Page 70 of Hawk

“He wants to head over to Mars’ shop. Can you check in with Bobby and make sure he’s there and everything’s good to go?” I asked, and Gator nodded.

Me

Give me just a sec to make sure everything’s in place at the shop.

Mouse

I hate that I had to involve Mars in this, but his shop was one of my regular stops.

Me

I doubt he minds. He’s getting a day of free yard care out of the deal.

Mouse

I mean, that’s a good thing. He works way too hard trying to keep everything looking perfect for his retreats and things. I still don’t like it, though.

Me

Don’t forget to put in your earpiece as soon as you leave the house. We don’t have cameras on you once you’re out.

Mouse

I won’t forget.

“Bobby says he’s all set,” Gator said. “He’s out front, edging the walk. I also alerted Chance that we’re gonna be on the move.”

“Thanks.” I was so focused on Mika I didn’t even think about Chance and his team. They were parked a few blocks away, ready to jump in and help if Butch showed his face.

Me

Okay, baby boy, you’re good to go, but head straight to the shop from here,

Mouse

That’s the plan.

We sat in the drive and watched until Mika’s car went by, then waited to make sure no one was following him. When we were sure they weren’t, we backed out and headed toward the north side of town, where Mars’ shop was located.

I didn’t like the fact that I wouldn’t have eyes on Mika from inside the shop, but we had Bobby outside, and Mika would be wearing his earpiece so we could hear him.

I drove the van past the store. There was parking in the back of Mars’ shop, but as we’d discussed, Mika had left his car parked right out front where anyone could see it. A Chinese restaurant was just down the block, so I pulled into that lot and found a spot.

I climbed into the back so I could watch the front of the building. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

“I’m glad we installed these cameras back when that arsonist was targeting Station 69. There aren’t many CCTV cameras on this side of town.” Gator reached over and pushed a couple buttons, and the monitors lit up with an image of the storefront.

I inserted my earpiece and tapped the side, turning it on. “Bobby, did you see Mika go inside?”

“Yep. The package has safely reached the destination.”

I rolled my eyes, and Gator chuckled. Bobby was new, and he treated everything we did like it was a top-secret covert op.

“I’m the package, right?” Mika asked through the earpiece.

“Darn right you are, sweetheart,” Gator replied.

“Who are you talking to?” I heard someone ask.

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