Part 32 (1/2)
”How long were we asleep?” she said.
He looked at his watch. ”About three hours, I think. The alarm... oh, s.h.i.+t!”
He remembered the reason for the alarm, and he checked the tracking device. The display showed the Eternals travelling west. In another few minutes they would be out of range.
Aaron drove in that direction. He tried to maintain a distance of about a quarter-mile from his quarry.
The car was finally heating up. As the temperature rose, the color returned to Marina's face. She straightened up.
”I'd better call Ethel.” She took out her phone and turned up the speaker so they could both hear.
Ethel answered, ”h.e.l.lo?”
”The carnival was gone when we arrived, ma'am,” Marina said, ”but two spies were left behind. We are pursuing them now, headed west. We planted a beacon on their car.”
”Very good. I'm just finis.h.i.+ng up here. I extracted all the information I could, which wasn't much. The prisoners admitted they're systematically poisoning visitors to the carnival, and the food is the means of delivery. The Eternals are definitely the source of PRooFS. They call the poison the 'nectar of the night.'”
”How is it made?”
”They didn't know,” Ethel said. ”It's produced at a place called 'the Farm,' but none of the prisoners could tell me the location. That information is known only to the leaders.h.i.+p of the Eternals. The Farm seems to be their secret headquarters.”
”Sounds like we need to find this place,” Marina said.
”Yes. The prisoners claimed the Eternals aren't working for a government or any criminal organization. a.s.sa.s.sination is their main source of revenue. Obsidian also mentioned an ent.i.ty called the 'Spirit of the Night,' which appears occasionally to give guidance. However, none of the prisoners ever saw it, so it might be legendary.”
”It could also be an enemy of G.o.d, ma'am.”
”We need proof. Smythe and I are going back to headquarters. We have to a.n.a.lyze the clothes and equipment taken from the prisoners, and he still has his bag of food samples. He wants to try to isolate the poison in the lab. You two should continue your pursuit. Locate the carnival.”
”Then what?”
”There is a ride,” Ethel said. ”It looks like a flying saucer.”
”I remember. It spins.”
”The prisoners told me the Eternals use it as a chamber for midnight blood rituals. It has a hidden compartment that might contain the artifacts we want. Collect them and bring them to headquarters.”
”I understand, ma'am.” Marina nodded. ”What level of force is authorized?”
”I just tortured eight guys to death, so it would be unfair to tell you to avoid all violence. Be judicious. I don't want a bloodbath.”
Marina smiled. ”Yes, ma'am.”
”Aaron, keep an eye on her. Bye.”
Marina closed her phone.
Aaron glanced at her. ”I will keep an eye on you.”
”Because you love me?” She blinked innocently at him.
”Because you haven't had a bloodbath in a while, and I'm sure you feel like you need one.”
Smythe walked into the laboratory in headquarters, holding his bag of food samples. Filipe Ramirez was already waiting there. He wore his usual brown business suit, which fit him like a second skin. He always dressed as if he were attending a professional conference. His brown hair was perfectly combed and he had shaved.
”Sir,” Ramirez said, ”you look terrible.”
”It was a long, hard night,” Smythe said, ”but a very productive one. We learned a lot about PRooFS. It's definitely a poison, and the Eternals are distributing it.”
He set the bag down on a counter. From the odor he could tell that the food was already spoiling. The samples needed to be a.n.a.lyzed quickly.
Ramirez raised his eyebrows. ”The food from the carnival?”
”Yes. Be very careful.”
”We're sure the food actually contains the poison?”
”The prisoners confirmed it,” Smythe said. ”Ethel's interrogation methods were... extremely effective.”
Memories of the torture session still crowded his mind. Some of the images were so startling and horrific they were permanently burned into his brain. Ethel had demonstrated a kind of cruelty that was literally inhuman. Her victims had never stood a chance of resisting her.
”Then the next step is isolating the poison. I'll begin the a.n.a.lysis immediately.”
”We both will.”
”Sir,” Ramirez said, ”you're very tired, and this work will require clear thinking. You'll be much more effective after some sleep. I'm more than capable of getting started without you. There will be plenty left to do when you wake up.”
”But...”
”Sir.”
Smythe sagged. ”You're right. I should try to sleep, but I don't know if I can after what I saw last night.”
”Good night, sir.”
Smythe shuffled out of the room.
Aaron looked up at a rusty sign, which read, ”Berwyn Brothers Quarry.”
”Pull off here,” Marina said. ”This must be the place.”
He turned onto dirt, weeds, and rocks. The small sedan rattled and thumped across the rough surface. He drove about fifty yards and parked behind some bushes so the car wouldn't be visible from the road.
”I hope we can get back out,” he said.
She took out her phone and made a call. ”Edward,” she said, ”we're at the Berwyn Brothers Quarry, near Poplar Grove. Tell me about it.” She turned up the speaker so Aaron could hear.