Gunnar spent all morning in the broken mirror practicing a cheesy smile and his preppy accent. He could already hear Olivia's voice in his head without the earpiece. No clipped words, say every syllable. Talk like your teachers would have. Or Vita back when she hated him. She had a real way of making everything seem too good for him to understand and she knew damned well she was doing it, back when Rob was around. God, had she changed otherwise he wouldn't bother hanging around her.

Matt sat down next to him on the chewed-up couch. "Ready for this?"

"Ya-Yes, I am," Gunnar said, hating every word and smile he put on. Just a character, he reminded himself. He was just acting like some other guy to get information. There was nothing wrong with being who he was.

"Sweet, yer looking pretty dope."

Gunnar grimaced at both Matt and his own stiff button-up shirt whose collar wouldn't stop scratching his neck. "I can't see why we couldn't switch parts."

Matt laughed. "'Cause you're too damn white."

Gunnar did up the buttons on his cuffs like Olivia had showed him. He'd always hated that assumption, that skin color meant you had money. His family was a bunch of broke immigrants too, they just didn't look like it. His mother used to tell him and Aida they were lucky to be born without broken tongues. Their English could be just like all the kids at school. No one would make fun of them for that. But she didn't think well enough to understand kids could be assholes for way more than one reason. There was plenty else about the two of them to hate.

"Gotta say, I'm a bigger fan of the real Gunnar. I saw your video clips, Travis, and you're a bit of a dick."

Gunnar laughed. "Then don't be surprised when I'm walking circles around you." He still had to get the hang of being so full of himself. He knew how to keep people at a distance and uninterested, but wasn't big on making them feel like dirt.

"Looking forward to it, man, looking forward to it." Matt clapped him on the back and looked him in the eyes. "But remember, if anything happens, I've got your back."

Gunnar nodded. He couldn't tell if Matt was being friendly because he wanted in Gunnar's good books, or if he was just a nice guy. Experience had taught him the last option was probably fake. He also wasn't into making promises he had no intention of keeping. "If it's anything like the last one, we'll just be in and out."

Matt nodded and zipped up his navy jumpsuit. He'd have the grittier factory jobs and his switch-off was right after the lunch break. Gunnar's man, Travis, had written through some kind of exam this morning which meant he was in this crisp getup. There was some kind of physical test this afternoon that the guy was wanting to avoid so Gunnar had his in. Yuri and Olivia assured him that he'd do much better than Travis on his best day, part of their bargaining chip with Travis, but reminded Gunnar not to draw too much attention to himself.

Rorke, the one with the rough red beard who could moonlight as a pirate, led them through the community yards to a few giant busted casinos. Gunnar couldn't imagine anyone living or working in there. The more he looked around, the more he saw ruins and bones. His senses kicked into gear. They could be walking into a trap. Olivia had only given him a small knife, more for show than use, but it would be the only thing Travis might own. Impractical bastard.

"Put that away," Rorke said harshly with eyes focused on Gunnar. "You spook these guys coming out, and they'll rat you all out. 'Specially the one you're replacing."

Then why bother sending him? Why not leave him back up top with Olivia and Quinton where he'd be a lot less of a risk? He had seventeen years of experience telling him he blended as well as a cheetah in a ballroom.

Rorke went up to a steel door and they waited by the side. The door had no handle and there didn't seem to be a way to open it from the outside without undoing the bolts. If Gunnar wasn't scared of what they'd find inside, he'd be able to find a dozen other entrances.

Rorke kept his finger over his ear. The winds made the voices harder to hear for Gunnar too. His eyes swept around for cameras or for guards but the place was deserted. Easier to get in, but easier to get taken out without much notice too.

The door jumped with four loud knocks. Rorke knocked back another pattern and the door swung open.

Travis and Manny stepped out into the open area with squinted eyes.

"Damn, it's bright," Manny yelled out. "It always like this out here?"

Rorke grabbed Manny by the shoulder. "Keep your voice down. Just because there isn't surveillance doesn't mean you can act like a little shit. Remember our deal."

"Minimum week-long vacation from boring as hell duties for keeping my mouth shut. I got it," he said with a smirk. Gunnar was happy that wasn't his act to keep up now.

Travis looked Gunnar up and down. "And he'll be able to assure me at least eighty percent on my physical score today and pass the tox-screen."

Gunnar's heartbeat raced. Even in this stupid stiff shirt he was still getting called out. "I'm not a fucking junkie."

"Relax, Travis is the one who has been using, not you," Rorke assured Gunnar. "And if he wants to cover that up he'd best stay cooperative."

Travis rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Gunnar mimicked him just to get in some practice. Rorke was turning out to referee any bad blood in Gunnar's favor anyway.

Gunnar turned to Travis keeping his chin high and his eyes focused on the building behind him, making sure his eyes didn't wander. Olivia had said it made him look weak and awkward if he couldn't look at people.

"So what does this physical test entail?" He smiled at the word Olivia had taught him, picturing a little dog chasing it around. The smile made Travis tense up. Maybe Gunnar was doing it wrong.

But Travis turned on Rorke instead with wild wide eyes and raging hands. "You haven't even told him? How will he pass if he hasn't trained? I'll go right to my father with your corruption if you don't-"

Rorke grabbed him by the collar and backed him up against the building, Rorke's belly doing most of the restraining. "Unlike you, he's not a damn prima donna. While you were popping pills, he was out in the wild keeping himself alive. Rest assured, if he has to do anything it's tone down his skills so that they'd believe you could have done it."

Matt caught Gunnar's eye and they exchanged silent laughs. But the thought stuck, why were these the assholes that got kept alive and why did they have to fend for themselves for so long?

"Now that you're done wasting our time." Rorke released Travis and the guy stumbled back. "We have fifteen minutes before these boys will be replacing you inside. Ask any questions you have or share what they will need to know."

Before Gunnar could think of a question, Travis had turned his attention straight at him. "Melinda is off-limits."

"Don't worry, I'll tell her I caught crabs."

Travis grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. "Don't you dare screw up my life."

Gunnar shook him off and kept a stance just as dominant as Travis. That one was a tactic he'd learned watching people in the street in his neighbourhood. If people feared you, they usually left you alone. "I'm just here because they asked me to be. I don't want your life, your girlfriend or anything. Once it's over, I'm leaving, but if I start acting crazy they'll catch me. That's the last thing I want."

Travis studied his face, but Gunnar hadn't let his disgust leak through. "Good."

"So what do I need to know? Anything about working maintenance."

"With any luck you'll fast track me to security."

Gunnar glanced at Rorke. The files he went over with Olivia had all been about maintenance work. Rorke gave a half-assed shrug as it clearly wasn't his problem. The files must have been old. Damn. Learning something new always left Gunnar flat out on his ass.

In the last few minutes, Travis managed to share a bit of usable information on the tools, door codes, his boss and the people he worked with. Maybe the guy wouldn't be completely useless after all. Olivia had said they'd be nearby if those inside really got in a pinch and needed information to keep up with their covers.

Rorke cleared his throat. "Go time."