Jai cut the lights almost as soon as they could hear the engine, but Ace looked at the sky, now gaining just a smidge of gray, and knew they would all have to cut out of there soon if they were going to do what they needed to do.
Ernie and George hopped out of the SUV about a quarter mile from where Ace and Sonny stood, and Ace pulled the keys to open the garage out of his pocket before calling to Dimitri, who was making pleased noises as he checked out the auto bay and the pit.
“Dimitri,” Ace said, “c’mere. You’re gonna meet your two coworkers today—they can operate some of the testing machinery you might not know, and they’re the only ones allowed in the cashier cage unless the cops are converging and you all need safety, understand?”
“Da,” Dimitri said. He was walking better in a pair of Sonny’s old boots stuffed with two pairs of socks, but if Ace could wave a magic wand and make the man’s feet feel better, he would.
“Look, man,” Ace said as Dimitri drew alongside. “You’re gonna have to work some, okay? But don’t forget to use the stool in the pit if you need it, and take a load off every now and then. Let Ernie and George work some too. If the cops leave you all the fuck alone, it’s still a long, hard day, you hear me?”
“I hear,” Dimitri said and then smiled a little. “And I will not forget to let Duke out of the crate and put him on the leash for a walk every two hours. He is a good little dog. At the very least, I won’t fuck that up.”
“You’d better fuckin’ not,” Sonny said, but without heat.
They met out in the middle of the desert, as the first of the stars faded back into oblivion and the cold morning breeze picked up.
“George, Ernie, this is Dimitri,” Ace said as they drew near. “George, watch his feet, they’re fuckin’ ragged, and he’s gonna need to be on them. You know where the first aid shit is in the garage. Don’t skimp.”
“Will do,” George said cheerfully. In a plain gray hoodie, he looked like a college student, smiling benignly up at everybody, and Ace wished like hell they could leave him out of this.
“Ernie,” Ace said, “remember, we’re a smart bunch. If the shining takes you, I wouldn’t mind knowing, but don’t force it, you hear me? We like your brains in your head, right?”
“Ace,” Ernie said softly, “I love you and Sonny like brothers. I won’t steer you wrong.”
Ace ruffled his curly black hair in response, and Ernie added, “And good call on taking the SUV not the SHO.”
Ace and Sonny met eyes.
“Told ya,” Sonny muttered.
“Yeah, Sonny, you’re right a lot,” Ace conceded. “We’re driving the Forester right out of the garage when this is over—you three go get in place.”
To his surprise, George went in for a hug, and then Ernie did, and then they both hugged Sonny before George grabbed Dimitri’s arm and they strode back to the garage in what was almost the first light of dawn.
“Where are they?” Ace asked Jai, who had squeezed George’s shoulder as a farewell. Ace was pretty sure they said their goodbyes like he and Sonny did—privately.
“Nearing the station. Jason and Cotton are at the mistress’s apartment, and Burton is setting up the computer Eric left last night.”
Before this entire plan had changed and they’d been planning on using the cul-de-sac as a safe haven.
“We got the handoff plans nailed?” They’d planned two contingencies, depending on where they found the phone. And if they didn’t find it in place A or place B, they were fully committed to breaking into Arlen Cuthbert’s home for it, although Ace was really hoping to avoid that one because there were kids there.
Arlen Cuthbert was a shitty excuse for a human being, but he’d been a corrupt sheriff for a long time. Ace was pretty sure he knew better than to keep a piece of incriminating evidence in the first place somebody would look.
Besides, Ace thought with a churning stomach, if Cuthbert was a member of that awful little circle, well then, he wouldn’t care, would he, about that level of soul stink near his children, but if he was trying toblackmailthe people involved, well, it would matter. It just would.
“Da,” Jai said. “Burton’s motorcycle is gassed and ready. I am heading beyond the station to run interference, and you two are….” He shuddered. “The only image I have is of Indiana Jones, being chased by an entire indigenous tribe as he runs like hell for an airplane.”
“You know,” Ace said, “them poor guys had a legit complaint.”
“Da,” Jai said, “but I do not want them to catchyou.”
“We’ll do our best.” Ace held out his hand and shook hard, then pulling up chest to chest he and Jai thumped each other on the back. “Be safe, brother.”
“You too,” Jai replied grimly. “Keep him safe as well.”
“With my life.”
And with that Jai strode back to his SUV, and Ace and Sonny took the long way around the garage to hop in the Forester.
