After following her home from the supermarket, Annalise watches as Mia lifts Freya out of her car seat. Mia takes the baby inside, then comes out a few moments later. She opens the boot of the car and begins to remove shopping bags. She deposits the first few in the hallway, then comes back for more.
When Annalise is about to get out of the car, she notices a young man approaching Mia. Curious about the boy, and ever prepared, Annalise takes a listening device out of her glove box and directs it at Mia’s house.
‘Need help, Mrs Charter?’ the boy asks.
‘Hey Jack. No thanks, I’ve just finished.’ Mia slams the boot shut.
‘Let me know if you need anything,’ he says.
‘Be… Brody… mentioned getting you to do the lawn again,’ Mia says. ‘Are you free this afternoon as the weather is going to stay dry?’
Jack nods. ‘I’ll come over at two if that works for you, as I have Mr Bentley’s to do first.’
‘That’s great!’
Mia goes inside and Annalise watches Jack walk away. She waits until the boy is out of sight before she gets out of the car and walks towards the house. Then she knocks on the door.
Mia opens the door a short time later, she has the chain on the door. She frowns when she recognizes Annalise from the supermarket.
‘Why are you…?’ Mia says.
‘Hello,’ Annalise says. ‘It’s time we had a talk. Mangler. Manic. Network.’
Mia goes still. Her eyelids flicker and a slight frown crosses her forehead. As the words sink in, her face relaxes and her eyes go blank.
‘Step back, take off the chain and let me inside,’ the woman says.
Mia opens the door properly and Annalise enters. Annalise closes the door behind her.
‘Where’s the baby?’ Annalise says.
‘In the living room,’ Mia answers. Her mouth moves slowly and the words come out as though they are difficult to form.
Annalise walks to the living room. She finds Freya on a play mat with a baby gym over her. As though the little girl knows that something is wrong, she begins to cry.
‘Fr… ey… a,’ says Mia from the hallway but she doesn’t come in and she doesn’t move from where she’s standing by the door.
‘Your mothering instinct is strong,’ Annalise says. ‘But there’s nothing to worry about. I’m not going to hurt her, or you. I’m just going to give you back your knowledge of the Network. Come in here and sit down.’
As though her limbs are semi-paralysed, Mia begins to walk towards the living room.
When she is inside, Annalise notices her turn her head and look at the baby.
‘Sit down,’ she says.
Mia sinks to the floor by Freya.
‘Not there. Come and sit on the sofa,’ Annalise says.
Mia gets up off the floor and goes over to the sofa. She sits down, but her eyes remain on Freya.
‘Look at me,’ says Annalise.
Mia turns her head to Annalise, but Annalise notices she is fighting her conditioning.
‘Mangler. Manic. Network,’ Annalise says again.
Mia’s demeanour changes. Her body relaxes more and she looks directly now at Annalise.
‘I’m listening,’ she says.
‘You belong to the Network and therefore me,’ says Annalise. ‘Do you remember your training?’
‘Yes,’ Mia answers.
‘You are going to listen very carefully. I have a job for you.’
‘I’m listening,’ says Mia again.
Annalise sits down next to Mia and begins to give her instructions. After half an hour, she stands.
Mia follows Annalise into the hallway and opens the front door.
Annalise steps outside.
‘Go about your day as normal now and forget I was here,’ says Annalise. ‘Network. Manic. Mangler,’ she says.
Mia blinks and smiles at Annalise. ‘How nice to see you again.’
Mia nods. She closes the door as Annalise turns and walks away to her car.
Back in the car, Annalise looks back at Mia’s house. Then she takes out her mobile phone. She dials.
‘Mother?’ says a male voice on the other end of the phone.
‘Jonah. It appears that Kritta has told me the truth. But don’t kill her yet, I still have to see if Mia will carry out my instructions. Are your team in place?’
‘Yes Mother,’ says Jonah.
‘Good. Continue surveillance.’
Annalise hangs up the phone and starts the engine of her car just as Jack Harman arrives at Mia’s house with the lawn mower.
She watches the boy, wondering if he’s someone to be concerned about. Then as she sees another neighbour pass him and stop to chat, she dismisses him as no one of importance. He’s just a kid after all, trying to earn some spending money.
She drives away as Jack fires up the lawn mower and sets to work on Mia’s front lawn.
As she drives out of the street, Annalise’s phone rings. She pulls over and answers.
‘Hello, Mother,’ says a familiar female voice.
‘How is your assignment going?’ Annalise asks.
‘I gave her Eldon Fracks,’ the woman says. ‘She went to him and I’m pretty certain that he pointed her in your direction. She gave me a list of names he’d provided. All the committee members and she’s asked me to find their locations.’
‘Excellent work!’ Annalise says. ‘I knew I could trust you.’
‘What should I do about Fracks?’ she asks.
‘Nothing. I want you to stay on your assignment. Fracks’ knowledge has been useful to us, but he knows too much. I’ll send someone else to take care of him,’ Annalise says.
‘As you wish,’ she says. ‘What about Neva?’
‘Keep helping her. Eventually curiosity or memory will bring her home,’ Annalise says.
‘And what then?’ asks the operative. ‘She doesn’t know who she is. We mustn’t forget she’s dangerous.’
‘Let me worry about that,’ says Annalise.