She expected an explosion and the savage pain of blown off limbs but instead a large electric field encircled the area in a half-dome. As soon as she saw the electric field, she felt the power punch through her chest knocking her onto her back paralyzing her.
Nora couldn't take in a breath. She felt magnetized to the earth and then she heard the telltale whooshing of hydraulic steps.
"Is this her?" A voice asked.
"Affirmative." Another replied. "Confiscate her weapons and throw her into a vertibird. We need to get back before some scavver sees us."
"What about the guy she was with?"
Nora heard a frustrated sigh, "He ran off. We won't be able to catch him and the nearest settlement is full of junkies and lowlifes. They'll protect him and they have nothing to lose. We might as well just cut our loss. We have what we came here for."
As the numbness faded, Nora opened her eyes again and she tried to commit her assailants faces to her memory. Unfortunately every single one of them looked identical in their shiny metal Power Armor.
One of them rolled her onto her stomach, handcuffed her, and then hauled her to her feet. Nora still couldn't breathe correctly and her words came out in a thick wheezing voice.
"What—do—you—want—with—me?"
"The Brotherhood will not answer questions from the leader of the Institute without our Elder's consent." One answered in a deep, authoritative voice. "Come along now. I warn you that if you resist, we will be forced to do more drastic actions."
One of them aimed his gun at Nora and forced her to walk towards the idling vertibird that was perched forty feet away. If she ran, there was a high likelihood that they'd shoot her. Her heart pounded savagely in her ears. She swallowed thickly as the aircraft's ominous whirling became the only sound she could hear.
A soldier in the vertibird hauled her into the machine by her jacket collar and set her on a small seat in the corner.
"Lancer, take us back." A female voice ordered.
The pilot nodded. He wasn't dressed in Power Armor. Rather, he wore a reddish orange flight jumpsuit. The man looked to be in his thirties and he picked up the radio as the aircraft gave a stomach churning lurch and took off from the ground.
"Paladin Danse. This is Vertibird Alpha. We are heading back to the Prydwen now. We have the Vault Dweller in custody."
"Roger that Vertibird Alpha." A voice said over the intercom. "We await your arrival.
Wind whipped up and into the aircraft's open hull. Nora's eyes watered and her teeth chattered from the cold. They flew over the Boston skyline and circled Goodneighbor like a hunting hawk before gaining more altitude and heating north east.
The people milling about in the Goodneighbor marketplace looked like ants. Thin fingers of smoke wafted up from assorted trash fires and Nora felt the same sense of loss and disconnection as when the Institute's courser grabbed her at Greenetech Genetics.
The flight to the Brotherhood's massive airship took less than fifteen minutes. The aircraft jostled as the pilot docked it and a metal walkway extended out to meet them. They must've been at least 300 feet in the air.
"Let's go." A soldier barked.
She walked across the platform and was stopped on the first deck by a hulking soldier in Power Armor. This time the soldier didn't have a helmet on. His thick, dark eyebrows pulled in to the middle of his face as he scrutinized Nora. He had a broad face and a strong jawline that was marred by a scar of some sort on his left cheek and a recently healed cut over his eye.
"Ma'am. My name is Paladin Danse." He addressed her. "I've been asked to escort you immediately to Elder Maxson for questioning. If you fully cooperate, I can ensure you that no harm will come to you."
Nora glared at him. "Do I really have a choice?"
"You do not." Danse said..
The Paladin led her up a set of metal stairs and onto a second deck. The airships huge hull loomed above them like a dark cloud. But aside for being 300 feet in the air, much of the Prydwen looked like one would expect a military fort to look. Soldiers hammered and welded parts of the ship, while two soldiers in the same red-orange jumpsuit were carrying folders and notepads and argued over some topic or other, and bored shift men (and women) did pushups, talked, or cleaned their weapons.
They entered the Prydwen's hull and the Paladin lead her into a large, nearly empty room. A wide glass observation window sat at the far end of the room while a singular chair sat slightly down from the observation platform. Standing in the middle of the platform was a man of average height wearing a well-cared for bomber jacket. His hair was a bit long for the Old World military regulations but it was neatly combed and saved on the sides. His hands were clasped behind his back in a pseudo-parade rest stance as he looked out over Boston.
"Elder. Teams Alpha and Bravo have collected the Vault Dweller. We found her and an associate leaving a skyscraper. Her associate escaped. We believe that he's holed up in Goodneighbor." Paladin Danse said.
"Do you think he's a threat?" The Elder asked.
"It would be foolish for us to think otherwise." Danse replied.
