Neo came down from the building with his hands in his pockets and found Alice already waiting below.
She stood near the entrance in her usual quiet way, straight-backed, calm, with the morning air moving lightly through her hair. The city had not fully woken yet. A few cars passed. Somewhere down the street, metal shutters were being dragged upward. The day still felt half-open.
"You've been here long?" Neo asked.
Alice shook her head once. "I got here a minute ago."
Neo stopped beside her and glanced down the road, checking for the vehicle they had arranged the night before. "Good."
Alice studied him briefly. "Did you sleep?"
"Enough."
That answer satisfied her. It would have satisfied almost anyone, really. With Neo, most things ended there unless they deserved another sentence.
