"""Yeah, I guess. They didn't talk much, they just barked orders at us and pointed guns. Me and the girls just hustled out, y'know? Get on the bus or get shot? Easy choice."""

Blue absorbs the info. """Huh. PoliDemos again. Karmakaze, we got across the border pretty easily. I don't know if these two have IDs that'll get them back as easily. You got any ideas how we get them back into Seattle? """

As Karmakaze thinks over her answer, Blue offers a suggestion. """Well, if Torquey can fit in the trunk, I can make Daisy invisible to people and machines. I can only do it for one person, though."""

Blue starts adding up the number of one-off spells he has used up so far. His half of the payment won't even cover their replacement. On the other hand, some of them did help in the Jeremy affair, and that paid well, and the rest helped keep his hoop out of Big M's clutches. Life in the fast lane ain't cheap.

Torquey makes dubious noises from the back seat. Then he says: """Why not make a turn? You can get back in by da barrens, no checks dere."""

"""You know the route to get there?""" Blue asks. He looks at Karmakaze for a reaction.

"""You got friends that can get us in easily, Torque? I can always call my contact Booker. He will definitely get Daisy through cleanly. I am sure he can repay you somehow, seeing as you were part of rescuing Daisy."""

"""Yeah, I c'n get in dere. People know me. Ya gotta go by da 9, old route 9. It goes south, but runs into da barrens and den it's Hardwoods turf. Easy dere; dey know me."""

"""Sounds like a plan, Torque. Do you got contacts there that might know more about Polidemos?"""

Torquey makes a sort of half-sigh, half-bronx-cheer. """Uh, sure? Mean to say, prolly not, yaknow? I mean, dey'll know da name, but da pollies don't care about da barrens. Dey care about fancy folks and fancy places."""

Daisy chimes in quietly: """That's right. They're a suburban policlub, they have no stake in the barrens as long as they're kept far away."""

"""I thought maybe they might be moving people out to the barrens as well. Maybe there are some recently displaced individuals."""

Daisy responds quickly with: """No, they don't want people coming back too easily, and the Barrens are still too close. That's why they dumped us in Concrete, across the border."""

Torquey grunts in agreement. """Said dey'd waste us if we came back."""

Blue chimes in, """It looks like number 9 is the way to go. The turnoff should be coming in a few kilometers. Once we're into the barrens, Torquey, we'll drop you off, and you're on your own. But at least back in the city where you can find people you know. Daisy, we'll take you to the person waiting for you."""

He passes his pistol to her. """Seeing as you are who you are, you probably use this thing better than I. Truth is, if I'm using that, we're in deep, deep drek."""

"""Unless Torquey wants to go downtown.

"""I can drop you wherever, chummer."""

Karmakaze takes the Highway 9 exit towards the Barrens.

Torquey licks a tusk and rumbles to himself before saying: """Barrens is fine. I know people. I oughta tell some chummers what happened, yaknow?"""

Daisy takes the pistol, cracks the slide to check the chamber, checks the safety then slips it into her bag. She doesn't comment on her skills or the choice of pistol.

"""Alright. We'll drop you in the Barrens where you can connect with your people. """ Blue settles in for the long ride.

The ride isn't all that long, all things considered. Approaching the border near the barrens is rather different from approaching it elsewhere; the Barrens on the tribal side of the border shows some signs of blight, some signs of regrowth, but very thin signs of human habitation. There is evidence of regular patrols; Karmakaze can tell that this area must have regular sweeps because the dwellings, such as they are, are either hollowed-out squats or very light shacks, and they are thinly distributed. The border on the other hand is like a scar drawn across the land; on just the other side, the settlement, however shabby, is clearly dense and active. The border fence is like a line that is visible from miles away.

There is a gate. It stands open. Nobody's trying to get through it. Nobody's watching it.

Blue asks Karmakaze to stop for a moment. He steps out of the car and opens his perception to the astral. He scans the astral surroundings. """Why would a border crossing not be guarded?""" he asks. """Why guard any entry point at all if any one is left unguarded?"""

The astral landscape is as starkly divided as the physical. Some elements of the blighted nature of the environment seep over into this side, and some elements of the wilder plant growth seep that way, but other than the usual spiritual wildlife there's not much to be seen. No fearsome guardians or hideous monstrosities to speak of.

