Page 7 of Gem Warfare
“I count twenty collars and leashes like this. The tag says a hundred and twenty dollars! There’re also pet beds, bowls, and all sorts of things.”
“They must have found a way into all the shops below,” I said decisively.
“What else is in this strip? We’ve got items from the salon, deli and pet store.”
“There’s also a manicurist, a shoe shop, a high-end liquor store, and a dental surgery.”
“I don’t see any nail products or shoes but there’re a couple of crates of wine in the next space.”
“What could they steal from a dental surgery?” I wondered. “I don’t see them breaking in for a self-service hygienic cleaning.”
There was a long pause, then Maddox said, “Drugs.”
“This just got a lot more serious.”
“Shhh.” Maddox’s cellphone went dark. I slid the off switch for the flashlight, plunging us into darkness.
I stopped, stilled, and listened, trying to find what had alerted Maddox. After an impossibly long time in the dark, I heard it. Scuffling and an “Oof!” with a small electronic whir. Whoever it was seemed to be climbing out of another store and returning to their secret storage place.
“We should go back and wait for Jord,” I whispered. “I don’t think we should alert them that we’ve found their stash.”
“I agree. Let’s head back the way we came. Go first. I’ll be right behind you.”
I was already moving, feeling my way in the dark with my hands for the hole between spaces before Maddox said anything. I squeezed through the hole and just as I was wriggling my hips through, a hand on my butt gave me a push. I popped through, like a stuck cork emerging from a bottle neck and landed on my palms, wincing but biting my lip so I didn’t make any noise.
“Sorry,” said Maddox, squeezing past me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the corner furthest from our entry. “They’re coming. There’s no time to climb down,” he said, popping the panel back into place before re-joining me in the corner. “Crouch down and stay quiet. Hopefully, they won’t come this far.”
Soft whispers carried through the crawl space as we crouched, the words still indistinguishable, but I was sure I could make out two voices. Male and female.
“This is cozy,” whispered Maddox. “Just like the old days.” His arm pressed against mine, so I elbowed him lightly, gratified to hear a small huff of surprise.
I didn’t need reminding of the day I’d stumbled upon a terrible crime and then promptly had to hide from murderous goons. At least this pair of thieves seemed to be into luxury crime. Hopefully, that meant they didn’t want to get their hands too dirty.
The voices were coming closer, the footsteps, although still soft, also became clearer. “We have enough,” I heard one say. The woman, her voice young. “We can sell all of this and have enough.”
“I’ve got a deal set up,” said another. The man this time, although I couldn’t be absolutely sure. The voice was too soft,and too far away.
In my pocket, my phone vibrated but I didn’t dare pull it out. The bright screen would shine like a beacon in the dark. Seconds later, another vibration. Maddox’s phone. I hoped that meant help was close by.
I also hoped the two people in the crawl space would turn back and go the other way, giving us enough time to shimmy through the hatch into the salon below.
But instead, the voices seemed to be coming closer.
“We’re going to get caught!” The woman again, louder now.
“No, we won’t. They’re all too dumb anyway. Plus, don’t you want the money, babe? We can buy a van and go anywhere. We’ll be free spirits. We can go wherever the wind takes us.” The man’s voice was distinct.
“I don’t know that I want to live in a van.”
“It was our dream.”
“It’syourdream.”
“Whatever, babe. Go add this to the other stuff.”
“What is this?”
“From the dentist’s surgery. They have crappy locks on the drugs cabinet,” said the male with a laugh, his voice so clear I was certain they could only be yards away, just the other side of the hole.