Thad stepped from the dark street into the neon glow of The Dog House and slid onto his usual stool, third from the left. The band on the small stage blared a familiar, yet distorted tune, but his focus was on the door. Hunter was late, and Thad was on edge. He signaled Bob, the bartender.

"What you havin' tonight, Thad?" Bob asked, wiping down the bar.

Thad leaned closer. "Whiskey. And Hunter's late."

Bob gave him a knowing look. "You have a 'phone call'." He jerked his thumb toward the back.

"A 'phone call'? Really, Bob?" Thad sighed. He knew this routine.

He walked down the dimly lit hallway, past overflowing storage closets, and stopped short in front of a door marked exit. No phone. "Bob, you're a comedian," he muttered, turning to leave.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder, yanking him back. Thad spun around, ready to unleash a sarcastic retort, but stopped short when he saw Hunter's face.

"Holy shit, Hunter," he breathed, his heart still pounding. "You scared the crap out of me."

Hunter grinned. "Sorry. Got a situation." He gestured behind him.

Thad's eyes widened as he took in the figure huddled in the shadows. A young woman with fiery red hair, dressed in clothes that looked like they'd seen better days. She wore Hunter's leather jacket, which swallowed her whole, emphasizing her thin frame. Her eyes, though, were striking – a vibrant blue that seemed to glow even in the dim light.

"This has got to be the worst setup in history," Thad said, trying to lighten the mood. "No offense, lady."

"It's not like that," Hunter said, his voice serious. "This is Ella. She's a hawker's girl."

Thad's eyebrows shot up. "What did you do this time?"

"The right thing," Hunter replied.

"The stupid thing, more like it," Thad countered. "Tracker?"

"Yup."

"And you brought her here?"

Hunter shrugged. "Seemed like the safest place. Bob's usually discreet."

"Discreet enough to play along with your 'phone call' charade?" Thad asked dryly. "What's the damage?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Unconscious John—"

"Hunter!" Thad interrupted, a wave of exasperation washing over him. "Seriously? You've been careful for years, and now this?"

“Don’t look at me.” Hunter motioned to Ella, who stood with her arms crossed, a flicker of fear in her eyes.

Thad’s eyebrows raised, “Really?”

"Yes really," she murmured, more to herself than to them.

“Hmmm.” Thad nodded, “Nice.”

“Thad, focus.” Hunter snapped his fingers drawing his friend’s attention back to him.

“Right.” Thad blinked, “How long?”

Hunter shook his head. "Fifteen minutes."

Thad whistled. "Crap. That's not much time.”

“Can you remove it?"

"Yeah, I should be able to," Thad replied. "But I'll need to get back to my lab."

"Too dangerous," Hunter said. "They'll be looking for her."

"And this isn't dangerous?" Thad gestured to the bar outside.

"I'm not talking about me," Hunter said, placing a hand on Thad's shoulder. "Seriously, you can't risk your lab."

"Fine," Thad conceded. "Where, then?"

"My place."

Thad shook his head, "If we can't risk my place, why are we risking yours?"

"No other option," Hunter said. "My stuff is replaceable."

Thad sighed. "Fine. But you owe me big time.”

“What’ll it be?”

“You know that whiskey you own me for the update? Make it a double.”

“Deal.” Hunter chuckled.

“Shit.” Thad opened the door, peeked out, then stepped back in. "Make it a triple. Two strongarms, a hawker, and a guy with a busted nose just walked in. Big guys. One's carrying a scanner."

"Damn it," Hunter spat.

Ella stepped forward, her expression fierce. "I'm not going back to that animal," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I'd rather die."

"Well, that should be easy enough," Thad muttered, earning a glare from Hunter. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding." He raised his hands defensively.

"Don't worry," Hunter said to Ella. "We'll get you out of here. And no one is going to die."

Just then, the music in the bar cut off abruptly. A hush fell over the room.

"Speak for yourself," Thad said, a nervous edge to his voice. "The best friend always gets picked off. I don't need this kind of trouble, Hunter."

"Don't make me say it," Hunter warned.

"You wouldn't," Thad groaned.

"Columbus," Hunter said softly.

Thad palmed his forehead. "One little run-in with Republic Guards, and you never let me live it down."

"Funny," Hunter said. "I remember it a little differently. You were the one who froze."

"Shut up," Thad muttered. He looked at Ella, then back at Hunter. "Fine. I'm in."

"I knew you'd see reason," Hunter said, clapping Thad on the back a little too hard with his metal arm.

Thad winced. "What can I say? You have a way with words. So, what's the plan, General?"

Hunter glanced around the cluttered storage room, his gaze settling on a rolling cart. "I've got an idea. But you're not going to like it."

"What else is new?" Thad sighed. He just hoped this plan wasn't as crazy as the last one.