"Hardly," he replies in a reasoning sort of tone. "They'll ask more questions if we go upstairs." Marco was a thoroughgoing professional. "But, if they're looking for us..." He glanced at her, and took both her hands in his. "There are ways to avoid questioning." He looked the slightest bit rueful. "Just your luck that I joined you on this particular mission, isn't it?"

The sound of sirens is piercing, and far faster than should have been the case, but he had the feeling that local law enforcement had been watching this particular gathering, unofficially, so it was no wonder. But the sooner they came and went, the sooner they could finish this up, and the faster they could investigate exactly how and why an allied family had made such an idiotic move.