My hero ☆ Steve Harrington

chapter 25

Robin sat outside the back room with headphones in, listening to the audio with headphones on, her face shoved into the Russian-English dictionary. only to get pulled out of the zone by Erica ringing the bell to get free samples. Again.

Julia, Steve and Dustin stood behind a plant using binoculars to look around to see if there was any sketchy people walking around the mall. Julia said that it'd be too simple for someone to walking around with an ear piece and carrying a duffle bags. The boys were relentless and choose to do the stake out.

Dustin used the binoculars as he moved his head around the mall. "Target aquired."

"Where?" Julia asked.

"Ten o'clock. Sam's Goody's."

Steve took the spying gear out of Dustins hands. "Shit. Duffel bag."

The two boys mumbled together, "evil Russian."

Julia withheld an eye roll as she followed the boys that were following a tall, blonde man.

She kept her distance from the two. Steve shoulder bumped a man who angrily raised his voice. "Watch it dickwad!"

The man stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around. Julia quickly walked to the railing and looked down at the people below her. Dustin grabbed onto a payphone that was next to him and began to speak into it. Steve however just pressed himself to a glass window that displayed books.

The three of them reunited as the man walked off again. "That was your way of blending in?" Julia giggled at her boyfriend who embarrassingly shrugged. "I panicked!"

Julia continued to slowly walk as Dustin and Steve stopped behind a corner to watch the man as he entered 'Jazzercise'.

They all listened to him speaking, only to find out that he was a 'jazzercise' teacher. Julie covered her mouth with her hand and held back a laugh.

Julia left the boys as they were quietly talking and headed back go the ice cream parlor. She walked through the backroom and was greeted with Robin still listening to the audio.

"Ahoy Henderson. Did the dingus's find any spies?" "No but we did find out that the 'jazzercise' teacher is very sketchy looking." She huffed out, sitting down at the table.

There was a knock on the backdoor that pulled the girls out of the conversation. "I got it." 

Robin answered the door as Julia read through the notes the other girl has taken. "The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly." She mumbled to herself.

"I fucking found something." Robin exclaimed as she got back to Julia. "What?!"

"Lynx Transportation. Lynx, a silver cat. The company works in this mall. which means..." Julia's eyes widened as Robin dragged the girl out of the parlor by her arm.

The girls ran out and stood on the rim of the fountain, their heads scanning every store in the mall.

"A trip to China sounds nice." Robin mumbled as they looked around. Julia's eyes landed on a light up dragon sign.

"Imperial Panda." Julia gasped.

Robin smiled brightly and read the next sentence. "If you tread lightly..."
Robin pointed up on the second level. "Kaufman shoes." Julia was both excited yet terrified.

Robin continued, "when blue and yellow meet in the west." The two girls shifted the same way their eyes falling upon the large clock that was right in the middle. A green background with yellow and blue pointers.

"Jules. Robin. What are you doing?" Steve asked as the two boys walked up to them.

"We cracked it." Robin spoke.

"Cracked what?"

The two girls jumped down from where they were standing.

"The code. We cracked the code." Julia expressed, releasing a sigh of relief.

"Holy shit." Dustin exhaled, his face went from smiling into a look of worry.

___________

The group decided to do a stake out on top of the roof. Their view being the entrance to where they were storing boxes of who knows what.

The night was young as rain pelted them in their rain jackets. "Look for Imperial Panda and Kaufman shoes." Robin spoke.

Dustin used his binoculars to get a better look at what the men were transporting. "They're with that whistling guy, ten o'clock."

"What do you guys think is in there?" Julia questioned as Steve wrapped his arm around her shoulder, making sure if they got spotted he would push her down in time.

"Guns. Bombs." Dustin started off.

"Chemical weapons?" Robin thought a loud.

"Whatever it is, they're armed to the teeth." Dustin described as Steve wiped the dripping rain from his forehead. "Great. That's great."

"Dust! What's in there?" Julia asked her younger brother as the doors to the secret room opened.

"It's just more boxes."

"Let me check it out." Steve reached over and grabbed the binoculars, only for Dustin to pull them back. As Dustin pulled them back towards himself, Steve let go causing a loud crashing noise to echo off the rooftop, drawing the attention of the guards.

Steve immediately pushed Julia and Dustin down behind the wall. Steve grasped onto Julia's hand tightly as Julia clutched onto Robin's. Everyone was out of breath from the close encounter. Julia could hear Steve's heart racing as he held her close. Praying they weren't seen.

"Go go to." Steve said as they ran back inside the mall. Their shoes squeaking with every step they took. Drips of water fell from every place on their bodies.

"Well. I think we found your Russians." Robin spoke, looking at the three.