Page 117 of Veiled in Brick

“Like how are you even getting this app?” I spoke up, and all heads turned to me. “It’s not like we have a manual.”

“It’s probably Bluetooth enabled,” Cassie ventured. “Connect to it with one of our phones—I’m sure there’ll be an app we can find for it.”

James returned, “We don’t know what brand it is, how are we supposed to figure out what app to use?”

“I’d put money on figuring out the brand when we connect to it,” Cassie replied. “Its name will pop up in Bluetooth devices, it’s probably named Spy Master 3000 or some shit—we’ll google that and go from there.”

“Okay, it’s not charged though,” James stated. “I’ve had it since yesterday; the battery’s dead and I don’t have a charger for it—and now does not seem like the time to be waiting in line at a Radio Shack.”

“Radio Shack?” Cassie questioned with a tip of her head. “I haven’t seen a brick-and-mortar Radio Shack in years; how old are you?”

“Shall I repeat your words?” James retorted with a wry grin. “What’s my age got to do with this?”

“Okay, whatever,” she grumbled. “Did the port to charge it look like it was for a USB-C?”

Liam spoke up, “It probably is.”

“Okay, bypassing all this…let’s say we get all that to work,” James began.

Cassie smirked. “I like you better when you’re on my side.”

“Mhm,” James hummed back to her. “Again—no hitches, we have a live feed on a camera that we can use right now. Even if we did see him there…what would we do, call the cops and they’ll bust down the door and arrest him?”

“Pretty sure they’d need a warrant to force their way in,” Claire noted. “That shit takes time and hard evidence.”

“I’d rather just bust in myself,” Liam stated.

“You’re not murdering anyone, Liam.” Luke looked at him, his grey eyes stern.

James’ eyebrows flew up as he stated in a high pitch, “Wasn’t aware that was a legitimate thought—let’s not entertain that one.”

“We wouldn’t need to bust in,” Cassie insisted. “All we’d need to do is knock—”

“He’s been following Zoey for so long, I bet your ass the guy knows every single one of us,” James retorted. “You want one of us to go and say hello?”

“He doesn’t know me,” Cassie offered. “I would go; pretend to be a new neighbor or something.”

Liam threw his head back and groaned, “Cassie, come on. What would you even do?”

“Lure him away from the complex,” she said plainly. “Bring him back here to where he wouldn’t expect any of you, we make sure he’s detained somehow, and then—then we can call the cops. They’d have to at the very least bring him in for questioning with what you have, right?”

“Okay, stop,” Liam returned. “How would you even lure him away?”

“You forget I have tits,” Cassie told him. “I’m well aware of the artistry of distraction, brother.”

“This sounds dangerous as shit for you,” James remarked with wide eyes. “Why do you feel the need to jump on this grenade?”

“Some grenades need jumping on,” Cassie replied to him. She whispered dramatically, “Maybe I like the thrill. Maybe I like grenades. Would you guys rather sit here until the justice system comes around? That could take forever and I think I’m speaking for all of us when I say that we don’t want to know what this fucker’s going to try next.”

“I’m with you there,” Liam said. He opened his mouth to speak once more, but Cassie stated first:

“Good.”

Liam’s hands rubbed at his eyes vigorously as if it would spur his brain to give him another option as he admitted, “But this feels wrong, Cas. The guy was shooting at us, like, an hour ago.”

“I don’t want you getting hurt for me, Cassie,” I agreed quietly.

“There are six of us,” she pressed. “One of him. I think we can manage.”

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