Page 94 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

“Are you crazy? Don’t—.”

Free waved God off. “Relax. I’m not in their system. I’m…adjacent to their system. It’s like I’m peeking around a corner while no one’s looking.”

Steele stood near the hallway, watching officers pass. “How long before they bring out the idiots?”

“They’re gonna take their time,” Tech said. “It’s a dominance thing. They wanna show us they have the biggest badge in the room.”

God grunted.

An hour passed. A very long hour.

Free spent most of it tapping away on his tablet. Steele walked the length of the waiting area ten times before Day told him he was making the admin at the desk nervous. God stood with his back to wall and stared at the officers coming and going.

Finally, the secured door buzzed.

Ruxs came out first then Green.

Neither appeared injured. Ruxs had a scrape along his left cheekbone and Green’s jacket was torn near the sleeve.

God stared long and hard at them.

Ruxs and Green looked everywhere they could to avoid his glare.

Ruxs scratched the back of his head. “In our defense—”

“Don’t,” God growled.

Ruxs closed his mouth.

Free smiled at them. “I’ve wiped all the videos of you two buffoons offline, so we should be good with IA.”

God took a step forward. “You chased a suspect,” he said, voice low, “through a crowded restaurant, onto a public street, during an active protection detail, in a city where we have no jurisdiction.”

“Look. I admit it wasn’t our brightest idea,” Green sighed. “But it’s the only solid lead we’ve had.”

God pointed at him. “When the Cap says trouble follows me wherever I go, who the fuck do you think he’s talkin’ about?”

Ruxs rolled his eyes.

Day stood. “All right. Let’s move the lecture back to our hotel.”

God didn’t move.

Day stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Cash. Time to go.”

God’s eyes stayed on Ruxs and Green for another blistering second before he turned toward the exit.

As they walked out, Day caught Captain Vega watching from the hall.

Day gave him a friendly salute that he didn’t return.

Outside, the California sun hit them bright and hot. Slade was waiting for them at the curb.

Once they were all inside, Free inhaled a sharp gasp that made them all jerk around in his direction.

“Um, fellas,” Free said slowly, “I think we might have a bigger problem back home than IA.”

“What? What is it?” Day asked.