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The Machine has already vetted the place, but Shaw makes Fusco run background checks on all the employees while Reese does an on-site inspection of the facilities. Everything turns up clean — aside from the principal up and retiring over the summer — and even the catering service Finch investigates sports some of the highest marks possible.
"And we’re sure Samaritan can’t get out?” Shaw asks as they jump out of the black SUV. Sure, the sun’s shining and birds are chirping and they iced the last remaining compound a couple years ago, but still.
Fusco rolls his eyes at her and unbuckles Ris’s seatbelt with a click. “Relax, the kid’ll be fine.”
With honed cat-like reflexes, Shaw catches Ris by the cloth suspenders before she can dart away, and tugs her back close. The pout in response, she ignores. Everyone else might be weak in the face of her large, watery brown eyes, but not her own mom, damn it.
"He’s right, Sameen," Root says, coming up behind her and briefly squeezing an arm around her shoulders. "We won. She’ll be safe."
Shaw sighs and releases her grip, and Ris runs ahead down the walkway with a “Whoop!”
"Finch’s sorry he couldn’t be here, by the way," Reese husks as he joins them, pulling his glasses up to squint at the school’s main building. "Something about a ‘cantankerous dean’. His words."
A grunt of acknowledgement escapes Shaw’s throat, and she leads the way for them to follow Ris up to the building. “All right, kid,” she says, grabbing Ris by the top of her head and spinning her around. “You remember what I said?”
"Live fast, die young."
The glare Root levels at her could melt iceburgs.
"Wha—no," Shaw says, waving Root away. "The other thing."
"Be the scalpel."
Shaw pays little heed to the confused exclamation from Fusco. “And?”
"Always watch the little guy’s back."
"Good," Shaw says and ruffles Ris’s hair. "Give ‘em hell, soldier."
Ris’s face hardenes and she jerks her little hand up in a salute before running inside the building to join the cries of presumed fun coming from within.
"Really?" Fusco turns to Shaw and asks as soon as she’s out of earshot. "Be the scalpel?"
Shaw crosses her arms and huffs, “What? It’s a surgical thing.”
"It’s a Shaw thing," Reese says as he flips his sunglasses back on. "We’ll meet you back at the car."
They watch Reese and Fusco leave, then Root glances at Shaw with a creeping smile. “You okay there, sweetie?”
Shaw refuses to return her gaze, and starts blinking furiously when she feels something against her eyelid. Probably an eyelash. “Yeah, why?”
"You just have a little something…" Root murmurs and reaches out a hand.
She doesn’t get within six inches of Shaw’s face before the offending hand is swatted away. “Whatever, I’m fine,” she growls. “Probably just that new perfume you’re wearing.” She gives Root a once over and notices for the first time that day just how ‘dressed for success’ she is, especially compared to Shaw’s own standard black-tank-and-pants attire. “New job?”
Root digs into her purse and pulls out a pair of eyeglasses, slipping them on with a smirk. “You could say that.”
"Doing what?" Shaw glances around them. They’re in the suburbs, basically, and the school’s the only building of note for a mile or two. Maybe real estate so she can stick close by in case Ris needs something?
The smirk fades into a grin, and Root leans in to press a quick kiss to Shaw’s cheek before jumping away and up the first stair. “I’m the new principal.”