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I sit down on the curb on the opposite side of the building from Skull

“You want to tell me what this is about, officers?” Skull asks

“I’e “We have a warrant to search your storage shed You can make this easy or hard It’s up to you” He holds up a piece of paper

Skull scans it and nods

The other officers lead customers out and line them up on the sidewalk

My sto soet suited up like this for a search and seizure We’re not in theat soer-on Have we been betrayed froht no one wants to consider But it’s necessary Stone cleaned house thoroughly, after the Fuse incident, soelse

“Hate to break your heart, but you got soit business Feel free to look around my establishment But remember you break it…you buy it,” Skull states loudly

His voice carries, so he’s effectively kept me in the loop The ti as they destroy the storage shed A cardboard box hits the ground and russet potatoes roll across the blacktop It would be comical, if it wasn’t such a serious situation There was nothing to find here, but if we’d kept to our schedule, ould be screwed right now I know Skull has to be thinking the sa

Agent Brooks resurfaces with a scowl and fury lining every crease of his face His eyes are narrow and his chest is heaving He’s a time bomb ready to explode

I tense, wondering if I’e

“Uncuff them,” Brooks yells

My hands are freed I stand, rollback circulation They tingle like pins and needles in e

“We’ll be seeing you boys,” Brooks says

“The FBI is alelcome at this establishment They make us feel safe,” Skull says

I snicker