“Stay in the car,” Lassiter instructed, turning off the engine and unsnapping his seatbelt.

In the backseat, Shawn was quick to object. “But Lassieface, who will guard your seven if we don’t go in with you?”

Lassiter turned around to glare at him. “That would be my six, Spencer. And that is why I brought O’Hara.”

“I’ve heard it both ways,” Shawn shrugged.

“Besides, it’s just a simple interview of a suspect.” Lassiter rolled his eyes and opened his door.

Shawn raised a hand. “One more question.”

Juliet turned from the passenger seat. “Shawn, really. Just stay in the car until we get back.”

“But Jules,” Shawn whined, “how will I get any readings from the guy if I’m not inside?”

“Have you ever tried shutting up?” Lassiter suggested wryly. “Maybe you’d be able to get them better.”

“Not an option,” Shawn was quick to reply. “Talking is all part of my method.”

“Whatever,” Lassiter shook his head and got out of the car, slamming the door behind him.

Juliet gave her boyfriend one last look before following her partner.

After her door had closed as well, Shawn pulled a face. “Well, that went well.”

“Shawn, stop it,” Gus elbowed him. “It’s bad enough that you somehow got the chief’s permission for us to come along on this. But I will not let you drag me into a potentially dangerous situation.” He crossed his arms and sat back in the seat.

“This time.”

“What?” Gus looked over.

“You won’t let me drag you into a potentially dangerous situation this time,” Shawn clarified with a smirk. “I’ve done it before.”

“Yes, I know.” Gus gave a long-suffering sigh. “And every time, I find myself regretting it afterwards.”

Shawn just grinned at him. “Come on.”

“Come on what?” Gus looked his friend up and down. “If you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, you’re out of your mind.”

“No, Gus, I am not suggesting we steal Lassie’s car and run off together,” Shawn looked offended. “I love you, but my idea is much more reasonable.”

Gus smacked him. “You know very well what I meant. You are not getting out of this car. Lassiter and Juliet told us to stay put.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Shawn wanted to know. He pointed out the window. “Look, there’s nothing wrong out there. Have you heard any gunshots since they went inside?”

Gus reluctantly followed Shawn’s finger and studied the exterior of the office building. Not many people were there in the middle of a Saturday afternoon, and it looked almost abandoned. There were only a few other cars parked around the lot, and the few crumpled pieces of paper blowing around were the only sign of movement.

“No,” he finally admitted. “But,” he quickly added as Shawn grinned, “I am not going in there, and you cannot make me.” He narrowed his eyebrows determinedly as if daring Shawn to do something about it.

Shawn seemed to contemplate things for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay, fine; we’ll do it your way.”

“Thank you,” Gus said, pleased that he had finally gotten through to his best friend.

There was silence in the car for less than thirty seconds before Shawn spoke up again.

“I wonder if I could fit in Lassie’s trunk.”

“What?” Gus looked sideways at the other man. “Shawn, what does that even have to do with anything right now?”

Shawn shrugged. “I’m bored,” he offered, as if that explained everything.

“You’re bored, and that’s the first thing that came to your mind?” Gus wanted to know.

“Well, not the first thing,” Shawn hedged. “What do you think?”

“What?”

“Do you think I could fit in the trunk?” Shawn repeated.

Gus raised an eyebrow.

“Bet you fifty dollars I can.”

“You don’t even have fifty dollars,” Gus snorted. “I had to pay the bill at lunch earlier because you didn’t have any money with you.”

Shawn made a face. “True.” He twisted to the side to get a hand in his jeans pocket. “How about I bet you… two quarters and a stick of gum?” he offered, holding the objects out in the palm of his hand.

“Shawn, if you want to squeeze yourself back there, fine,” Gus said, raising his hands. “Go ahead.”

“Great!” Shawn grinned and scooted off of the seat. He pressed the button on the top of the seat to pull it forward into the car and allow him access to the trunk. He had the expression of a five year old in a toy store as he squirmed through the hole that he had made.

Gus heard several muffled thumps as Shawn moved around behind the seat, then Shawn stuck his head back through the hole through which he had just disappeared. “Gus! This is great. And roomy,” he added. “You should totally come back here too.”

“What? Shawn, you must be crazy. I am not getting back there. Do you know how much these pants cost?”

“Gus,” Shawn sighed, “You couldn’t ruin your pants in here. This trunk is so clean you could eat off of it. Like Woody’s autopsy table, only softer and fuzzier.”

“Shawn, I am not crawling into that trunk with you just to prove a point,” Gus objected.

There was a pause, then Shawn suddenly made a noise of annoyance. “Gus. Gus! My pants are stuck.”

“Your what?” Gus laughed. “Shawn, come up with something better.”

“No, really, buddy! My pants leg is stuck on… something.” Shawn’s voice grew slightly fainter as he retracted his head back into the trunk. “I can’t see back here. Gus, do you have a flashlight? Or wait. Lassie has one in the glove box I think.”

