Lounging in an alcove in front of a darkened store was a male wearing a baseball cap, baggy shorts, and a T-shirt. The sixth frame was the money shot.
He turned to look over the street and I caught his profile. Even with the addition
of a scruffy, five o’clock shadow, I recognized the narrow features of Private First Class Tito Ramirez. Not wanting to spook him, I held my position, kept the
camera aimed at the bookstore, and maintained my charade. “I’ve got company.”
“Who?” Kayden’s question snapped over the line.
“Ramirez.”
Kayden’s oath was soft, but audible. “Did he recognize you?”
“Nope, he’s huddled in a doorway, watching, but I think he’s waiting on
Hobbes.”
Bishop chimed in. “Anyone else with him?”
“No, from what I can tell he’s flying solo.”
“Don’t lose him,” Kayden ordered.
I rolled my eyes. As if I’d let our only link to Ellery out of my sight. “I’m
going to cross to the other side of the street. It’ll give me a better vantage point.”
Suiting words to action, I tossed my coffee in a nearby garbage can, and then
jogged through the slow-moving traffic to the other side of the street. Hidden in shadows was a small break between two buildings, just enough so I could slip inside the concealing dimness. I made sure my flash was off, and then raised the
camera, the auto focus zeroing in on Ramirez.
He was slouched against the doorjamb, with a lit cigarette dangling between
his fingers. He brought it to his mouth, the dull orange brightening as he took another drag.
“Doesn’t he know smoking kills?” I muttered.
“I think that’s the least of his worries,” Wolf answered.
“Hobbes and his date just ordered dessert.” Impatience thrummed through
Kayden’s voice.
“Stay with them,” I said. “I got Ramirez.”
“And if Hobbes takes off?” he growled.
“There’s an extra key for the Jeep tucked under the driver’s front wheel well.”
“What are you going to do if Ramirez has his own set of wheels?”
“I’ll improvise,” I snapped. “He’s getting antsy. He just pulled out his phone.
I’m betting he’ll move before Hobbes does.”
We couldn’t afford to lose him, which meant I needed to get rid of my
camera, so I could stay on his ass. As much as it allowed me to blend, for this I
needed to be invisible, and wearing a three-thousand-dollar necklace wasn’t going to work. If I had worn my pocket-crazy cargo pants this morning, instead
of jeans, I could tuck the camera away and call it good. Since that wasn’t an option, and the Jeep was in a parking lot a block over, I needed somewhere else
to stash my camera. Somewhere close so I wouldn’t lose Ramirez.
Ramirez took another drag on his cancer stick as he texted with one hand. I
was running out of time.
Light from the nearby bookstore beckoned. I dashed out of the shadows and
ducked into the bookstore. There was a coffee shop just inside. A man stood behind the counter, and light glinted off his wire-frame glasses as he tracked my
entrance. He shot me a warm smile. “Back for more coffee, young lady?”
Returning it, I noted his hand-printed name on tag tacked to his shirt. “Hey,
Dave, can you do me a favor? There’s something I want to check out and I don’t want to lose or damage this.” I pulled my camera off my neck, wrapped the strap
around it, and handed it over. “Could you hold this for me? I’ll be back for it.”
“Sure.” He took it and tucked it on a low shelf behind him. “We close at ten,
I can hold it ‘til then.”
“Thanks.” I scribbled my cell number on a scrap of paper, then added
Kayden’s name and number, just in case. “If I don’t make it back, I’ll send my
friend to pick it up.”
“Sounds good.”
After giving him a quick wave, I was back out on the street. Thankfully, Ramirez hadn’t moved while I made my drop-off. In fact, he was still focused on
his phone.
