Everyone held their position, waiting to see where it would stop.
Somewhere out there, Ellery and Bosch were also watching. Bosch didn’t
worry me. Not yet. He wanted me here. Whether he brought friends or not, did
worry me, as well as what would happen if Ellery saw me before he could meet
with Hobbes. Then there was the valid concern of what would happen if innocent bystanders got caught in the crossfire. Fighting threats on urban streets
was a nightmare because there were too many variables. No matter how solid the
plan, eventually you would be left using your skills and instincts.
The sedan pulled into a handful of empty slots situated near a metal door leading to the back stairs.
“Hold.” Kayden’s soft order came across the line.
Silence settled over the garage.
I pulled my gun out of my inner pants holster, flicked off the safety, and then
settled the weight in my palms. A quick double click in my ear indicated Ricochet was now in position.
Nothing moved around the sedan.
I worked my way closer. The lot wasn’t full, but there were enough cars in
place to provide cover. It didn’t take me long to get an angle with a view of the
sedan’s back door. Unfortunately, gaining a sight line to the other side that was
close to the fire exit would mean risking exposure. I held my position and tapped
three times on my earpiece, letting the team know I was in place.
One by one, the rest of the team checked in with soft, reassuring clicks.
Rabbit remained above, monitoring the electronic signals, just in case any surprise packages popped up.
My mind was quiet and clear. My pulse remained as steady as did my grip on
my gun. It was strange to realize I actually missed this, the action, the adrenaline rush, and even being part of a team.
Bishop’s “Head’s up” hit moments before the sound of metal scraping
concrete echoed through the garage. The fire exit door opened and, backlit by the afternoon sun, there was no way to make out the approaching figure. I tried
not to ruin my eyesight and focused on the sedan, tracking the new player from
the corner of my eye.
The back door on the driver’s side, closest to the exit, opened and Reeve Ellery moved out of the shadows, taking time to scan the garage.
I worked on my mental shielding with Wolf, when he finally announced me
passable, I wanted to kill him. Right now, I was grateful for his drill-sergeant
mentality. Still, I didn’t risk looking directly at Ellery. Sometimes targets could tell when they were being watched. I huddled behind the SUV, watching the action at the sedan and praying my mental shields held. No way did I want to be
the reason Ellery got spooked.
I could feel his gaze skate over my hiding spot, once, then twice. Finally, the
dull thump of a car door closing came. The breath I didn’t realize I was holding
escaped. A quick check ensured Ellery was in the car with Hobbes. For the plan
to work, we needed Ellery and Hobbes to do the trade before moving in. Long,
tense minutes ticked by. It would’ve been nice if we could’ve wired the sedan.
The sound of a female voice yanked my attention around. A well-dressed
woman stepped out into the garage, a phone plastered to her ear. Her voice was
overly loud in the quiet and then came the beep of a car alarm on the other side
of me. I moved further into the space between the cars and watched her walk by
