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I clap Tony on the shoulder, and he visibly winces. "Loosen up, it's just me," I say to him. "Come on, you gotta tell me. What do people say about me when no one's around?"
"Nothing," he replies quickly.
"Nothing?" I repeat, squeezing his shoulder, perhaps a little too hard. He yelps, and I pull my hand back.
"That's a little demoralizing, don't you think?"
"I guess I don't follow."
"Wouldn't you be sad if someone told you that no one cares to talk about you behind your back?"
"Are you sad?" he asks.
I twist my lips and look to my right at the church. "Actually, I'm sad about a lot of things, Tony," I reply.
"...that brought me to my knees, failed..."
Just then, his phone screen lights up.
"That's the signal," he says to me.
I give him a face. "Marco usually says 'Good to go,'" I say. "I kinda like it. Rolls off the tongue. 'That's the signal' just doesn't have the same ring to it."
Tony is somewhere between intimidated and frustrated. It's a shame that I can't poke at him anymore. I would like to see his true colors.
"Good to go, then," he replies.
I scrunch my face and open the car door. The music shuts off. "It just doesn't have the same feel to it when you say it."
I shoulder my supply bag and run forward. Tony lets out a curse behind me as he tries to catch up. I hate working with anyone, even Marco, but I also need a lookout.
Cleaning up a scene takes a lot of careful concentration. It isn't like how it was back in the old days. Today, even a stray hair can give away someone's presence at a crime scene. It's imperative for me to have someone who can concentrate on what is going on around me so that I can focus on my task.
Not to mention the fact that I never work without my music. I'm usually never without music.
I slip into the designated side door, not wanting to risk being seen going through the front entrance. Tony finally catches up to me, and I can tell he is out of breath.
"Tell them to flip the power back on to the block," I say to him.
He gives me a confused look. "Won't that attract attention?"
"You really should have at least talked to Marco before you agreed to take this assignment. What do you think it is I do here, exactly?"
He shrugs his shoulders.
"I dunno, clean up?"
I take a moment to square my shoulders in front of him.
"And how well do you think I'll be able to clean up if I can't see anything?"
I can tell Tony isn't one of the smartest soldiers in our ranks.
"I dunno. I guess I figured you brought a flashlight or something."
I sigh and put my hands on his shoulders. He flinches.
"No, Tony. I don't just use a flashlight. Tell them to flip the power back on. The last thing we need is utility workers coming out to the scene."
