For a long time, Gershwin did not reply. They were both right and wrong at the same time. She did have a right and obligation to live... but she doubted that they could begin to comprehend... the volatility of just walking out the front door. If anything, Gershwin thought she was being selfless by opting not to be with them. For now, she'll go along with them - but in protest, and in extreme exercise for caution. 

"Okay," she said tersely, "but out of all of us, you need the most to rest, Agent Caits. Besides, we're in Russia - the biggest country in the world. They could be looking for us here, and we'd be gone before they know it."

[hr]

All the respondents fell silent. One could slice the air with the tension so tangible and suffocating in this moment. The Russian respondent was first to speak:

"Our information tells us the two Subjects and one Agent are most likely within the Russian and Chinese borders, as was ordered by your right hand's direction." That was a remark to Viccar who did a lot of the action for Maria. 

"I have liaised with the Chinese government and have isolated the possible areas to be within the Southern borders, in Novokuznetsk near Mongolia. The border and sea patrol have reported no sign of them, so they must still be within the southern tip."

The Chinese respondent added: "Our borders have not seen them either."

The Russian respondent concluded the event with: "One of our Agents is currently in the town where the three targets might be. Her current orders are to monitor and convey information back to us, and to you. Are there any instructions for us or our Agent?"

[hr]

Andjela had a keen ear to listen in to conversations, and a modest, nonthreatening look entrusted by her "fellow community members." She was a part of the society, but she had no connection whatsoever to them in terms of emotional ties. She could not give a damn if she had to kill off some and have to move on and assume another identity. A lot of Agents had morals and let intuition and instinct guide them. FOr her, they'd be lucky to find some semblance of a heart in her. She was to the books. 

She was closing in on her third building owner for the day, and was about to execute her plan of "punch first, ask questions while punching" to find the three targets. She could tell she was close. Each consecutive one would tell her that this one owner in a ramshackle building was acting differently from usual; but it didn't hurt to be sure.