Bounty Hunters (Errand Runners 2) **NEW UPDATE 2018**

Chapter 8

The energy it took Nole to subdue his anger was enough to drain him mentally. Just the thought of Caden being out in the middle of Nova City, even if he were with Olivia, was both exhausting and terrifying. Nole couldn't help but recall the events of six months ago. Although Tom had promised them that the Polys would be taken care of, Nole couldn't shake the growing unease consuming him. Without thinking, he subconsciously reached for the gunshot scar on the right side of his waist. He shuddered at the idea of Caden being attacked by a gangster like he was. Then he remembered the screaming on the other end of Tom's radio.

Sergeant Gomez cleared his throat, yanking Nole away from his worries for a brief period of time. The Enforcer's dark beady eyes stared at Nole as if awaiting orders. When none came, he reached for his shoulder strap. Nole instinctively leapt back, causing Gomez to halt his gesture momentarily. Seeing the teenager's reaction, Gomez lifted his free hand toward Nole and removed his radio with the other.

"Here," he said flatly, extending the radio in Nole's direction. Embarrassed, Nole clenched his jaw before taking a step forward to retrieve the device. He offered the man a thank-you and turned his back to him, urgently pressing the transmission button with his index finger.

The static greeted him like an old friend. "Sergeant Greene?" Nole said, releasing the button in anticipation of a reply. He said the name again and waited exactly five seconds before repeating it for the third time. There was no reply.

Although Nole always made a conscious effort to hide his emotions, when it came to worrying about his siblings, he wore his heart on his sleeve. He could feel his heart beating faster as the beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Turning to Gomez, Nole expected a reason for the absent Sergeant's refusal to answer. To Nole's frustration, Gomez met his gaze with about as much confusion as the teenager.

"He must be busy escorting your friends," he offered. Nole figured that the explanation functioned more to ease Gomez's mind than his own.

Rather than argue with the man, Nole gripped the radio in his hand and made his way to Betty's main office. As he thought, Valerie was working at the desk. He was curious about the duties the fifteen-year-old was expected to fill in Betty's absence, but he had more pressing things to think about.

Valerie's small frame shrunk back in the leather chair behind the messy desk before her. Her eyes scanned the words of the page clamped between the fingers of one hand while the other tucked away a few blonde hairs behind her ear. Entranced by the forms, she didn't notice Nole's presence until he laid the radio on the desk's smooth mahogany surface.

She glanced at the device before addressing Nole. "What's wrong?"

Nole couldn't help but imagine Betty sitting there. It wasn't that Valerie and Betty were similar. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He knew that telling Betty his concerns would be met with callous sympathy, but at least her actions in resolving the problem were effective and reliable. With Valerie on the other hand, he'd tell her that Caden had left without a word, that Sergeant Greene wasn't answering his radio, and that worst of all, he feared the Polys could abduct Caden in an attempt to capture Nole. It wouldn't be the first time someone used that tactic.

As he predicted, Valerie sat frozen in place upon hearing the news, fully aware that she was unable to fill the shoes everyone expected her to. Rather than admit this, she asked for the radio. "I'm sure it's nothing," she said in her best Betty-like voice. "Sergeant Greene doesn't seem like the most apt Enforcer of the Unit anyway. You know Olivia's probably giving him a hard time with Betty's friends too, so he's probably got his hands full."

Nole had to admit that her Betty impersonation was good. Even meek Valerie cajoled him out of his panic. She inspected the radio, meticulously adjusting the knobs on the lateral side. Without a word, she pressed the transmission, welcoming the static and a few unfamiliar voices conversing over the airwaves.