The Elder turned to face them. Nora stifled a gasp. The leader of the Brotherhood was attractive. His face was slightly rounded from youth but his brown eyes blazed with a smoldering passion. He sported a scar across his right cheek and his full beard aged him just enough for people to take him seriously. But to top it all off, Nora noticed that the Elder was holding a manilla file folder with her name written across the cover and the word CLASSIFIED stamped in red ink.
Danse cleared his throat. "Elder Maxson. This is Nora Pendleton, survivor of Vault 111 and leader of the Institute."
Maxson's face remained impassive. "Was there any trouble in getting her here?"
"No sir."
"Good. You're dismissed Paladin. Ad Victoriam."
Both men saluted each other and Nora heard the whooshing sounds from Danse's hydraulics fade and then disappear as he left the room. Nora swallowed nervously and forced herself to maintain eye contact with the Elder.
"Why am I here?" She asked in a voice of false confidence.
Maxson squinted at her as though he didn't quite understand the question. "You are here because I gave the orders to bring you here." He began pacing in front of Nora with slow, methodical steps. "You've made quite a name for yourself in the Commonwealth. My advisors tell me that the Institute has been steadily gaining power, and now that you've activated the nuclear reactor, you are even more of a danger to us than ever."
"We're not a danger to you." Nora urged. "The Institute doesn't want to fight with the Brotherhood. We just want to exist in peace."
"There will be no peace while you continue to allow abominations and scientific perversions to sully the Commonwealth." Maxson snapped, his voice boomed through the metal hull.
"What do you mean by abominations and scientific perversions?" Nora asked.
Now Maxson did scowl. "Don't play coy with me. I'm talking about the Super Mutants and the synths. Both came from your Institute and both have tainted this world with their filth. We've recieved reports of a settlement called Covenant being razed to the ground by a woman matching your description and a synth with the designation X6-88. There's another that the mayor in Diamond City was a synth plant and I know for a fact that there are other synths out there who are either hiding or who don't know their true identity. Do you deny any of this?"
Nora was silent.
"I didn't think so." Maxson growled.
Before he could turn his back and cast his final judgement, Nora spoke up. "I did destroy Covenant. I will not deny that. But I didn't have a choice. Seven months ago, I was abducted by a Courser and brought to the Institute against my will. They implanted cybernetics in my head," Nora pulled back her dark hair and gestured at the thick pink scar that ran from her temple to her cheek. "and I had no choice but to obey them."
Maxson's eyes stared at her scar. The intense heat from his gaze made Nora flush with anxiety, embarrassment, and slight excitement.
"What were you?" He growled.
"I'm sorry?"
Maxson stepped closer to her. She could smell his cologne and then wondered how he could still find cologne after 200 years.
"Before the bombs, what was your designation … your job."
Nora blinked. "I — I was studying to become a lawyer but I took a break in my studies because I became pregnant. My husband Nate was a soldier in the US Army. He fought in Anchorage."
"Sergeant Nathan Pendleton of the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment. He fought bravely during the Sino-American war and was awarded a purple heart and a gold star for bravery." Maxson rattled off.
"Yes"
"He is reported as deceased in Vault Tec's records for Vault 111." Maxson said.
"Y-yes." Nora's voice trembled despite her efforts to keep herself together. "He was murdered."
"Your son was abducted from the Vault sixty years ago. What became of him?"
"He died." Nora's voice remained neutral.
Maxson frowned. "How."
She was about to reveal the real reason but gave him the half-truth instead.
"A brain tumor. It was inoperable."
"And he named you as his successor." Maxson concluded.
Nora's eyes widened. "How did you know that?"
Maxson tapped the file folder with a thick hand. "We've been monitoring the Institute since we arrived in the Commonwealth. While your son was in charge, the Institute was merely a thorn in our side. They didn't have enough power or resources to pose a significant threat. But now that you've taken over and now that you have the beryllium agitator, our scribes report a power increase of 210%. So I don't exactly believe you when you say that you are working with the Institute under duress. You're trying to help them."
"Of course I'm trying to help them!" Nora exclaimed as her temper flared. "But at first I had no choice. Now, I think the Institute can be an invaluable resource for the Commonwealth if they are given the chance to fix the mistakes they made."
Maxson smirked in satisfaction that he finally got a rise out of her. "You're living in a world of delusions Nora. The Institute cannot be redeemed. The synths in there have no morality, they have no souls."
"And what about you?" Nora charged. "When your giant airship came to town, people were clearly afraid. Is it the Brotherhood's way to waltz into a town, bully people to behave in a certain way, and threaten them with violence if they don't comply? You're not here to save the Commonwealth. You're here because being a bully is an ego trip, so don't talk to me about who has a soul and who doesn't."
