Page 14 of The Grinch Who Stole Orcmas

Joy launches into a rapid-fire explanation of the missing truck and our wild goose chase around Hollywood Blvd and into abandoned buildings full of vermin. I can’t help but notice how animated she becomes, her hands flying as she recounts our adventure. It’s a far cry from the stressed-out shop owner I met just days ago.

“…and then we gave up for the day, hoping that tomorrow will bring us another clue,” she finishes, slightly out of breath.

Sarah frowns, her brow furrowing. “Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you said they removed the LoJack? Since the trail’s gone cold, those toys could be anywhere by now.”

Joy’s face falls, and without thinking, my hand moves to her shoulder in a comforting gesture. “We’ll figure something out,” I murmur, surprised at the protectiveness in my voice. Something rumbles in my chest. Am I starting to purr? I’ve never done that before. It’s something male orcs do to soothe their females. What the hell?

I stalk away from the group for a moment, rearranging my hair tie as I try to figure out how to shut down whatever the hell is vibrating in my chest. After trying a few techniques, I find that the purring stops when I recall the smell of the firehouse sewerbacking up. With my purr firmly under control, I stride back to the group, my chest mercifully silent.

Emma’s been deep in thought, but she perks up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “You know, I might be able to help. I’m pretty handy with computers. We could… maybe… hack into the street cameras?”

“Isn’t that illegal?” Her mate Kam rumbles, but there’s a glint in his eye suggesting he’s not entirely opposed to the idea.

Emma grins. “They do it all the time on TV! Besides, it’s for a good cause, right?”

Joy bites her lip, clearly torn. “I don’t know… I mean, we really need those presents, but…”

“Look,” Emma says, pulling out her phone, “let me just take a quick peek. If we can’t find anything, no harm done. But if we can…”

The group huddles around Emma as we all stare at her phone. The bazaar noises fade as we watch her fingers fly over the screen. My arm brushes Joy’s, and I catch a whiff of her scent—sugar and apricot from themellaton, with an undercurrent of something uniquely her. It’s delicious, and… distracting.

“Got it!” Emma’s triumphant cry snaps me back to attention. “I’ve accessed the street light camera feed from the time and coordinates you gave me. Let’s see… yellow rental truck… Bingo!”

We all lean closer, squinting at the tiny screen. Watching the pictures switch from intersection to intersection. The truck stops at some shady massage parlor for a long time, but Emma fast-forwards through that.

“We’re in real-time now,” Emma tells us.

Sure enough, there’s a yellow truck lumbering down a side street.

We get a close-up of the back of the truck at the next intersection. “It’s the license plate number the rental staff gave you.”

“It’s nearby!” Joy’s excitement is contagious, and I grin, then slam my lips together into a frown. Maybe there are still some lingering effects from that one beer I drank hours ago at lunch, otherwise, why would I be happy to participate in this fool’s errand?

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Kam booms. “Let’s go catch us some toy thieves!”

“Kam!” Thornn huffs. “This is somewhere between mildly and wildly illegal. Can you pipe down?”

“Oh. Yeah.”

He sounds contrite, but that doesn’t mean he won’t announce all of our illegal activities the moment he gets the crazy idea to blurt something out.

Joy’s eyes light up with excitement. “We have to go after that truck! This could be our only chance to find the presents!”

I frown, crossing my arms over my chest. “Hold on, Tinsel Queen. We can’t just go chasing after a truck based on some shady camera footage. It’s dangerous and probably illegal.”

“But Grum,” Joy pleads, “think of all the children who won’t have presents if we don’t try!”

Kam puffs out his chest. “I say we go for it! Nothing like a high-speed chase to get the blood pumping, right, Emma?”

Emma bites her lip, looking conflicted. “I don’t know… Grum has a point about the legality. But if we don’t act now, we might lose our only lead.”

Sarah sighs, ever the voice of reason. “We need to think this through. What’s our plan if we catch up to the truck? We can’t exactly force them to pull over.”

Thornn nods in agreement with his mate. “And what if it’s not even the right truck? We could be putting ourselves in danger for nothing.”

Joy’s shoulders slump slightly, but then she straightens, determination in her eyes. “I understand the risks, but I can’t just sit here and do nothing. These presents mean everything to those kids. I’m willing to take the chance. Who’s with me?”

I groan as I rub my forehead. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… fine. I’m in. Someone has to make sure you don’t get yourself into trouble.”

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