JUSTIN: * Shane leaves the relative safety of the beach behind, following Jo up into the bustle of the streets, where the noise level rises considerably. "I brought some money along, but I don't know how much we'll need to spend to, uh, make our business look believable. We don't want to get kicked out for loitering."

JENNA: "I"m pretty sure I have enough to cover us," Jo says, rubbing her arm. As they approach the building, she eases closer to Shane, winding her arm around his and reaching down to take his hand. "Might as well make it look good," she says in explanation, eyes fixed quietly on the steady stream of people going in and out of the building.

JUSTIN: * Shane lurches to the side instinctually, and his breathing quickens at the unexpected contact. He closes his eyes for a second to calm himself, though, shaking his head to clear the unnecessary worry. "If anyone could possibly consider us a couple, they would have to be drunk or crazy." He mutters, loosely clamping his hand around hers and trying not to look uncomfortable about the proximity.

JENNA: "I'm sure they've seen odder couples," Jo mutters, forcing a faint grin. "We shouldn't stand out." She doesn't seem terribly confident, however, pushing carefully through the crowd until they reach the entrance. She hesitates for a moment before going inside, then nearly stops short again. The interior of the building threatens to bring back memories of Jawaii, only slightly more understated and less jungle-themed. Jo looks faint.

JUSTIN: * Shane blinks at the decor as they enter the building, leaning to have a look around when Jo ceases to move. "Popular style, it seems." He shrugs his shoulders, and starts to move again, tugging Jo along lightly. "Come on, don't lose momentum now, or you may not get it back." He murmers to her out of the side of his lips.

JENNA: * Jo manages a nod, then jumps nearly into Shane when a woman materializes at her elbow, dressed in theme with the decor -- if very scantily. "You're together?" she says with a smile, looking at the two of them. Jo nods slowly, forcing a very weak smile. The woman, however, seems immediately sympathetic. "First time?" she asks. "Well, that's okay.. what kind of room are you looking for?" Jo looks at her blankly for a moment, and she takes that as an "I don't know," continuing as she leads them away from the entrance. "We have single rooms on the upper floor, if you're looking for a getaway for just the two of you ... Or for more exotic tastes we can send a male or female associate up to join you. Of course, there are also group rooms, if that's what you're looking for --" Jo, trying to control a further strong desire to run away, shakes her head rapidly. "J-just a single room, right?" She glances sideways at Shane to see if he's holding up any better.

JUSTIN: * Shane is holding up, if barely. He's simply glad that so far the woman -- who he is very pointedly not staring at -- is talking to Jo. He almost misses Jo's question, very diligently counting the ceiling tiles, and eventually turns his head down to see her sideways stare. "Oh -- o-of course, whatever you want... dear." He wonders for a moment if the sorts who come to a place like this would refer to each other as 'dear', and bites his lip nervously.

JENNA: * Jo laughs weakly, but the woman only bobs in a very slight curtsey and smiles, clearly taking it all as first-timers' nervousness. "Well, then, let's get you a room! Is there any sort of theme you'd like?" Jo shakes her head, tugging Shane along. "A..anything is fine." She wants to say 'something less tacky,' but she restrains herself, doubting there's anything here that isn't tacky in one way or another. The woman smiles again, disappearing behind a curtain and returning shortly with a key. "Just follow me," she says, and starts up a nearby hall.

JUSTIN: * Shane returns to silence, letting Jo handle all the talking and thinking. As far as he can tell, if he thinks too much about the place they're in, he'll snap, and that would be very counter-productive to their cause at the moment. He follows closely at Jo's side, clinging to her for security where before it was a discomfort.

JENNA: * They go up several floors before the woman stops, turning and presenting Jo the key to the room they're standing in front of. "This one's free tonight, you lucky dogs -- I'll even give you a special rate. Four-fifty for four hours!" Jo fails to see what's so wonderful about this rate, but she hurriedly digs in her pouch for the money, smiling nervously and tightening her grip on Shane for a moment. "Thank you.. very much," she murmurs, casting her gaze to the floor as she takes the key. The woman seems to find the situation entirely too adorable, calling out a cheery "Have fun!" as she trots back down the hall.

