"They might not kill me. I've made myself useful to them. And if Redlight ever does get out of the quarantine, they'll need someone like me to help stop it," Ragland says quietly. "It's in everybody's best interest to let me continue my research. Even Blackwatch might see that."

"You sure?" Alex asks.

"There are still civilians left, if only a few," Ragland says with a nod. "I won't abandon them."