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I listened only half-heartedly as they launched into another one of their long stories. There were so many I was losing count. Still, I was happy to hear them in good spirits. Even if our overall mission had been a failure.

A mission, Dallas? Is that what we’re calling it?

To tell the truth, yes, I was. I’d been in a full-blown combat situation with them now.

Like Connor.

I felt like I’d achieved some sort of right of passage. That I’d been put into a high-pressure situation, and had come out on top.

Then again, I’d caused us to lose the one chance we had of getting some answers. Maybe if I’d shown a little more restraint…

“How’d they make you, anyway?” Maddox was asking.

“Kane’s size sixteen feet,” Austin groaned. “They probably thought Bigfoot was creeping up on them.”

The big man in the front seat scoffed. “You gonna tell ‘em about that rock you kicked by accident?”

“That wasn’t a rock. It was a tiny pebble.”

“It was a chunk of concrete the size of a silver dollar.”

“Bullshit.”

“You sent it skidding across the ground,” Kane continued, “and that’s when they looked up.”

They continued arguing for several minutes, Kane blaming Austin for their botched approach, Austin blaming Kane for losing the foot-chase.

“You couldn’t keep up,” he said as he drove. “If you weren’t so slow now…”

From the shadowy realm of the back seat I changed out Maddox’s bandage for a fresh one. The bleeding had slowed almost to a stop. I’d tried once to get him to see a doctor, but he’d waved me off. The others had too.

Personally I think they just wanted to see his face as they stitched it.

“So the night’s a loss then,” sighed Austin. “We accomplished nothing.”

“No, not totally.”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward me. Not in an accusatory way, as they had when Maddox told them how I’d pulled a pit-maneuver on the fleeing Jeep. It was more curiosity this time.

“So… about that vehicle we chased?”

“Yeah?” said Kane skeptically. “The one you sent to Jeep heaven?”

I nodded. “I got the plate number.”

Everything went silent for a moment. Maddox’s wince of pain twisted into a grin.

“Holy shit, really?”

“A7X-271”

Kane let out a long, heated breath. “Well fuck. That’s… that’s…”

“Pretty damned useful?” I offered.

“Yeah.”

A half-mile later we made the turnoff, several blocks earlier than we needed to. Austin wended through side roads until he was satisfied we weren’t being followed. Then we headed for home.