On the first stakeout with Angelo Herrera, it was silent. Not that it was a big surprise, to be sitting silently in a car with a mute man, but he hadn't even sent Dante a text. Just got in the car and stared at the warehouse in the middle of the cold night without so much as a noise, and it made Dante wildly uncomfortable. Didn't even look at him, just sat there like a statue.
So he tried to start a conversation.
"So, uh," He said. "How was your day?"
No response.
"Um…" Dante hummed after a moment. "Well, mine was boring. Nothing of interest, or note, just… pretty chill, I guess."
Nothing.
He forced a laugh. "You know, it's okay to say something. Doesn't have to be a monologue – I'll take, like, a grunt."
Silence.
"Nothing?" He prodded. "Not even waving at me in sign language?"
Angelo blinked – didn't look at him, just blinked.
"Wow," Dante chuckled. "You are committed to this brooding act. Are you always like this, or am I just one lucky sonova bitch?"
He tried to offer a grin, but Angelo just continued to stare out the window. Dante sighed, leaning back in his driver's seat and staring at the warehouse now. He wasn't going to try and force conversation if Angelo didn't want to talk – if he wanted to sit in uncomfortable, awkward silence, then that was fine with him… but it wasn't, really. Dante was a talkative person, he hated being in a room with someone who wouldn't speak.
Meanwhile, the real reason Angelo wouldn't talk, was because he was also wildly uncomfortable. How was your day? He had never heard those words spill out of anyone's mouth before, what the hells was he supposed to say? Small talk? Who the fuck did that? He considered grunting at him, but using his voice on purpose made him want to squirm in his seat. Then he just fell completely silent after falling into a pit of oh my gods I almost talked to someone.
Now he sat here, dead silent, trying to calm himself down. On the outside, he looked like any other normal person just staring at something. A statue, according to Dante. What was really happening was that he was having a panic attack. After he managed to calm himself down, he took a deep breath through his nose and pulled out his phone, typing away before Dante's phone beeped. He looked at it and read the text there.
Angel:
You breathe too loud
Angel had been the nickname Dante decided to put in his phone for Angelo, as for the fact he couldn't use his real name, and Angel was the perfect way to remember who he was. When he saw the text, he let out a little huff with a confused smile, then a full laugh.
"Not even just a hello?" Dante mused.
Angelo didn't laugh, or even smile, but he gave a bit of a smirk. That was enough for him.
"You can make jokes," He said. "Noted."
They went back to watching the warehouse, waiting in silence – except this time, it wasn't so uncomfortable for the both of them. Their quiet was as nice as a cozy bar with cigarette smoke for Dante, or a window sill with rain for Angelo. It wasn't half bad, for two people who barely knew each other.
After maybe another hour, there was a flash from headlights. A van pulled down the street past them, and Dante reached out, trying to get Angelo to duck with him – but he was already ducking. Once the car passed, they both sat back up, glancing at each other briefly before looking back at the car that was now in the warehouse parking lot.
About five minutes passed before people started getting out of the vehicle – four of them, by the looks of it. They opened the back of the small moving van and started pulling out heavy boxes, carrying them into the warehouse. Dante grit his teeth, terrible images in his head, wondering if there were more people in them. His phone beeped, and he looked down to see a text message from Angelo.
Angel:
Don't worry.
They're guns this time
Not people
Dante decided it best to answer back through the same text messages, to keep quiet so they would have less of a chance getting caught. Angelo didn't really know what to name Dante in his phone, and for some reason, he felt obligated to give him some type of name instead of just a random number. That would be suspicious if anyone ever found his phone unoccupied. So unsure what else to name him… he put him down underneath Dingle.
Dingle:
Should I call it in or do you think we can handle it by ourselves?
If there's no hostages, it'll be a lot easier
But you'll have to leave before I call it in.
Angel:
Guns are more common for us so it's not like they'll suspect anything to go wrong...
But still, I'd rather you call it in.
I don't want you to get hurt.
Dingle:
Awe, are you worried about me? :)
Angel:
Am I worried about my only way to get these people to pay for what they've done will get captured, tortured, and killed? Yes.
Dingle:
Oh haha XD
Angelo felt like he wasn't completely understood for that joke, but he also didn't know how to correct it. He didn't want Dante to think all he was to him was a tool, but at the same time, he absolutely could not find himself caring. If he cared, things would go downhill…
So he put down his phone and grabbed the binoculars, peering into them. He hoped he wouldn't find anyone familiar, but at the same, he didn't really care if he did. As he spied over each face, he knew every single one of them was a piece of trash that only did this for their own benefit. David, Astra, Max, Jose… Jose?
His binoculars swept back over the faces, and he landed on Jose. Feeling his throat tighten, Angelo stared at him for a moment longer, watching him. He prayed he would leave, walk away, get in one of the vehicles and drive off, but he didn't. He walked into the building with everyone else, and as he lowered the binoculars, his heart sank.
