Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 74730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Not to be outdone, Caleb whistled the refrain from a seventies song about getting high as we all loaded up.
“Let’s roll.”
By the time we arrived on the scene, the shop owners had been located—an older hippie-type man with a long gray ponytail and tie-dye pajamas and his more business-minded daughter, who’d arrived fresh from yoga class. Both were understandably distraught, and several other onlookers from nearby businesses and apartments had joined them on the sidewalk in front of the dispensary.
It was a low dark-green building with small windows that had been an aquarium shop and costume store in prior lives. Smoke billowed out the back windows into the alley.
“Anyone inside the premises?” The captain approached the owners. Our shift captain today was a tall, string bean of a man around my age and balding but not very talkative. I didn’t know him well because he usually worked a different shift, but he was covering for our regular captain.
“Just Jimmy,” the male owner wailed. “Please let me go get him.”
“On it.” Caleb headed closer to the building, shouting for Jimmy.
“We’ll get Jimmy out,” the captain promised, motioning me over. “How old is Jimmy? Description?”
“He’s seven—”
“Dad.” The daughter swiped at her eyes, but she had a far calmer demeanor. “It’s a cat. Jimmy Buffet. Large gray-and-brown cat. Let’s not risk anyone’s life.”
“We’ll do our best to find him and get him out,” I said quickly to head off a father-daughter argument.
“My beloved good luck charm. Store mascot.” The father wrung his hands and shuffled his feet as the thick, pungent scent of burning weed filled the air.
“Jesus. All the spectators are gonna get contact highs.” Johnson shook his head. “Everyone try not to inhale.”
“Funny.”
“Murphy, make sure everyone knows it’s a cat we’re on the hunt for,” the captain ordered. I took off at a run, trying to find Caleb, who wasn’t responding on the comm lines. He’d already entered the smoke-filled building.
“Caleb! It’s a cat we’re looking for!” I called out.
“In the front.” Caleb’s voice finally crackled over the comm set.
I made my way through the rapidly thickening smoke to one of the front rooms of the store, where Caleb stood in front of a tall display case.
“Think I found him.” He pointed at the top of the case, where a large cat was lolling around on his back. “And I think he’s high as a kite. Apparently, they also sell several varieties of custom catnip blends in addition to organic cannabis strains.”
“Of course they do.” Because of the dense smoke and increasing heat, we needed to get us and Jimmy Buffet out of there in a hurry. “Here, kitty kitty.”
The cat, naturally, made no move to leave his perch.
“I’m going up after him.” Caleb gave a decisive nod. “I’m lighter than you.”
“Gee, thanks.” I hated that he wasn’t wrong. He was taller but way more dedicated to the weight room and cardio. However, Caleb was also both younger and not exactly known for coordination. I tried for a diplomatic tone. “I don’t think those shelves will hold either of us.”
“Gotta try.” What I could see of Caleb’s expression under his gear was determined. Time was of the essence, and the space around the display was cramped. Getting a ladder in would be tricky, but I didn’t like watching Caleb climb one bit.
Helpless. That was the feeling. No way the shelves would hold us both, so all I could do was watch and wait. I sucked at waiting. Also, I had to trust Caleb, trust his skills, his reflexes, and, most of all, his judgment. Huh. Had I been trusting Denver enough, or had I been reacting from a place of fear? Trying to cling to control when a better option might be to wait and—
“Whoa, he’s on the move!” Caleb shouted as the cat sprang from the display case to a lower shelf.
Pay attention, Murphy. I gave myself a mental shake.
“Hey, kitty kitty.” I pitched my voice as coaxing as possible.
“Murphy, need you and Caleb out of there.” The captain’s voice sounded on my radio.
“Almost got Jimmy Buffet.”
“Now, Murphy.” The unmistakable urgency in the captain’s voice sharpened my senses, but I wasn’t going anywhere without that cat.
“Almost.” I reached toward the lower shelf as several things happened all at once. Caleb descended the display case, which wobbled precariously. I moved to steady it right as the cat leaped from the other shelf and the ceiling in the back hallway behind us collapsed.
“Guess we’re not going out that way,” Caleb yelled as he swung down from the display case. Hardly elegant, but at least he was in one piece, which was more than I could say for the building around us.
“Where’d the cat go?” I looked around.
“Clear out,” the captain ordered again.
“There.” Caleb pointed behind me at another case. I reached for the cat, but he leaped back toward Caleb. Nimble, high as balls on catnip, and scared. A wonderful combination, but I wasn’t leaving him behind.