JUSTIN: * Shane waits until the woman is out of sight, then nudges Jo impatiently. "Quick, before someone else tries to talk to us." He doesn't sound impatient with her, but he does sound a little panicy. "I feel exposed out here."

JENNA: "There's no one out here," Jo mutters, but she hurriedly unlocks the door, slipping inside and dragging Shane with her. She stumbles back a pace, however, sighing heavily. "This must be one of their better rooms," she mumbles, forcing herself forward again.

JUSTIN: * Shane ignores the comment, shuffling along after her and pulling his arm out of her grip once inside. "Not so rough!" He rubs at his wrist and turns her a look, stepping to shut the door behind her and lock it. "Well of course it is. You said it didn't matter, so of course they gave us the most expensive. Aren't you the one who's supposed to be teaching /me/ about how to deal with merchants?"

JENNA: * Jo gives him a sharp look. "Whatever, all right, I was just playing along. It's not like we can't afford it, and the job pays a lot more than that." With that, she stalks over to the bed and sighs, pulling down the covers and roughing it up a bit. "Let's just give it a few minutes before we start moving," she mutters. "It's not like I'm thrilled, either."

JUSTIN: * Shane gives Jo a cross look, sniffing indignantly. "I didn't accuse you of anything! I'm just pointing it out, that's all." He pulls out his gun to double-check it, then slips it back into his belt. "After all, you're the one who commented." He walks around the room, inspecting this and that while he waits for her to mess the bed up or whatever she's doing. "Do you even know where we're supposed to start looking?"

JENNA: "Yes," she grumbles, finishing with the bed and stalking over to lean against the wall. "He has an office on the top floor, so that's at least a place to start. He's powerful enough I doubt he'd be particularly careful about where he kept things." She folds her arms, looking around again. Even she isn't sure what you're supposed to do with some of the items there. She decides she really doesn't want to think about it.

JUSTIN: * Shane walks over and sits down on the bed, rather heavily, looking none too happy. "I hope you're right about all this. This place gives me a bad feeling all over." As if on cue, he shudders involuntarily, folding his arms across his stomach.

JENNA: * Jo gives a low sigh, but she doesn't answer, ticking away the minutes in her mind before she feels it's safe to move again. "All right," she says finally, straightening away from the wall. "Let's do this." She nevertheless hesitates before opening the door and peeking out, relieved to see it's empty. "Come on." She slips into the hall and makes for the nearest set of stairs.

JUSTIN: * Shane makes sure the door is locked behind them before they sneak down the hallway, attempting to be as quiet as he can -- even though it is likely that being quiet won't improve their chances for success anyway. He simply hopes that Jo's years of experience with breaking and entering, thievery, and spying will finally be put to good use and prove all his worries wrong.

JENNA: * Jo, it would seem, is back in her element, though it helps that the hallways on the upper floors seem devoid of any kind of security. There's sound from behind some of the doors they pass, but none that warrants closer inspection. The building, though tall, doesn't reach terribly high, and it's only a few floors before they reach the top -- the last staircase is tucked behind a locked door, but Jo makes short work of that.

JUSTIN: * Shane tries to block out some of the more disturbing noises coming from a few of the rented rooms, but the further up they go, the less populated the building. He's unsure of how to feel about their progress so far, simple as it's been. He wants to feel confident about their odds, but he can't help feeling that their good fortune is going to turn upside down. He shakes his head clear and watches Jo instead, this being his first chance to see how a thief works a lock. "Never thought I'd be glad to see a lock picked."

JENNA: "It's not exactly a glamorous process," Jo murmurs drily. This lock, in fact, is proving more stubborn than some, and she falls silent for a moment before a satisfying click rings out. She takes a deep breath, pulling it open, and starts up the stairs with more care than before, pausing at the corner to glance around. Then she draws back quickly, frowning. "Guards," she says, easing back a few steps.

