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Author's Chapter Notes:
the Triad's escape
“When will those losers give it up?” Kato wondered aloud as the Triad continued toward open sea.

Aboard the Triad III, she and her friends watched the Reflection slowly fall away from them. Not much longer before they reached open waters, and their escape would be inevitable. Even from Centralict’s Harbor Patrol, given their slow response.

This, their third Triad ship.

The original Triad, a high-end cruiser they had appropriated, was lost in their first, bungled escape from Centralict Island. Later, the Triad II was a heavily armed smuggling ship that just happened to come into their possession. They then got lost inland on an island that turned out to be as large as a continent, and they never saw it again. Their departure from that realm had, of course, necessitated the acquisition of a Triad III.

Kato was pleased to be leaving Centralict this time with not only the same ship they came in, but also all of the Tri-Medals.

“What did they do,” Chase laughed, watching their opponents lagging farther and farther behind, “hijack a fuckin’ fishing boat?”

Even George thought that was pretty funny, snickering silently.

“Guys,” Kato broke in after a moment, in a tone serious enough to stop both of them in their gloating. “We need to talk.”

George cocked his head curiously, while Chase sighed and rolled his eyes.

“I mean it,” Kato told him. “Do you know what I went through in there?”

“No,” Chase pointed out, but his smartass jab fell short at the last second as he remembered his own fun experience in the Harken Building. Those guys had really given him a run for his money. Though in this case, he had to confess that that money just might have been worth it.

“I don’t care what happened to you, dumbass!” she told him. “You were the only one who was stupid enough to choose to go in there to begin with.”

George laughed silently at that one, seconding her motion.

“Even George laughs at you, man.” She loved telling him that one.

“Dammit, George!” Chase informed him, “She’s making fun of both of us!”

“That’s beside the point…” Kato told them, then launched into an account of all the plans she had been thinking about inside the Building, and later while waiting outside. George perked up, and at first Chase tried to tune her out, but she just kept scoring point after point about their missteps since arriving in Centralict, and he began to fear she might be on to something. Knew there would be no stopping her this time.

And so Kato continued on her roll, all the while glancing back at their pursuers falling hopelessly behind, allowing them to leave Centralict Island free and clear.