HSH: Hero Heist Chap 9-10
Chapter 11
The Safe House
Ah. Italy.
Of course, I wasn’t as excited to be there than to be off the plane. Don’t get me wrong, the emotions filling me of actually setting foot in this foreign territory was covering my arms in goosebumps. But the fact I was no longer sitting next to Klaus trumped that about ten times.
No matter what thrilled me more, I had to admit, even the view through the airport windows was breathtaking. The snowcapped mountains far in the distance, looming over little towns and cities dotting the landscape made me wonder why I’d fought so hard against coming. Even the dangers involved were worth what I was seeing.
I pulled out my camera and snapped a photo. At least I’d have something to show my parents that resembled a normal vacation.
As I made to shove the camera into my pocket, someone crashed into me from behind, nearly sending the camera tumbling to the floor. Luckily, I grabbed it mentally an inch before it shattered into a thousand pieces and floated it back up to my hand.
As I looked at my assailant my blissful moment with the landscape faded.
“Apologies.” This time I was pretty sure Klaus meant it. However, all the bruises I was sure to have on my left calf from the constant abuse on the plane, made me a little less than forgiving at that moment.
Stepping out of striking distance, I stood next to Jayson. I figured it would be safer that way. The boy was also staring out the giant glass window like I had been.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” I asked.
“I’ll say.” Even his voice sounded transfixed on the Italian countryside before us.
I looked out again and couldn’t help but be taken in by it all. I couldn’t help but think: if it looked this wonderful here at a crowded airport, how great would it be to see it up close?
I couldn’t dwell on it though. I hadn’t gotten to say more than two words to Jayson since leaving Pittsburgh, and I needed to know where the boy stood.
“What has Quinn told you about this whole mission?”
He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “Not much. We’re going to steal some old object.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
He shifted from foot to foot, and purposely averted his gaze from mine. “Not really. But if it means my mom doesn’t have to work three jobs anymore, then I don’t care.”
Quinn had a firm grip on him, but at least he could be saved. I still wasn’t sure about Klaus—not that I’d want him on my side anyway. If I could at least pry Jayson free of Quinn’s clutches, I could at least consider it a small victory.
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it.” It was the absolute truth. I hadn’t ever so much as stolen a piece of candy. How was I going to react when the time finally came to steal something important?
“We’ll do fine,” Jayson said with such conviction, he almost made me believe it. He looked up and smiled. The smile seemed confident, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes. This boy was as unsure of what we were doing here as I was.
I gave him a warm and caring grin in return—one that told him he wasn’t alone.
“Our transportation has arrived,” came Quinn’s deep voice.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. How long had he been standing behind us?
Spinning on the man, I made sure my stony expression returned. I didn’t need him knowing what had transpired between me and Jayson.
“Let’s go. The two other members of our team are waiting at the safe house.”
“Safe house?” I asked aloud without meaning to.
“Yes, a place where no one should be able to find us.”
“Great,” I muttered.
I’m not sure if Quinn heard me or not, but no matter what, if we were going to a place where I couldn’t be tracked, that was definitely a bad thing for me.
Jayson, Klaus and I were led by Quinn through Torino Airport, following the signs to the pick up area. As we made our trek through the crowds, I was surprised at how many people were speaking English. I always knew many people around the world spoke English, but I still figured I’d hear more people speaking Italian.
My eyes went wide with surprise as we walked through the doors and gazed upon a young man in a black suit holding a sign reading “Quinn”. It wasn’t the man though that caused my eyes to bulge from my head. It was the limousine he was standing in front of.
I’d only rode in a limo once, when I was five and a flower girl in Uncle Murray’s wedding. I felt like a princess, getting to ride in such a big and fancy car, wearing a beautiful white dress (yeah, me in white—I know). The limo sitting in front of me was twice as big and twice as nice. But I must have grown up quite a bit in the last eleven years, because this car didn’t make me feel special in any way.
“Let me get those for you.” The young man said as he grabbed my luggage. He opened the trunk and then put my bag in, followed by everyone else’s. Quinn slipped him some money and then ushered us into the back.
The back of the limo could probably have fit a dozen people, so there was plenty of room for the four of us. I sat first, and Klaus insisted on sitting next to me. I made a noise that sounded much like a lion’s growl and then moved.
“Hotel Chelsea,” Quinn told our driver, and the car rolled away from the airport.
We rode away from the airport down a two lane highway. It was very wooded and I thought for a moment the driver was taking us in the wrong direction. As I was about to say something about this to Quinn though, the entire landscape opened up and before us was a city sprawling out in all directions. There weren’t very many tall buildings to be seen—at least, I couldn’t see any skyscrapers like we had in Pittsburgh. The city looked old, much older than anything I’d ever seen. From a distance, I could tell there were just as many—if not more—old brick buildings as there were cement ones.