JUSTIN: * Shane is halfway up the steps behind her, stopping at the word. So much for optimism, he'll have to settle for another option. "Coming this way?" He asks quietly, turning to look back down the way they came from, and wondering why they aren't already running for cover.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head. "Just outside the door.. looks like he's in there. We'll have to wait 'til they leave." She continues back down the steps, remembering an alcove along the way that would keep them hidden from someone walking casually down the stairs. "Hopefully won't be too long."

JUSTIN: * Shane lets Jo pass him, then falls in line behind her. "And what if they keep guards posted all night? What then?" He can't imagine starting a fight with the guards would be a good way to handle this espionage business.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head. "He has to go home sometime. I doubt he spends much time here.. other businesses." She eases her way into the alcove, settling as tightly as she can against the wall and listening silently for any sound from above.

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs quietly, hoping she's right, and this guy is as clumsy about his security as she makes it sound. He attemps to squeeze himself against the wall in the alcove, but being the bigger of the two, it takes considerably more effort to keep himself steady in the tight quarters.

JENNA: * It's nearly an hour before there's movement on the stairs, and Jo tenses, attempting to ease back further but finding herself against the wall. Male voices speak unconcernedly of business as they walk past, chuckling now and then, as the boss makes his way down, followed by the heavier steps of his guards. Jo waits until she's heard them pass the door and close it behind them, footsteps disappearing in the distance. Still, she waits another few minutes before slipping out with a faint sigh.

JUSTIN: * Shane is more than relieved when Jo finally steps from their small nook, and he practically falls out behind her. He takes a deep breath -- to make up for the lack of breathing he did to fit against the wall for an hour -- and is tempted to give Jo a sour look, but passes on it. "Let's get this over with, okay?"

JENNA: * Jo doesn't answer him, starting up the stairs as quickly and quietly as she can. When she reaches the top, she pauses again, and relaxes when she sees the guards are in fact gone. Then she darts into the hall and tries the door to the office, kneeling once again when she finds it locked.

JUSTIN: * Shane marches along after her, just as pleased to see there aren't any guards present. It does make him somewhat nervous, too, however, wondering if there might be some other system in place to hamper would-be intruders. He turns an eye to Jo, busy with the lock, and bites at his lip briefly. "Be careful... The door might be rigged somehow." He rubs at his neck, shifting from foot to foot and trying to calm his pessimism.

JENNA: * This lock proves easier than the last, and Jo gains entry before much longer, easing the door open and slipping inside. The office is well-furnished, clearly no expense was spared. Two sets of shelves and a desk are the best chances for finding paperwork, though there are a couple of chairs and a couch nearby as well. Jo makes for the desk, pushing the chair behind it back slightly as she kneels to open the drawers.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives a last, nervous glance up and down the hall before entering the room and taking up a post near the door to listen and keep watch while Jo searches. "How long is it going to take?" He asks, trying not to sound like there's any pressure.

JENNA: * She glances up, giving him a testy look. "You could /help/," she suggests. "Then it might go faster." She turns back to searching through the files, turning up nothing of interest in the drawers of the desk. "Figures.." She then moves on to the shelves, careful to replace things exactly as she found them.

JUSTIN: "/Someone/ has to pay attention to the hallway." Shane snaps back at her, no longer trying to keep his unease to himself. "Or would you rather be caught red-handed with your fingers in the cookie jar, should the man come back for something?" He peers out into the hallway again, as if it's infinitely more interesting than Jo at the moment.

JENNA: "Then do whatever you want," Jo growls, thumbing through the shelves in search of what might be an account book. Even if she can't read it, she'll be able to tell whether it has letters or numbers in it. Her first search turns up empty, and she sighs, moving to the next set. It's about halfway through this one she strikes one that looks promising. "Shane, get over here." She lifts the book up to where he can see it. "Tell me what it says."

JUSTIN: * Shane turns away from the door looking fairly grumpy, and he hurries over to the desk to get this out of the way. He snags the book from her upraised hands, peering at the cover, then checking the first couple of pages. "It's a standard record book, by the cover." He flips a couple more pages, looking for something more specific. "Names, dates, transaction information..." He squints his eyes. "I don't see any goods listed, though. Just people."