Maxson's eyebrows rose to his hairline. Never in his life had anyone spoken to him like that before.
"You forget who you are standing in front of." He warned in a low voice.
"No." Nora spat. "I know exactly who I'm standing in front of. I've seen types like you before. You're a despot. A tyrant. You don't want to liberate anything. You just want to force people to fall in rank and file to your new world order. At least I'm trying to work so the entire Commonwealth can exist in relative peace."
"Peace?" Maxson repeated. "You think that synth abductions and Super Mutant attacks are solutions that bring peace? I had you brought to me so I could meet the leader of the Institute with my own eyes. I've heard a lot of things about you Nora, but so far, you haven't measured up."
"I'm through with this conversation." Nora spat. "And Screw you. I demand that you fly me back to Postal Square. I have things I need to do."
Although she was still handcuffed, Nora marched across the room and towards the door. The door opened on its own and two fully armored Knights stepped through and blocked her path.
"Knights. Bring our guest to the brig where she can cool off and compose herself accordingly. See that Captain Cade visits her to give her a full examination in case she's carrying any communicable diseases." Maxson ordered coldly.
"What?!" Nora snarled. "You can't keep me here. I'm not your prisoner!"
Maxson's eyes narrowed as the Knights grabbed each of her armpits and hauled the Vault Dweller out.
He smiled in satisfaction and then turned back to the observation window. He pressed the communicator on his wrist to signal for another Knight to report to him.
The sun was setting over the Boston harbor. From his vantage point, he could see the tarnished marble walls of the CIT building. Several dozen feet below, he knew the Institute sat helpless like an animal in its burrow.
"Yes sir!" The breathless Knight said. "You called, sir?"
"Bring me Madison Li. I would like a full progress report on Liberty Prime."
Maxson heard the salute and was left in silence once more. If progress was on pace, the attack on the Institute would happen in less than a week.
And there would be no survivors.
Deacon bolted down the street to Goodneighbor. His pompadour wig bounced haphazardly around his head slipping in front of his eyes. With a growl, he threw the wig off and kept running.
Desdemona, Tom, and the rest of the gang were all in Goodneighbor trying to reclaim the warehouses that refilled with scum during Bobbi's brief reign. They had liberated one of them paying off, and in some cases, threatening the inhabitants, but the other two were full of vagabonds who were as stubborn as they were smelly. So Deacon pushed the pace despite the ache in his chest.
Gravel skidded beneath his feet when he rounded the corner which nearly sent him stumbling into a couple rusted out cars. Goodneighbor's glowing neon sign flickered in the darkness as he neared the entrance.
"MacCready! Open the door!" He yelled to the sandy-haired kid on top of the barricade.
"What the fu—"
"— Open the fucking door!" Deacon snarled.
The kid set his gun down and pressed a buzzer which automatically opened the new steel door that Daisy had installed to beef up the security a little more. Deacon gave the sniper a thumbs up as a thanks and raced into the courtyard. He took the first right halfway down the alleyway and busted through the nondescript whitewashed door.
"Norasjustbeenkiddnapped!" He expelled in all one breath.
"What?!" Des snapped. A fork full of noodles was halfway to her mouth when Deacon had busted in.
"Nora. Has. Just. Been. Kidnapped." Deacon panted. Each word came out choked and punctuated as he doubled over in pain.
"Give us the details." Des snapped. "And quickly!"
Still panting, Deacon did his best to recount the story, and for once, he did so without embellishing or blatantly lying about a single detail. When he was finished, he sank to the concrete steps which led to the upper floors of the building and accepted the water that Tom handed him.
"This is bad." Des growled. A focused and battle-hardened expression came over her and she barked, "Tom. Can you fly a vertibird?"
The small black man's beady eyes looked warily at her. "I theoretically know how to fly a vertibird. I — I mean I've read about how Pre-War helicopters worked."
"That'll have to do." Des snapped. "Tom. Go with Deacon. I want you both to talk with Magnolia. She should have a couple of Brotherhood uniforms from the New Years party. Borrow them from her."
"Wait, wait, wait." Deacon croaked. "Why would Magnolia have Brotherhood uniforms? This town is made up of druggies, drifters, and cutpurses, and half of them are ghouls. Why come here?"
Des looked at him with a steely expression. "Magnolia is well-known around the Commonwealth for her … talents … and this particular talent means she relieves uniforms from Brotherhood soldiers. Now we are going to borrow them."
Deacon's eyebrows rose as he realized what Des was talking about, but Tom looked at the both of them in confusion. "How does Magnolia's singing relate to getting those ugly ass orange uniforms?"