“Mr. Quinn?” Jayson asked. “How are we supposed to understand what’s going on if we can’t tell what anyone’s saying?”
“What do you mean?” I interrupted before Quinn could respond. “Everyone’s been speaking English. We shouldn’t have any problems.”
The way Jayson looked at me then, his head crooked and his eyes half opened, made me feel like I was crazy. “What are you talking about? No one’s said a word in English since we got here?”
It was my turn to gaze upon Jayson quizzically. One of us was insane, and I was sure it wasn’t me.
We’d been staring at each other for what seemed like a few minutes, when we were broken apart by Quinn’s slight chuckle. When I turned to look at him, I was greeted with a very amused look.
“Jayson, I wouldn’t worry about understanding what anyone is saying. Christine is right. Most people understand English here, and if you speak to them in English, they will do their best to help you.”
I was about the give Jayson an “I told you so” look, but Quinn continued.
“And Christine, he is absolutely correct. No one has been speaking English.”
I shook my head, hoping maybe it would unscramble the words Quinn spoke into something coherent. “What? It sounded like you said no one has been speaking English.”
“Yes,” he responded. “I did.”
“But, I’ve been understanding everyone.”
“That’s because of your ability. You can hear people’s thoughts, and thoughts, are universally understood. So, when someone speaks, you are hearing what they are thinking and not their words. Do you understand?”
“Not really,” I admitted. It sounded like English. I would think I knew what my own language sounded like.
Shaking his head, but still wearing that same amused visage, he said, “Your brain translates for you. No matter what people say, you hear it in English. Just as when you speak, everyone will hear you in their own native language.”
“Does that mean Kaiser-Boy over here has been speaking in German this whole time.”
“No,” Klaus responded. “I speak very good Ameri-caan English.”
“Well, your accent could use some work then.” I rolled my eyes and turned away.
We rode through the city then, winding down some very narrow streets in our car. I took out my camera and took some pictures of some interesting looking buildings. Some of the old architecture was like something I’d only seen in old movies. It was almost like stepping into the past.
I wasn’t the only one staring out the windows though. Jayson too was as amazed as I was. Klaus, however, didn’t seem too impressed, and that was probably because he’d grown up with stuff like this his whole life—after all, he was from Europe.
Eventually, we stopped in front of a small five floor building, with a gray and green canopy over the door which read, “Hotel Chelsea.”
“I suppose my mind is translating the sign too?” I asked.
The driver had come around to open the door, and before Quinn stepped out, he looked over at the sign and said, “No, it really says ‘Hotel Chelsea’.”
We all climbed out of the car, the driver helping each of us step out. And I stood in front of a tiny little storefront that appeared to sell picture frames and other little knick knacks. Next to the window, on the corner of the building was a small sign. I assumed it was the street sign and it read: Via XX Settembre.
20 September Street?
“You three grab our bags,” Quinn said. “I’m going to check us in.” With that, Quinn walked off.
I looked at my watch. It was nearly 2 o’clock local time. The others would arrive in about five hours. I needed to tell them where we were staying so they’d be able to procure a room nearby. This might be my only chance to do so, because I doubted Quinn would let us leave his sight this afternoon.
Pulling out my cell phone, I found both Ethan’s and Abby’s numbers and sent one simple text message: Hotel Chelsea – Via XX Settembre. I was sure they’d be able to find the place. Now, I would just have to figure a way to get away from these people.
The driver handed me my mother’s rolling luggage and then got in the car and drove off. We three teenagers stood in front of the old hotel, staring at it and holding our bags like lost little kids.
Klaus was the first to move, walking across the narrow street. Jayson and I turned to each other, both wondering what we were getting into, and then did the same.
The inside looked as old as the outside. The walls were painted in a faded yellow color, but looked like it had been painted recently. Though the age of the place was apparent, it had been very well maintained. An old man sat behind a small brown desk and he was busily talking to Quinn.
“You and your children will love the sites. Be sure to take them to see Porta Palatina and the statue of Julius Caesar.”
“We will be taking in all the sites,” Quinn assured the man as he slipped the room key from his hands. “Thank you for the advice.”
“No problem. Remember, if you need anything, just call down and ask for Gianni.”
“Will do.” Quinn turned to us and motioned toward the stairs. “We’re on the fourth floor.”
“Have a good holiday,” Gianni said as he eyed all three of us and then sat back behind his desk and turned to his computer.
