"Surround the perimeter," she growls, her voice all serious and no play. "Quickly," she adds, the specification unnecessary as she's already made perfectly clear what was at stake. Everything was at stake. Everything and then some because the little she had he'd taken away without a second thought. The burning in her chest was soothed only slightly by the opportunity she now had to take him.

Her fingers twitch once, twice- a gesture so slight it would have gone unnoticed had no one been specifically waiting for it. In absolute silence her men move forward, predators who have waited all too long for this prey.

She exhales. Slowly. It takes mere moments for shouts and an exclamation of surprise to pierce the silence and only a few moments more for silence to fall again. They have him. The thought plays over and over in her head like a cry a victory. They have him. They have him. They have him.

She has him.

She'll be damned if she doesn't make him pay.
*****

"Mike? Mikey?"

There is no real conviction behind Chuck's words as he draws the syllables out, the blonde uncharacteristically calm as he shuffles around the garage. He's taking care to avoid all the stray components and spare ingredients scattered here and there, difficult as it may be with the Burners' talents for collecting 'junk.' Still, it makes Chuck smile a bit. There are traces of everyone about the place. Dutch's canvases, Texas's random scrawlings, Jacob's mayonnaise muffins- it makes the place feel like home.

It usually felt more like home with all of the Burners. Seriously, where was Mike.

"Mike? Buddy?"

"He went out for more parts about twenty minutes ago."

Chuck shrieks, his long limbs flailing about in every odd direction as he instinctively attempts to shield his body from whatever danger had just snuck up on him. Incoherent stammers follow as he peers through his gangly mess of arms only to find Julie before him with her own arms raised, palms forward and fingers splayed, in attempt to prevent an unceremonious punch to the face.

"Woah, didn't mean to catch you off guard there Chuck!" she grins, her tone light. "Just thought you'd like to know your search would be for naught."

Chuck's face flushes, his voice high with protest. "You- you didn't catch me off guard, I was just… ah I was, um nevermind. Thanks." The fight is all gone from his voice by the time he finishes, a sheepish grin finding its way onto his face instead.

"What do you need Mike for anyways?"

"Mutt's beacon was acting funny. I was gonna give her a check-up."

"Sounds like something he should have waited around for, huh?"

"Well, you know Mike."

Julie is all laughs at the sentiment and Chuck grins ear to ear and everything seems right with the world for a moment. Texas bursts onto the scene seconds later shouting about his stomach and how he needs some fuel ASAP so of course they grab Dutch and head to Antonio's for a bite to eat. Julie notes that Mike will know to meet them there when he gets back to HQ. When he never shows they get him something to go and simply figure the parts he is looking for are a little more scarce than they thought.

But then morning arrives and Mike Chilton does not.

Chuck has tried everything. He can't locate Mutt because of the broken beacon. He can't call Mike because he's gotten static every time he's tried. He can't even look for his best friend himself because he doesn't know how to drive. The lump growing in his throat was becoming almost impossible to deal with.

"Chuck? CHUCK!"

Dutch's voice streams in from his avatar, snapping Chuck back into focus.

"We found Mutt!"

Honestly, Chuck wouldn't have been surprised if the citizens of Deluxe had heard the sigh he just loose. "That's great! I mean, that's-"

"Just Mutt."

There was that lump again.