by Siegel, Alex
"I'm glad you're happy, finally." Ethel rolled her eyes.
"We have to tell somebody. The authorities need to know!"
"No." She furrowed her brow. "This is a Spears investigation until I say otherwise. We won't tell anybody, especially not the authorities."
"But ma'am, innocent people are dying right now," he said. "Hundreds of them."
"We will deal with that issue at the proper time and in the proper way."
"I have a sworn duty to heal the sick."
"Yes, but not this minute." She stood close to him and stared into his eyes. "I've been in this business for almost three decades, and I know what I'm doing. Trust me. Every problem will be addressed in the correct order. Any other path always leads to disaster."
He clenched his hands. Aaron wondered if Smythe knew how close to death he was. Ethel hated insubordination more than anything else.
"Yes, ma'am." Smythe lowered his eyes.
Aaron noticed yellow light flashing on the ceiling. He went out of the cage and peeked around the plastic curtain. A golf cart loaded with four security guards was approaching rapidly, and it had spinning yellow lights on the front.
"Trouble," Aaron said. "Four guards."
"Armed?" Ethel asked.
"I can't see, ma'am."
She sighed. "It's time to go."
"You could knock these guys out the same way you did Higgins."
"Others are watching through the security cameras, and they'll call the police. Better to leave now. Aaron, you drive."
Aaron sat in the driver's seat of the parked golf cart, and Ethel and Smythe took the back seats. Aaron stomped on the accelerator. The cart with the security guards immediately pursued.
The distance between the carts stayed at a constant thirty yards as they hummed through the warehouse. The chase seemed ridiculously slow to Aaron, but the speedometer showed twenty miles per hour, which was faster than he could run.
"Halt!" one of the guards yelled. "Give up now! You can't escape!"
We'll see about that, Aaron thought.
He looked around for the nearest exit. He heard a warning siren, and then a rumbling noise reverberated from the walls. The docks had giant sliding doors, and all of them were closing at the same time. The guards were locking down the warehouse.
Ethel abruptly ran off, moving a lot faster than the cart. She disappeared from sight after turning a corner.
"Wow," Smythe said. "She's not human."
"She's mostly human," Aaron said. "I even caught her showing emotion a few times. She likes you, by the way."
"How can you tell?"
Aaron glanced at him. "You're not dead. Want some advice? Stop arguing with her."
"I'm not her dumb flunky. I'm allowed to have opinions."
"And she'll listen to them," Aaron said, "once. Repeating yourself just annoys her."
"If she really likes me," Smythe said, "why did she just abandon us? A good soldier never leaves his comrades behind."
"She's not gone. She'll be back. She just didn't want us to slow her down. Besides, I'm sure she wants to see how you handle a tough situation."
"This is a test?"
"Every mission is a test," Aaron said. "So, rookie, what should we do now?"
Two more golf carts loaded with security guards appeared directly ahead. Both ends of the aisle were now blocked.
"Stop the cart," Smythe said. "We'll escape on foot."
Aaron hit the brake and the cart skidded to a stop. He and Smythe jumped out. Smythe took the lead, and they crawled between packages through the open shelves to reach the next aisle. The security guards, who stayed in their golf carts, were forced to go around the long way.
"Good," Aaron said. "Now what?"
Smythe looked around. "There!" He pointed to a support pillar with an attached metal ladder. "We can get onto the roof."
They ran hard. By the time they reached the ladder, security guards were coming from all directions. Smythe climbed first and Aaron followed close behind.
"Damn!" Smythe said when he reached the top. "It's locked!"
Aaron leaned over. There was a steel roof panel, which could be pushed up and open, but a combination lock held it closed. He spat at the lock and it dissolved into bubbling, brown goo.
Guards started to climb the ladder. Fortunately, they were armed with oversized flashlights instead of guns.
