Wren recalls being smuggled into the Blacklands at age five by her Uncle Jim, where constant terror hardened her against fear. As an adult, she now dreads awkward conversations more than physical threats. After a Liberty Day tryst with a Command soldier whose name she cannot remember, she tries to sneak out of his inn room, mindful of her burn scars and the secret they conceal.

While fabricating an excuse to leave, Wren reflects on life in Ward Z, where weapon ownership is legal and she is licensed and highly skilled. Suspicious of the soldier’s interest in her ranch, she attempts to read his mind but encounters a strong mental shield, typical of trained Command personnel. She slips into the hall with her rifle under the pretense of using the bathroom, aiming to escape.

When the soldier almost catches her, Wren dives into a nearby room and is grabbed by a stranger. He swiftly disarms and pins her, challenging her presence and assuming she is an assassin. Wren denies it, sparring verbally and physically; he counters her attempts to break free with superior strength and control. Their charged exchange reveals he also has a strong mental shield. After taunting her when the soldier calls for her in the hall—exposing her name—he returns her rifle butt-first and lets her go.

Downstairs, the soldier confronts Wren about leaving; she smooths things over with lies about early ranch work and exchanges IDs. Outside in the bustling square, Wren meets her friend Tana Archer, a fellow telepath and bartender’s daughter, and they link mentally. Wren admits she encountered a striking “gorgeous jackass” at the inn but does not know if he is a soldier. She notes her unique anomaly as a Mod whose veins do not glow when using powers, making her valuable to the Uprising despite her uncle’s past resistance.

As Wren prepares to head home on her bike, the soldier—revealed by Tana as Jordan—asks to take her home, but she declines. Uncle Jim links telepathically, ordering her to return. Before she can leave, screams erupt from nearby children playing Chase. A white coyote attacks an eight-year-old boy, Robbie, as adults rush belatedly to help.

Assessing the scene, Wren shoulders her rifle to take a precise shot, even as Robbie’s mother, Rachel, panics and pleads for her to stop, fearing Wren will hit the child. With the animal dragging Robbie away and help too far off, Wren ignores the protests and fires.