"Anyways, they didn't find me there," said Lucky. "Some guy came by claiming to be my father and they just released me to him." He rolled his eyes. "I was too out of it to protest, naturally. I don't really remember what happened next...I remember being taken into this place and then taken out of it again, and lying on some hard bed...and some pain...and someone asking me questions...but it all seems like a dream."
"Yeah, we were pretty freaked out to learn that Bowdler took him," said Eddie. "And then we called the number Thruston had given us and couldn't reach him. So we went back to the last place they'd been keeping us...and, well, the guy had a hidden knife on him. We just saw the aftermath of what happened. It was...very bloody." He rubbed his scar slowly.
"So, well...we had to figure out what to do on our own. With one of our number missing, and people potentially stalking us everywhere...and we couldn't even go back to the fancy hotel!" said Martin, raising a paw to his forehead in an expression of mock grief.
"It's a good thing we were pretty close to the Chinatown where Uncle Ray lived!" added Dennis. "And, well...that's when we ran into you."
"But I still only have a little fraction of that story," pointed out Livy. "Even if most of your actions then make much more sense now. That's why you were so clumsy at dinner, right?" she asked, directing the question at Martin. "Worrying about your friend?"
"Yeah. That's it."
[28, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13]