Smythe pushed open the panel and crawled onto the metal roof of the warehouse. Aaron quickly followed. The surface was cold and slick with dew. Aaron looked down and spat at the bolts connecting the ladder to the pillar. It broke away, causing the guards to fall off. He closed the roof panel with a loud clang.
"That spitting trick is very handy," Smythe said.
Aaron nodded. "Indeed."
"Can you dissolve anything?"
"Anything that's not alive."
"The acid doesn't affect living tissue?"
"Exactly," Aaron said. "We have to move, so pick a direction."
The roof sloped up slightly to a peak in the center, but otherwise, it was very flat and open. Only some air vents, a solar water heater, and the darkness of night provided any kind of cover.
Smythe ran towards the loading docks. Aaron didn't approve of this choice because there was more light in that direction, but he followed anyway. Perhaps the doctor had a clever idea.
Red and blue lights flashed in the distance.
Smythe reached the edge of the roof and peeked over. Aaron joined him.
The distance to the ground was about twenty-five feet, too far to jump. However, trucks parked at the docks provided landing platforms. Aaron expected that he could fall onto a trailer without getting hurt. I guess the doctor knew what he was doing, Aaron thought.
He heard voices and looked back. Guards were climbing onto the roof through a different access panel. They had obvious trouble seeing in the darkness, but when their eyes adjusted, they would quickly spot Aaron and Smythe.
"If you're planning to get off the roof," Aaron whispered, "now would be a good time."
"Can you fall quietly?" Smythe replied.
"Like a cat."
Smythe positioned himself over a truck trailer, slipped off the roof, and dropped. Aaron heard the thump from the impact but it wasn't bad. When Aaron dropped, he made much less noise. Ethel strongly emphasized ninja skills in her training.
The trailer was vibrating, which meant the truck was running.
He and Smythe dropped a second time to reach the ground. Aaron felt better now that he had room to run and no walls around him.
The cab of the truck opened, and a driver wearing a blue Cubs baseball cap leaned out. He had a curious expression.
"What the hell?" He looked over his shoulder at Aaron and Smythe. "Hey! You're those guys! Help! They're over here!"
Smythe ran over, dragged the driver out of the truck by the arm, and threw him to the ground. One well thrown punch to the jaw silenced him.
Aaron heard other people calling out, which meant the alarm had already been raised. Taking the lead, he ran along the wall of the warehouse to the back side where there were tall weeds. Smythe hesitated before following. They found a nice, dark spot and crouched down.
"We could've used the truck to escape."
"No," Aaron whispered, "trucks are slow. The police would catch us easily."
"I feel like a criminal."
"We could give ourselves up."
"No." Smythe frowned. "I wonder where Ethel is."
Aaron considered calling her to answer that question. However, he didn't want to make her phone ring if she were trying to hide. He had to assume she was smart enough to turn off the ringer.
He took out his phone and discovered to his chagrin that he hadn't turned off his own ringer. He put his phone into vibrate mode and instructed Smythe to do the same.
Aaron called Ethel.
"Where are you, ma'am?" he asked.
"In our car," she said, "waiting for you. You're too slow."
He snarled. I'm just not supernaturally fast. "We're hiding behind the warehouse."
"The police are here."
"I know. We saw the lights."
"I changed my disguise, so they're leaving me alone," she said. "What's your plan?"
He looked around. "There are fields and trees to the south, and it's dark. I think we can escape that way."
"Walk in that direction until you find the road. I'll pick you up there. Bye."
He closed his phone. "Follow me," he told Smythe.
Aaron picked his way through the field of weeds. The rough ground was treacherous in the darkness, and he had to move slowly to avoid twisting an ankle.
Two security guards came around the warehouse, and their flashlights shot beams of white light into the field. Aaron and Smythe instantly dropped down and froze until the light passed. It was a good thing they were wearing black. Aaron's heart was pounding like a drum.
They moved faster as their eyes adjusted. After a couple of minutes, they reached a road. They squatted in a shadow between two bushes. It was very quiet.
"When you heard about the carnival," Aaron said softly, "what made you think of PRooFS?"
