by Chris Yee
Saul had chased the possibility of immortality. No matter how weak their powers were, he held on to the belief that he could live forever. That he would live forever. Vince had once thought the same. Maybe he still did. But that hope was now gone for Saul. He knew he would die, and he was frightened as hell.
Rupert, Ella, and Alan’s thoughts were overwhelmed by what Humphrey had told them about the cell room. Rupert couldn’t stand to be apart from Fred any longer. A part of him knew that she was okay. She was a strong bird. She could handle anything. But the other part of him was terrified of the possibility that they were testing her. Terrified that she was locked up in that prison. He needed to find her, to make sure she was safe, but there was nothing he could do. The doors were locked at night, and they were already on thin ice with Greene. There was no doubt that Greene knew they had found the cell room. Either he saw it himself through the cameras, or one of his workers informed him. How would he handle this information? How would he punish them for disobeying orders?
Charlotte slept beside them, in a bed near the door. She had escorted Vince and Saul for nearly their entire stay in the Spire. She had heard them talk about Greene as an enemy. She understood why they loathed him, but she had always looked up to him. She respected him. She overheard conversations to plot against Greene, plans to kill him once Simon was out of the picture, and she did not know what to think of it.
Greene was the man who kept the City in order. Without him, how would it survive? Would it thrive, or crumble? There was only one way to find out. When the time came, would she let them turn on her boss, or would she sabotage their plans? If they failed, they would surely be killed. Her assignment would end, and she would receive a big paycheck. She could retire for the rest of her life. If they succeeded, she had no idea what would happen. For now, she delayed her decision, and instead, recorded everything in her journal. Every spoken word.
None of them knew what would come, but they were all certain, bad things awaited.
TWENTY-SEVEN
IN THE MORNING, with Charlotte busy flipping through her journal, the group met to discuss their plan for the day.
“After the meeting this morning,” Vince said, “Saul and I will stay close to Greene. We’ll keep him busy. That will give you more time to explore.”
Saul nodded. “You found some good information last night. That cell room sounds like it’s worth looking into.”
“You can thank Humphrey for that,” Alan said.
“Who?”
“He was the labbie who told us about the cell room. You guys owe him a meet-up by the way.”
Ella laugh. “Yeah, sorry about that. We had to persuade him somehow.”
Vince nodded. “Good work. It paid off. We can find some time later on. His name is Humphrey?”
“Yep,” Alan said. “Humphrey Jacks. When you meet with him, you can dig for more information. He was pretty hooked when we mentioned your names. I imagine you’ll be much more persuasive.”
“Perhaps, Vince said. “In the meantime, learn as much as you can about the cell room.”
“Right,” Rupert said. “I have a growing suspicion that Fred is in one of those cells. I intend to find her. I take it Greene already knows we found the cell room yesterday, so it might be best that we don’t attend the meeting this morning. I want to avoid him for as long as we can. Until he stops us, we’re going to explore as much as possible.”
“Good. Saul and I will be busy most of the day. We may not see you again before we head out, so good luck.”
Alan patted him on the back. “You too, buddy.”
Charlotte clapped her journal closed, checked the time, and got up from her seat. “It’s time for our morning meeting,” she said, walking towards them.
“These three aren’t feeling well,” Vince said, pointing to Rupert, Ella, and Alan. “Is it okay if they skip the meeting?”
“That should be fine, but it’s important that you two attend. You’re at the center of his plan right now. Without you, there’s no mission.”
“Right. Of course.”
They followed her to the briefing room. They had been there so many time, Vince could have found it with his eyes closed. The rest of the Spire was a mystery.
Greene and the others were already there as they strolled into the room. He was beginning to recognize their faces, but he didn’t know any of their names.
They took a seat at the table, and Greene stood up at the front. “Good morning, everyone. I hope you all got a good night of sleep. You’re going to need the energy. I don’t want anyone falling asleep on this mission.”
Everyone laughed.
“This meeting will be short. As you know, our troops return today. They will arrive in the afternoon if everything goes as planned. That gives me enough time to brief them. As I said before, most of them will go on the wall. One will go with Vince, Saul, and Charlotte to help them sneak into Simon’s base. Most of you in this room will be their eyes. You will watch the cameras with vigilance and warn them of anything that threatens the mission. I will personally watch over you as well. This mission is a big deal, and requires my undivided attention.” He shifted his eyes back and forth, scanning the room. “Where are your friends?”
“They’re not feeling well,” Vince said “They decided to skip the meeting. I hope that’s okay.”
Greene nodded. “Very well. I would like to speak with them soon, though, regarding other matters. That will have to wait until tomorrow.”
“I will let them know.”
“Good. I think we all know what needs to be done today before sundown. So let’s get to it.” They all stood up and broke off in their own direction. Greene pushed in his chair and walked directly to Vince and Saul. “Are you two ready?”
“I hope so,” Vince said. “There’s a lot at stake.”
