Ollie, indeed, was not happy with the new arrangement. He looked like a faerlun who’d been dipped in water; his fur stuck out straight on the end, like he wanted to hiss and scratch.

Haze kept his gun trained on Ollie while the details were negotiated. The merchant stepped forward as Ollie rubbed at his freed hands.

“Ollie, we can talk in the car. You want to grab the kit?”

“Come again?” Haze asked, taking a step forward with his weapon drawn. They were not leaving his eyesight to go radio Boss Lady.

“You can spare a little trust, don’t you think?” Yarda asked.

“Nope. Really can’t.”

The man, Ollie, shrugged and gestured toward an opening beneath the counter. “I need to grab the box in there.”

“Why don’t I handle that part?” Haze asked.

Ollie stepped back. Haze felt around carefully, making sure there were not any hidden triggers, but paused when he came to a smooth, square box. He dragged it out and showed it to the merchant. “This it?” he asked.

“Yes, Mister Gosa. We can go now.”

They walked around a corner, down half a block, and stopped in front of a shuttle car, parked by an overflowing, smelly dumpster.

“This it?” Haze asked, disappointed. The shuttle car was over a decade old, painted an ugly, dull green, and looked like it would be bouncing on the bumps more than it managed to glide over them. These partial-hover cars, especially this dated, were the worst to travel in. Barely any road sensors at all.

In Haze’s opinion, the only thing going for it was the darkly-tinted windows. At least, he wouldn’t have to wear his mask on the ride over.

Ollie opened the silver box and took out a scanner, making a sweep of the undercarriage and inside of the car, finally moving to the engine and trunk. “It’s clear,” he said to the merchant.

“She doesn’t look like much which means she won’t get looked at much, yes?”

Haze grumbled his agreement.

“We don’t take any chances where we’re going. No good having a secret lair, if you lead the enemy right to it.”

Haze climbed into the backseat, removing his mask again. Even the air in this place was preferable to the re-mix from the filter on his mask.

They drove out of town in silence, the silver box stowed on the backseat next to Haze, Ollie driving, and the merchant Yarda in the passenger seat.

Haze opened the case, and it contained a few different pieces of spy tech. Definitely, Ollie and the merchant, Yarda, were running a con on someone.

It was then that Haze gave up all pretense and stowed his gun in his pocket. For better or worse, he believed the merchant’s story. He’d learned to trust his instincts at judging how negotiations were going. If this was a con, it appeared to be a long con, and Haze really didn’t think this one was aimed at him.

The secret lair? Turned out to be a cabin in the woods, forty clicks out of town, at the foot of a mountain.

“This is it?” he asked confused. It was about as impressive as the merchant’s vehicle.

They piled out of the car, and Haze slung his pack over his back. He started to grab the case, but Ollie held his hand out. “I’ll take that.”

“Suit yourself,” Haze said.

Ollie opened the case, and Yarda pulled down a false top, removing a single key. He aimed it toward the house and pressed until it made a clicking sound.

“We can go in now.”

As they piled into the cottage, Haze looked around. It was pretty rustic. Some devices for hunting wildlife, nothing that indicated plans for Boss Lady’s home or a cache of weapons.

“I got to say, not quite what I expected…” he said. …Or hoped for, he thought.

The merchant, Yarda, walked to the fireplace and yanked on something hidden inside. Haze heard a loud click.

Yarda gave a quick tug on the mantle, and the fireplace swung open to reveal a hidden hallway. He flipped a switch, and lights flickered on.

“Through here,” he said.

The merchant led, with Ollie following behind him.

“We’re traveling into the mountain; it’s how we’ve kept our cover.”

Finally, they reached a room, and here was everything, everything that Haze needed. His mind worked the plan anew.

The Boss’s layout was mapped out in front of him- all the entrances, the weak points to place the charges. Everything he could ask for.

In a cage, against one wall, were lines of weapons and handheld incendiary devices.

“This is what you call a hideout,” Haze said with approval. “What are you even waiting for?”

“We have one chance at this. One. Then it’s over.” Yarda held up a different piece of paper in each hand. “It’s not just about freeing the slaves. We need to get all her contacts, her files.” He scattered them about. “We need to make sure she can’t set up shop somewhere else or that someone else can’t take over for her. I’m not sure we’re ready yet. Ideally, we’d like to setup someone in her place, so we can get further embedded and pull out the organization at the roots.

“Ollie, here, wanted to move on the compound last week. I’ve been resisting. Now, you come along and stir the hornet’s nest. I’m not sure we can even salvage the plan at this point.”

“What’s the plan? Fill me in.”

They took time to show him more detail on the map, known movements of her men, best ways in and out of the complex. Haze started to see a pattern.

“You said you have some men. You trust them?” Haze asked.

“Every one of them has a similar story to our own - sisters or daughters taken. We all have a reason to do whatever it takes to end this.”

“Okay, let’s start putting the pieces together. Do you have anyone on the inside that we can use?”

“We had three. One got impatient, died trying to free a girl. One is out of commission - we couldn’t get him to go back and had to ship him home. One is waiting for my signal. I’m actually pretty sure of another, but I’ve had limited time with him. I think we can count on him though, once things get started.”

“So you have one in there that you know about and one you think will help you out?”

Yarda nodded his head. “He is from my planet. He is a slave but highly placed. I believe, when he sees a chance to escape, he will take it gladly.”

“Hmm. Okay.” Haze took a deep breath. “On that one, don’t get your hopes up. If he’s high up, he may have had to make choices that he won’t want to live with. Keep an eye on him, right? The other one though, you think he’s trust worthy?”

“We placed him ourselves, forged his credentials. He lost a sister to slavers. I don’t think there is any way they could turn him.”

“Good enough.” Haze traced his finger up the path to a likely egress point. “We’ll need charges, here and here. Let's not blow them ’til we’ve got the thing done. No reason to give them our escape plan.” As he got to the other side, he saw it like it was gift-wrapped. “This area here is vulnerable. We can assign three men here. Maybe five to be safe.” Then his gaze was drawn to the interior of the building itself and the way the rooms lined up with the basement. “And this closet here? It’s calling me, daddy.”

Haze traced his fingers up the road about thirty clicks. “Now, this location right here - that’s our destination. It’s perfect. …By the way, you got me those parts I asked for? I’m thinking we’re square on the price, assuming I live to use them.”

At the merchant’s nod, Haze smiled. “It’s a real fine thing to have met you, boys. Sorry to have knocked you around like that, especially seeing’s as we’re Brothers now.”

The merchant was staring at the map, looking around at the areas Haze had marked. “I’d only add that we have the three of us enter here, right through her office window, while the others enter through there. Unless you have objections?”

“No. Sounds like icing on the cake, especially if she’s working.”

The merchant nodded his head. “Kind of what I was thinking…”