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~~((National Rescue Dog Day - page 8 of 20))~~
Wow. Evangelina could hardly believe her ears, especially after the policeman had just mentioned people being on a 'watchlist.' She almost wanted to push her luck and ask him why he didn't seem to be concerned that they were all concealing their faces, but she held her tongue.

Officer Brand took a moment to check his phone before addressing them again. "In any case, I hope you all enjoy your stay here in Ridgemark." He handed a card off to Diego. "If you think of anything regarding those men who were bothering you, please give me a call. Or you can just dial 883, and the operator will help you."

"Thank you, Officer," said Diego.

"You are welcome. And before I go, a word of caution: Ridgemark is safe, but everywhere around it is a lawless zone. You people seem like you intend to leave the city, and while I obviously don't intend to stop you, I strongly recommend that you reconsider. You will be taking your lives into your own hands, if you do."

"A 'lawless zone?'" said Diego. "That's a strange way to put it. Isn't everything within Vantalay's borders subject to the laws of the Vantalayan government?"

Evangelina was fairly certain that Diego was playing a bit dumb with those questions. He'd received the same briefing that the rest of them had with regard to Vantalay's unique political circumstances. He probably just wanted to hear Officer Brand's take on the situation.

"Ah, well, being foreigners, I suppose it's to be expected that you wouldn't know about that," said Brand. "The truth is, you can't rely on the Vantalayan government for anything. Whether it's protection, funding, food, or healthcare--it's always in flux. Occasionally, they'll help you. Most times, they won't. Even before this war, that was the case, and now it's just doubly so."

Diego gave a small laugh. "Those're some pretty strong opinions you have there, Officer."

"Not really. You should hear some of my coworkers."