JENNA: "Well, I doubt he'd put it down in plain language if he was transporting slaves ..." She peers at the book. "Is there any other kind of notation in there..? Letters, numbers, symbols?" She glances at the door once and finds it empty, then shrugs. "I can go look some more if not ..."

JUSTIN: "There are letters and numbers everywhere, there wouldn't be any way to know if they are referring to slaves or apples." Shane frowns, closing the book and holding onto it for the time being. "See what else you can find, maybe there's an accompanying book somewhere."

JENNA: * She gives him a cross look. "Keep looking through that one.. maybe there's a hint somewhere." She does, however, return to the shelves, returning with another recordbook that's no more explanatory. It's the bottom shelf before she finds anything else -- a false bottom. She gives a small chirp, removing it, though she finds only a single piece of parchment on the floor beneath.

JUSTIN: * Shane lowers his small collection of books, his mind just beginning to go numb from the endless lists of names and numbers. "What's that?" He dumps them on one of the nearby chairs, circling the desk to meet her by the shelf. Peering over her shoulder, he gives a quiet cluck of his tongue. "Hm, I think that's just what we were looking for. Bring it here." He goes back to his books, grabbing one and opening it up to test it against what may well be the key to the coding.

JENNA: * Jo nods and gets to her feet, following him and replacing the false bottom before handing him the paper. "I hope so.. we're running short on time." She glances at the door again, but there's still no movement, and she sighs a little, seating herself on the edge of the desk.

JUSTIN: * Shane plops down on the small sofa, setting the book down and holding the flimsy piece of parchment next to it. His eyes travel back and forth a few times between them, and his face slowly brightens until he sits back and gives a relieved sigh. "I think this is it. Unless I'm reading this thing wrong, which I can say with certainty is unlikely." He closes the book, sliding the paper under the front cover, and then stacks everything up.

JENNA: "Good," Jo says with a faint, weary smile. "Then we'd better --" She goes still, however, as a murmur of voices comes from up the hall -- closer than seems entirely fair. She curses, watching the door wildly for a moment. "This can't be good --"

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't hear the sound at first, eyeing Jo with a peculiar and wary gaze. "What?" Then he hears the sound, and his earlier panic comes back in a flash. He let his guard down before the end, and now they're going to get caught in the act. "Oh no." He lurches up to his feet, taking a step toward Jo.

JENNA: * Jo, it seems, has something else in mind, closing the gap between them in two quick steps to give him a hurried shove. "Sit down -- just --" The voices, even closer now, seem to give her a strength born of panic, and before he's even fully seated again, she springs into his lap, legs pinning him from either side. Before he can protest -- much, anyway -- she leans forward to press her mouth against his in a long and relatively thorough kiss.

JUSTIN: * Shane is not only taken by surprise, he damn near goes into shock. Finding himself back on the sofa, Jo is in his lap before he can even comprehend the change in position, and just as he is about to protest, he suddenly loses the use of his mouth. He begins to flail, at least with his arms, as his panic shifts gears and skyrockets, eyes wide and almost /fearful/.

JENNA: * Jo's hands, meanwhile, have been at another task -- hiding the recordbook. As fast as she can manage it, she yanks his shirt up, snatching hold of the recordbook and shoving it flatways against him before dropping the fabric again. Not great, but it will have to do for the moment. Then, hands free again, she takes hold of his wrists, breaking the kiss long enough to growl, "/Stop/ that," before resuming just as the door swings open behind them.

JUSTIN: * Shane hardly registers her words, about to formulate a few frantic ones of his own when her lips reconnect with his. Eyes flash to the door as the shadow of a person streaks across the floor, and his panic finds itself split between the two situations, neither of which seems to have a solution. He slams his eyes shut, expecting the worst, and throws his arms around Jo in a cross between playing along (for whatever good it could possibly do) and sheer fright. What happens after that, he isn't sure of, as his mind swirls from Jo's continued assault of his lips, which he soon finds himself returning.

