Hours later.

Lieutenant Wong ended up in the police infirmary.

Fortunately, he wasn’t the one that needed stitches or bandages wrapped around their arms and head. So, he was free to stare at Captain Ford, who had stitches and bandages wrapped around his head by the station nurse.

The captain and his clothing all drenched, water dripping from his hair and clouds of soap bubbles popping across his shoulders and ear rims.

Lt. Wong stared with a sigh. He sneaked a hand to a cupboard and offered it to the captain with a “Lollipop?”

Ford glared, exhausted, and shoved the candy away from his face. “He’s alive, don’t worry.”

“Well at least I can focus on writing up a workplace injury form.” Lt. Wong waited for the nurse to finish before he pulled up a stool on wheels to sit down. He did a little side to side roll, his heels pushing him around, and stared at the floor. “King tried to call you.”

Ford plucked his phone out of his pocket and tossed the smashed device onto the table.

“Empty.” Lt. Wong spoke up. “Apartment, hotel. Not a soul.”

“Well, at least we got their gear.” Ford sighed, rubbing his face but wince at the stitches. “C.I.B. mentioned they weren’t carrying any large bags to suggest rifles and explosives so—”

“No weapons.” Lt. Wong responded with a dry voice. “Even the hotel is clean enough for the next person.”

“Wait. How?” Ford turned, in time for Lt. Wong to hold out his own phone and show him a video clip on the screen.

It was a recorded feed from hotel room 501.

A man walked in, tucking the hotel key card back into his pocket. He adjusted the bell boy uniform that was a size too large, edges of a bright-neon clothing poking out from the collar and under the bottom, mismatching jean pants with sneakers. With an awkward stride, he tried to drag in a hotel luggage trolley, but the golden bars on the top got stuck at the door frame. So he ended up using it as a makeshift door wedge.

One by one, he loaded the bags from the hotel onto the trolley. All of them. He even flipped up the skirt of the bed, to grab one more smaller bag and tossing it on the pile. He heaved with a strain, pushing the heavy trolley out, then the door closed, on his foot. A twitch and he yanked it out.

Lt. Wong lowered the clip, pursing his lips. “He works for Goldfield Gas Station.”

“We checked him out, clean record!”

“College student plus $500 tip equals—”

“God-da—” Ford threw his head and body down in a lurch, suppressing a yell. After a few deep breaths he sat up, chin on his fist – August Rodin The Thinker. “Mole. Guns. Explosives. A second hide out. From the beginning, this was all planned.”

Lt. Wong nodded, before he peeled off the wrapper to eat the lollipop himself. “Big Smoke has years of heist under his belt, but this is beyond his level of planning. Every time, there be some collateral damage before his plan is executed. Remember the hospital? Like father, like sons.”

“...C.I.B. mentioned Scorpion and Silver Tooth hugging back at Solar Bar.”

“I’ll call Interpol and check their connections. Most likely Silver Tooth had been counselling them, some how.”

Ring, ring, ring, ring.

Lt. Wong perked his eyebrow as he felt his phone shaking in his pocket. As he stood up to pick the call, he passed his half-eaten lollipop to Ford to hold. The captain just stared, shaking his head. Lt. Wong eyed the contact name, a curious hum. Click.

“Kim-Sang, Kroniichiwah.”

[Pfffft. I think you slurred there Cowboy.]

“I only know that word, take it or leave it.” Lt. Wong tried not to smirk and he lowered his tone. “Thanks for the tip. We got the mole. Just turned him over to Internal Affairs.”

[Never was my favorite part in the job back in the day.] Kim-Sang gave a deep sigh, before he continued. [I got another tip for you. Fresh from the oven.]

“Please, I have this craving for croissants.”

[Big Smoke arranged an exit.] Kim-Sang whispered [By sea. A ship is coming for them on Saturday.]

Lt. Wong walked over and picked up Ford’s arm, turning it about to check on the digital wrist watch. “...Good. Tuesday now before midnight hits, meaning we have time to prep.”

[Good luck. I’ll keep trying to follow the lead, but I feel the deeper I go the more dangerous is gonna be.]

“Bonus fee and all-you-can-eat buffet.”

[Now I feel incredibly motivated. See you at the buffet line. Hah!]

Lt. Wong heard Kim-Sang cackle before the line went dead. Just as he put his phone away, he saw Ford opening his arms in a WTF gesture.

“What? I really like your watch. Glows in the dark.”