Tau leaned heavily against the wall just inside the door. There was a short hallway that ended at another door, this one secured with only an old-fashioned lock that needed a key. She inhaled slowly and began to count her breaths. One... two...
She cursed her new tall companion. Normally she'd be back at Kaufmann's tavern, nestled in a booth, drinking a warm beer, zoned out and perfectly content. Three... four... But since she'd run into that walking distraction...
Five... six... With a monumental effort she heaved herself upright, pulling out a small chain necklace that held a few keys. Seven... eight... She fumbled with them briefly before getting a hold of one. She was surprised to insert it on the first try. Nine... Turning the key, she heard the tumbler click, and she opened the door. Ten.
She stepped into the main room, which was illuminated by red lighting and was empty save for two overstuffed armchairs facing away from her, and a long table sat behind them, upon which perched a small lockbox. There were two doors on every wall, closed and probably locked. "Tau, my dear." An ethereal voice echoed from... somewhere. "You're late. I was beginning to wonder if you'd show."
"Freedom, I'm sorry. I ran into a... minor annoyance." It felt as though her tongue was swollen. Her voice was thick and it took an incredible effort to enunciate her words.
"Is he your new assistant?"
"Nothing like that... just for today."
There was no verbal response. The door on the wall to her right unlatched and a bulky, muscular man entered. The door locked itself behind him. He was carrying a long, thin rectangular package, wrapped in dingy multicolored cloth. Tau didn't move as he set it on the table. He then pulled out a small box and placed it on top of the package. Without a word, or even a glance, he exited through a different door. She waited briefly, the adrenaline helping to keep her mind sharp in the moment, then approached the package. Pocketing the smaller box, she withdrew a worn set of straps and harnesses from her pack and carefully attached them to the parcel's wrappings. It took her a solid fifteen minutes to figure them out. At last, she situated it comfortably on her back, went back to the door she'd entered from, and bowed deeply to the empty room before finally exiting.
***
"What's wrong with her?" Jasper snorted, and his companion snickered quietly. "Seriously dude?" But upon realizing it was a serious inquiry, he composed himself. "Hell if I know, man. I just get the stuff. Some use for pain, some for sleep, some just use 'em to get high. I don't judge. You'll have to ask your girlfriend. There she is."
She was fiddling with a small box as the mechanical door unsealed with a loud hiss. There was a desperate, feral look in her eyes as she tried to pry the thing open, before glancing up at the three and regaining her composure.
"Heeeyyy!" Jasper called out to Tau. "Where's my shit, girl? Your little boy toy is trying to haggle with me!"
"Fuck off, Jasper." With an exasperated sigh she pulled out two large bundles of cash, tossing them towards Jasper's companion. "Count it," she told him, then looked back to Jasper. "Where's my shit, now?" And she cast a sidelong glance to Titan, her hand out expectantly for the money she'd given him earlier.
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