Jonathan knocked on the door to Alex’s office before entering. He found Alex sitting at his desk, with Pax sitting across from him. Both stopped talking as he entered. Standing by Pax, Jonathan waited to be addressed.
     Alex leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Our guests have requested to see the sights of SEVEN. They will be going with you to Alexandria tomorrow.”
     A look of dread came over Jonathan. “Sir, I don’t want to babysit—”
     “You won’t be babysitting them. They want to see how SEVEN operates and we’ll let them. They are free to go where every they please while there. We are an open book to them.”
     “More like an eager whore,” muttered Pax.
     Alex gave him a sharp look, then returned his eyes to Jonathan. “We show them that we have nothing to hide. If they start believing we’re hiding something, they will refuse to trust us. I know SEVEN wasn’t a part of the original deal, but I’m willing to bend this one time.”
     “Everything?” Jonathan asked, unsure if he understood what this meant. “Hide nothing? There’s a lot of sensitive information in the Archives.”
     “I’m aware of that.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “I caught them in Evonne’s room, going through her things. One of them tried to log on to the Watchtower client left on her computer.”
     “A blessing in disguise right there,” commented Pax.
     Alex continued speaking. “So for the next couple of weeks, keep them entertained. Put them to the test. Treat them like a new member of SEVEN. I want to know how well they work under pressure.”
     Jonathan crossed his arms. “I’m not sure Leigh likes them.”
     “She’s a smart girl,” said Pax. “She can sense evil a mile away.”
     “Just don’t get them kill,” Alex added. “That’s the last thing I need.”
     Jonathan looked at Pax. “How long are you staying?”
     “For the next couple of weeks,” he replied, giving Alex a quick glance. “I have some unfinished business back in LA.”
     Accepting the vague answer, Jonathan turned to Alex. “Need anything else?”
     He waved him away. “That’ll be all.”
     Jonathan nodded politely and left the office.
     The two men remaining sat in the quiet room. The conversation from early went unfinished, and neither Pax nor Alex wanted to revisit the subject.
     “You’re playing a dangerous game with them,” Pax said, breaking the silence.
     Uninterested in his concern, Alex leaned forward and began writing on a legal pad. “I would rather have them as allies than enemies.”
     “When they return, I’m outta here.”
     Alex’s eyebrows raised at the bold statement.
     “They still want me dead,” reminded Pax. “They just haven’t had the opportunity to make it look like an accident.”
     “You really believe that?”
     “Remember those old letters of yours, the ones from the woman wanting to leave them? They got to her, and they were a world away.”
     Alex shook his head. “You worry too much.”
     “It’s called being cautious. And it’s something you need to practice, as well.”
     “I’ve been too cautious in the past and look where it’s gotten me.”
     Pax could already see where the conversation was heading. “You were being a protecting father. You did nothing wrong.”
     “I don’t want to talk about this.”
     “Then don’t bring it up,” snapped Pax. He stood from his chair. “I’m going to see if they need any help downstairs.” With a mocking nod of respect, he left the room.
     As soon as the door closed, Alex picked up the phone and dialed. A woman picked up on the other end.
     “May I speak with Owen, please?” said Alex. He waited as the woman placed him on hold.
     A man’s voice finally answered. “This is Owen.”
     “Hello, Owen. This is Alex. I’m calling in regards to a transfer. I need a rush on this one.”
     Baffled, Owen stammered his reply. “Uh, okay. Sure. How, um, how soon?”
     “By the end of next week.”