“Good news,” Simone said.
“How many spare keys are out there?” Teddy continued.
“My brother has one.”
“What about a cleaning service?”
“No.”
“Any hidden outside?”
“No. Just the one with Gary.”
“Okay, so we’re going to clear the interior,” Teddy said. “Lulu, I sent you a link for live feed.”
Luciano clicked on the link and Simone’s house came into view.
“Since we cleared the exterior, we were able to remove the hinges, so we didn’t blow your door,” Teddy continued. “We checked ducts that opened to the outside, like the dryer. All clear.”
“You’re very thorough,” Simone said.
Teddy chuffed out a laugh. “Yeah, well, we got no room for error.”
She and Luciano watched as Hawk piloted a robot that walked on two legs. “Mr. Metal has cameras for eyeballs,” Teddy explained. “We’re showing you live feed on the front-facing camera, but there’re back-facing cams too.”
Hawk guided the robot into the foyer.
“I’m looking for an obvious package or stacks of dynamite,” Hawk said as he piloted the robot into the living room. “But I’ve also gotta confirm nothing has been hidden. Again, I’m not sure how the bomber would do that since he never breached your home.”
“Sounds like a power move,” Luciano said.
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Hawk agreed.
Everyone grew silent as Hawk maneuvered the robot from room to room, opening every cupboard, every closet. As the minutes ticked by, Simone was overcome with gratitude for their commitment to her safety.
In her bedroom, Teddy asked, “Anything disturbed?”
Through the eyes of the robot, Simone viewed her bedroom. “Nothing.”
“Mr. Metal has been programmed to detect subtle changes in a room,” Hawk explained. “If an explosive was set to blow, the computer could sense it.”
Two hours later, Hawk and Teddy finished their extensive search.
“The asshole who did this might be watching,” Teddy said. “You know, getting his rocks off from all the attention. I’ve got two of my guys combing the neighborhood for him.”
“Teddy, Hawk, thank you,” she said. “Do you bill me or do I pay you now?”
“Hawk, I got you,” Luciano said.
“No charge,” Hawk pushed back. “You’re ALPHA, so you’re family.”
Tears pricked Simone’s eyes, but she shoved down the emotion. “Thank you so much for having my back.”
“We’re gonna shut things down, then I gotta tell your neighbors everything’s okay,” Teddy said “A bunch of ‘em have been watching this shit go down.”
“Did you see anything on my surveillance cams?” Simone asked.
“Just the man in black,” Teddy said. “I’ll let you know if that changes.”