“That’s right. No room for error. You should know this plan like your life depends on it. There’s a good chance it does. If Simon captures you, I have no doubt he’ll kill you. He has no reason to keep you alive, and every reason not to. I will be watching very closely. If you have any doubts at all, just follow my direction.” He leaned in closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. “And if you disobey me, your friends are dead.” He leaned back and returned to his normal speaking voice. “Just listen to my word and I’ll guide you. Easy as that.”
They were shocked by his sudden change in tone, but did not react. They just nodded, acknowledging his orders.
“Now follow me,” he said, walking towards the door. “We’ll get you both suited up with all of the necessary equipment.”
They followed him to the storage area, where all sorts of gadgets sat around. Uniforms, lab coats, bed sheets, silverware, canned food. In the corner, locked in a cage, were racks full of guns and ammunition. Vince and Saul stared at it, both amazed and frightened. After their incident with Barnabus, the sight of one gun was terrifying enough.
Greene pulled their attention away from the stockpile of weapons by handing them small earpieces. “Stick those in your ear and test them out. Make sure they work okay.” They did as he said. He held a small microphone up and tapped on it. “Do you hear that?” They nodded. He turned his back to them and whispered into the microphone. “Do you hear me?”
“Yes,” Saul said. “We hear you.”
Greene looked at Vince, who nodded in agreement.
Next, he handed them their own microphones. “You will use these to speak with me if you have to, but I will do most of the talking. Only speak back if it’s necessary. You don’t want to draw attention to yourselves.”
Saul held it up to his mouth. “Hello?”
“Yes,” Greene said. “It works, but you don’t have to hold it so close, and you don’t need to speak so loud. Clip it to your shirt and speak normally. That’s how they’re designed.”
He clipped it to the collar of his shirt. “Hello?”
Greene nodded. “Very good.” Next, he reached into a small box and pulled
out a capsule. “This is the pill you will drop in his food. As I said before, it will dissolve. Just make sure it mixes well.” He grabbed another one. “I’ll give one to each of you, in case you get separated. Our plan is very precise, but sometimes things go wrong.”
Saul laughed. “I think we both learned that a long time ago. Things never seem to go as planned.”
“If things do go wrong, I want you to get out of there. We can always try again later, but not if you two get captured. If there are any signs of failure, I will abort the mission. And remember, what I say goes. No questions asked. You both know what’s at stake. I can’t have anyone acting against me.”
Vince nodded. “Yes, we understand.”
“I think I’ve covered everything. The troops will arrive soon. In the meantime, we’ll head back to the briefing room, and you can study those maps. Remember as much as you can. You won’t have time to fumble through the tunnels once we’ve started.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
VINCE AND SAUL stood at Greene’s side as they waited in the lobby for the troops. The front doors opened, and a line of uniformed men filed through. They wore almost entirely black, with the City crest embroidered on their chest. They shuffled in, each carrying a gun by their side. Vince noticed their height. They were all very tall, easily towering over him and Saul. Some of them were even taller than Rupert.
They marched up to Greene and saluted. Greene returned a salute of his own. “Welcome back. I hope all went well on your mission.”
The man in front spoke. “Everything went according to plan. The supply shop was secured and Simon’s forces were driven out.”
“Good,” Greene said, satisfied. “You are very much needed around here, as I’m sure you’ve heard.”
“Yes, sir. We are here to serve. What are your orders?”
Greene looked among the troops. “Where is Tully Sanders?”
From near the back of the squad, a voice called out. “Right here, sir!”
“Please step forward,” he ordered. The man stepped out of line and turned to face Greene. “Sanders, I have a special mission for you. You are assigned to a stealth operation alongside Vince and Saul.” He gestured to both of them. “You will assist these men in assassinating Simon Hedcrown.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“You will leave at sundown. Come forward and meet the members of your team. The rest of you are assigned to wall duty.”
They all chanted in unison, “Yes sir,” and marched out the door towards the wall.
Tully stayed behind. He extended his arm out to Vince. “Tully Sanders. Pleasure to meet you.”
Vince shook his hand and introduced himself. Saul did the same.
“You should get to know each other,” Greene said. “You should always know a little about the people you work with.”
“I already know about Vince and Saul,” Tully said. “I reckon everyone knows them by now. I’m honored to work with men who have such dedication to Mr. Greene.”
Greene turned to them. “Tully here is one of my top performers. He continues to impress me with both his bravery and loyalty.”
Tully saluted again. “Who else would I follow, sir? You’re the best leader a soldier could ask for.”
Greene chuckled. “And as you can tell, he spoils me with flattery.”
Vince nodded at Tully. “I’m sure you already know much about us. We look forward to learning more about you. He must really trust you. He handpicked you for this mission.”
“He’s the best of the best,” Greene said. “Now that we have introductions out of the way, let’s get to business. We don’t have much time before sundown.”
TWENTY-NINE
THEY LEFT THE Spire promptly at sundown. Vince and Saul had thoroughly studied the maps, but Tully and Charlotte already seemed to know their way through the maze of buildings surrounding the Spire. They weaved in and out of the streets, sticking to shadows when they could. They encountered one Crown on patrol, but with Greene looking over them, he was easy to avoid.
