Page 33 of Once a Hero

“Shouldn’t there be a hyphen somewhere?” Raynelle asked.

“What do you mean?” Ken looked annoyed. “I paid a lot for the decal.”

“Shouldn’t it say ‘Plunging-Needs Plumbers’?”

“No,” Ken snapped. “It means if you have aplungingproblem, you need plumbers.”

“Who came up with that nonsense?” Raynelle rolled her eyes.

“Shut up, Ray.”

“Seriously, Ken?” Beatrice climbed into the van. “Why not a cable company?”

“This costs slightly less. Single use, remember?” Kenichi handed her a cap and a brown shirt. “Look the part, Bee.”

With her arm in a cast, Raynelle had a hard time taking off her shirt and replacing it with the Plunging Needs Plumbers screen-printed tee shirt.

Beatrice helped her as much as she could while Kenichi worked on his laptop.

“We can’t park at the hospital too long. Cameras.” Beatrice tied up her hair into a knot, and put on her baseball cap. “Give me the keys, Ken.”

Ken tossed her the van key. Beatrice sat down in the driver’s seat.

People entered and exited the hospital entrance. Beatrice spotted Jake. “He’s leaving now.”

Jake walked across the parking lot.

“Okay, I got him. Let’s go.” Kenichi rubbed his hands together. “The trackers I put on him work.”

“Where did you stick them?”

“In his jean pocket and belt.”

“When?” Raynelle asked.

“Back in the forest.”

“I never noticed.”

“If you did, I’d have failed.” Kenichi winked at her.

Beatrice found her sunglasses and put them on. Now nobody would recognize her. “All he has to do is change clothes, and we’ll lose him.”

She sat down in the driver’s seat. “Raynelle, get some rest. Kenichi, tell me where he goes.”

Kenichi had parked the van with its rear against a wall, so all Beatrice had to do was start the van and press the gas pedal to roll it forward.

“He’s walking. Can’t go far,” Kenichi said.

“Even with the new decals, our van is too obvious. He’ll spot us following him.” Beatrice frowned. “Well, strike that. I can’t even see him now.”

“While we were trying to get into traffic, he crossed the street.”

“Is he going to rent a car?” Beatrice wondered what Jake was up to.

“Nope. Right now, he’s at a motel.”

“He is? Maybe he’s cleaning up and taking a nap.”

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