#fenixtj

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Jessica gets a call. Might be on her cell or on a phone at the hold. Depends on what number she gave to Tweak.

(Tweak has both)

Then definitely her cell phone.

It takes a moment, but. "Hello?"

"Yo, B! 'Sup, chica?"

"Tweak, hello. Things are going well, I think. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I keep meanin' t' get my ass over there, but ya know how it be, ain't nobody can do shit around here without me, or it all goes fuckwise."

"I been thinkin'...you was talkin' 'bout them assholes. The mortal traffickers."

"Yes."

"Yeah, well...I mean...you eliminated th' possibility they workin' from our blueprints?"

"Our.... blueprints?"

"Yeah! You gots ta get immigrants over the border to El Norte...you rig a deal with some people what got connections, an' they get dropped all over, includin' yer dad's locale. Now we gots people gettin' shipped on what look kinda like th' same route...how we know it not the same people doin' the shippin'?"

A pause. "You mean... the people, the connections, that helped us move migrants over the border to safety... they might be behind the trafficking going on?"

"Hey, if I gotta get a train somewhere in a hurry, might start with the existing rail tracks."

"Y'know....repurposing an' shit."

"We have the tracks under watch. As much as we can. And the mortal authorities are aware."

"What I'm sayin', B, it that you gotta wonder if your connections for that job be using your intel for making new connections on this gig."

A long silence.

"Is the folks you done trusted before makin' bank with somebody else's cargo now?"

"I have no way of knowing. I didn't meet the.... other party. Or parties. Face to face."

"Well, maybe whoever did better start askin' some questions, y' get me?"

Another long silence.

"I ... I can ask."

Reluctantly.

A belabored sigh. "If you tryna catch the people what shippin' the mortals now, better eliminate the possibility it be the same people what shipped 'em before. Whoever was yer point person..."

"Yah, like that.'

"Ok. Anything else?"

A bit of a pause on her end. "Wellll...." Another pause. "When th' dog-n-pony show comin' to my neck of th' woods?"

"Skyhook is the second stop; dates are still to be determined, but I'd appreciate it if you'd send a few suggestions in."

"Huh. Well...we got some stuff cookin' up..." She snerks a bit at some notion. "Yeah, how 'bout June 1? You be here for Shuri's second birthday bash an' shit." Oh, proud mama tone creeping in there.

"Good grief, two already??"

"'S what I'm sayin', B. What I'm sayin'." A rueful snicker.

A sigh. "I'll see if we can make that happen."

"Well, hey, just a suggestion. I figger, more peeps, more prezzies for babygirl. Then you plant your asses overnight, an' we do a tour and meeting an' shit next day. I check an' see what other times we got gaps in production.

"But no shit, B, get somebody lookin' into them transit connections. I gotta bad feelin'."

"June 1st. And.... yes, I'll... I'll make some calls."

Reluctant still but resigned.

"A'ight. Later, B!" And the line's disconnected.

Jessica sits quietly before taking up a distasteful task. She calls Rivervale.

".... love you." She says to the empty air.

She takes a breath and stands, squaring her shoulders. The phone goes in her pocket and she goes out to her duties.

CAT LITTER NEEDS CLEANING

...........sounds like a job for Ellie.

"Pee-yew!"

She DOES it. But she makes faces.

Mamacita watches to make sure it's done right

Really, after several days of watering and singing, this isn't so bad. It's just one spot.

Marion rewards her with a few rub bys

"How does something so cute make something so stinky?"