Gus rolled his eyes and sighed. Only Shawn could get himself into this kind of situation. “You’d better not be kidding.” He unhooked his seatbelt and got to his feet, leaning over the passenger seat to find the flashlight Shawn had mentioned.

He pulled the glove box open and began to rifle through its contents. Car registration, proof of insurance, spare gun, crime scene tape… Aha. Flashlight. As Gus started to turn back to the trunk, however, movement outside the car caught his eye and he froze.

There was a suspicious-looking man making his way slowly towards the car. The figure was wearing an oversized hoodie and baggy jeans. His hair was cut short, almost buzzed, and he was looking around like he was keeping an eye out for someone. Not far behind him was a second figure. This man looked to be a few years older, but who was only slightly more kempt than the first, decked out in jeans, a t-shirt, and a baseball cap.

The part that worried him the most was the gun he could see sticking out of the second man’s pocket.

Gus ducked down as quickly as possible, hoping they hadn’t seen him. Something in his gut was telling him it would be a good idea to stay out of sight.

“Did you find it yet, buddy?” Shawn called from the trunk.

“Shh,” Gus whispered, motioning behind him with his free hand as he raised his head to peek cautiously from the window.

“What?” Shawn asked, his voice still muffled. He looked out of the opening behind the seat again. “Gus, I need that flashlight if I’m going to get unstuck and help you spy on Lassie.”

The two men outside of the car were getting closer, and Gus could hear snatches of their conversation now, although most of it was still unintelligible.

“…this one?”

“No… around.”

“…kay. You wiring…?”

“Whatever… just jack it and… out of here…”

Gus had heard enough by now. The first man was already at the car, his hand on the latch, and Gus scrambled backwards, angling towards the entrance to the trunk while doing his best to still stay hidden.

“Gus! What are you doing?” Shawn had to move his head quickly to keep from getting kicked.

“Shh!” Gus hissed again, pulling the seat almost completely closed. He left a small crack so the interior of the car was still visible.

“What is going on?” Shawn asked again in an exasperated whisper.

“There is a man with a gun out there, Shawn, and he and his friend are about to steal this car!”

Shawn just looked at him. “C’mon buddy. You can do better than that.”

“No, really, Shawn!” Gus protested. “And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather they didn’t see me.”

“Really?” Shawn’s expression, from what Gus could see in the half-lit trunk, was a mix of excitement and apprehension. “You couldn’t just honk the horn and wave to let them know there were people still using this car?”

“One of them happens to have a gun,” Gus defended himself. “And I am not going to get shot today if I can help it.”

Shawn had an eyebrow raised. “And what happens once they do steal the car?” he wanted to know. “What do we do then?”

But before Gus could answer, the two friends heard the sound of the lock popping open. They exchanged looks.

“He just picked the lock,” Shawn whispered.

“I figured that much,” Gus shot back.

“Now what?” Shawn wanted to know.

Gus was quiet for a moment.

“Gus.”

“Shh, Shawn.” Gus motioned for him to be quiet. The men’s voices were in the car now, and the last thing they needed was to be discovered.

The car engine started, rumbling the rest of the car as it warmed up.

“What if we screamed really loudly?” Shawn wanted to know. “Do you think Lassie and Jules would hear us?”

“Not before we got ourselves shot,” Gus whispered in return. “Now shh.”

The vehicle jerked slightly as it started backwards, and the crunch of gravel could be heard as it turned, then it jerked again as the driver changed gears and started forwards.

“We shouldn’t be letting them just steal us like this,” Shawn told Gus after a moment. “We should get a say in the matter. Plus, Lassie’s going to be upset that someone stole his car- again.”

Gus put a finger to his lips. They had already been moving for several minutes, and he was trying to listen to the men’s conversation in an attempt to figure out where they were headed.

His whispered conversation with Shawn had kept Gus from listening in on what the car thieves were saying, but suddenly, he realized that there were no longer any other voices in the vehicle.

The car slowed just then and pulled to the side, then the engine suddenly cut off.

Shawn must have been thinking the same thing Gus was, because he glanced at his friend at the same time Gus glanced at him. The look on Shawn’s face matched Gus’s thoughts, but neither had time to say anything before the seats were pulled down and they found themselves looking into the faces of the two thieves. The men only looked slightly shocked at their discovery; Gus was pretty sure they mostly looked angry.

“Who are you?” the one in the baseball cap demanded. He had a gun pointed at them, and Gus swallowed hard at the sight of the gun barrel. “And what are you doing in my car?”

“Technically, it’s not your car,” Shawn corrected, grinning up at the thieves. “It’s Lassie’s car. And he’s not going to be happy you took it.”

The man just glared at him.

“Oh, also,” Shawn added, raising a hand. “Can someone lend me a hand? My pants are still stuck back here.”