For three seconds, nothing.

He had been at it for three hours.

And Leo never trusted anyone who said, "It’s easy." For the Motorola EVX-261, don't look for "Motorola EVX-261 software" — look for Vertex Standard CE-144 . And always, always use the genuine programming cable.

The download took forty-seven seconds. The installation took another two minutes. But the anxiety — that stretched into forever.

Leo squinted at the blinking cursor on his dusty laptop. The screen read: "Radio not recognized. Check connection."

Silence. Then static, and a voice: "Loud and clear. Where’ve you been?"