Page 125 of Falcon’s Forever

"How?" Vulture asks.

I think about Digger's account from the first warehouse, Kells asking questions about routes and deliveries, who came and went. "They're using legitimate businesses as cover."

Sterling nods. "Looks like it."

"So, somebody delivers to them," I say.

Condor's already typing. "Give me a minute." Two minutes later he turns the screen. "Cleaning contractor. Services the office section Wednesday and Friday evenings."

Today's Friday. "What time?"

"Six."

Vulture checks the clock. It's just past eight in the morning. "Ten hours."

Ice Pick leans forward. "You want to replace the cleaners?"

"No," Vulture says immediately, before that goes any further. "We don't know they're not part of it, and nobody's going in blind."

Rook nods. "You want us watching them instead."

"Exactly, nothing illegal that gets us burned," Vulture says to Condor.

"I understand operational security." Condor nods his head.

"That wasn't what I said."

"Close enough."

Vulture turns to Sterling. "You and Zip work the company. Find out if they know what they're cleaning." To Ice Pick, "Eyes on the warehouse from a distance. Rotate vehicles, no cuts." Then he looks at me, and for once, nobody has to say the words out loud for me to know what's coming.

"Falcon. You're with me."

"Doing what?"

"Staying here."

Harrier coughs into his fist, badly disguised as a laugh. I glare at him.

"If this is another attempt to pull officers off the compound, we're not giving them what they want," Vulture says.

He's right, and I hate it a little anyway, which probably means it's exactly where I need to be.

Church breaks and the room fills with movement, Ice and Rook heading out to watch a possible trafficking warehouse, Sterling and Zip digging into the cleaning company, Condor disappearing into whatever screen he lives in. I'm staying, which is harder than any of it.

My phone buzzes. Cara.

Cara:

Emily's decided on the transition house. Sarah's going with her to help her settle in. We're moving this afternoon if security's happy.

I read it twice, not because it's complicated, because she told me. Directly.

Falcon:

That's good. I'll check the plan with Zip.

I delete it before I send it. Zip's busy with Merrick's cleaning company, and she didn't ask me to check anything.