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Now they were three cars deep.
Ty didn’t confirm nor deny with Dana if he was gay. Only one person deserved that answer as soon as Ty figured it out, and that was Kell.
Ty
“Cardinal rule, Kell and Ty. The least amount of noise we make, the better,” Duke told them, picking right up after Quick had finished reading the charges on their current bounty, Memphis West. “Moving with precision is how we get in and out of public places fast. The goal is not to be seen. Or we’re moving so fast, there’s not time to get us on film. These days, everyone is quick to pull out their cell phones and start recording. I don’t need press for my business and ain’t none of us trying to be movie stars.”
They were sitting outside a KFC on Old National Highway. Their skip was about to report in for his five o’clock shift. Ford was able to get a hit on their system with the guy’s social when he’d completed tax forms. Brian was up the block waiting in the transport truck, Ford was parked across the street in case the kid bolted, while Dana was in the restaurant, in case he tried to run inside.
“He’s a nonviolent and he’s what we call a worm,” Quick said, checking his yellow and black salt gun.
“A worm?” Ty asked.
“Yeah. Memphis only weighs a hundred and ten pounds, and he’s whip-thin. Very flexible. He’ll wiggle and squirm all the way to the ground when securing him.” Duke chuckled in his raspy bass.
“Why do ya’ll bond habitual offenders? Isn’t it obvious they’re not gonna show for court if they didn’t before?” Kell asked.
Ty was thinking the exact same thing.
“Repeats are usually small bonds. Five hundred to a couple grand at most. We usually wait until the court takes action against them and they turn themselves in so we don’t waste the manpower going after them. But we’ve decided to use these backlogged cases as training tools. These bonds are so low priority that the skips have gotten comfortable. This fool has actually got a damn job. A working, tax-paying fugitive. Unbelievable. He has a bench warrant, for shit’s sake.” Duke balked.
“The turnaround in fast food is too high these days for them to do background checks on everyone, so Memphis most likely lied on his application. Regardless, it was stupid.” Quick pointed at a young guy getting off the MARTA. He was bundled up in a dark green winter coat and his red Colonel’s chicken work hat pulled down to his brows. He was puffing cool air as he double-timed past the other riders getting off. He was trying to be on time for his shift. Only he was going to be a lot later than he thought.
“There’s people standing around. Usually it’d only be one of us to pick up a skip like this but since we got everybody, we’re gonna demonstrate how we would secure a violent skip,” Duke told them. “Observe.”
Ty checked his watch then cut his eyes over to Kell at the exact same time he looked at him. The corner of his mouth was turned up. Ty wondered what he was amused about. It didn’t matter. He got lost again watching the blues, greens and golds in Kell’s irises whenever his mood elevated.
“You should be watching the team… not me,” Kell said casually, staring out of the window as Duke and Quick approached from the front, with Dana coming through the front door at the precise time their skip reached for the handle. Brian turned into the driveway, preventing their bounty from turning left.
Damn. Caught slipping, Ty turned to pay attention.
Duke was holding the warrant in his hand. “Let’s go Memphis. Time to check in, don’t you think?”
Their skip was twenty-three according to his file, but he didn’t appear any older than sixteen. His chest heaved like he was about to start… no scratch that… Memphis’ started bawling like he’d just heard devastating news. Dana came up behind him with a set of wire cuffs and that was when the show began.
“Please, please! I got a job now. I’m not shoplifting anymore, I swear. I haven’t in forever!” Memphis begged. “Just let me work, Duke, and I can pay you back.”
“I’ve bonded you out three times, Memph, and you’ve only showed for court once.” Duke shook his head and motioned for Dana to secure him. “Do your ninety days in County and you’ll be done with it all. No debts owed.”
“Nooooo,” Memphis groveled with tears and snot streaming down his face. “I can’t go back. Pleeeeeeez.”
What man gets down on his knees and begs at another man’s feet? Ty grimaced.
As soon as Dana touched their skip’s shoulder, Memphis buckled into a heap of blubbering ridiculousness right there on the sidewalk. An Asian couple were getting out of their car until they saw what was going on. Three teens on skateboards and one on a bike, skidded to a stop in the parking lot, excitingly pointing and going for their cells. It really didn’t take long—only seconds—before there were spectators.
