The Strays

Chapter Six

"You ready to get started before my sanity returns?" Ty asked, leaning against my door frame as I finished packing my bag.

"I'm good to go whenever you are." 

Ty continued to watch me with a smile before walking over and grabbing my bag. I left a note for Leo, letting him know I was leaving, as well as a note for him to open in case I didn’t make it back.

We were approaching the first checkpoint when things took a turn for the worse. We'd just reached a secret exit when Ty noticed something rather alarming.

"Looks like sneaking around might be a lot more difficult than we thought." He sighed, passing me a sheet of paper with his face sketched on it, above a price and writing that declared he was wanted alive, as was anyone travelling with him.

"I guess you aren't just at the top of Hatter's list. Which means Linc, Leo and Drew are probably wanted as well. God, I was so stupid coming back. You should have left me for dead, at least that way Leo and your faction would be safe."

Ty punched me in the arm. "Don't be so stupid. Without you, Delilah and Hatter would be unchallenged, lots of people would be in trouble, and the city would be much worse off. I know I was an arse when we first met, but you've done a lot to help those that mean something to you. I can respect that, even if you act like an impulsive idiot ninety percent of the time." 

I laughed at our predicament. Just over a week ago, I woke up, and we were death glaring each other. Now here he was, giving me moral support.

"We should get out of this sector whilst we can, before they tighten security in the inner sectors and we can't get through." We headed through the exit, leaving our sector, number ten in favour of number nine, which was essentially a no-man's-land, like our own, making it the perfect place for anyone on the run.

As we wandered through the baron streets, my body tensed, instincts kicking in. I took out my bo staff and chucked Ty a taser. "I thought you were on good terms with whoever we're going to visit." He sighed, taking it from me.

"I never said that. I said it was a long shot, and this is still scavenger territory. No matter who we’re going to meet, you can’t be too careful." 

"Then why are we trusting this source of yours? How do we know he isn’t one of them?" He persisted.

"Rocky saved my arse on more than a few occasions. They're one of my oldest friends. We go back to a time before all of this. If anyone can help us, they can."

"So this Rocky knows your secret then, who you work for, your real name?"

"Not exactly, no. We parted ways before any of that stuff came about." 

We both grew silent as we heard something fall behind us. I crept toward the noise, staff raised whilst Ty watched my back. "Whoever you are, come out from your hiding place now, before I come looking for you."

A red-haired girl with a barcode tattoo, referred to as a tag, stepped out from the shadows, hands raised above her head. "Oh no, Cae, don't hurt me." She pleaded.

My grin spread from ear to ear as I sprinted toward my friend. "Rocky, you son of a bitch, what were you thinking sneaking up on me? I could have killed you."

"I didn't know it was you. I just saw that Hellraiser and assumed the worst. Since when did you have a travelling companion, anyway!?"

"Wait, this is Rocky?" Ty interrupted, evidently confused.