"My laboratory team knew there had to be a single, mobile source," Smythe said. "The pattern of outbreaks made that clear. We ran computers searches but never got a hit. It was very frustrating. When Edward told me the places the carnival had visited, I immediately saw the connection. A travelling carnival is a perfect way to distribute a chemical or biological weapon on a mass scale. Hmm."
"What?"
"But I still don't understand how the Eternals got the weapon. It's obvious they're a sophisticated organization, but PRooFS is a monster. It's a perfect killer. It's..."
"Supernatural?" Aaron said.
"Well..." Smythe made a sour face. "I'm not willing to go that far. I need to see hard evidence."
"That's exactly why we're here."
Aaron watched the road. Ethel should've arrived by now. In fact she should've been here to meet them because she was driving instead of walking.
A black shape detached from the shadows. It moved so fast Aaron barely had time to reach for his knife. He relaxed when he realized the shape was Ethel. She hadn't made the slightest noise.
"What happened to the car, ma'am?" he said.
"I left it behind," she said. "The police wouldn't let me drive out of the parking lot."
"That's a shame. There's a lot of nice gear in the trunk, including a few of my favorite guns."
"I'm more upset about the booby traps. When the police search the car, somebody will get killed. Damn."
"What?" Smythe said. "We have to go back! We have to warn them."
Ethel shook her head. "No. God doesn't like it when we hang around after our business is done. We're supposed to be invisible."
"Are you serious, ma'am?"
"The more we interfere, the more pain we cause. We're bringers of death. We're monsters who have no place among ordinary people."
"Bullshit. If you're too scared to go back, then I'll go."
She moved. Before he had time to react, she had a blade pressed against his throat. His jaw trembled but otherwise he remained very still.
She whispered into his ear. "You doubt my wisdom? You question my courage? You are a fool. I should be done with you but I'm in a forgiving mood. So, go on. Warn the police. Learn your hard lesson. And when you come back, I'll expect a humble apology." She withdrew the knife.
He stood up and walked along the road. His legs wobbled, but he didn't hesitate or look back. He headed towards the warehouse.
"Why didn't you kill him?" Aaron said.
"I like his stubborn noble spirit," Ethel said, "or maybe I'm getting sentimental in my old age."
"I should go with him."
"Yes. Watch him closely. I'll stay here."
Aaron ran to catch up to Smythe. They walked side by side up the dark road towards the flashing lights.
"What are you doing?" Smythe said.
"I'm your chaperone," Aaron said.
"You won't try to stop me?"
"Why would I? Ethel told you to go."
"Yeah, right." Smythe furrowed his brow. "What booby traps are in the car?"
"Incendiaries and thermite," Aaron said, "designed to destroy all evidence. There will be nothing left of the car but molten metal."
"Wonderful."
They approached the warehouse. Two police cars blockaded the entrance, and their red and blue lights illuminated the mist. Employees, truckers, and other civilians wandered around the parking lot, obviously unsure about where to go.
A gray, four door sedan was parked behind the blockade. A cop was shining his flashlight through the windows as he examined the interior.
"There it is." Aaron pointed at the car.
Smythe smiled grimly. "We worked so hard to get away and now we're back."
"That was your stupid choice. Let's get this over with."
Smythe walked to the nearest cop and said, "Get everybody away from the car. There is a bomb inside."
The cop was a young man with light brown hair and a handsome face. His uniform looked new and it fit him well. "Huh? Hey!" He drew his gun. "You're under arrest! Get down on your knees and put your hands up!"
Three other officers converged rapidly. Within seconds both Aaron and Smythe were surrounded. They allowed themselves to be handcuffed and patted down. Several knives and guns were taken away.
"I'm serious," Smythe said, "don't touch the car. You'll get killed."
The police found the car keys in Aaron's pocket. The keys were given to a sergeant who, apparently, was in charge. His uniform strained at the seams to contain his pear shaped body. A pencil-thin mustache made a straight line across the middle of his round face. A dark stain marked his shirt under his chin.