There was no elevator, which hardly surprised me, so we had to carry our bags up the stairs. Thankfully I packed light, otherwise the steep, narrow stairway would have been hell to traverse.
There were only three or four rooms on each floor, and as we walked up the stairs, I didn’t see anyone else. However, as we approached our floor, I began to get an uneasy feeling. One of those feelings I usually got when something I didn’t like was going to happen.
I looked over at Quinn. If I felt it, he must have too. But, as usual, the man gave no indication he had any emotion whatsoever.
We got to out room—402. Quinn unlocked the door and we stepped inside.
When I entered the room, I instinctively threw my bag to the ground and lunged at the two people I saw in there. I had taken them by surprise and the three of us fell to the floor. I had barely gotten to throw a punch before a pair of hands yanked me away. I struggled to break free. Whoever was holding me back didn’t understand how dangerous these two were.
“Get the hell out of here! We have nothing for you to steal!” I spat at them.
I continued to fight desperately to get free of the grip. During my struggles I noticed it was Quinn who’d grabbed me and who was trying to drag me from the room. “Let go!” I shouted.
“You never said this psycho was part of your team.” The young man in the trenchcoat said this. His face was unshaven and left him looking scruffy. I’d met him three months ago when he and his sister robbed me on the train to New York.
“At least I’m not a lowlife thief!”
The boy looked like he was going to hit me. If he did, not even Quinn would be able to hold me back from beating the boy to a pulp.
As he stepped forward, the girl grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Johnny. No.” She was the more sensible of the two.
“Gina! Control your brother!” Quinn yelled at her.
At that moment, I felt myself lifted off my feet as Quinn used both physical strength and a mental push to toss me back through the door. Now Jayson, Klaus and Quinn stood between me and the two thieves.
I tried to shove myself back through, but I was rooted to the spot. Quinn had mentally locked my feet to the floor. Fighting against his mental prowess, I did my best to move.
“Everyone calm down.” Quinn said. “Johnny, Gina, sit over there.” He pointed to the bed furthest from the door.
Then he looked at me, still fighting against his hold. I pushed hard against him, fought hard until, my right foot lifted from the floor and stepped forward. As if there was a magnet under the floor, my foot was pulled back down.
A wave of shock smacked me as Quinn watched me take another step with my left foot. Like the first time, my foot only moved a little bit before it was pulled back to the floor. Even if it took me an hour, I was determined to make it to Johnny and Gina and get rid of them.
“How do you know each other?” Quinn asked. I would have thought it was an act, but the look of mingled anger and confusion on his face said he seriously had no idea how we could possibly know each other.
“They robbed me. Then left us all to die at Camp Hero!” I took another step toward them. Each step I took seemed to get easier, either because Quinn’s grip was weakening, or because I was fighting harder against it—I couldn’t tell.
“Will you stop fighting me!” yelled Quinn. “They’re here because I asked them to be here. Now stop acting like a child!”
“Fine!” I stomped on the floor with my final step, then made no more movement. “But as long as they’re here, I’m not. You said you needed me. So make your choice. What’s it going to be?”
Quinn’s face became hard as steel at that second. I swear I saw his eyes glow with a raging fire. “Your attempt to bluff me is nothing short of pathetic. You’ve come all this way, and you’re not going to stop now. You have as much to gain from this as I do.”
My heart beat against my ribcage. A thousand thoughts ran through my head as I went over his last sentence. The foremost one that came to mind was, Does he know I’m planning on betraying him? If he did, then my rebellion was killed before it began.
“You are going to have to learn to get along. We are all on the same team.” Quinn looked between Johnny, Gina and myself.
Gina looked at my and then flicked her head back, sending the purple streak in her hair whipping out of her face. She appeared about as pleased with this arrangement as I was. At least I did have one advantage over her—she was afraid of me. The same couldn’t be said for her brother.
“Okay,” I said as calmly as my vocal chords would allow.
“I can live with it,” Johnny said.
“Good,” Quinn said. He finally moved out from between us and broke his mental hold on my feet.
I lifted my legs easily, to make sure I could move if I had to. Apparently he’d had a similar grip on Johnny, because he too flexed himself to make sure he could defend himself if I decided to attack again.
“You have an hour to settle yourselves in,” Quinn informed all five of us. “Then we’re moving out.”
“You still haven’t told us vhat ve’re doing here,” Klaus said, mirroring all of our thoughts.
Quinn stopped then and looked at each of us in turn. Every one of us, including Johnny and Gina, all looked at him in anticipation. I may have been the only one who had any idea what was going on, and only because I had done some digging.
