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Alex crouched behind the dumpster, encased by the darkness. The hooded man from Norms stepped out of his Corvette. The man barely had both feet on the asphalt before Hal stepped out from the back entrance.

Hal jerked his thumb towards the front of the building. “Hey man, I’d appreciate it if you’d go around to the front.”

The man glanced around before turning back to Hal. “Sure, unless you can tell me if you saw a guy come around here? He was wearing all black and had shoulder-length hair. Asian.”

Hal chuckled nervously, rocking on his heels. “I see lots of guys come in here. Especially fitting that description.”

“Even ones coming through the back?” The man took another cautious step. Alex caught Hal’s jaw tightening, nerves or maybe the realization that this guy had a few inches on him. “I thought everyone was supposed to go to the front. Unless he works here?”

Hal didn’t budge, hands tucked into his hoodie pocket. “Again, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

The large, hooded man made a soft laughing noise through his nose. “Really? Including men that would team up together to pickpocket other people’s phones?”

Hal tilted his head, looking concerned. “What?”

“Don’t act dumb,” the man snarled, leaning in as if he was about to grab Hal by the shoulders. “I know you were the guy from several nights ago at Norms.”

“What? Noooo,” said Hal, eyebrows rose, radiating innocence like a man who’d never told a convincing lie in his life. Alex rolled his eyes. “You lost your phone?”

The tall man didn’t move an inch, and Hal didn’t give him time to respond.

“Man, that sucks. I hope you find it soon.” His eyes lit up with another deceiving smile. “But you know, now that I think about it, that guy you were describing earlier, I might have seen someone like that around here.”

“Where at?”

Hal pointed with his head towards the gas station. “Over there.”

A bright light flashed twice like a signal. Alex quickly waved at Jun to stop the flashes.

The hooded man stumbled backwards. Alex was on him before the man could turn—gun barrel pressed into the base of his spine.

The man winced as Alex pushed it further. H Through gritted teeth, he asked, “What are you doing?”

Alex wiggled his eyebrows and gave him a sultry smirk. “My bad. Can’t help myself when I see someone that’s my type.”

A click cut the silence. Hal straightened to his full height, gun drawn, barrel low and steady. Jun appeared at the back door, flashlight still in hand, eyes locked on the scene.

When the man’s eyes flicked towards Hal’s gun, Alex shoved him forward. The man grunted.

“Hands up,” Alex ordered with a deep growl.

The man raised his hands, sleeves falling around his elbows, exposing his muscular forearms. Seeing those big, veiny hands twitch sent a charge through Alex that he didn’t want to examine too closely. He hadn’t felt this kind of power since the last time he told his dad to go fuck himself.

Alex nodded at Jun. “Garage.”

Jun rushed down the corridor. Hal kept the flapping screen door open.

Alex kicked the man in the calf. The man’s pained grunts sent euphoric rewards to Alex’s brain to the point of insanity. “Get inside. Then we’ll talk.”

“For what?” The man’s voice cracked for the first time.

Alex pulled the hammer back with his thumb. The man straightened. “Guess you’ll find out. No promises I’ll behave.”

The man walked. Alex kept the barrel between his shoulder blades. Behind them, Hal locked the back door, and the deadbolt echoed down the corridor. After going through the empty store and behind the counter, Jun opened the door to the garage.

Their footsteps echoed off the concrete. The only light came from the workbench’s fluorescent lamp, buzzing in the silence. Behind the Civic, Matt had set up exactly what Alex asked for—two white plastic chairs facing each other, dead center of the garage. Matt stood off to the side, rope coiled around his fists, looking like he might pass out.

Alex jabbed the man’s back and pointed with the barrel over his shoulder to the chair on the right, closest to the garage doors. “Sit.”