𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐒 ━ 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐆𝐘𝐕𝐄𝐑

028. you wouldn't like me when i'm enojado

"No, it's...I'm sorry. It's not your fault, okay?"

"Nobody saw anything out of the ordinary?" I cross my arms and lock eyes with a blonde boy talking to an officer.

"Uh, Tommy thought he heard noises late last night." Janese steps away.

"Carrying a flat-screen down a fire escape—that can't be easy." Evan remarks.

"Other than the TV and coffee table, what else is missing, Jack?" Bozer asks.

"Well, they took my Telly Savalas painting, which had cultural significance." Jack points to the wall where the painting was. "Took all my books."

"Yeah, books, sure." I nod and the others chuckle.

"Yes, Lina, my books. I read."

"The Berenstein Bears don't count, Jack." I shove my hands in my jean pockets and Bozer laughs loudly with the others.

"Hey, I thought I told you to be quiet."

"Come again?" I tilt my head.

"Nothing. Uh, anyway." Jack clears his throat. "My CDs. I had so many CDs."

"Can we go back to the Telly Savalas...?" Riley scratches her neck.

"Later." I nod and she chuckles.

"And my cigar box." Jack hits his armoire. "No, they took my cigar box."

"Mister Dalton?" An officer heads over. "Got a list of items I'd like to talk to you about."

"My stolen stuff? Yeah."

"Actually, no. We're gonna get to those items in a minute. There's some other stuff that's still in the apartment that kind of caught our attention. Come here for a sec? You own a samurai sword?"

"It's called a katana. And y-yes. I got it on a trip to Japan. A business trip."

"And a two-handed broadsword."

"It's, uh...it's another business trip to Scotland. Big Braveheart fan."

"And there's also a World War II-era Russian sniper rifle we found in your closet. Those claymore mines stashed under your bed?" The officer goes on.

"They're replicas. They're not even real." Jack shakes his head. "You know, I'm the victim here. Instead of listing all the stuff I still have, why don't we focus on what I don't."

"Jack. Jack." Riley heads over. "It sucks. I know. But I-let's look at the big picture here. Alright? It's just stuff."

"Yeah. I know, Riley. It's just stuff. It doesn't matter except for one thing." He holds up a finger

"The cigar box." Bozer realizes.

"Yeah." Jack turns back to the armoire.

"What was in the box?" Mac wonders.

"I'd rather not say." He steps away and our phones go off.

"Matty needs us." I look at my screen. "I'll just tell her you got some things going on."

"Yeah? No. No, Lina, it's fine. All my stuff's long gone by now. What does it matter? Let's just go save the world again."

"I'm so sorry, buddy." Mac pats his shoulder and we head to the door.

   •❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

"Three months ago, a corruption scandal forced the president of Ecuador to resign." Matty pulls up the video on the screen and I cross my arms. "The very next day, Colonel Diego Zarate marched 4,000 troops into the capital and declared martial law."