"Why did you come back here?" the sergeant said.
"To tell you about the bomb," Smythe said.
The sergeant smiled. "That's funny. I have another idea. You just don't want us to look inside the car. You made up the bomb story to keep us from finding evidence."
"No!"
"Who are you? Where did that black woman go? Why did you attack Mr. Higgins?"
Smythe shook his head. "I won't answer any questions. I just came to warn you. Please, believe me."
The sergeant turned to Aaron. "What about you?"
Aaron shrugged. "I won't talk. You might as well put us in jail right now."
"Sounds good to me. Take them away."
Aaron and Smythe were shoved into the back of a patrol car with their hands still cuffed. The young officer took the driver's seat and his partner sat across from him.
As soon as the car started to move and the cops weren't looking, Aaron wrenched his arms around so he could see his wrists. He spat at the chain that held his cuffs together and it broke in seconds. Then he did the same for Smythe.
Aaron leaned close to Smythe and whispered, "I bet the sergeant will try to open the trunk with my key."
"No," Smythe said. "He wouldn't be that stupid. He'll call the bomb squad."
Aaron raised his eyebrows.
The patrol car was heading south along the main road. The route would take them past Ethel's position, and Aaron knew exactly what would happen next.
"Whoa!" the driver yelled. "That's her!" The car skidded to a stop.
Both officers got out and drew their guns.
Aaron couldn't open his door from the inside so he spat at his window. Bubbling, yellow goo formed a hole big enough for him to reach his arm through, and he opened the door from the outside. As quietly as possible, he got out.
Ethel stood in the middle of the road with her hands up. The car's headlights illuminated her, but her black skin soaked up the light. The gleam in her dark eyes spoke of death.
Both officers had their guns pointed at her. Aaron walked up to the younger cop and punched him in the right shoulder, where the nerve passed through the joint. For the next sev
eral seconds his trigger finger would be useless. Aaron put him in a sleeper hold until he passed out.
Ethel used the momentary distraction to knock out the other cop with a single kick to the head. It sounded like she had hit him with a baseball bat. She and Aaron dragged the unconscious bodies into the weeds.
"How did it go?" Ethel asked.
"No problem, ma'am," Smythe said in a proud tone. "I warned them and nobody got killed. We can leave."
An explosion lit up the sky. Aaron looked back and saw a huge fireball rising from the Riverwalk Warehouse. A thunderous boom came a few seconds later.
"I believe I'm due an apology," Ethel said calmly.
Smythe's face was pale in the headlights of the police car. "I'm... I'm sorry, ma'am."
Ethel nodded. "Now we can leave."
Chapter Seventeen
Aaron walked into the hospital room. Marina was lying in a bed with a bandage on her forehead. She was watching television with a sullen expression.
"Hey!" he said. "How are you feeling?"
She looked over at him. "It's about time you showed up! I'm bored out of my mind. If one more nurse takes my temperature, blood will be spilled. I'm not kidding."
"Sounds like you're feeling better."
"Just a little headache, but I'm ready to work. More than ready."
She got out of bed. She wore a blue gown that was ugly even on her amazing body. Her red hair was a tangled mess.
He handed her a paper bag. "Your clothes."
She immediately began to change in the middle of the room.
"You'll never guess where we're going today," he said. "A carnival. Wiley's Wild and Wacky Carnival of Fun, to be exact."
"Huh?" She gave him a funny look. "Why?"
He quickly summarized yesterday's events.
"Sounds like you had fun," she said. "I'm sorry I missed it."
"It wasn't that much fun, really."
"You spent a lot of time with Smythe. What is your assessment so far?"
Aaron pursed his lips. "Capable, but very stubborn and opinionated."
"Ethel must love that."
"If you mean she would love to kill him, you're right. Are you ready?"
She now wore jeans and an orange, knit sweater, a much better look for her. She quickly brushed out her hair.