The fog in Swakopmund wasn't lifting, it was just sitting there being annoying and grey, which fit Rin's mood perfectly. They stood on Vex's porch, the investigator looking like she hadn't slept in a week, handing Rin a USB stick that looked suspiciously like a piece of chewed gum.
"This is the copy," Vex said, rubbing her eyes. "Sanitized, I scrubbed the metadata so it doesn't trace back to my rig, meaning if you hand this to Tau, he can verify the files without immediately sending a hit squad after me."
"Appreciate it," Rin said, pocketing the drive. "You staying put?"
"For a few days, then I move again," she said, glancing at their battered Corolla parked down the street. "Try not to die on the way back, it's bad for business if my best clients get eaten by sand beetles."
"We'll try," Sable said. "No promises though."
They walked back to the car, the dent in the hood from Rin's jump looking like a permanent grimace on the metal.
