Page 58 of Taurus's Quest
As they stepped onto the main floor, they met Libra, who was holding a gun.
“Geezus. What are you all doing here?” His surprise indicated Aries hadn’t given warning. “Is this about that message dropped off earlier?”
“Yes. We’re here to retrieve a hostage as well as an artifact,” Aries succinctly explained. “All available warriors will be needed, so gear up and get ready to move out. Everyone but me and Taurus is to leave as soon as possible and get into position.”
“I can’t go.” Libra shook his head.
“Can’t?” Aries arched a brow. “This isn’t optional.”
The firm reminder of his duty had Libra clenching his jaw. “My wife is bed-bound because of her pregnancy and can’t take care of our toddler once the nanny leaves at seven.”
“What time does the child go to bed?”
“Usually by eight, but my wife doesn’t sleep until nine, and if I leave before, she’ll question my absence.”
The reply tightened Aries’ jaw, but rather than tear into Libra, he offered a compromise. “Since the meeting isn’t until ten, you’ll be the one to shadow Taurus to the rendezvous point instead of me.”
While reluctant, Libra nodded. “That would work. What are we up against?”
“Possibly alien-infected humans holding an astronomer hostage in exchange for the schematics of a device that we believe can stop an imminent invasion.”
The explanation raised Libra’s brows. “What the hell’s been going on?”
“You’d know if you ever checked in,” Leo’s brusque reply, which brought a scowl to Libra’s face.
“I’ve been busy.”
“Not with Zodiac work, you haven’t.” A rebuke from the usually laid-back Capricorn. They’d all made the same commitment. A second chance at life in return for their service to humanity. To have one of the brothers suddenly balking put them all in jeopardy because they could no longer be sure if Libra would have their back.
“Now is not the time for that. Leo, Zora, and Capricorn, we need to get our tourist disguises on and move out. Taurus, see if you can spot anyone watching the front of the shop. The people who left the note are most likely spying. Libra, any way of peeking at the alley?”
“I’ve got a camera by the back door and access to the ones for the businesses flanking. I’ll take a look now for anything out of the ordinary.”
As Libra jumped on his phone, pulling up a surveillance app, and the others crowded the storage room to change, Taurus chose to boldly step outside. He leaned against the wall beside the shop’s main window and pretended to scroll his phone, but in reality, he spied. Wasn’t much to see. Very few people strolled the sidewalks, which made the guy slumped low in the car about three businesses up the street all the more noticeable.
Taurus headed back inside. “One dude watching out front in a light blue sedan.”
“And another in the alley,” Libra reported.
Aries leaning on the far end of the store counter, now dressed in athletic wear that included a ball cap and sunglasses, pursed his lips. “In that case, we’ll exit via the attic to the rooftop and head for the fire escape at the far end of the block.”
“You’ll have to go through my apartment to reach the hatch,” Libra noted.
“Yup.”
“How am I supposed to explain a bunch of strangers trooping through the place to my wife?”
Aries arched a brow. “Are you denying us access?” A not-so-subtle reminder of who actually owned the building.
“No,” Libra hastened to reply. “I’ll figure something out, but how are we supposed to get to the door of my apartment? It’s in plain view of the street.”
“I’ll handle that,” Taurus offered.
It turned out he didn’t need to cause a distraction, though, because, when he stepped outside, the car with its watch had left.
Spotting no one else taking their place allowed Aries, Zora, Leo, and Capricorn to head out in opposite directions, dressed as gaudy tourists to blend in.
Returning to the inside of the shop meant dealing with a troubled Libra.