He’d promised each of them money in return for their commitment to this mission—me, a web of lies and deceit. The way I glared at him now told him he better not try and dodge the question.The others’ emotions echoed those feelings.
The man decided he couldn’t hold out any longer otherwise he’d have a mutiny on his hands. “In the 1930s, as Adolph Hitler rose to power, he began a search for, shall we say, powerful artifacts. The first item he found was a spear. Not just any spear, but the spear that stabbed Christ in the side when he hung from the cross—The Spear of Destiny.
“He had some of his top and most trusted scientists study the artifact to determine what gave it its power. They found blood permeating through every pore of the metal. Yes, the blood was old, crusted, dried, but genetic material was still found inside. They developed a serum from that material which, when injected into a human being, gave incredible powers.
“As the war began, he sent his agents to the far corners of the Earth in search of the other artifacts. The only other object that was found was the Cup of Christ, otherwise known as the Holy Grail.”
He didn’t brandish the cup, and he sent me a mental shove that told me I better not say a word about it. He didn’t want them to know about it, probably because knowing he had the cup that held the key to eternal life would make him a target. I didn’t blame him for this particular secret.
“Yo, man!” Johnny spoke up. “I don’t care about the history lesson. The only reason my sis an’ I are still sitting here is because you promised us a payday. So, let’s get on with it.”
“And as I’ve told you before, I will not tolerate this insolent behavior.”
Suddenly, Johnny was screaming, like his body was filled with intense pain. Gina jumped away from him and wailed too, but hers was more out of fear than pain. Nothing seemed to be happening to either of them. However, knowing my own powers, I had a pretty good idea what Quinn was doing to them.
Concentrating on Johnny, I saw flames licking his clothes, charring his flesh. Quinn was mentally torturing the boy for a simple comment. If he was trying to teach the boy a lesson, it had already been learned. He didn’t need to continue, yet he was still pushing into the twins’ minds, making them both believe he was burning.
Acting quickly, I pushed out with all the mental force I could, slamming Quinn into the wall. In my haste, I think the unfocused blast caught Klaus a bit, because he tumbled into the bed. No big loss. The important thing was, Johnny and Gina had both stopped screaming.
Quinn quickly straightened and composed himself. He didn’t look happy, but he also didn’t appear angry either. He shook his head at me and I prepared myself for the inevitable attack.
But it didn’t come.
Instead, Quinn turned to Johnny. “I’m assured you have seen the error of your ways.” It was apparent to everyone he was containing some barely restrained rage. He had to be losing his touch, because he used to be able to stay so calm, no matter what the situation.
Quinn opened the door and stepped back into the hall. Our eyes all followed him, but none of us moved. Johnny and Gina were still recovering from their bit of torture, and Jayson and Klaus were a little shocked at what they’d seen. None of the four had ever seen Quinn use his powers like that before. Hell, I’d never seen him use them either. I’d been on the giving end of that particular power.
Do I look like that when using my powers? Is that how Peter had seen me when…?
“Are you coming?” Quinn’s tone was friendlier, making him seem almost bipolar. “You wanted to find out what we’re here for. Follow me.”
Chapter 12
The Shroud of Turin
We marched out of the Hotel Chelsea and made a left down the narrow street. Only one block away, the street opened into a wide courtyard, and in front of us was a white building, seemingly standing away from the buildings surrounding it. The building could have been brand new, or it could have been hundreds of years old, I honestly couldn’t tell. Near it was a tower made of a dark brick far older than the building itself.
The cross on the tallest steeple of the white building was all I needed to see to understand what the building was—a church.
I would have said we looked conspicuous, standing on a street corner, staring at the church, but there were many others gawking at the building. People entered and exited the large wooden doors at the front of the building, while others stood at various points in the square taking pictures.
“This is what we’re here for,” Quinn informed us.
“What is this building?” Jayson asked.
“Turin Cathedral,” Quinn announced.
I took in a deep breath. Even though I had known all along this was what we’d been after, standing here, in front of the building made it more real.
“We’re going to steal the building?” Jayson was a little more than confused.
“No,” I explained. “We’re after what’s inside.”
“And what’s that?” Johnny’s voice was once again short and gruff, as he tried to regain his tough-guy façade after us seeing him scream like a girl earlier.
I wasn’t about to let him think he could intimidate me though. I stepped to him and leaned in so my face was right on top of his. “Maybe you should have paid more attention in history.” Even though he stood a few inches taller than me, I felt like I towered over him at that moment. “We’re in the city of Turin and there is only one artifact associated with this city. The Shroud of Turin.”