When they reached the building marked on the map, Vince and Saul looked at each other. It was the same entrance that Simon’s man, Jonah, had brought them through.
They approached the door and knocked lightly five times, in a distinct pattern. It swung open, and a man stepped through.
“Quickly, come in,” he whispered. They shuffled inside and shut the door. The man huddled close to them. “Follow me as quickly and quietly as possible. We have to move fast.”
They did as he said and gently trotted behind him as he navigated through the tunnels. He turned onto branching paths more than a dozen times before passing an area with a single television screen in the middle.
Saul stopped and whispered to the others. “Hey, isn’t it this way? This is where Simon took us last time.”
Their guide backtracked. “That way will lead to the main floor, but only Simon and few others are allowed in here. That’s a high-profile entrance. Someone might notice. I know a way that’s far less conspicuous.”
They took a few more turns and arrived at an old rusty door. The man leaned on the door, pushing until it finally budged. The hinges screeched, and the bottom scraped the concrete ground. It stopped with just a small crack to slip through. They squeezed between the door and the wall and carefully shut it behind them. Their guide began to walk again, but his stride was now more casual. They exited an alley and entered the main floor. Crowds of people wandered the area, leisurely strolling along.
“Okay,” he said, “we’re no longer in a restricted area. We don’t need to whisper anymore, but keep your faces hidden.” He pointed to Vince and Saul, who pulled the bandana over their mouths. They walked into the main square, which was filled with a dense crowd of people. “Stay close and keep up. I don’t want to lose you.” He stepped into the crowd.
They bumped shoulders with strangers as they shuffled through a wave of people. No one paid any attention to them, but they kept their heads low just in case. Tully watched the back end of the group, gripping the hidden gun under his cloak. If anything went wrong, he was ready.
They passed by the statue of Harry Hedcrown. Vince and Saul stopped to admire it. It was surreal to see the man from their hometown, the man who was famous for his brilliant mind. His brilliance had followed him all the way to the City. People gathered around, enjoying the sight of the man who started the Crowns. Some even knelt down and prayed to him.
“Hey!” Greene said into their ears. “The two of you need to keep up. Stay with the group. We’re on a tight schedule. You can look at that statue later.” The two of them turned around and pushed through the crowd to catch up.
They entered what looked like a marketplace. Various tables were set up, some with small trinkets, others with oily street food. People yelled over each other, calling out prices and handing out merchandise. It was a crowded, bustling mess. If this was how the underground was, Vince couldn’t imagine what street level was like during peak hours. They reached the end of the path and looked back and forth to find the others.
“Turn right,” Greene said, “and pick up the pace. They’re almost at the entrance to the upper levels.”
They turned right and moved a little faster. As the crowd began to thin, they walked even faster, picking up speed until they reached a steady trot. Off to the side, they saw Charlotte and Tully. They jogged up and studied the door against the wall.
“Sorry about that,” Saul said. “The place is packed. It’s easy to get lost in the mix.”
“Don’t let it happen again,” Tully said. “This mission is too important to be fooling around.”
Vince and Saul nodded.
Their guide walked up to the door. “This door leads to the upper level. It is much less crowded up there, so you shouldn’t get lost, but there will be other concerns. The place is heavily guarded. They follow a strict patrol schedule and their shift change starts in approximately three minutes. That is your one chance to get through. You’ll have about t
en minutes to get in, poison his food, and get out. Screw up and the mission’s over. Do you understand?” They nodded. “Good. This is where I leave you. I can’t risk blowing my cover. Once you’re in, go straight ahead and then turn left. You’ll want to find a bright red tent. That’s where Simon’s chef will be. You know what to do from there. Be careful. I believe there is some sort of alarm system set up. If you trigger it, they’ll be on you in seconds.” He raised his hand. “Good luck.” He stared at his pocket watch, counting down the seconds. When the hand struck zero, he swung the door open. “Go now.”
They dashed through the door and into a small empty courtyard. There were no guards around, just as they had planned. The area split off into five paths.
“I don’t have a visual on you,” Greene said. “You’re on your own.”
“Straight and then left,” Tully said. “Simple enough. We have ten minutes.” He pulled out his own digital watch and pressed the button on the side. A ten-minute countdown began. “We better get moving.”
They softly stepped down the path straight ahead. There was no sign of anyone, which made Vince uneasy. He expected to see at least one person, someone they would have to sneak by, but there was no one.
“This place is empty,” Saul said.
Tully hushed him. “That’s because they’re changing shifts, but that doesn’t mean they can’t hear you. Keep your voice down.
“He’s right,” Charlotte said. “We don’t have many cameras down here, but I have seen some of the footage that we do have. Most of the guards are at the tagging station right now. They take plenty of time tagging out and tagging in, but we can’t get too comfortable. You never know, one of them might stray from the group.
Vince darted his head around, making sure that was not the case. “We would be in a lot of trouble if that happened.”
“Would you all shut up and focus,” Tully whispered. “You’ll just draw more attention.”