JENNA: * Jo, startled by Shane's sudden return of her kiss -- not to mention the sensation of his arms tightening around her -- doesn't react immediately when a voice barks, "Just what the hell is going on here?!" from behind them. After the moment's delay, however, she jerks away from Shane, turning as best as she can to face the owner. Her cheeks are hot, but more the better, as she stammers a hurried excuse. "I -- I mean -- I'm sorry, sir -- it's just he --"

JUSTIN: * Shane nearly gasps when Jo finally lets him go again, sucking in a deep breath and moving his hands to grip at the sofa cushions almost desperately. He opens his mouth to talk, but absolutely nothing comes out, no matter how hard he tries. He's starting to feel a little faint, only partly aware that someone is standing five feet away that likely wants to kill them.

JENNA: * Jo, thinking fast, manages to stammer out, "I'm sorry, it's just he -- he wanted to go somewhere dangerous, and --" At this, the men -- owner included -- relax slightly, and it appears for a moment that he wants to laugh. "Well, miss, I'm afraid this office is off limits -- really, I'm not sure how you got up here." Jo hesitates, then eases her way to her feet, attempting to pull Shane with her. "I know.. I'm sorry.." Then she turns sharply, fist clenched, and slams it -- sort of gently -- into Shane's gut. "I /told/ you we'd get caught," She half shouts at him, praying he'll take the hint and grab the damn book before it becomes obvious where they've hidden it.

JUSTIN: * Shane -- about to protest again, not having heard a single thing that's been said -- suddenly finds the book hidden up his shirt slammed into his gut, flushing the air out of his lungs and leaving him speechless once more. He wraps his arms around his stomach, clutching the stolen records to him with only half realizing it, and stumbles forward into Jo.

JENNA: * The owner chuckles again, lifting his hands placatingly. "There, there," he says lightly, eyes glinting with clear amusement. "No harm done.. but one of my men will escort you out .... we have business to attend to." Jo swallows, then nods. "Th..thank you, sir." Then she makes quickly for the door, pulling Shane along carefully as they enter the hall. One of the guards follows them out, but he doesn't appear to be much interested in inspecting them closely.

JUSTIN: * Shane allows himself to be dragged along, too confused and dazed to protest anymore. He does manage to regain enough of his awareness to notice the book hidden under his shirt, and remember what it's for. His fingers instantly clutch tighter, avoiding a near drop that was looming, and he tries to focus his eyes on the hallway around him. For some reason, his vision is swimming.

JENNA: * The guard stops following them at the bottom of the stairs, waiting until they've exited before locking the door behind them. Jo sucks in a deep breath, glancing back at her companion. "We'd better get out of here ..." she says unnecessarily, continuing to pull him along down hallways and stairs until they've reached the entrance. To her relief, the receptionist is nowhere to be seen, and she pushes through the front doors with an exhausted sigh. She doesn't pause, however, continuing back to the inn as quickly as she can and ignoring twinges from her leg, which adrenalin temporarily disguised.

JUSTIN: * Shane remains distinctly silent the entire way, events slowly sorting themselves out in his head along the way. He can clearly remember certain things that he missed, and nothing strikes him as pleasant -- most notably, being punched in the stomach, and he's pretty certain he was raped somewhere in there. But at least they have the records, so it wasn't a complete failure. Just a very dirty victory. When they finally reach their room at the inn, he stumbles toward one of the cots, collapsing onto it and pulling the book from his shirt with a shaky hand.

JENNA: * Jo takes the book from him promptly, making her way over to their gear and packing rapidly. "We can't stay. I don't know why he went back in the room, but if it was for this, we don't have much time." She looks over at him, frowning. "Come on! We barely got out of there in one piece, do you want them to catch up?" She shoves the book in her pack before closing it up and throws his over to him.

JUSTIN: * Shane stares at Jo blankly, and it is pretty clear that he isn't entirely there just yet. His pack lands next to him, and he curls a hand around it unconsciously, turning his head to look at it afterward as if not comprehending.

JENNA: * Jo looks at him impatiently, making her way over to haul him up by the arm. "Let's go, already." Her voice is tired, as is her expression, as if she's in farther over her head than she really likes. "I'd like to lie down, too, but it can wait 'til after we're at least a day out of here." She tugs him lightly.

