Shadow Men – 27 – Rafe and Steele

"He certainly doesn't live poor," Rafe commented as he and Steele observed their contact's house from their vantage point across the street at the edge of Lincoln Park.

"No shit. And this is just his home away from home. The question now becomes how we get to him."

"Walk up and ring the bell?"

"Get serious, Rafe."

"I am." Rafe pointed to a delivery van that had just pulled into the driveway behind the three-story brick and stone house. "Let's see what the procedure is."

The driver and his assistant got out and went to the rear of the van. From where they stood, the partners could see them take something out before the driver went to what was obviously the service entrance and rang the bell. The door opened, the driver said something to whoever stood there and then went back to the van. Moments later he and the assistant reappeared carrying a large trunk.

"There's something…" Steele muttered as he took the binoculars out of the backpack and focused them in. "Take a look at the dark-haired man." He handed the binoculars to Rafe.

Rafe did and frowned. "One of the Colonel's boys. I don't recognize the other one though."

"If one of them belongs to the Colonel you can bet the other one does too."

By then the two men had disappeared into the house.

"I knew we should have rented a damned car," Rafe growled.

"Why rent when we can borrow. Wait here and pray they're in there for a few minutes." Steele crossed the street and walked down half a block as he visually checked the parked cars. He stopped by one whose windows were down, went around to the driver's side, and opened the door. "Thank God for fools and over-trusting people," he said under his breath as he expertly started the car, even though he had no key. Now he hoped whoever it belonged to was oblivious to what was happening as he pulled out of the parking space.

Two minutes later he drove into an empty space a car-length down from where Rafe stood half-hidden beside a large tree. Rafe gave him a quick thumbs-up then looked back at the driveway.

As the van's driver and his assistant came out of the house Rafe stepped out of view, a deep frown on his face. They had the same trunk they'd taken in a few minutes earlier, only now it appeared to be heavier from the way they were carrying it. As soon as the men were behind the van Rafe hurried to the car Steele had 'borrowed' and slid into the passenger seat.

"Something screwy's going on," he told Steele and explained why he thought so.

At that point the van pulled out onto the street. Unfortunately it turned in the opposite direction from the way the car faced. Steele muttered angrily under his breath as he looked for a break in traffic while Rafe turned to keep an eye on the van. Finally Steele was able to get out of the parking space and hang a turn into oncoming traffic. The van was now two blocks ahead of them, its top just visible over the intervening cars.

Steele made it through the light just as it turned yellow and veered around a slow-moving car. Now they were only a block and a half behind the van and that was as close as Steele was willing to get, as long as it stayed in sight. Tailing with only one car was far from the best option but they had no choice at the moment.

"Where the hell are they headed?" Steele asked a minute later as the van took a fast left onto Fullerton.

"Best guess," Rafe replied as he saw the van move into the right hand lane, "on to the Kennedy and if they're planning on going any distance then on to the Dan Ryan heading south."

Steele checked the gas gauge. "At least whoever owns this car keeps the tank filled."

"A break in our favor, for once." Rafe watched the van merge onto the Kennedy and move into the left-hand lane.