The spy smirked at Tom's naivety and he pantomimed his index finger going into a circle that me made with his other hand and then crudely trusted them together. Tom blushed all the way down to his neck, but Des just looked annoyed.
"I'm glad you have time for immature games while one of our agents is a prisoner of war." She admonished to Deacon before addressing Carrington. "I need you to go to Amari. Synth Nate is with her going through the intake information before the identity transfer takes place. Tell him that we need him for one last mission."
Carrington nodded and left the room at a jog.
"What can I do boss?" Glory asked.
"I need you, Drummer Boy, and Wallace to move PAM up to Sanctuary Hills. Patriot is still there and we could use his help and the farther PAM is away from the Brotherhood the better."
Glory didn't look thrilled with that proposition but she nodded anyway. "We'll leave right now."
"Thank you, Glory." Des said. "Carrington and I will remain here to ensure that this warehouse isn't taken from us again."
Deacon heaved himself up from the steps and patted Tom on the back. "C'mon. Let's go play dress up. You can call me Initiate Jack Kass and you'll be my techno-genius friend named Scribe Neil Down."
Desdemona let out an exasperated sigh, "Really Deacon?"
He leveled a innocent look at her. "What? Code names are integral to maintaining our cover. You can't just expect us to board their giant airship introducing ourselves as Deacon and Tom of The Railroad?"
Tom nodded earnestly and then said, "Des, make sure nobody touches LOLA. She's a sensitive gal and she gets nervous when I'm out on an OP."
Deacon adjusted his sunglasses and opened the door to the alleyway. "Once more into the breach, dear friends."
Nora shivered in the corner. After her 'discussion' with Elder Maxson, his two goons hauled her off to some lab deep in the Prydwen's hull and thew her into a literal cage meant to hold an animal the size of a radstag. The heavy door was operated by a switch which was connected to Senior Scribe Neriah's terminal. A window the side of a mail slot let in a thin stream of light but allowed for very little visual of the people around her. When she was thrown in here, the Scribe barely looked up from her work, and Nora was confident that nobody would pay attention to her out of fear or loyalty to Elder Maxson.
She closed her eyes and tried to get whatever rest that she could. She still had the communicator in her pocket but it only emitted a burst of static when she turned it on. There must've been an EMP field around here to scramble non-Brotherhood tech.
As she dosed, she heard the sharp and terse tone of a familiar voice. "If I need more Rad-Away then I need more. I'm working around highly radioactive chemicals and I'd rather not end up in here as one of your ghoul science projects."
It was Madison Li. Nora scrambled to the door and tried to peer out the small slot. From her vantage point, she saw Dr. Li's back. The woman had lost some weight and there were shiny burns along her forearms. Nora couldn't see Neriah but she heard the woman's alto voice.
"You've had six doses in the past three days. Unless you are sleeping in a toxic chemical barrel you have no need for any more Rad-Away."
Dr. Li growled and stormed away. As she crossed into Nora's line of sight, she let out a loud "PSST."
The scientist's head snapped towards the cage as Nora tried to communicate nonverbally that she needed help. Dr. Li's face blanched and she glanced over her shoulder. Neriah must've been busy because Dr. Li mouthed 'later.' and then left.
Nora tried to not let hopeless despair settle in her chest. Time was of the essence and she needed to get back to the Institute as soon as possible. But Nora waited. She didn't have a choice, and unlike the time she was imprisoned by the Institute, the Brotherhood simply pretended she didn't exist so she had no idea how much time had passed.
She dozed off again and then awoke the she heard Dr. Li whisper, "Nora," in a quiet but severe tone.
Nora rose and walked to the opening. Dr. Li was standing with her back to her pretending to be flipping through documents in a manila folder.
"Why are you here?" She whispered. "What the hell happened?"
"They ambushed me and another Railroad agent outside of Postal Square. They paralyzed me with the blast from a pulse mine and then brought me to speak to Maxson."
"He's an asshole." She growled.
"Yeah." I agreed. "D'you have any keys? Can you get me out?"
"I'm sorry Nora." She murmured. "If they catch me helping you they'll shoot me on the spot and I have … other things I'm juggling."
"James." Nora surmised. "How is he?"
Dr. Li sighed, "Not good. He's ghoulifying and if the Brotherhood finds out they'll kill him for being an abomination."
"So that's what the Rad-Away request was about?"
Dr. Li nodded and then she whispered. "Shit. Someone's coming."
She tossed a folded piece of paper through the slot and it hit Nora right on the nose.
"I'll figure something out." She hissed. "Don't worry. I think I have a plan."