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head trying to fight off his daze, and grabs his coat before beginning to walk toward the door without a word. He moves without her help this time, but perhaps not fast enough for her liking, as he still feels like he's being half-dragged along the way.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't pay him much heed as she makes her way to the stables, pack slung over her shoulders. She starts saddling her peco rapidly, and edge of panic still with her. "We'll have to get this to the wagonmaster and just leave ... no time to find another job," she mutters, mostly to herself. She turns to check on Shane's progress before swinging into the saddle.

JUSTIN: * Shane's progress is steady, mostly because saddling his peco has become habitual enough that he can do it without thinking. Luckily, his bird doesn't seem to be in the mood to argue this time, and before long he makes his way -- awkwardly, at best -- into the saddle.

JENNA: * Jo nods, leading him out of the stable and back across town to where the wagonmaster met her the first time. The city seems abnormally quiet, and her shoulders are tight from worry that they'll be attacked around every corner. By the time they reach their destination, her nerves are frayed, and she swings down from the peco with inordinate speed, tying it quickly. "He'll be in here," she says to Shane. "Let's get this done."

JUSTIN: * Shane falls out of his saddle, landing on his feet, if only barely. He fumbles with the reigns, eventually managing to disentangle his fingers from them, and follows after Jo with a noticable crease in his forehead. "Okay..." He manages to formulate a word for the first time since their initial investigation started.

JENNA: * Jo steps inside, relieved to see the wagonmaster present -- but apparently not nearly as relieved as he is to see her. Once the door is shut and the book handed over, he begins to thank her effusively, but she shakes her head, taking their pay -- which amounts to 2500 zeny in the end. With a promise that they'll always be welcome with his caravans, Jo takes her leave, ushering Shane back into the street. "What a day.." She starts back for the pecos.

JUSTIN: * Shane wanders into the building after her, then before he knows it, he's being directed back out again. He makes his way to his bird, which gives him a somewhat sour look as he takes his time getting back into the saddle. There are a lot of questions he would like to ask about the day thus far, but none of them come up after her comment, and don't seem likely to in the near future.

JENNA: * Jo swings back into the saddle without saying anything, having tucked the money away beforehand. "Well," she says, forcing a smile. "Time to put some distance between us and this city." Then she strikes off for the exit, plotting a course that would take them, in a roundabout way, back to Geffen. She finds the exercise relaxing, and it keeps her mind off the badly botched job they just finished.

JUSTIN: * Shane's mind doesn't have much to distract itself, save for the minimal effort of detecting Jo's position and adjusting his course to follow it. It passes the time -- seeing as time will pass, no matter what he's doing -- but it also only leaves him ample brain power to ponder over what has taken place. It's a bit redundant to keep thinking about it, as he doesn't get any farther with each attempt, but he can't stop himself.

JENNA: * Exiting the cave, Jo is disoriented to find the sun still up, even if it is in the lower part of the sky. She shakes her head, making sure Shane is still behind her, then quickens her pace, heading northeast as quickly as the jungle will allow. She doesn't stop again until well after midnight, as the pecos are about to give out, and she's relatively sure there's been no pursuit. She chooses a small clearing near one of the jungle's many streams, then drops from the peco wearily. "Here's good enough for now," she says, voice sounding odd -- she hasn't spoken much since they left the city.

JUSTIN: * If anything, at least the added light, heat, and annoying insect life gives Shane enough distraction to finally put his thoughts to rest for the time being. By the time they reach the campsite, he has mostly regained his awareness and motor functions, though he still hasn't talked. He doesn't answer her when she finally breaks the silence, instead busying himself with tying his peco up, and then begins clearing a site for a fire.

JENNA: * This doesn't appear to bother Jo terribly, as she's busy digging through their rations for something to eat. With the immediate danger past, she finds herself very hungry. "Jerky or fish?" she asks, turning to Shane and ambling over to help put the fire together.

