Jax shifted his spork between his fingers, knuckles whitening. Another train rattled the beams, but he didn’t even blink.
“Well? I’m waiting. Kade.” The name hit like a hammer.
“I… took his money,” Kade said. The words came out small. Dangerous. Saying them here felt like lighting a match in a fuel line.
Jax’s eyes went wide. The spork clattered to the floor. He shot to his feet just as another train rattled the room, lights flickering overhead.
“Oh damn, that’s bad… that’s real bad. Well…where is it?” His voice cracked on the last word.
“That’s just it.” Kade watched him carefully, waiting to see if he bolted. “The crew I was with… they doublecrossed me. Let me take the hit.”
Jax froze. Not running. Not sitting. Just… stuck. Like his brain had hit a wall and was trying to decide whether to climb it or pretend it wasn’t there.
“Oh. That’s bullshit. No honor amongst thieves anymore.” Jax replied as he leaned back on the seat and took another scoop of salmon, finishing the plate.
The room hummed, and the lights flickered with the aftershock of the train. The rehydrator ticked as it cooled. Somewhere deep in the Spine, a pressure valve hissed.
Jax swallowed hard. “Kade… you didn’t steal from a man. You stole from a machine. And machines don’t forgive.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“Wait. There's more…” Kade murmured.
“More? Damn it, man."
“Yeah, I may have double-crossed them, so they double-crossed my double cross.” Kade tried to explain.
Jax shook his head as he tossed the plate in the reclaimer, wiping his hands on his jumpsuit with a nervous grin.
“So, you got any kind of plan, or you just winging it?” He asked.
Kade shrugged, stealing Jax’s favorite punctuation.