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Heath paced up and down the living room. "So when's the last time you heard from him?"
Brax rested his hands on hips. "Not since yesterday."
Kyle leaned forward on the kitchen chair.
"How can he just go off the radar?" Heath barked.
"I don't know, mate." Brax yelled back. "His phone's off, I can't get hold of him. It was meant to be a simple pick up and drop off."
"Well, something must have happened."
"Yeah, maybe."
Heath rested his hands on the back of the sofa and hung his head. "If something happened, Ada's gonna flip."
Brax glared at him. "Well, how about you keep your mouth shut! We don't know anything yet."
The door handle twisted open. Marco pushed open the door and stepped inside.
"Oi!" Brax shouted. "Well, where the hell have you been?"
Marco shut the door behind him and gulped. He glanced around the living room. "The buyer didn't show up." He muttered. "Something's wrong, Brax. The whole thing was dodgy."
"Do you think he got spooked?" Heath asked.
Ada walked into the corridor, from the garden.
"I dunno." Marco replied.
Ada's ears pricked at Marco's voice. She hesitated before stepping into the kitchen and hid behind the wall.
Heath frowned. "Well, why wouldn't he show? It's his gear."
Brax nodded at Marco. "Where is it?"
Marco threw nervous glances around the room. He removed the package that was tucked into the back of his trousers, hidden by his t-shirt.
Brax sighed with annoyance. "You should've tossed it."
Ada tiptoed down the hallway and snuck into her room, pressing an ear to the door.
"The last time we lost gear from a supplier, Ada ended up in hospital. I wasn't about to risk that again."
Ada listened intently.
"Give it here." Brax ordered.
Marco passed him the package.
Brax drifted down the hallway. He pushed his door open and hid the package between his bed frame and the wall.
Ada leaned forward and watched the back of him, through the crack between her door and the door frame.
Brax returned to the living room.
"Did anyone follow you?" Brax asked Marco.
Marco shook slightly. "I don't think so. I don't know."
Heath and Brax shared a glance.
"Something's wrong, Brax." Marco said.
There was a heavy knock at the door.
The boys glanced around at each other nervously. Kyle stood to his feet.
In her room, Ada pulled her school uniform on over her swimsuit.
Brax pulled the door open.
Sergeant Pitt and a team of officers stood on the doorstep.
"Can I help you blokes?" Brax asked.
Sergeant Pitt stepped forward. "Marco Diaz, you're under arrest for the attempt to distribute illegal goods."
"Ah, you've got to be kidding!" Brax cried.
Marco stared at the floor and shook his head as the officers cuffed him.
Ada stepped into the hallway. She watched as Marco was escorted away by the officers. He glanced up at just the right time and caught her eye for a split second.
"Mr Braxton," Pitt continued, staring at Brax. "We've got a warrant to search the premises for illegal goods."
Ada's eyes widened. She darted into Brax's room.
In the living room, Brax inspected the warrant.
Ada rummaged through Brax's drawers. Her heart raced. She stared at the wall, as if remembering something, and then pulled the head of the bed slightly, catching the package as it fell to the floor. She stuffed it into her backpack and zipped it shut. She gulped and made for the hallway.
Officers had swarmed the living room, throwing belongings everywhere. Brax, Heath and Kyle stood in the centre of the chaos.
"Great!" She said sarcastically, turning to Brax. "What are they looking for now?"
"I dunno, Ad. Your guess is as good as mine."
"Whatever. I'm going to school." She swung the backpack onto her shoulder and threw Sergeant Pitt a sarcastic smile as she shoved her way out.
In Angelo's, Heath and Kyle picked up overturned chairs and returned bottles to their rightful place on the shelves.
"Should'a known they'd search here too." Heath complained. "Bunch of pigs."
Brax walked through the archway, Marco followed behind.
Heath turned around. "That was quick. What did they say?"
Marco crossed his arms. "They've got a photo of me from the pick-up but without finding the package they can't prove that it was illegal. So, they let me go, for now."
"I don't get it. How could they not find it?" Heath asked the group. "Where'd it go?"
"Do you reckon there's a dirty cop?" Marco posed. "Took it for himself in the search?"
Brax shifted on his feet. "Nah, I doubt it."
Heath threw his hands in the air. "Then it doesn't make sense. How'd they miss it!?"
From behind the bar, Kyle lifted his head. "Isn't it obvious?"
The trio swivelled around and eyed him up.
"Eh?" Brax said sternly. "If you know something, now's the time to spill it."
Kyle shrugged. "Ada took it."
"No way!" Heath shouted. "She's not involved in any of this stuff."