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs his shoulders lightly, sitting back when the circle has been cleared. "Either or..." He doesn't feel particularly hungry, but he knows he must be. He draws his knees up, circling them with his arms and watching the blank spot that will eventually house the fire. He doesn't stay seated for long, however, getting back to his feet and turning toward the surrounding jungle. "I'll get some wood for the fire."

JENNA: "Don't go too far," Jo tells him, sinking down next to the cleared patch with a sigh. "Guess I'm not really up to fishing right now anyway." She then shifts again, retrieving flint and tinder, as well as a few things that might work as kindling. Then she settles once more, waiting for Shane to come back with some firewood.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't go far -- doesn't need to, either, as there happens to be a fallen tree close by, and a few swipes of the sword clear off enough branches and bark to last them the night. He returns minutes later, arms laden, and settles to the ground across from her to begin arranging the firewood.

JENNA: * Jo waits until he's finished, finally becoming more aware of his silence as she comes out of hers. She doesn't say anything immediately, waiting until he's finished arranging the wood to start the fire. The pecos break the quiet with a few conversational squawks, and Jo passes Shane the jerky after she's taken some for herself. "That really.. didn't go very well," she says finally, unable to think of a very good way to frame an apology for the fiasco.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks up at her, stripping a piece of jerky from the package and delaying his eating of it. "... We didn't die." He finally says, hoping that will be enough of an "I forgive you" to her non-apology. He pokes the meat into his mouth, chewing slowly and methodically, turning his eyes to the wood and moving to grab the flint and steel.

JENNA: * Jo lets him take them, folding her arms across her knees and watching him for a moment before taking a bite of her jerky and chewing slowly. "Were there really slave transactions in the book?" she asks, hoping there were -- mostly so the job wasn't a complete loss.

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs his shoulders almost unnoticably, working away at the wood until some sparks turn into flame. "As far as I could tell. I didn't have time for a thorough study." He sits back once he's done, taking another bite of his jerky and watching the small fire distantly.

JENNA: * Jo nods, eating another piece of jerky and frowning thoughtfully. "I didn't really expect to find anything, I guess ... or maybe I just didn't expect anyone to actually try fighting the slavers ..." She scratches her cheek and eats another piece. "Maybe .." She shakes her head and falls silent.

JUSTIN: * Shane flicks her another look, brow furrowed slightly. "And why shouldn't someone fight them? It's disgraceful." He sets his meat aside, ignoring it for the time being. "Not to mention everything else in that building."

JENNA: "I didn't say they shouldn't be fought," Jo says crossly. "I just said I'm surprised anyone is." Her frown deepens as she eats another piece of meat. "They're powerful, especially in that city ... they're the reason that building can exist as blatantly as it does." She shrugs. "Disgraceful or not, it's a fact that they're there."

JUSTIN: * Shane decides not to answer again, knowing he has nothing to contribute to the conversation other than the obvious. He picks up his jerky and places a piece in his mouth to excuse himself from speaking, and then shows a reignited interest in watching the fire.

JENNA: * Jo looks at him wearily for a moment, then decides to try again, despite her efforts at conversation failing thus far. "If I'd known what was going to happen, I wouldn't have.." She falls silent for a moment, then presses a hand to her forehead, annoyed. "You didn't have to come!" she manages at last. "I would have figured something out."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks up from the fire, and his face pans slowly until it's facing her, expression blank. "Didn't have to come?" He snorts quietly, dropping his food again as quickly as he regained an appetite for it. "That sounds awfully familiar." He shrugs his shoulders again, getting slowly to his feet and dusting his pants off.

JENNA: "It's the truth!" Jo looks up at him, getting to her feet as well -- uneasy, as if she feels threatened. "I told you, didn't I?" She looks away from him and walks back over to her pack, shaking her head. "You didn't have to .." She reaches up to scratch her head, looking back over her shoulder at him. "What's bothering you, anyway? It's not any worse than anything else we've been through, is it?!"

JUSTIN: * Shane folds his arms across his chest, blank face looking suddenly very cross, and not a little bit perplexed. "Most jobs, I don't have to worry about getting assaulted by my own partner. Does that count?" He turns around, eyes boring into her as soon as she's in sight.

