Carolina would be lying if she said she didn't miss that seeming simplicity of that ranking board and the Project in general. There she could find order, there she had a distinct niche carved out for herself from years of blood, sweat, and tears. Here in the Castle, she could not even be entirely sure of if she would be a human or a toy the next day, or if her team might suddenly vanish, leaving her here alone.

When Maine got to his feet, she realized her intense grip on her bottle and slowly began to release it, knuckles no longer so vividly outlined. As a distraction, though, she shifted in her seat and took a long swig of her beer. Damn if she didn't miss home so much right now.