Page 11 of Callahan's Haven

Garrett shrugged. “Divide and conquer?”

Cal nodded. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”

Solace put in her ear comm. “Assignments?”

Ten minutes later, everyone had checked in.

Solace had worked her way into the party with a soda in one hand and her eyes on Haven, while Declan meandered past the various cars parked up and down the street and watched the comings and goings at the front door.

Cal had worked his way behind the property and had topped the little rise overlooking the pool and pulled out his binoculars. The crowd had overflowed into the back yard regardless of the dropping temperatures.

And there was Haven with her friends.

“I wonder if there’s a dog I can appropriate around here somewhere,” Declan muttered in his ear.

“I’ve got Haven in my sights,” Solace said, her tone just as low. “A dog?”

Sometimes Cal felt like he had a bad sitcom playing out in his head, especially with the back and forth conversations and jabbing between his three friends.

“Realism,” Declan explained. “Blending into the background. Anything to give me a damned excuse to be walking up and down this street talking to myself.”

“I feel you, man,” Garrett said from his place in the van, his tone serious. “But it’d have to be a suitable dog for a guy like you.”

“Yeah. I’ve always wanted a boxer.”

“I don’t know,” Garrett began, “I see you as more of a chihuahua kinda dude.”

Cal snickered as laughter filled his ear from Solace and Garrett while he set up a telescopic parabolic microphone and adjusted the sights to focus in on his target.

Solace sobered enough to say, “French poodle… Aw, piss. I’m getting looks again.”

Cal zoomed in on Solace. She wasn’t far behind the group of girls and was most definitely getting a few strange looks. He adjusted the sound to compensate for the level of noise and music. “Speak into your cup,” he told her, grinning.

“I—”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Garrett said, interrupting her. “They probably figure you’re some drunk cougar looking to score.”

“I amnotold enough to be a cougar.” From his perch, Cal could see the grin on Solace’s face, even though her words were slightly heated.

Declan chuckled. “Think about it. There’s gotta be some underage guys there—eighteen…nineteen.”

“I’d say that’d put her in cougar territory,” Garrett added with a snicker.

“Come on, folks,” Cal said. “Focus.” He pulled his attention back to Haven while Solace groused about idiot teammates. “Garrett, cut everyone’s voices down by about a third for my ear comm.”

“How’s that,” he said—the volume much lower—while Destiny’s voice came at him. “Let’s stand over there.”

“Better.”

Declan and Garret continued to rib Solace, who couldn’t say much—something he was sure they would pay for later—but it wasn’t loud enough to get jumbled with the voices he needed to hear.

He smiled as Destiny grabbed Hope’s hand, while Hope took Haven’s, and Destiny’s tiny form pushed through the crowd to one of several patio heaters.

He blocked out the yammering starting up in his ear again—mainly between Declan and Garrett—and watched and listened while the three girls stood drinking and chatting. He relaxed his shoulders and let out a relieved sigh, having Haven once more in his, and, of course, his team’s, sights.

“Haven.”

Cal scanned across the patio to see a massive guy in a football jersey pushing his way through the crowd toward her.

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