Valuable

Hearing about what Aaron had been up to, Garret leaned back in his chair and put his hands up behind his head. Thinking for a long moment, he finally nodded. "He could just be up and about because he feels too cooped up. I...know the feeling." He probably would have done the same thing in Aaron's position. "His mind is always thinking, always planning, always active. That's what made him a good agent. I'm guessing he's bored out of his skull, and picking locks is fun to him - and he's obviously good at it. He likes puzzles. Likes challenges. If you put a new lock on the door, he would probably be thrilled just to have something to figure out and conquer. He'd complain, but he'd secretly be happy with something new to work on."

He swiveled a little in his chair. "And then there's the other side..." He was glad Sam's gut was telling her to be cautious. It proved she was a good agent in that respect. Aaron shouldn't be underestimated even in his current state. "If I had to guess, I'd say he's trying to make himself more valuable to the Agency. When he's out here wandering around, he's probably looking at family photos, knick-knacks... anything that tells something about the people working here. Things the Agency could use later on. He's not going to try using a computer - that's too obvious. So he's just slowly gathering as much information on the people here as he can."

He pursed his lips, still thinking. "He's got the impression that the Agency would still want him back. In reality..." He shook his head. "They'd shoot him on sight. He thinks they'd want his intel but...they'd rather not risk a mole, and just kill him off. He doesn't know the person he replaced a while back... I executed him myself because there was a chance he'd been compromised. It doesn't have to be a big chance for Medridge to kill someone. Aaron's been here long enough now - and presumed dead - that they would rather shoot and lose intel than let him back in and have him be a traitor. But... he doesn't believe it. He still thinks the Agency takes care of their own when...in reality... that's why they have men like me in there who can kill without blinking." 

It was true - he'd been one of the hardest, coldest agents. That's why he'd been chosen to kill Victoria's mother. And if asked to execute Aaron, he would have done it. "I got tired of the Agency's insanity. I couldn't handle senseless killings and the control they had over me. Aaron...all he sees is his home. His safety net. The only place he's ever belonged. It's going to take a lot of convincing to get him to see otherwise...if it's even possible." 


Hunter pried his eyes open again as Ryan got up, and propped himself up on his elbows to look around the room and get his bearings again. He knew he needed to get up too or they'd never get on the road. 

His gaze swung around at Ryan as she thanked him, and he gave her a sleepy smile. "Just hang on to that thanks after I've got you back home safe and sound." He finally slid off the bed and stood up to raise his hands and stretch tall. "Okay. Ten minutes. Right." He shuffled over to his backpack groggily. "And then... coffee." 

It took him closer to fifteen minutes, but it didn't take long to check out, fill up with gas and grab some coffee before hitting the road again. Now fully awake, Hunter relaxed behind the wheel, just enjoying the drive. He could drive all day every day and wasn't sure he'd tire of it. Glancing over to Ryan once, he wondered how she really was doing after last night. She must have really had a fright to bring her all the way into his room like that. "You um... doing okay today?"