Two days later, Yuri and Rorke returned with files and photos for them. They'd gone through facial recognition software and background checks to find the most suitable matches for the team and prepared detailed documents on the roles and relationships they'd have to maintain to blend in.

Olivia, without one of her own, stuck with Gunnar as she suspected he'd need the most help. He hardly even glanced at the documents, just flipped through them and set them down.

"You can't read that fast," she said matter-of-factly.

He glared at her with more intensity than she'd seen from him before.

She kept a firm tone. "Listen, the notes in here are important to maintain your undercover role."

"Yeah, I got that."

He still didn't do more than look at the papers with disdain.

Olivia went over to the master copy to go through it with Yuri. They had tried to find facets of the organization that already were sympathetic to the idea of overthrowing the new authority. Her crew would meet a mostly positive reception. As long as the higher-ups were convinced of their performance, then they could collect all the intel they needed. Only a few people they'd associate with could raise a red flag. Her eyes kept flicking to the immobile Gunnar.

Five minutes went by and she was frustrated. The others all seemed to understand the importance, yet Gunnar would only stare at the floor. She walked over so she wouldn't disturb the others.

"Gunnar, seriously, you've got to-"

He stood up. "I don't need to do anything. I'm always busting my ass, for what, to be goddamned yelled at. I'm out." It only took a few seconds for him to storm out. Of course, he'd left the papers on the ground.

Olivia was floored, as was the rest of the crew looking on with wide eyes. Gunnar never complained. He never acted bigger than the roles he was given and certainly had shown her nothing but respect and at times seemed intimidated of her more than anything. Where was this coming from?

Olivia waited ten minutes and set out to find him. Something really had to be bothering him and their team was only as strong as their weakest member, which until ten minutes ago she would have not suspected was Gunnar. She wanted to send someone else because she had very little success dealing with emotional outbursts, but of everyone on the team, she was the only one he seemed to make an effort to talk to amicably.

A ping echoed in the distance. Another rock flew toward an old road sign. She caught Gunnar sitting on a window ledge of a two-story home, throwing rocks off into the distance.

"I said I was done," Gunnar said with a scowl.

"Won't be that easy. We're working as a team, and we need all our crew working together," she spoke softly. No response. "Now what's bothering you?"

"Nothing," he retorted.

"Bullshit," she came back with just as quickly.

It seemed to take him by surprise. She took her chance.

"I'm coming up there."

He kept throwing stones at a new invisible target, but there weren't any verbal objections. His whole body radiated tension, especially his firm jaw.

She avoided coming too close but brought herself down to his seated level. "Undercover work used to stress me out too. Never sure if you'll be good enough and get found out. Not sure when you get to go back to the people you care about." Generally, she'd have the least trouble with the latter, but it seemed to affect her the most now.

None of her statements struck any nerves as the rocks kept flying and Gunnar wouldn't make eye contact.

"Are you worried about someone?"

Gunnar shook his head.

"Is it the role you've been given?"

His hand stopped for a moment. She took the cue and pulled the sheets out from her bag. "A maintenance worker?" It really shouldn't be much of a deal-breaker to most.

"Nah, that sounds fine," he said.

Her brow creased. "Then what is it?"

His lips remained immobile. She gave him a bit of time but he turned back to throwing rocks.

Olivia sighed. "Am I just wasting my time here?"

"Probably."

"Gunnar, you are an extremely talented and frustrating young man. You've been nothing but helpful, which we appreciate beyond belief, but now that things are getting the most serious, you're backing out?" She paused. "Are you too nervous?"

"No."

"Come on Gunnar, I'm out of guesses and theories. Just fucking tell me."

Gunnar's shoulders slumped and his face went a little red. He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. "I-" his eyes flicked over to the papers she'd carried with her. It was something about them. As soon as he was given those the issue started.

"What is it about the role that's bothering you?"

"I don't even know what it is," he muttered as he smoothed his thumb over the rock.

"Because you won't read it."

