Can You Feel It?

07.

EREX

When my screen lit up with new notifications and I opened the latest update, determination instantly hooked its claws into my senses.

"We've got the location of their latest morphine warehouse. If we get there in time, we should be able to catch them during the transaction." Callie stood in front of me, her eyes flaring with the knowledge.

"Get everyone rounded up. Let's head out as soon as we can." Ordering Zeke who nodded in compliance, I quickly got up.

I knocked on Maddox's door and he called for me to go in. Pushing inside, I cross-checked with him. "The anonymous tip we got about the Morphine Warehouse of Marcello's checks out. We're going to head out now and stay on a stakeout till we see the transaction happen."

Wasting no time, he clicked away on his computer and then glanced up at me. "Go."

"I'll send word for backup after arriving and confirming things."

Maddox curtly nodded in response.

That was the only confirmation I needed before walking out into the main hallway where my team had gathered.

Loading their guns into their holsters was how I found the rest of them. Callie watched a bit sullenly since she'd have to stay back while Kaya was checking on her camera. Finn greeted me and rolled up his shirt sleeves, a serious look on his face while Zeke awaited orders.

"Alright, we're all ready so let's head out."

—🎭—

"You know how to shoot?"

"I have basic training of course. I do too much fieldwork." Kaya leveled Finn with a narrow-eyed look, "Are you underestimating me because I'm a woman? Did the previous photographer not have any self-defense skills?"

I watched them in the rearview mirror as Finn gave a sheepish smile and Zeke snickered beside me in the passenger seat as we drove to Downtown Chicago, cursing the traffic.

"No, that came out wrong." He apologetically rubbed the back of his neck. "You just didn't have a gun on you so I assumed....."

"My gun permit has yet to be approved by the authorities here. I started sooner than they'd anticipated me to." She shrugged carelessly.

"Do you enjoy it then? The job?" Zeke asked, voice low. I remained a silent observer, taking note of her reactions and answers. Even as she breezily steeled herself, Kaya Skeats looked delectable and that said a lot.

The constant, infuriating sound of car honks filtered in while the sun beat down on the white Ford card. Zeke increased the AC level, grunting about the temperature.

"I do." Kaya replied evenly, glancing outside. Her beautiful, multi-colored eyes eluded my gaze and I took a deep breath to clear my head.

That was it. The rest of the journey was silent, only interrupted by Finn's jesting remarks and the traffic noise.

—🎭—

We arrived late.

Well, actually no, we were on time.

But it looked like someone had tipped off the Mafia about our raid because we were met with a deserted warehouse, devoid of any materials that might have been harbored there recently.

"Great." Zeke clicked his tongue as we walked into the empty place.

They'd done a good job cleaning it up, leaving barely any evidence behind. Finn sighed, returning from his round of the place.