Page 38 of Back in the Saddle

I peered around the corner and saw no woman, just a direct shot to the traffic on Indian School.

“We’ll head back,” Homer promised him.

“I’ll take you back,” I offered.

Homer’s faded blue eyes shot to me in surprise just as the General jumped alarmingly when the back door opened.

Harlow and Raye came out, each carrying a thick, foil-wrapped burrito in one hand and our largest lidded paper cup in the other.

“They’re my friends,” I said hurriedly as the women made their approach. “Harlow and Raye. Good friends. You can trust them.”

The girls glanced quickly between the two men before Raye said to Homer, “Tito thought you might want something to eat and drink.”

To my shock, the General went right up to Harlow, took the burrito and said, “Thank you kindly, ma’am.”

Harlow offered the drink as the General peeled back the foil and paper. “Water,” she told him. “But I can get you a soda or something if you’d like.”

He munched into the burrito and took the drink, shaking his head. Not even swallowing, he munched more.

While this happened, Homer extricated a plastic bag from his pocket and wrapped it around the burrito Raye was holding out to him.

“Obliged,” he murmured. Using the plastic bag to shield his fingers from the foil and paper, he peeled it back. He unearthed another plastic bag, shoved his free hand in it like it was a glove, and only then took the drink from her. After he got his beverage, he munched too.

Divested of their offerings, neither of my chicks left the scene.

No surprise.

I had a low buzz humming through me that there was an imminent breakthrough about Jeff, so I gave the guys a few minutes to put some food in their stomachs and tried to ignore Harlow and Raye lingering before I pushed, “Homer, what’s a street warrior?”

“They’re us,” Homer told me.

I clenched my teeth, reaching for patience, because that gave me nothing. Or, at least, not anything I understood.

When I got a lid on it, I urged, “Can you share more?”

“What he said. They keep the darkness out.”

“Homer, I really need you to explain this to me,” I begged.

“Shadow soldiers,” Homer said.

And that was all he said.

God!

That didn’t give me any more!

I was about to press him further, but he took a step back, the General took five, and this was because a shiny, black Denali rolled up beside the herb garden and stopped.

The cavalry had arrived.

Damn.

I was back to clenching my teeth as I watched Cap swing out of the passenger seat.

And more clenching as Eric angled out from behind the wheel.

I didn’t know who called them. There were four viable culprits (including Tito), but I’d deal with that later.

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