JENNA: * Jo spins sharply, forgetting whatever it was she was digging in her pack for. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" she snaps, planting her fists on her hips. "How do you think we got out of there in one piece, then?!"

JUSTIN: "I don't know, I was too busy keeling over after getting punched in the stomach to pay much attention." Shane turns away from her, the sudden hostility not something he'd hoped to bring up. He's feeling a bit overwhelmed again, thinking back on the situation. "And I don't see how... how /that/, what you /did/ was the least bit necessary."

JENNA: "Well, you weren't paying any attention, were you?! If I hadn't, they might have noticed the damn book -- and I didn't see you coming up with a better story!" She glares after him, not about to permit him to walk off. "It was just a /kiss!/" she snaps. "And it's not like it'll ever happen again, is it?!" She drops back to the ground, turning her back to him and going back to her packs, even though she's damned if she can remember what she was after.

JUSTIN: "/Just/ a kiss?!" Shane is facing her again in no time, glaring at the back of her head. "You damn near took my face off! You bolted me to the sofa! What part of your excuse /required/ you to do that?" He stands there for a moment shaking, but not from anger. "You're... you're damn right it will never happen again, it was completely... completely indecent..."

JENNA: "Made the story a hell of a lot more convincing, didn't it?" Jo retorts, wrenching the bag open viciously. "Believe me, I've got no inclination to do it again." For the moment, she's ticked off enough that she doesn't even want to look at him, yanking her weaving from the bag and planting her knife in the dirt to anchor it. She doesn't say anything else, instead concentrating on winding the threads together.

JUSTIN: * Shane curls his fingers into fists, squeezing them tightly as he feels like smacking a nearby tree. "What were you trying to convince them, that I was trying to /impregnate/ you?" He flushes quite heavily in the cheeks, and turns around, marching away from the campsite toward the nearby stream. He really doesn't feel like discussing this anymore, it's making him feel strangely ill.

JENNA: "/OBVIOUSLY,/" she bellows after him, then turns back to her weaving, her own face strangely hot. The entire situation, she feels, spiraled out of control. She's just happy enough it's over. Still unsettled after an hour passes, she puts her weaving away, removing her belts, and flings her pack down, curling up under her cloak to attempt to get some sleep. "Stupid ass," she mutters under her breath, the last thing she says before dropping off.

JUSTIN: * Shane is gone for an inordinate amount of time, staring into the stream despite barely being able to make it out in the darkness. Eventually the nagging water-side bugs drive him back to the camp, where he is more than relieved to find Jo already asleep. He wastes no time in curling up with his pack and fighting against his brain to fall asleep, back to the fire, and to her.

JENNA: * Jo is up shortly after noon and down at the river for a quick wash. She returns and starts kicking the fire out without bothering to wake Shane, chewing on some jerky as she does so. The pecos chatter curiously at her, but she ignores them as well, maintaining a silence she intends to keep (for the most part) for the next several days.

JUSTIN: * Despite her lack of a proper wake-up call, Shane doesn't last long with the noise of breaking camp, and he crawls to his feet groggily. He looks around, noting the position of the sun, and graces Jo with a very brief, but very firm stare before going about repacking the saddlebags and ignoring her again.

JENNA: * When everything's packed, Jo swings up into the saddle, barely waiting to see if Shane's caught up before she starts off into the thick underbrush. The peco protests a bit, but she doesn't care a whole lot, as it's primarily laziness driving its complaints. She nevertheless continues on her mentally plotted course, planning to make Geffen in a week and a half at the longest, and from there see what kind of job they can find in the city.

JUSTIN: * Shane is a decent ways behind her, but it is mostly on purpose. He keeps her in sight, and doesn't let her get so far ahead that she begins to wonder. He's content to leave her to her own thoughts and let her crankiness run its course. In the meantime, he uses the silence to sift his brain and try to clean it out of pointless, wasted thoughts and feelings. She was right, really, to a degree -- it was just a stupid kiss, and they'll both get over it.