"She walked out the door just as the coppers arrived." Kyle said. "How else do you explain the package just disappearing into thin air?"
The boys stared at each other.
Brax pulled out his phone and pressed it to his ear.
He waited a few moments.
There was no answer. "Oi," He said into the phone. "You need to call me as soon as you get this."
Ada slunk down underneath the bridge behind the Braxton house.
She glanced around and then dug into her backpack. She opened the package and peered in. Inside, there was a large handgun. She took a breath and then stashed the package under the edge of the bridge, out of sight.
She climbed the banks of the small river and trudged away.
Amid the lunch rush, Marco ran a customer's bill through the register. He pushed the cash draw closed with a slam. Kyle moved around the bar and grabbed a bottle of wine from the shelf.
"If you want," Kyle said to him, "You can go and look for her too. I can handle things here."
Marco scoffed. "What? Leave you alone so you can bolt back to Melbourne?"
Kyle uncorked the wine. "No that's not what… whatever. I was just trying to help. I know you're worried about her."
"Brax and Heath will find her."
"What's the story with you two anyway?"
Marco let out an aggravated sigh. "It's complicated."
Kyle prepared a tray with glasses. "Sorry, I'm just trying to get my bearings around here. Heath said that you're the only one who can talk her round."
"Heath's an idiot. Ada does what she wants to do."
"Yeah, I got that from last night."
"Last night?"
"Just some blokes were in here harassing her, one of them hung around outside and tried to attack her whilst she was leaving."
"What?!" Marco roared.
"It's alright. She's okay. She handled it. I came out and he was already on the ground, then he got spooked and drove off. She said she was fine, wouldn't let me drive after him."
"Yeah." Marco sighed. "That's Ad."
"She must care about you a lot."
"How do you figure?" He snapped.
Kyle lowered his voice. "Well, her risk has kept you from jail. Hasn't it?"
Kyle took the tray and attended to the tables.
Marco took a deep breath.
Ada scrunched her feet into the sand.
"Hey!" Brax yelled from behind her.
She whipped around. Heath and Brax charged towards her.
"Where the hell have you been?" Heath raged. "We've been looking for you everywhere."
She shrugged. "I was at school." She replied, confused.
"Oi," Brax glared at her, "Where is it?"
She dodged his eye contact and scoped out the beach. She took a breath. "I stashed it by the river behind the house."
Brax put his hands behind his head. "I can't believe this."
"Relax. It's not on our property. Even if the coppers find it they can't charge us."
Brax flushed red. "Why the hell did you take it?" He roared.
"What if I didn't?" She shouted back. "Marco was arrested, you would have been too."
Brax towered over her. "It's not your problem!"
"So, what? I'm meant to just stand around and let that happen?"
"Yeah! You are!"
Heath stepped forward. "How'd you even know where it was?"
"Because I'm your sister. I know where you used to stash things you didn't want Dad to find. You're not exactly masterminds."
Heath scoffed. "You could get yourself arrested."
Ada threw him a disdainful look. "Yeah, I know that."
"You don't know anything!" Brax screamed. "Ad, you have to be smarter than this!"
"I told you not to send Marco on a job! Casey is already in jail! I'm not going to lose anyone else."
She stormed up the beach.
"Where are you going?" Heath barked after her.
She turned back. "Anywhere but here."
Marco and Kyle set new place settings on the empty tables of Angelo's, ahead of the dinner rush.
Brax and Heath walked into the restaurant.
Marco moved towards them. "Did you find her?"
Brax strolled over to the bar. "Yeah."
"And?" Kyle asked.
Brax poured himself a bourbon and chucked it back. He nodded, confirming their speculation.
Marco studied Brax's face. "Is she alright?"
Heath joined them, lifting a beer from the bottle fridge. "Yeah, she will be." He nodded at Brax. "You didn't exactly keep it together, did you big fella?"
Brax glared at him. "What was I meant to say?! Our little sister picked up the slack and she could've gone to jail for it."
"What about the stuff?" Kyle asked.
"It's sorted." Brax looked to Marco. "When things have cooled down, I'll call the supplier."
Marco responded with a nod.
A phone ringtone blasted from Heath's pocket. He sifted through his pocket and stared at the screen, frowning. He pulled the phone to his ear.
"Who's this?"
A puzzled look past over Heath's face.
"Hey, slow down. What? Why do you want to know?"
He put his beer down on the side. "Where are you?"
Brax, Marco and Kyle threw glances across the bar.
"You what!? Okay, I'm coming right now."
The boys eyed him.
He dropped the phone from his ear.
His face turned pale.
"Ada's been arrested."
