Lolita sat at the head of the boardroom table, her committee officials lined along either side.
"Lolita, you aren't allowed to send your prisoners to Cascadia at the reform camp," Tyler said.
"Why not?" Lolita's eyes rolled.
"Osa said Intermarium's prisoners aren't his problem. The reform camps in Cascadia are already overflowing, and he thinks you're only making things worse by sending more." Tyler said.
"Lolita! Do you forget that the cost of travel is more expensive now that Renee has implemented tariffs on gasoline?" Artemis said.
"I haven't forgotten, Artemis. I'd have to send them to the camp; otherwise, I would have to execute them."
"Or," Sterling ventured, "you could loosen enforcement so fewer people are incarcerated."
"Shut up." Lolita's voice cut through the room. "Sterling, do you want to lose your job like Maxwell?"
"No," Sterling muttered, his face flushing.
"Osa wants all Intermarium prisoners removed from his camps," Tyler said.
"No." Lolita shook her head. "Our prisons don't have the capacity to take them back."
She leaned back in her chair, fingers steepled. "I'll arrange a meeting with Osa. We'll settle this directly."