"He usually takes his lunch break around twelve-thirty. Surprise him one day."
Maddie glanced at the clock. Twelve-fifteen. Perfect. That gave her fifteen minutes to search for the right door, and enough incentive to search quickly. She pulled the hood over her head, climbed into the Speeder and tossed a bazooka onto the passenger seat. She steered the Speeder through the portal and began scanning the horizon for the right door. Ember's door floated past. As she turned to read the writing on it, a loud thud made her slam on the brakes. A green-skinned ghost grinned at her through the windshield.
Thinking it might be an accident, Maddie waved an apology and put the Speeder in reverse. Another something smacked into the bumper, and two more ghosts grinned through the rear windshield.
Maddie rolled her eyes, grabbed the bazooka and stepped out of the Speeder, locking the door behind her. Putting on her most diplomatic smile, she held the bazooka by her side. "Is there a problem?"
"We were just wondering what brings a hunter here."
Maddie laughed. "I'm not hunting anything. See?" She set the bazooka on top of the Speeder and put her hands in the air. "Now, if you'll just let me move on-"
"Where to?" The green-skinned leader had his arms folded across his chest, and the smile had vanished. The other two mimicked his stance.
She blinked. "I'm...I'm just going to the prison. My papa runs it."
They laughed derisively. "Walker? Your father? That's good, I'll give you that. But just talking like him won't sell it." At the leader's nod, the ghost on Maddie's right took the bazooka from the Speeder's roof and tossed it aside. "So tell me- what really brings you here?"
Maddie saw his hand coming for her throat, but didn't have time to duck it. Instead she brought her left arm up, fist clenched, and hit his forearm with hers, turning as she did. She felt his hold break abruptly and aimed her fist at his stomach. He doubled over, hands clutching his torso.
"Get her!" he wheezed, and Maddie saw faint glints of metal. One withdrew a pistol; the other brandished a knife.
Blowing a lock of hair from her face, Maddie went after the one with the pistol first. A quick roundhouse kick knocked the pistol from his hand; he fired as it went flying. She spun away from the other's knife, grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, snatching the knife as it fell.
By now the leader had recovered enough to scramble toward the gun, and the other did the same. Maddie pulled the third ghost up enough to drive her boot into his ribcage and send him flying backward. Tossing the knife into her right hand, she threw it at the other two, more as a distraction than anything else. It flew past the gun and careened out into space, but still made the two ghosts jump in surprise. Their eyes widened as the sound of police sirens approached, and they scrambled to their feet. No sooner had they tried to run than a van stopped nearby and four officers piled out.
Maddie instinctively ducked as green jets flew overhead. She straightened and saw one ghost still fleeing and two in what appeared to be bright green handcuffs. Walker stepped out of a patrol car.
"Assaulting my daughter," he growled. "That's against every rule there is." He turned to Maddie, his expression changing from prison warden to concerned father in an instant. "You all right?"
Maddie nodded, brushing her hair back with a gloved hand. "I was wondering when you'd get here."
Ten minutes later, they were all back at the prison- in different areas, naturally. Maddie leaned against the office door with a sigh.
"So what brings you here, Maddie?"
Maddie laughed, more to relieve tension than any other reason. "I thought I'd surprise you for lunch."
Walker raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm surprised, all right." He shook his head. "I gotta tell ya, those punks picked the wrong girl to pick on. When I get my hands on 'em..." He trailed off, clenching a fist.
"I'm fine, though."
"You sure?"
Maddie shrugged. "They were ameteurs. They would've had trouble facing a yellow belt."
"Doubt that."
She smiled, though her tone was serious. "Don't go too hard on them, Papa. I've dated worse."
"You have?"
Maddie laughed and put her arms around him. "Don't worry, I did the same thing to them that I did to those guys back there." She kissed his cheek. "Now, let's forget about that. Isn't it almost time for lunch?"