Part 23 (1/2)
They sat on their chairs and reloaded their guns.
Aaron's heart rate returned to normal. As the adrenaline left his system, he suddenly felt very tired. The worst part of a mission was the lack of regular sleep. He hated the nagging exhaustion, which weighed down his body and clouded his mind.
”Is this what you do every day?” Smythe asked.
”Not really. We see serious action just a few times a year if that much.”
”Why?”
”G.o.d's enemies usually keep a low profile,” Aaron said. ”Maybe they're afraid of Him. We actually spend most of our time training and practicing. How do you think I got these big muscles? Ethel works us hard every day. We're also constantly developing new contacts and sources of information. Preparation is the key to our success.”
Marina's voice came through the radio. ”Movement on the west side! I see...”
Her voice cut out, and Aaron heard a painfully loud buzzing noise instead.
He tore off his headset. ”s.h.i.+t!”
Smythe did the same. ”I think the signal is jammed.”
Aaron opened his cell phone and found he had no bars. ”The enemy must be using a wide spectrum jammer.”
”Like the one you used on me?”
”Exactly.” There was a phone on a table. Aaron picked it up and heard nothing. ”The line is cut, too. Get ready for a fight.”
He grabbed the rest of his guns and stuffed them in his pants, but he kept the Glock 30 in his hand. It was the best weapon he had available. The a.s.sault rifles lying on the floor in the kitchen were too noisy to be useful, and besides, he didn't like picking up weapons. If they were poorly maintained, they could jam or misfire.
He was worried about Marina, who was alone out there. She could lock her storage shed from the inside, and if anybody tried to break in, she had some nasty surprises waiting for them. She was also wearing body armor. But despite the precautions, he couldn't convince himself she was safe.
Smythe finished arming himself. ”We're blind without Marina. We need to get out of this trap. Let's take the fight to the enemy.”
”I'm sure that's what they're waiting for,” Aaron said. ”They'll cut us down as soon as we step outside. Let's think about this for a second. We need a distraction so we can escape and find cover safely.”
Smythe nodded and looked around. He pointed to the single bedroom. ”There is a window in there. We'll leave that way.”
”Why?”
”Because it's farthest away from the kitchen.”
”So?” Aaron leaned his head.
Smythe went into the kitchen and ransacked the drawers until he found aluminum foil. He wadded up a big ball, stuffed it into a microwave oven, and turned the oven on. The metal immediately began to emit blue sparks. He turned on all the gas burners on the stove without lighting them. Invisible natural gas gushed out.
He ran out of the kitchen. ”Let's move.”
He hurried into the bedroom, and Aaron followed close behind. They pulled a mattress off the bed and knelt underneath.
”The neighbors will hear the explosion,” Aaron said. ”They'll call the fire department.”
”We'll still have a few minutes to work,” Smythe said. ”The blast will blind and confuse the enemy, giving us the tactical advantage for a short time.”
”We need to capture some of the Eternals alive for interrogation. That's why we're here.”
”I understand.”
Aaron didn't like the fact Smythe was a.s.suming a leaders.h.i.+p role, but that argument would have to wait until after the fight.
After a couple of minutes, Aaron started to smell the gas, and the odor reminded him of rotten eggs. Then a roaring noise filled his world. The shockwave from the explosion slammed into the mattress and pushed him to the floor.
He and Smythe threw off the mattress as soon as they were able. Fire was everywhere in the other rooms, but it hadn't reached the bedroom. The nearest window was completely blown out. Aaron jumped through and ran into the chilly night air.
The first priority was finding cover. The fire provided plenty of light, and he quickly spotted a dense clump of bushes ten yards away. He dove into the middle of the clump and slid to a stop in the dirt. Smythe followed him in. They b.u.mped heads in the cramped s.p.a.ce as they tried to sit up.
Aaron peeked between the leaves to a.s.sess the situation. The house was located in a semi-rural neighborhood, so there was plenty of open s.p.a.ce around. Large, old trees dominated the landscape. The Eternals were probably hiding up in the branches because they provided a great location for surveillance.
”We have to check the trees,” Aaron whispered.
Smythe nodded. ”Sneaking up on a guy in a tree is almost impossible. He sees you a long time before you see him.”
”Marina is watching the surveillance video. If we could get to the shed, she could tell us exactly where the enemy is.”
”We'll have to go around the house. We'll be seen.”
”Not if we take the long way. Follow me.”
Aaron sprinted directly away from the house. He kept going for two hundred yards before turning. Smythe's heavy footsteps stayed close behind him. Aaron made a huge circle that looped through the yards of a dozen other homes before he headed back.
He spotted the shed straight ahead. Made of rusty, corrugated steel, it wasn't quite big enough to store a car. He stopped in the shadow of a tree before he got too close.
”Do you see anybody?” he whispered.
Smythe was breathing hard. ”No, but wait. Let me catch my breath. You're in much better shape than me.”
Aaron looked up. Fall had come but the trees still held many leaves. Yellow, red, and brown had replaced the lush greens of summer. He searched for any sign of the enemy. The combination of the flickering fire and a light breeze made all the leaves appear to dance in the night.
”The neighbors must've called the fire department by now,” he said. ”The Eternals will run when they hear the sirens, and we'll go home empty handed.”
”Better than going home dead.” Smythe shrugged.
Aaron didn't like that response. ”I'm going to run to the shed now.”
Smythe raised his Beretta. ”I'll cover you.”
”Are you a good shot?”
”I could perform surgery with this gun. Go.”