Kate wants me to go out and have drinks with her after work, being that it is our last night to work together. But I come up with a lame excuse to bail on her.

I pull out my cell phone and call Sage. “Hello?” she says, but I can barely hear her. The music is loud, and I know she is at the club.

“Hey. I’m going to be home late tonight.”

“What?” She yells. “I can’t hear you!”

“I’ll text you!” I say back. I hang up the phone and send her a text.

I place my phone in my messenger bag and continue walking to the 24-hour diner. I walk in and see the Hunter sitting in a booth in the back. I sit down across from him.

“Your nephew?” I say as I roll my eyes.

“Answers. That is all I’m giving you, and then you will never see me again.” He says with a serious expression.

I roll my eyes. “Good. Now explain.”

“You can’t go back to your Sphere.”

I get in full smart ass mode and say, “Yeah, I figured that out. Tell me something I don’t know.” I stop talking and sit up straighter when the waitress comes to our table. I order something to drink, and he requests more coffee. After she leaves, we continue our conversation.

“Are you going to stop being a bitch, so I can explain?” I’m taken aback by his words. He is giving me whiplash with his emotions. One minute he is seconds away from killing me, and the next he acts as if he wants to help me.

“Excuse me for not wanting to be nice to the guy who almost killed me - twice. What is your name anyway?”

“My name doesn’t matter. I only came to give you the answers you are seeking.”

The waitress comes back, causing us both to sit up straight again. She looks skeptically at us as she sets our drinks down in front of us. I watch as he pours creamer and sugar into his coffee. As he stirs it, he looks at me.

After the waitress leaves he doesn’t say anything. I get irritated. “I will shoot you underneath this damn table if you don’t tell me your name,” I say half joking.

He laughs. “Plath. Now can we move on?”

I smile sweetly. “Yes.”

“The Constable sent us out in search of those who escape the Sphere. We are like Earth’s military. Earth is a forbidden topic in our Sphere. The Constable doesn’t want anyone finding out about it. They fear that if Dwellers find about it, Earth will taint our kind.”

I scoff. “Taint our kind? What do you mean?”

“Earth is a bad place, Orion. I know our Sphere may seem like it’s strict on rules and hiding things, but it’s all for legit reasons. If Dwellers knew about Earth, there would be some who would try to leave. More than what are trying to leave now. The Constable believes that Earth has somehow communicated with our kind and has insiders living in our Sphere, giving out information. We want our Sphere left alone. We like living in secret.”

“That is it? They are scared Earth will find out about us, and we will find out about Earth?” I laugh at how simply hilarious this is. I pull out a cigarette from my bag and light it. I look at Plath and ask, “And they want to kill me and all others who left? I left on accident! This is nuts.”

He slams his fist down on the table, causing me to jump. “An accident? You went past the forbidden perimeter you naïve little fool!”

“Maybe if they would stop acting so damn cryptic and explain to the other Dwellers their reasoning, maybe I wouldn’t have been so curious! They are to blame!” I take a quick hit off my cigarette and glare at him as I exhale.

He looks around and realizes people are staring. “We should have this conversation elsewhere.”

I stand up and throw my messenger bag over my shoulder. I then put my cigarette out in the ash tray. He places money on the table, and we walk out the door.

We walk to a dark alley, and I lean against the wall. “This is crazy. Maybe if you stupid ass hunters would use your damn heads, you would realize that Sage and I had no idea! We are not here to expose anything! We just want to go home! This is all a huge misunderstanding!”

“It’s complicated now.” He is leaning against the wall and biting his bottom lip. “You have seen too much.”

A tear falls down my cheek. “Plath, please. I just want to go home. Can you help me get back?”

For a minute his expression is kind, then it turns to pure disgust. “I’m risking my own life by being here with you, and you have the guts to ask me to take you home?”

“Please?” I beg.

His icy stare sends chills down my back. “This is your home now. You will always be on the run. You chose this life the minute you rebelled and crossed that line in Dandux.”

I feel defeated. “Then just find my family and tell them I love them. Please?” I need some sort of closure. The door to my old life can’t be closed until my family knows what is going on.

Plath stares into the night, then curses under his breath. “Lay down.”

“What?”

“Lay down on the damn ground!” I quickly lay down, and he knocks a few trash cans over to cover me. I hear footsteps coming in our direction, and I can tell it’s more than one pair. I do my best to breathe quietly and not make a sound. I watch Plath walk out of the alley and meet the group of men.

After a few minutes of hearing no talking or footsteps, I quietly get up and run. I constantly look over my shoulder as I hastily make my way to my car. I quickly get in the car and start driving. I call Sage, hoping she will answer. Dammit, Sage! Answer!

“Hello?” Her voice sounds groggy.

“Did I wake you up?”

She yawns into the phone. “I was just about asleep. Where are you at anyways?”

“I will tell you when I get there. Lock the doors and don’t answer the door for anyone. I will use my key to get in.”

Her voice sounds more awake and on the verge of panicking. “What’s going on?”

“No one, Sage. Don’t answer the door for anyone. I will explain when I get there!”

“Whatever.” She hangs up the phone, and I throw my phone in the passenger seat.

Plath answered a lot of my questions tonight, although, I still have more but they are the least of my worries. Now my focus will be finding my way back home. I owe this to Sage and have to do it for my sanity. I’m going to get us home if it’s the last thing I do.