Critical Failures III (Caverns and Creatures Book 3) by Robert Bevan

said Julian. “Pull in here.”
    Randy pulled into the parking lot across the street from the comic book store. Julian checked the side mirror. Stacy was pulling in right behind them. Perfect.
    “Nice job, Randy. Wait here.” Julian opened the door and stepped out of the van. He walked around to the back and was smacked in the face by a rear door. “Ow!”
    “Sorry!” said Dennis, running from the van like a bat out of hell.
    “No, it’s okay,” said Julian. “I should have… Hey, wait!” He looked at Stacy’s car. She was shaking Tim. He must have fallen asleep. He looked in the back of the van. Everyone had fallen asleep.
    “Shit.” Options were popping like soap bubbles as he considered his next move. “Ravenus!”
    Ravenus hopped from the dashboard to the window. “Sir?”
    “Follow Dennis. Don’t let him out of your sight.”
    Ravenus flew off after the fleeing cop. There was only one thing to do. Only Cooper would be fast enough to catch him.
    Julian climbed into the van and shook Cooper’s arm. “Wake up!”
    “Huh? Wha?” said Cooper, clenching his fist and cocking back his arm. He elbowed Dave in the face. “Oh, it’s just you. What’s –”
    “Cooper!” cried Julian, trying hard to maintain an inside voice. “Dennis is getting away!”
    “Who the fuck is Dennis?”
    “The cop!”
    “Oh,” said Cooper. “Shit.”
    “What are you waiting for?” asked Julian. “Go get him!”
    “But I –”
    “Hurry!”
    Dennis had a two block lead on Cooper when he made a hard right around the side of a post office, but Cooper had a nice gap in traffic and a set of eyes in the sky. He would be on top of Dennis in a matter of seconds. And by some miracle, there was no one around quite close enough to see him for what he really was.
    “What the hell is going on?” asked Tim, groggily.
    “Dennis made a break for it,” said Julian. “I sent Cooper after him.”
    Tim was suddenly wide awake. “You did what ?”
    “Also, you were right about Mordred. His car’s right there in the parking lot.” Julian pointed across the street.
    Tim glanced in the direction Cooper and Dennis had run off in, but quickly turned his attention to Mordred’s car. “I need to borrow your phone.”
    “Sure thing,” said Julian, handing Tim his phone.
    Tim bolted across the street toward the comic shop parking lot. He stealthily made his way from one parked car to another. If Julian hadn’t been keeping a close eye on his movements, he probably would have lost him. He paused briefly behind an SUV parked next to Mordred’s car, looked this way and that, and then made his move. He tossed Julian’s phone through the busted rear windshield. That was rude.
    Julian turned around. Cooper was running back with a protesting Dennis slung over his shoulder. He wasn’t so lucky crossing the street this time. A black Dodge pick-up screeched to a halt not soon enough to avoid him. It’s hard to say which would have taken more damage – probably Dennis – but Cooper jumped straight up in the air, coming down hard on the truck’s hood.
    “Why don’t you watch where the fuck you’re going?” said the driver as he opened the door. He was a large man with a goatee and mirrored sunglasses. The top of his head was covered with a bald eagle bandana, and a luxurious golden mullet spilled out the back. He wore jean shorts and a black, sleeveless T-shirt. “You dented my truck. I oughtta bust your –” He got a good look at Cooper. “Holy fucking shit!” He scrambled back into his truck, and Cooper continued on his way.
    Julian looked for Tim. He was nowhere to be seen. Probably sneaking around parked cars on his way back. Why did he even bother? Must be a rogue thing.
    “No, I didn’t hit him exactly. He just jumped on the hood of my truck.”
    Shit. The redneck was on the phone with the police. Far away as he was, Julian’s ears were sensitive enough to pick up his end of the conversation. “Cooper!” Julian