CENTRAL STATION – DETROIT – UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

“You really think he’ll actually come?” said Vega, pulling her collar closer about her neck and glancing around.

The rain falling on the streets and buildings seemed to go on forever, coating everything with a slick sheen that did little to wash away the dirt and decay of the city. She didn’t like this place. The air was too cold, the streets too narrow. Detroit felt like it was dying by inches all around her, and she wanted to be away from it.

Quinn’s expression shifted from blank neutrality to a false smile. “He called us, love. Not the other way around. He’ll be here.”

She shook her head. “I know you think you know this guy, but I’m telling you now. Don’t mess with him. If you’re anything other than straight with Jensen, this isn’t going to work.”

“We all have our secrets to keep,” Quinn said, the smile fixed and brittle. “Even him. And frankly, I don’t think Janus is going to take no for an answer…”

The station doors parted and a figure in a dark coat emerged. He spotted them off to the side of the entranceway, and approached. “We’ll find out soon enough,” said Vega. She noted a stiffness in Jensen’s gait as he came closer.

Quinn saw it too. “You all right there? Those Interpol lads fix you up?”

“Something like that,” said Jensen. “New servos. Still breaking them in.”

“It’s the least they could do, given what you risked to help them,” Vega added. “But if I were you, I’d check anything they put in you for trackers.”

“Already done.” Jensen eyed her. “Thanks to Janus, I know what to look for. I won’t make the same mistake again.”

“Just looking out for our friends,” Quinn insisted. He glanced at Vega. “Alex, keep an eye out while the menfolk talk, will you?”

She shot him a frosty glare. “Whatever.”

Quinn led Jensen out of the rain, under a corroded awning across a shuttered storefront. Vega turned away from them, but her augmented hearing meant she still caught every word of their conversation.

“So,” began Quinn. “Those nasty little augs your ex-boss cooked up are all gone. I guess we call that a success, do we?”

“A dozen people died,” Jensen retorted. “So no, we don’t.”

“Sure, sure.” Quinn back-pedaled. “But take what victory you can from it. And remember that Juggernaut were happy to be of assistance.”

“So now I owe you one.”

“I wasn’t going to bring it up so quickly, but since you mention it… yes.” Vega heard the smile in Quinn’s voice. “Janus is a real believer in quid pro quo.”

“We’ve got that in common, then.” Vega expected Jensen to show the same wary attitude he had exhibited back in the old movie theater when they first met, so what he said next came as something of a shock. “I’ll do it. I’ll work with the Juggernaut Collective.”

“Oh.” Quinn’s reaction showed that he had thought the same thing as Vega. He recovered quickly. “Good. Smart choice, Adam.” Quinn forced a chuckle. “We don’t have a secret handshake or anything, but you won’t regret—”

“I already do,” he broke in. “But I’ve gone as far as I can, and like it or not, I need a new edge. You people are it.”

Vega turned to see Jensen walking away and she couldn’t stop herself from calling out to him. “Hey. Wait…”

He met her gaze. “Ask me.”

“What brought you around? Before you didn’t want anything to do with us, now you’re signing on just like that.” She snapped her fingers. “What changed?”

“I have,” he said, with grim conviction. “I reached my limit. I’ve had enough of the Illuminati. The disregard they have for everyone who isn’t one of them.” He shook his head. “Harrison Stacker. Henry Kellman. Raye Vande. Vasili Sevchenko. Netanya Keitner…” Every name Jensen uttered seemed to weigh down on him. “And thousands more. Dead, because of them. I’ve had enough of watching people pay the price for some superior bastard’s idea of what makes the world work.”

Vega gave a slow nod. Every word he said resonated with her own motivations for becoming part of the Collective. “Welcome to the party,” she told him.

Jensen turned up his collar and glared out into the rain. “One last thing,” he said, not looking at either of them. “If you cross me… if Janus lies… we are done.”

Vega watched him vanish into the sheeting downpour and frowned. “He means it,” she said.

“Of course he does,” said Quinn. “That’s why he’s the one we need.”

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