It'd been three days since the fiasco in the woods. Gary could feel a layer of sweat sticking to his skin. His hair was clumped together, held by the gunk of the Alaskan River. The clothes he'd stolen from a suitcase left outside an airport restroom stall fit a little too small. After two days of surveillance in his non-air-conditioned van, he was forced to lather himself in deodorant to cover his musk. Being the best always came with a cost, and sometimes that cost included being a disgusting individual.
The first day he'd staked out Michael's home a full twenty-two hours with a two-hour nap in the middle. Michael's car was there, but he wasn't. He'd even used his key to check Michael’s apartment just in case only to find it empty.
The second day he'd spent hiding in the Bissett's home. Such a roomy place for a family of three. He humored the thought that there could've been another person hiding in some other closet at the same time as he was. A homeless man that slept during the day and ate the family's leftovers at night. After a day of surveillance, there was only one more location to go.
He pushed the closet door open just a sliver so he could make sure the entrance to the unused bedroom was still closed. It was. He scanned the floor to see the sneaker he'd placed behind the closed door was still in its place. It was. He didn't think he'd dozed off but had put it there as a precaution to let him know if someone had entered the room since he'd entered the closet. Twenty four hours in the closet, and no one had come in.
Gary listened intently to the Bluetooth earbud. Victor's voice was crisp and clear as he talked to his wife. If Gary could hear them, it meant they were in the living room. Katiella had left a few minutes earlier to go to some yoga class.
It was clear they weren't waiting or expecting Michael. The only activity in the house happened the evening before when they'd had a few workers over to install a new doorbell. Other than that, the place had been entirely peaceful.
He pushed the closet door open slowly. Even if the door hadn't been opened, he was trained to assume someone was always in the room. It was empty. He walked quickly to the window and slid it open. He still found it odd that people never turned on their alarms when they were awake at home. As if they could monitor all of the entry points on their own. He pulled himself out the window one leg at a time and climbed down the ivy wall. It was as if the Bissett's wanted someone to break into their home.
He walked around to the front of the house and knocked on the door. He could hear Victor's voice through the earpiece. "A new doorbell and they decide to knock!" the footsteps became distant on the earbud, and louder in real life up until the door swung open. Victor looked him up and down in disgust.
"How did you get in this neighborhood?" I don't have any cash on me right now." He said, taking a quick glance past the filthy man to admire his new doorbell.
"I was with the crew yesterday. I believe I left my phone in your house."
Victor looked at him once again, deciding if the man would cause him to need an exterminator later. A few questions and several complaints about his overwhelming smell later, Victor allowed Gary into the house where he quickly rushed to the living room planter and pulled the phone from behind the vase. He left as fast as he could before Victor could ask any questions.
Back on the freeway, there was just one place left to monitor. He knew Michael might have been with The Company, but if that were the case, he'd get a call for help on another job. Eventually, Michael would have to return to one of these locations. But until he received a call, Gary would have to keep looking.