Part 29 (1/2)
”We'll just have to be sneaky.”
”If we get caught, act drunk and stupid.”
He nodded. ”Got it.”
The carnival was divided into two sections, public and private, with the public section in front. A temporary fence marked the division and the openings were guarded, so the direct route wasn't an option. Aaron and Marina left through the front entrance and began the long walk around the block.
The night sky had an orange tint. He looked east and saw Chicago glowing in the distance.
His phone rang. He opened it and said, ”h.e.l.lo?”
”What are you doing?” Ethel said.
He looked across the busy street. Ethel and Smythe had set up an observation post on the roof of a grocery store. They were sitting on lawn chairs and watching through binoculars. They were dressed in black, and Aaron couldn't see them in the darkness, but he knew their approximate location.
”Going around to the back side, ma'am,” he said.
”Be careful,” Ethel said.
”Always. Have you seen anything worth reporting?”
”No.”
”How is Smythe doing?”
”Very quiet,” she said, ”which is good. I've had enough of his whining.”
”The carnival is closing pretty soon. You might let him collect some food samples now.”
”I'll consider it. Bye.”
”Bye.” He put his phone in his pocket. He turned to Marina and said, ”Ethel didn't sound happy.”
”She doesn't like new recruits in general,” Marina said, ”and Smythe is a particular pain in the a.s.s. I'm starting to like him though. He's a pain in the a.s.s for the right reasons. It would be a shame to lose him.”
”He'll shape up. I'm sure of it. He's smart enough to figure out which lines he can't cross.”
They now had a good view of the back side of the carnival. Semi trucks and motor homes were packed tightly together to form long, neat rows. Thick cables ran to large electrical generators, and Aaron heard them chugging even from a few hundred yards away. Bright floodlights illuminated the parking lot on all sides. Sentries were posted everywhere, as if the carnival were a military encampment. It seemed there was no way to approach unseen.
”This is a problem,” he said.
”As usual,” Marina said.
”We should've expected heavy security. They're professional a.s.sa.s.sins, after all.”
”I'm actually happy to see some security. If there are guards, then they must be guarding something important.”
”So, how do we get in?”
”I don't know.” She frowned. ”It's a shame we can't just kill them. There is a sniper rifle in the truck, and you're a great marksman. Ethel doesn't need to know.”
”Be serious,” he said.
”Fine. We don't have to make this complicated. It will take us about thirty seconds to run through the lights and hide, so we just need to distract the sentries for that long.”
”I'll call Ethel. She can arrange a distraction for us.”
Smythe watched Ethel as she finished her conversation and closed her phone. Even this small motion was executed with uncanny precision. She never seemed to relax.
She looked at him, and as usual, the darkness in her eyes troubled him. It wasn't natural. The Eternals wors.h.i.+pped the night but she was made of it. Shadows seemed to cling to her skin like sticky webs.
”Aaron and Marina are having a little trouble,” she said. ”They need a distraction. Go create one.”
”How big a distraction?” he said.
”Big. There are incendiaries in the truck, but don't kill anybody.”
”Yes, ma'am.”
”While you're down there,” she said, ”you may also collect your precious food samples.”
He smiled slightly. ”Yes, ma'am.”
Smythe stood up and his knee joints popped. He had been sitting on a lawn chair in the cold for hours. His whole body felt stiff as a board.
He and Ethel were on the roof of a grocery store. The location was high enough for them to observe the entire carnival, and n.o.body could see them from the street. It was a great lookout post.
He had a strange sensation in his body, which made him pause.
”Something wrong?”
”Maybe,” he said. ”I'm feeling a little warm. I hope I'm not getting sick.”
”You have a tingling in your guts? A burning in your veins? Everything looks brighter and sharper than usual?”
”Yes, ma'am.” He stared at her. ”You know what it is?”
She smiled. ”You wouldn't believe me. It's a good sign though, so don't worry. You're fine. Get moving.”
He walked over to a rope ladder attached to a grappling hook. He climbed down the ladder and dropped softly onto the parking lot behind the store.
He jogged across the street, dodging traffic along the way. It felt good to get his blood moving. He felt good in general, not sick at all despite the extra warmth in his body.
The white truck was locked and he had the key, but if he just tried to open the door, the truck would explode. An effective distraction, he thought, but not the one I want. He reached under the rear b.u.mper and felt around until he found a key pad. The keys were different shapes, and working by touch alone, he pressed the right sequence. Then he unlocked the rear door. No boom. Good.