Part 15 (1/2)

”Let's see,” he said.

The trunk was full of suitcases. Some were made of hard plastic and some were steel.

Smythe looked over his shoulder. ”Do you have a change of clothes for me? I left my luggage in my car.”

”The guys back at headquarters prepped this car. We'll have to see what they packed for us. But be gentle. There may be explosives.”

They pulled all the suitcases out, laid them on the ground, and opened them. There were plenty of clothes, and Aaron picked fresh outfits for himself and Marina. Smythe couldn't find anything in his size, so he settled for a few sizes too big, and he took a belt to hold up his pants.

One of the suitcases contained only weapons. The guns were generally small in size and caliber, which disappointed Aaron. He remembered Ethel had not authorized lethal force. He was lucky she had allowed him to have any guns at all.

On the other hand, there was an overabundance of surveillance gear. Aaron had his choice of tracking devices, microphones, video cameras, transmitters, and so on. There was enough stuff to keep a dozen private detectives happy.

”I have to admit,” Smythe said in a grudging tone, ”your people know how to pack for a mission.” One of the suitcases was stuffed full with cash. He touched the neat bundles, which were grouped by denomination. ”Seriously, where does all this money come from? Don't tell me G.o.d dropped it from Heaven.”

”I honestly don't know the details,” Aaron said. ”We have special bankers in Manhattan who supply the money we need. It's a subject we're not supposed to talk about too much.”

Smythe frowned. ”Sounds like a criminal conspiracy.”

”When I started, I was a skeptic like you. But then things happened, things that are supposed to be impossible. Eventually, I believed. You will too, if you survive long enough. Ethel will explain everything.”

”I'm sure she'll try.”

”There is one thing you have to understand right now, though. We are a secret society. That means you don't talk about our business with anybody else. Not your own mother, and certainly not the authorities. If you betray our trust, you're a dead man. You could hide in the deepest cave or the darkest jungle. The Gray Spear Society would still find you.”

”Why is secrecy so important? What are you hiding?”

Aaron pursed his lips. ”I'll try to explain. Imagine you owned a beautiful mansion with manicured lawns, gardens, expensive art on the walls, and the finest furniture money can buy. Your home is an architectural masterpiece.”

”OK.”.

”G.o.d sees this world the same way. It's His pride and joy. The problem is that every house has flaws. Sometimes rats get into the walls, or the wrong people move in next door. These flaws have to get fixed quickly and quietly before the house guests notice. We do the fixing.”

”But G.o.d doesn't need your help,” Smythe said. ”He's supposed to be omnipotent.”

”He certainly has that reputation. Enough talk. Let's finish sorting this luggage.”

Aaron put his own and Marina's clothes into one suitcase, and Smythe packed another. Everything they didn't need was put back in the trunk.

Marina returned to the car carrying two sets of keys.

”That took a while,” Aaron said.

”The manager was a real grouch after I woke him up.” She gave one set of keys to Smythe. ”He called me a tramp. He was very rude.”

Aaron smirked. ”So, instead of paying him, you knocked him out with your venom and swiped the keys.”

”You know me.” She held up her sharp, black fingernails. ”I thought it was fair, and we'll be gone before he wakes up.”

Aaron woke up when the alarm on his phone went off. An instant later he felt needle sharp points pressed against his neck. There was only one possible explanation. He remained perfectly still.

”Relax, Marina,” he said slowly and softly. ”It's just me. I'm not a threat. Don't kill me.”

The sharp points were removed. He rolled over to look at Marina's beautiful, freckled face. Her reddish blonde hair lay strewn across her pillow.

”Sorry,” she said.

”You're a little edgy this morning.”

”I had a nightmare.”

”Want to talk about it?” he said.

”Not really.”

”You almost killed me. I deserve to know why.”

She swallowed. ”OK. A man was raping me. He was huge and covered in black robes. I couldn't move. I felt like he was crus.h.i.+ng me. When he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, this black... goo came out. It sprayed all over my face and went down my throat. I was drowning and helpless. It was awful.” She squeezed her eyes shut.

He gave her a tender hug. ”Maybe it's a sign from G.o.d that we're on the right track.”

”I hope so,” she said. ”At least this nightmare was different than the usual one. It's time to get up.”

Aaron went straight to the tracking device, lying on a table. He quickly confirmed that the homing beacon was still nearby and transmitting. ”We're good,” he said. ”The Eternals must still be asleep.”

They had allowed themselves only four hours of sleep. It was still dark outside but dawn would come soon. He yawned.

I have to get dressed. He chose blue jeans and a plain green s.h.i.+rt from his suitcase because those clothes would help him blend into a crowd. He strapped a knife to each ankle and put a small gun in a holster under his s.h.i.+rt, just above his belt buckle. He slipped a TEC-9 into a holster on his back in case he needed more firepower. Finally, he put on a gray windbreaker and zipped it up.

Marina wore a brown dress with long, loose sleeves and a full skirt. He expected she carried several knives underneath her clothes. Blades were her specialty. According to her, being very close to her target when she killed made the experience more ”intimate and meaningful.” No doubt she also carried guns, but it was her weapon of last resort.

”Let's wake up the rookie,” Aaron said.

”We'll test him, too,” Marina said. ”Let's see if he's a heavy sleeper.”

”Right now? I don't know if this is a good time for tests.”

”Of course it's a good time,” she said. ”He won't expect it.”

He shrugged. ”OK, but nothing elaborate. Just a pop quiz.”

They packed their belongings and put the luggage back in the car. Then they went to Smythe's room. Marina took a set of lock picks from a hidden pocket in her skirt, looked around, and quietly picked the lock. The worn out, cheap deadbolt presented no challenge for her.

She pushed open the door just enough to peek inside. ”He's still in bed,” she whispered. ”I'll go right and you go left.”

She opened the door a little more, and Aaron heard the sound of gla.s.s breaking. He looked down. A fine thread was tied to the door at knee level. Smythe set an alarm. Smart.

There were only two choices now: charge forward or retreat. He didn't wonder which choice Marina would make.