His face went even redder. "I can't."

She didn't follow. "Can't what?"

He bit down hard on his lower lip. "Read. I can't read it."

She let out a sigh of relief. "That's it then?" Obviously, it would be an issue, but this was the easiest path to overcoming his resistance given all the options available.

His eyes widened and he shifted further from her. "What do ya mean?"

"If I read it to you, you'll be fine, right?"

He blinked at her with a blank face. "But..."

"But what? So what if you can't read. I can't sing, but nobody's harping about it."

The silence settled in, but the rocks rolled out of his palm. "Alright. But what about you? Doncha need to get ready too?"

"If I set foot in there, they'll take my head off. I have nothing but time."

He sat taller and looked over at the papers with more interest. Olivia brought them closer and read out the information to him which he seemed to take in much better. He'd be taking over for a man a few years older who had a couple of friends and a romantic interest to keep straight. The friends would be the first to sense something was off. Even if they sympathized, it would still alert the higher-ups. The maintenance job would get them into the main area and was one of the high-risk zones. Gunnar was handy enough to pull off the skills.

She bit her tongue to keep her questions about how he managed through much without the ability to read. It wasn't such a hindrance now, but pre-disaster it would have had quite the effect. She could understand why that was something he kept to himself.

Once she'd read out the whole background and the parts that needed a bit more explaining, Gunnar sat back against the house wall. He muttered a few of the details under his breath to himself as they watched over the dilapidated suburb. His mouth reverted to his former scowl.

"What if I can't remember it all?" he asked.

"Yuri is getting us surveillance footage from the past few days so you can get your accents, mannerisms and gestures synched up." Yuri's crew being assigned as security detail was one of the greatest assets to their mission so far.

"Don't take any chance do ya?"

"Wouldn't be here if I did. The visual and audio should help fill in any hole you have with the history. We'll go over it a few times again before you get inside."

Gunnar nodded and shifted his weight off his left side. "Ya mind not saying anything 'bout the whole reading thing."

Olivia wanted to give him the answer he sought, but she wasn't in the mood to lie. "I'll have to tell Yuri and the rest of the security team to set you up with a video feed to relay back any visual cues you'll need help decoding. He'll need a legitimate reason to offer up extra supplies."

Gunnar's face dropped.

Her voice softened, "But just them, we'll explain it differently to the others. Most of them will be out in the field."

"Most?"

"We're keeping Quinton back to compile the data and possibly contact the Colorado base. The security team have jobs they are assigned to do and don't have enough time to do that work."

Gunnar couldn't keep the scowl off his face when the other boy's name was mentioned. It was a good call to keep them in separate fields. "What about you?"

"Quinton's better with computers. Plus, I'd like to be eyes for most of you when you can't see the whole facility."

"The powerful boss lady."

Olivia let out a dry laugh. She had no interest in becoming anything like a director watching screens and pulling puppet strings. The thought made her skin itch.

"Killing you to be left out?" Gunnar asked.

Olivia met his eyes. She hadn't thought she'd made it that obvious, but Gunnar was proving to be more perceptive than he let on. "I'll be fine." The question still nipped at her interest and Gunnar's guard seemed down, so she asked away. "How did you manage with school and everything?"

Gunnar shrugged and tossed another rock. "Ya get old enough and people stop thinking yer dumb, and switch to lazy. Liked that better. Teachers are either get sick of ya or feel sorry for ya."

Olivia frowned. "But someone had to notice."

"My kid sister helped when I got real close to failing my way out. She knew how to make things sounds better in writing."

"How old is she?"

"She was twelve."

Olivia didn't miss the was and gave him a sympathetic smile. A sorry wouldn't mean much to him anymore. She tossed a rock at his invisible target.

"Ever wish you had a time machine?" Gunnar asked.

Olivia let out a light laugh. "Every damned day." But her heart reminded her that a time machine wouldn't bring her to Edward. Nothing but her sorry trail of misery would lead her there. She could only hope the mission would go by quickly.

***