Technically Day Two
As per usual, Gene bought them breakfast, and Ethan picked the spot. As they were driving, he saw a quiet-looking café, and that seemed like the best place to lay low from the chaos.
Why were they lying low?
Well, maybe because they had media on alert, and the hungry vultures hadWAYtoo much information.
Like how many victims there were.
Like their names.
And that told both men that they weren’t only working against the clock, but they had a mole making trouble for everyone involved.
A traitor.
Instead of the killer being oblivious that they were working on finding him or her, they now knew the FBI was on the ground and tracking them.
And that sucked.
Big-time.
One of the worst traits of collectors was their need to be hyper-vigilant. There was no doubt in Ethan’s mind that this killer would have the news on and would be all over this.
The jig was up for him and Gene.
And Ethan wasNOTthe only one thinking this.
Gene was too.
The worst part of this case for Gene was how he felt. Yeah, he was hella twitchy.
Getting ratted out to the media…it pissed Gene off to no end—but mostly because he felt naked without a gun. Here he was, walking around without any protection, and that felt counterproductive.
He was, after all, on desk duty, but how was he supposed to keep his trouble-magnet partner safe without a gun?
HOW?
Something had to give, and all Gene could hope was it wouldn’t be this cuckoo’s need to slow them down, but deep down, he knew it was only a matter of time.
When Gene finished paying for their food, he carried the tray to their table.
Placing it down, he sat beside his partner, making sure he was able to watch the door.
For the goddamn media.
“Find anything?” Gene asked Ethan, as he handed his man breakfast.
It was waffles loaded with fruit and whipped cream. The two of them couldn’t possibly be opposite when it came to food. Light and fruity versus heavy on the piggy.
He had an omelet, and a side of bacon. Because bacon always cheered him up, and after the ambush outside the high school, he needed something to make him sunshine-y again. This town wasNOTthe vibe he wanted to feel.
Ethan tapped the screen of his laptop.
“While you were getting us food, I ran both cops,” he said. “They have good records, and no issues with the police force. I’d like to think they didn’t call out the dogs on us, but only so many people knew about the three victims. Us, them, their boss, and the ME. One of those four groups did the crime, as we do the time.”
On that, he agreed.
To share, Gene handed Ethan a strip of bacon and ate one himself.
