18. teamwork

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Brock had a quick dinner and then headed back to the station for the remaining SUV

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Brock had a quick dinner and then headed back to the station for the remaining SUV. He was starting the engine when he got Russell's text, "swing by room 303". So after finishing his check-in and getting his key to room 304, Brock looked for Russell's room to see what he wanted, hoping it wouldn't take long. At that moment, he only wanted a quiet while. Call Viv, take a shower, check those reports, go to sleep.

Quiet. Sure. With the punks at the next rooms. He heard them right out of the elevator. He sighed and just followed the voices, knowing the source couldn't be but room 303.

"Hey, careful with my chick!" That was Schwarz.

"And careful with my clothes." Gillian.

"Oh, man, can I send a picture of this to Laura?" Miles giggled like a teen, and Russell laughed with her.

"Do it and be sure to cross the pond." Bellison sounded like doing some kind of effort. "Dude, this is impossible!"

"No, no, keep pulling her hair and grab her wrist," said Gillian then.

"Let me try." Morris. They were all there.

Brock sighed again, so not in the mood for another fix of their picnic spirit. He knocked and the door got open. Brock scowled at seeing the scene from the doorway.

Russell, Aldana and Gillian stood near the table, where Ron bent over two pillows stuffed into women clothes. Hank and Fred were a couple of steps away, also watching the table. All of them were having beer, reports and pictures from the files spread over one of the beds.

Then Gillian said, "See? A rope would've saved him all this trouble, but he needs to do it all with his own hands."

Hank came closer to see a picture in Aldana's hand when Russell spotted Brock, briefcase and duffel in one hand, room key in the other and a notorious questioning scowl shadowing his eyes.

"Brock! C'mon in, man! We may have something here."

"What are you doing?" he asked, stepping in slowly.

Ron straightened up with a heartfelt huff and patted the dressed pillows. Gillian just happened to notice she was out of beer and crossed the room to the minibar, at the furthest corner, to grab another can and stay there. But none of the others seemed bothered about Brock showing up like that.

"We're going over the subject's routine," replied Hank.

"He's gotta be at least as tall as me, but way fitter," said Ron.

Aldana handed Brock a picture. "All the marks and bruises on the victims were caused by him subduing them only out of his own physical strength."

"He might be suffering a masculine-identity crisis, Brock."

Russell's words caught Brock's attention. That was some speculation, with only a day on the case.

Ron started to elaborate for him. "We know he picks his victims online, right? So he's not very socially skilled."

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