Felix plucked the ripe tomatoes, tossing them into the straw basket in his right hand.
"Felix!"
Felix turned his head to look at Carter and smiled.
"Carter! I'm surprised to see you here!" Felix approached Carter.
Carter grinned. "I've been glued to the news. You got to meet Jacob Kennedy! I'm going green with jealousy. So, what did you think of him?"
"I'm not sure." Felix scratched his head. "He says he'd bomb Dynasty Tower to prevent Lolita from bombing Opal City. I'm not sure if I believe what he says is true or not."
"Trust Jacob," Carter said flatly. "Lolita is the one running a theatre of lies. You remember the wine cellar on Grey Island?"
Felix's throat tightened. "Yeah."
"My grandparents owned that cellar. They died when the atomic bomb hit, and their house went with them. Grey Island used to be called Purple Island—famous for its grapes. Now, it's just ash and silence.
Felix frowned. "Why would Lolita cover that up?"
"Lolita doesn't want Intermariams finding out Technate's actually a good place to live. She's terrified of mass emigration—terrified of losing control, so she hides the truth."
Felix hesitated. "Still, why drop an atomic bomb over grapes?"
"It wasn't about the grapes," Carter said. "It was about the land. Jacob refused to sell it to Lolita."
"Why did Jacob want to hold onto it?" Felix asked.
"That part, I don't know. But without that territory, Lolita is forced to pay millions in export taxes on every bottle that crosses the border."
Felix was quiet for a moment, piecing it together—until a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Felix. What the hell are you doing?"
Kip stalked over, arms crossed tight over his chest.
"Just talking," Felix said.
"Your friend has a bad habit of pointing guns at people," Carter said coldly.
"If Felix hadn't wasted time trying to save your skin, Fox might actually be breathing," Kip countered.
Carter's eyes narrowed. "Fox was a lost cause. One look told me his injuries were fatal."
"You're not a fucking doctor!" Kip shouted.
"I'm a trained medic," Carter shot back. "Don't forget that."
Carter turned to Felix. "I'll catch you later, man."
And with that, Carter walked off.
Felix stood there, basket in hand, heart sinking. He wished—more than anything—that his two friends could find common ground. Right now, it felt impossible.