"What's wrong?" Dante asked.
He apparently could read the look on Angelo's face, but he wasn't surprised. Dante was a detective, his job was to tell if people were lying or not, so of course he knew facial expressions well – even if Angelo was really good at hiding them. He grabbed his phone and began typing.
Angel:
One of my friends is in there.
Dingle:
Is it Jose?
Angel:
How do you know Jose?
Dingle:
He's one of the people I talked to trying to track you down.
Angel:
right…
but yeah, he's in there
Dingle:
is he part of the mafia?
Angel:
yes
Dingle:
we have to get him out, then.
Any ideas?
Angel:
I can go in
Dingle:
Not alone, you aren't
Angel:
Are you crazy?
It's too dangerous for you
Dingle:
I'm not letting you do this alone anymore, Angelo
Angelo wanted to curse, hating how strange that made him feel. Not letting him do his alone? What did that mean? He knew the implication was that he wasn't going to do this by himself anymore, but he kept overthinking about what it really meant. Having a manipulative woman as a girlfriend tended to make someone overthink every little thing.
Angel:
fine. But keep close.
With that message sent, he quickly got out of the car, putting up his hood immediately. Dante had been looking at the message, but he quickly followed after without hesitation.
Once they were outside, Angelo waited for Dante to catch up before entering through the back door of the warehouse. As they did, Jose and the other three people entered through the front, and Angelo waved Dante behind a stack of pallets.
As they hid, the four people began to talk, but Angelo didn't let them get too far. They waited just long enough for it seem like Angelo was stalling before he turned to Dante. He motioned for Dante to stay put with a firm glare and point to the ground, and then he stepped out into the open.
The people around immediately shot to attention, though at first they were very concerned when a random person stepped out of a warehouse that was supposed to be empty. Hands were on guns before Angelo lowered his hood, and looked at each of them with a deadly glare. They quickly removed their hands, and Jose squinted at him in curiosity and confusion.
What are you doing just standing around? Angelo signed – three out of four of them knew sign language, as far as he was aware. You have weapons to be organising, ammo to be filling. And you, He turned to Jose sharply, who blinked. You're supposed to be back at the Estate. We had a meeting, and you flaked.
Jose stared at him for such a long time that Dante, who didn't know sign language, was worried he had just insulted him and his mother. He stayed behind the pallets, and Jose barely glanced past towards him before cracking a smirk and scoffing.
"Right," He said. "Don called me in last minute. Forgot to tell ya. Is it important?"
Yes, it is. Angelo signed.
Jose took a breath, and nodded. "Right. Well, I'll be going, then. You three stay outta trouble, got it?"
He glared back at the trio of individuals and they nodded, looking confused. Dante had already split, seeing that it was going well and that Angelo didn't need help handling this. Jose sidled up next to Angelo, and he led the way out of the warehouse while Jose whispered in his ear.
"What damn stray kitten did you find this time?" He mumbled.
Angelo signed quickly. Actually, it's a puppy.
The other three laughed, but as soon as Angelo and Jose shot them a glare simultaneously, they shut their mouths in an instant. Angelo kept leading him outside, and when they got to the sidewalk, Dante appeared from an alley when Angelo waved his hand. He looked between them, then smiled sheepishly at Jose, who crossed his arms.
"This the puppy?" He mused.
Dante blinked. "What?"
Angelo slapped Jose's arm angrily, glaring at him, but Jose just laughed lightly. "Alright, what are you two up to?"
I'm doing what you told me to do, Angelo signed, stepping up. I'm doing it right.
Dante blinked. "What did he say?"
Jose glared at him, then Angelo. "You got yourself a dog that doesn't even know sign language?" Angelo shrugged, and Jose scoffed. "Well, you better get to teaching him. Anyway, what's the plan?"
"I already called in backup," Dante said. "They'll be here in five minutes, but you two need to go before they get here."
Jose nodded. "Right. Well then, let's take a walk."
Angelo paused as Jose started to walk away, who stopped maybe a few yards past them and looked back, his hands in his pockets. The fire-starter looked at the detective, as if concerned, and Dante could read his expression loud and clear. He smiled, stepping towards him carefully.
"I'll be fine," He said. "You two get out of here, or you'll be in more danger than me."
Angelo continued to hesitate, and Dante sighed. "Look, I'll text you when they get here, okay? Should only be five minutes. You can leave me unattended for five minutes. I won't go near them, promise."
Promise. Angelo hated promises, mostly because to him, it meant that they had to be kept. It wasn't just something silly that people said to him – if they said it, he would hold them to their word. However, he glanced away, back at the warehouse. Nobody was outside, just the three of them: the fire ferret, the golden retriever, and the honey badger.
So Angelo did the only thing he could do – he nodded, and he walked away. But for once, he wished that he didn't have to walk away.