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Dane debated for a full minute and then decided it was worth the ten-minute walk back to the parking lot. “I’m going to get some. I’ll be back. Keep your eyes open. Yell if there’s a problem.”
Koa swore. “Bring me some, too. My fucking head feels like it’s about to explode. All these things buzzing around and shit. It’s making my nerves raw.”
Dane smiled. Koa wasn’t one for loud noises. If Dane was finding it hard, Koa was finding it excruciating. The ear-splitting explosion at Mac’s apartment had probably triggered a massive headache.
“Don’t forget me,” Jace chimed in and then swore. “All these kids on top of all the adults. It’s a madhouse, and my knee is killing me.”
“Roger that.” God, they were a bunch of misfit toys. Broken and put back together not quite right. Shaking his head, he walked to the edge of the field and crossed the road. The drones were on one side in a huge open space, organized by group. Small drones all the way up to the big suckers. A field on the opposite side of the road had been converted into a parking lot.
He was glad today was moderate in temperature. He loved the Hawaiian sun, but she could be harsh at times. A coolish breeze stirred the grassy area and made it all bearable. He reached Jace’s Jeep and reached into the glove compartment. Jace didn’t have the doors or the roof on his vehicle so there was nothing to lock. He could lock the glove, but he only kept a bottle of water and some Advil inside. He just didn’t see the point, and neither did anyone else. The Jeep was twelve years old. Who the hell would want to steal it?
He grabbed the Advil and downed two pills with the water. He put the pill bottle in his pocket and started walking back across the field to the road. The sound of a buzzing off to his left made him turn and look. The drones were supposed to be flown only on the other side of the road.
A large drone came over the field and then swung back. It did a weird little dip and then landed. Dane immediately pivoted and walked in that direction. He’d seen that little dip before.On the beach.
“I think I found our drone. I’m in the field across the road, the one with the parked cars.”
“Roger that. On the way,” Jace answered.
“Coming,” was all Koa said.
Two young Asian guys were standing next to the parked drone. One had the iPad to fly the drone and the other had a can in his hand. They looked to be in their early twenties. Not the hardened criminals he’d been expecting.
He smiled as he approached. “Hi. Nice drone.”
The two men looked up at him. “Thanks. You into flying?” the shorter of the two asked. He was wearing a light blue T-shirt and what looked like board shorts. He was drinking a soda.
“This is all new to me. A buddy of mine just got started so we thought we’d come to check it out today. Have you two been flying long?”
“A couple of years,” the taller one with the iPad said. “It’s fun.”
“Can you do tricks? I saw some pretty cool things over there. It kind of blew my mind how hard these things are to fly, and then to get them to do tricks…it’s just awesome.”
The shorter one grinned. “Dude, we can do all the tricks. I’m Chan and this is Paul.”
Dane came to a stop beside them. “Jeff,” he said and offered his hand. They shook, and then Paul launched the drone. He spent the next five minutes showing off, doing all kinds of tricks. Dane pretended to be impressed. Drones were annoying to him, but he had to admit, this kid knew his shit.
“On your eight o’clock,” Jace’s voice crackled in his ear.
“On your three,” Koa added.
“On my count.” Dane kept his voice low. Paul was bringing the drone in to land it. “One,” Dane murmured. The drone did the little dip thing. “Two,” Dane said. Paul landed the drone and clicked the screen to turn it off.
And finally, Dane called out, “Three.”
Jace and Koa were on the kids in an instant. They had them, hands behind their backs with no room to move.
“What the hell, dude? What’s going on?” Paul demanded. “Are you stealing the drone?”
Dane walked in front of him. “I don’t want your drone. I want to know where you took the package you picked up the other night at the beach.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Paul said and tried to look tough, but he was failing miserably. His eyes darted around, and he kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
“What about you, Chan?” Dane asked, fixing him with a hard stare.
“Dude, the drone’s not mine. I don’t know what he did with it the other night.”
Dane crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the two kids. “I’m going to give you one chance. You tell me who you gave the package to the other night, and I won’t destroy the drone. Otherwise, I will crush that thing with my Jeep. Are we clear?”