Blue gets back into the car. """I don't get it. I don't see anything on the astral either. It appears as if we can just go right through. " He holds out a hand in invitation to Karmakaze to drive on.

Torquey rumbles from the back seat: """It is guarded. But one way only. Mostly nobody wants ta get into da barrens, scan? 'cept for smugglers. Dis area is patrolled by da tribes, and dey shoot first. So not much comes dis way, 'cept for smugglers."""

Daisy quietly adds to this observation with: """The barrens are a barrier themselves. The city authorities guard the other side, but don't care too much what happens in them. Easy to get into the barrens, but harder to get out."""

"""I see. Well, let's head into the wasteland and see what we can do to deliver Torquey to his friends.""" Blue settles into his car seat and keeps an eye out for patrols, gangers, whatever.

Karmakaze guides the small car through the open gate. She tries to watch for guards, but potholes are more important. These craters are big enough to swallow her humble Elektro.

The drive in is pretty smooth, if a game of dodge-the-crater can be considered to be smooth. There are a few curious glances from idlers in the area but for the most part, the car is ignored. Nobody challenges them, nobody stops them, and nobody seems inclined to make a fuss.

After about two minutes of driving, Torquey says: """'Kay, you can let me out here. Dis is Tuskrete turf, an' I'm cool wid dem. See ya later, chummers. T'anks for da ride!"""

As Karmakaze stops to let Torquey off, Blue adds, """Thanks for your help back at Concrete. Hope things work out for you better this time around. Maybe stay away from the relocation zone for a while. """

Once Torquey is out of earshot, he turns to Daisy. """I can message Booker to meet us at a place of your choosing if you want. While we go to him, can you fill us in, from your perspective now that we are alone, anything you know about what is going on? """

Daisy chews her words for a moment before speaking. She glances at Karmakaze, but answers Blue: """Torquey was mostly right. But you know - PoliDemos must have some kind of hidden agenda. They're pushing for a lot more than just the usual law-and-order thing."""

Blue thinks for a moment whether he should share their earlier experience. But a cop who has survived undercover is likely one who can keep secrets and see things others can't.

""" We had an encounter with PoliDemos a few days ago. They were trying to frame a company that deals in paranormal animals with a fake charge that probably would have brought the city down on it. After who knows how many citizens would have paid with their lives. """ He chuckles. """ We brought that plan to a fiery end and now I think we are, well maybe just I am because they can trace my astral signature, on their special hate list.

""" It could have been something they could use to show them swooping in to save the day. But there looks to me to be something bigger behind them. There was visible wealth and an attitude of .... inevitability projected by their agent. """ He chuckles again. """ She really was slotted off. Until she got scared. """

""" Anyway, you think you will still be able to be 'Daisy', or is that gig over and done with now? """

After exchanging information with Torquey, Karma starts heading for the most direct way out of the Barrens.

"""Daisy, where is the safest place to take you? Is there a safe house or a handler besides Lt. Booker, or do you want me to set up a meet with him?"""

Daisy thinks for a moment before she says: """My cover is intact for now, but I do need to check back with them. Can you get me to a Stuffer Shack and drop me off? I'll take it from there."""

She rummages a bit in her bag, and then zips it up with a nod. """I'm ready to go any time."""

"""I could, but part of getting paid is dropping you off to Booker, and we are running low of funds right now. We will wait with you at a Shack, or we can go to my safe house."""

"""Soka. A Shack is fine - you can make it nearer the city centre if you like, I just need to buy some things quickly before I head back out. Did I say thank you for getting me out of there? It was a whole mess."""

Coming back into the city, Blue's mind returns to his own issue. He wonders whether whoever in Mitsuhama is hunting him has given up on the chase. He can only hope that the hint he inferred from the week long contract to keep him safe is true. Otherwise he might have to generate a whole new identity.

Or get out of Dodge. Hmmm. South America is moving into winter now. Longer nights. Might be worth investigating.

The ride back into Seattle proper is relatively uneventful; the checkpoints don't alert on Karmakaze's little car and gangsters don't seem to think that it's worth tackling. It's a smooth ride over to the West Side, and stopping at a Stuffer Shack on the lakeshore near the University District.