002 - Steve Harrington

The Case Of The Missing Lifeguard

**

Danielle's POV

"Have a great rest of your day Dani." Crystal, my coworker tells me as I clock out.

"Thanks, Crystal. You too." I say as I grab my bag and head over to Scoops.

"Hey, Robin." I say as I enter the back door. 

"Hey." She responds, sitting on the counter. "The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west." She reads off of the notepad in her hand. "A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly." She finishes and takes a sip of her drink.

"Any ideas?" I ask taking a seat at the table.

"Possibly." She says and picks up the translation book. "Tread lightly." She repeats and begins to thumb through the book. 

Shortly after, the sound of knocking fills the room. Someone is knocking at the back door and Robin gets up to answer. It's just the delivery guy.

"Delivery for you." He says and hands her a box.

"Thank you." She responds, taking the package from him and setting it on the table. 

I stand up and join her at the door as she fills out the order slip. I glance at his uniform, noticing the word "Lynx" is in big red letters. I side glance Robin to see if she noticed and guessing by the distinct look on her face, she did.

"Have a nice day, ladies." He says to us after Robin hands the clipboard back to him.

"You too." We say. 

We give the delivery man enough time to walk down the hallway, before we watch after him. Robin pulls me into the hallway with her. On the back of his uniform is a picture of a Lynx and under it says "Lynx Transportation." The picture of the Lynx is in a silver print.

"Silver cat." Robin and I state, not taking our eyes off of the uniform.

"Silver cat." We repeat as we smile at each other. 

Robin quickly grabs my hand and pulls me back into Scoops. Running and pulling me along, she quickly grabs the notepad and we head out to the main floor of the mall.

"You guys aren't gonna believe who Dustin thought was a Russian." Steve says as he and Dustin enter Scoops Ahoy. 

"You did too." Dustin says back to Steve.

"No, I did not." 

Robin and I race past them, ignoring them as we run to the middle of the court. We jump up on the edge of the giant plant bed and Robin begins to read the code as we scan the mall.

"A trip to China sounds nice." She says as we look around.

"A trip to China sounds nice." I nudge Robin and point out Imperial Panda. 

"Yes!" Robin says and looks back down at the notepad. "If you tread lightly."

"If you tread..." We repeat to ourselves as we look around the mall again. 

"If you tread lightly." We say simultaneously as we point out Kaufman Shoes.

"When- When blue and yellow meet in the west." Robin says scanning the room and immediately looking up at the giant clock on the wall. The hands are blue and yellow. 

"When blue meets yellow... in the west." I smile once I spot the clock.

"Guys." Steve says as he and Dustin walk up to us. "What are you doing?"

"We cracked it." I smile at my boyfriend.

"Cracked what?"

Robin jumps down from the plant bed, "We cracked the code." 

**

The mall is now closed and Dustin, Robin, Steve and I are on the roof scoping out the loading dock. In the pouring rain might I add.

"Look for Imperial Panda and Kaufman Shoes." Robin yells over the rain. 

"They're with that whistling guy, ten o'clock." Dustin points out and we look in that direction.

The guy is wearing a yellow raincoat and is pulling a dolly of Imperial Panda boxes.

"What do you think is in there?" Steve asks over the rain.

"Guns, bombs?" Dustin guesses.

"Chemical weapons." Robin guesses.

"Whatever it is, they're armed to the teeth."

"Great." Steve says sarcastically as he wipes his eyes. "That's great."

Suddenly, the doors open and the yellow rain coat guy goes inside with the boxes. 

"What's in there?" I shout over to Dustin, hoping he can get a look.

"It's just more boxes." 

"Let me check it out." Steve says, trying to grab the binoculars from Dustin.

"No, I'm still looking." Dustin says fighting over the binoculars. 

"Let me see." Steve argues.

"Hang on!" Dustin says and then drop the binoculars.

They fall onto a dumpster, causing a loud thud. The guards reach for their weapons and quickly duck down, Steve grabs a hold of my hand tightly. My heart races as thunder continues to roar.

"Stay here. Watch the door." I hear one of the Russian guards shout. 

"Guys, we gotta move." I say letting go of Steve's hand and running back to the rooftop door. "Now!" I shout, noticing no one following me. 

Dustin, Robin, and Steve scurry to their feet and run inside after me. We run down the first flight of stairs. "Here!" I shout opening the door to the second floor of the mall. Steve, Dustin, and Robin quickly go inside, and I follow. I quickly and quietly shut the door behind us. They hide away from the door, lined up against the wall, as I duck down, barely escaping the Russian's glance as he passes the second floor exit. 

"I think we found your Russians." Robin whispers.