When they got back to the house Hank scrambled around, looking for his old luggage, and when he couldn't find it he just started stuffing clothes into a garbage bag.
Sumo kept at his heels, excited by the flurry of movement and probably hoping for a walk.
Hank grabbed his food bag and started hauling it to the door.
"Wait," Connor said. "We can't go in your car."
"What, you want to walk out of Detroit with nothing but the clothes on our backs?"
"No, but your car is too distinctive," Connor said. "You should get a rental. They'll notice, eventually, that you've taken me with you."
"They'll just fire me." Hank put the dog food down and waved a hand dismissively. "With all this trouble they won't bother-"
"I don't mean the police department," Connor said. "Cyber Life will consider this a theft. A very expensive theft."
Hank stood staring at the dog food, nudging Sumo's snout away from the bag.
"Hank?"
"I hadn't thought of it like that," Hank said. "Weren't they going to toss you in the fire with the rest?"
"Not before extracting data," Connor said. "And they'd probably prefer to deconstruct me. I'm made of valuable parts. Brand new, practically."
Hank groaned. "So what, they'll send someone after us?"
"Most likely."
"Androids or humans?"
"I'm not sure."
"Goddammit." Hank paced away and kicked the garbage bag of clothes. Sumo stuck his nose in it. "Okay fine, I'll be back with a rental."
"Take a taxi," Connor said. "If you leave your car there-"
"It'll be too obvious, yeah I know."
"I should probably stay here," Connor added. "Or I could-"
"I'd rather you stay out of sight," Hank said. "And find a freaking hat."
"Understood."
oOo
Fowler called him back while Hank was waiting in line for the rental. The line was massive. Everyone and their mother wanted to get the hell out of Detroit as quickly as possible, but most didn't own a car.
The Captain wanted to know why Cyber Life was breathing down his neck about their missing prototype.
"Well, I dropped him off at the entrance," Hank said. "Expected him to walk himself into the slaughter house without my supervision."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Fowler said. "Ever since the Eden Club you've been acting as if-"
"As if androids are as good as people," Hank said. "Is it so hard to believe?"
"They aren't people," Fowler growled. "You should know better than anyone-"
Hank hung up.
It took hours to actually grab a car, a self driving SUV of all things.
Sitting back uncomfortably as the car did the driving, he was debating whether or not to ditch his phone all together when it started ringing with an unknown number.
He probably would have ignored it if it didn't begin with two letters: RK
It was Connor. "There's someone outside the house."
"Who is it?"
"I can't directly see them," Connor said. "Their heat signature is crouched behind your car."
"For fuck's sake," Hank said. "Trying to ambush us? How many are there?"
"Just one."
"Okay, I'm going to park the rental down the street," Hank said. "They'll probably assume we're together."
"I'll keep their attention while you sneak up from behind," Connor said.
"Outta boy!"
A pause on Connor's end. Then, "Excuse me?"
Hank chuckled. "Nevermind. I'll be there soon."
Another pause. Then, tentatively, "Rodger that."
He's learning, Hank thought. Slowly but surely.
oOo
Connor must have been waiting for a second heat signature to approach the house. Hank was stepping up behind the car as slowly as possible and Connor timed his exit perfectly.
He lingered on the porch, pretending to glance around, and carefully let his eyes drift over and past the car.
Gavin Reed was glaring at Connor though the car's dust windows. An easy target.
Hank tackled him.
"Tell Fowler he can kiss my ass," Hank said. He put Reed's wrists together and cuffed him.
"You old fuck!" Reed bucked like an angry horse, forcing Hank to lay his full weight on him. "Fowler didn't send me, you idiot!"
"Like hell he didn't!" Hank growled.
Connor hurried over, frowning at them both.
"Please, Lieutenant. We don't want to attract undue attention."
"You heard the man," Hank said, easing off Reed's back. "Be quiet now." Each grabbing an arm, they hoisted him off the ground.
He realized, once they were inside, that Connor had called him Lieutenant.
Hank didn't like that.
But now wasn't the time to get fussy about something like that. He glared at Reed roughly shoved him on the couch.
"I volunteered," Reed said. He was staring at Connor. "No one wanted the chore. They figure you're still, uh, a normal android. And that it's just Anderson giving you the wrong orders."
"They can shove-" Hank started, but Connor raised a hand to silence him.
"And what do you think?" Connor said.
"I think you were never normal to begin with," Reed said. "You never needed orders."
Connor nodded. Then he walked around to the back of the couch and reached for Reed's handcuffs.
"Are you crazy?" Hank said. "He isn't trustworthy!"
He put a threatening hand on his gun while Rees made a show of massaging his wrists.
"Regardless, he's coming with us," Connor said.
Simultaneously, Hank and Reed said, "What?"
"I don't know what Reed thought he would accomplish when he volunteered," Connor said. "But if he returns without us he has two options."
"I didn't think-" Reed began.
"No, you didn't think," Connor said. "You never do."
The way the two of them looked at each other didn't sit right with Hank. There was something implied in there. Something he was missing.
"What are his options?" Hank finally said with a huff.
"Claim he found an empty house," Connor said. "Or that he confronted us, but we got away."
"And what's wrong with just saying that?" Reed said.
"If you've found an empty house they'll move fast," Connor said. "Closing roads, sending out our photos."
Hank cursed.
"We'll have lost our head start," Connor continued. "And if you procrastinate reporting us to buy us time-"
"I incriminate myself," Reed said.
"Let's just tie him to a chair or something," Hank said.
"I ran that scenario," Connor said. "Given the strain on the police department, and the low priority of this little errand, it might be days before he's found."
Reed frowned.
"So what?" Hank said.
"Days before he's found by law enforcement, I should say."
There were rogue deviants roaming about now, Hank thought. They were staying out of sight, but probably looking for shelter...
"What are you saying?" Reed stood and leaned into Connor's face, glaring.
"Let's just say I'm unwilling to take the risk," Connor murmured.
The proximity was enough to get Hank's blood boiling.
He shoved Reed back a step. "Ey, don't I get a fucking vote?"
"No," Connor said.
