“In my tool bag, but I wasn’t about to carry that around with me looking like a doofus.”
Luke grumbled and sat back in the seat. “Why do I feel like I’m not gonna like this new plan?”
“Because you’re not gonna like it,” Atlas said as he pulled the Tesla paperwork from his pocket. “I need to make you a fake ID.” He shoved the papers at Luke. “You’re gonna be this guy. Just go a few minutes early to the registration desk. Show them your ID and take the keys.”
Arching a brow, he read the name on the driver’s license. “Roger Freeman?”
Addison snickered.
“Why me?” Luke complained.
Fox answered, “Because you look less like a criminal than the rest of us.”
“That’s it. I’m growing my hair out,” Luke mumbled.
Addison turned around in her seat again, her brow furrowed. “How do you know this guy, Mike, won’t recognize the dealer who dropped the car off?”
Atlas shook his head. “I saw the volunteer list. Mike isn’t checking people out. Some guy Ben is so he won’t recognize anyone picking up cars. Hence the copies of the driver’s licenses.”
Luke stared down at the paper. “I don’t look anything like this guy. He’s got, like, fifteen years on me.”
“I can help with that.” Addison grinned at Luke.
“I’m not wearing makeup.”
Atlas jumped in. “I can alter the photo a bit and print out a new copy. But it won’t be perfect. We just have to hope Ben has bad eyesight.” He chuckled, partly joking.
“This is risky.” Luke rubbed a hand over his head. “I don’t like it.”
“No more risky than any other jobs,” Addison replied.
Fox grunted an agreement.
Luke fell into silence and stared out the window. He’d been weirdly distant lately. Fox seemed to notice but ignored it. Atlas had a feeling he knew what was on his mind but hated the idea of asking to be sure.
By the time they arrived at the computer repair shop, Atlas was bouncing his knee with impatience. There was barely time to make a new ID, never mind messing around altering a photo.
Fox did what Atlas told him on one of the computers and Atlas was glad he’d trained him some in actual computer hacking. Addison, who used to make fake IDs in high school, helped too. Then she put baby powder in Luke’s hair and smudged lines around his eyes to make him look older. Atlas scanned the copy of the driver’s license into the computer and used a program to elongate the face so it matched Luke’s more. Then he darkened it so it was harder to see the details. With more time, he could’ve done better but it was already running short.
He stapled the new copy of the license to the registration form then made for the door. “Let’s go. I have just enough time to return the paperwork before Luke needs to pick up the car.”
Fox drove them back to the car show. Other than Addison and Fox joking around quietly, the ride was silent. Just down the street from the show, Fox pulled over.
Atlas looked at Luke. “Give it twenty minutes before you pick up.”
“Yeah.” He kept his gaze on the window, his mouth turned down in a frown. Usually Luke was the most optimistic of all of them, and the first to make a joke in risky situations.
Addison gave him a small smile. “Good luck.”
He opened the door and walked back into the crowd, donning his neon shirt and holding the paperwork in his hand. When he spotted Jessica still under the canopy of the registration table, he exhaled in relief.
“Hey,” he said then smiled his best innocent smile. “I found this on the ground over there.” He pointed vaguely into the distance. “The wind must have taken it.”
Her forehead crinkled as she took the papers and looked them over. “Shiiiit.” She glanced up at him in panic. “Don’t tell Mike, okay? He’ll be pissed. He’s been so strict about the paperwork not leaving the table and—”
“Relax.” Atlas put his hand gently on her arm. “I’m not going to say anything. Besides, it could have happened when I was here.”
Nodding, the tension in her body deflated. “Thanks. Let’s just tuck that back in here where it’s safe.” She pushed the paperwork back into the folder.