He sneered at me and pushed me away. “Get away from me!”
I barely stumbled and gave the boy a smirk. But then I turned to Quinn, to ask one of the many unanswered questions I had. “But can you explain what you want the shroud for? I mean, it has the same genetic material on it as the spear and the cup. What difference does the shroud make?”
“All the difference in the world.” He shook his head as if the answer to my question was obvious. “We literally have the blood of God pumping through our veins. There are many, including your own M.H.D.A., who would kill to get their hands on any one of these artifacts. If they did, they could create an army of super powered soldiers who have the potential to make the Holocaust look like a game of capture the flag. By gathering these objects, I make it impossible for anyone to get their hands on them.”
“Except you,” I said.
“Better in my hands then theirs.”
“If dhey are so dangerous, vhy not destroy dhem?” Klaus interjected.
“Could you honestly say you could destroy an artifact that ancient and important? No, these artifacts mark our history. They mustn’t simply be burned, or melted, or harmed in any way.”
“So, essentially, you’re trying to protect the world?” Jayson asked.
Quinn considered the question with pursed lips for a moment, then nodded. “Absolutely.”
I didn’t know how much of what he’d said to believe. Could others be after these artifacts? It seemed strange anyone else would even know what they could do. Could Quinn really be trying to protect the objects? Was the M.H.D.A. really after the shroud like Quinn?
No. It wasn’t possible. They were supposed to be the good guys.
But, weren’t they trying to do what Quinn said he was trying to prevent? The room I’d found the spear in had been set up as some kind of lab. They could have been creating soldiers in that very room. Plus, until I found it, they had possession of the Spear of Destiny. They were probably extracting genetic material from it all this time to create the super-human formula.
Was the M.H.D.A. the true bad guy?
“So, let’s go get it,” Johnny said, striding toward the cathedral.
Gina grabbed his arm, stopping him before he made it three steps. “Johnny, be patient. If we don’t follow orders, we won’t get paid.”
He rolled his neck around as if trying to remove some kink. Then he glared at her. The longer the two gazes were locked, the more Johnny’s face softened. Finally, he let out a sigh. “All right, whatever you say, sis.” He turned back and rejoined our little group.
“Now that our little outburst is over, we’re going back to the hotel and you all are going to get some rest. We begin first thing tomorrow morning.”
“And what do we begin?” I asked.
“You might know all about history,” Johnny shot at me, making me want to give him another dose of mental torture, “but you know crap about heists. The first thing you need to do is stake the place out and come up with a plan.”
“This coming from Mr. Smash and Grab.” I shook my head.
“You think you’re so high and mighty.”
“And you’re an idiot.”
I turned away from him then, satisfied I managed to get the last word in. I walked the block back to the hotel, with the others not too far behind me. I could hear them murmuring. I heard Quinn several times tell Johnny he needed to calm down and needed to work with me. I was pretty sure I’d be hearing similar words later.
I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to be cordial to Johnny under any circumstances. No matter what Quinn’s true motive was, whether he was telling the truth and really wanted to protect the world, or if he had darker motives, he didn’t know Johnny and Gina like I did. Even though there wasn’t much trust to be had in our little group, the two of them were probably the most untrustworthy.
I made it to the corner of the hotel, stopping underneath the big neon sign glowing overhead. Leaning against the wall, I saw someone across the street, seemingly hiding in the shadows. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but the person standing there had no thoughts whatsoever. Obviously he was an Agent.
Quinn and the others were only about thirty feet away, and if I could sense the man in the shadows, I was sure Quinn would too. Not wanting to be seen by Quinn, I turned slightly so he couldn’t see my right arm and while pretending to study one of the potted bushes, lining the sidewalk, I motioned with my hand to make the Agent go away. I then held up my five fingers for him to see. Hopefully he got the message I’d be back in five minutes and would be able to talk to him then.
He didn’t move for a moment, but it looked like he was talking. Probably getting orders from someone, I surmised. Then he slinked further in the shadows as Quinn and the others strolled up.
“Vhat are you looking at?” Klaus asked me.
I was still staring down the street, into the shadows where the Agent had been. Klaus was trying to follow my gaze to see what held my attention.
“Nothing really,” I lied, turning toward him. “I was wondering if this bush was real or not. It looked like it might be fake.”
“Silly American,” he said. “Vhy vould anyone plant a fake bush? You can be so foolish zometimes.”
I wanted to tell him I wasn’t a fool. I wanted to come up with a hundred reasons someone might plant a fake bush. Instead, I forced myself to smile and giggle a little like he’d said something amusing.
He took it the wrong way. He laughed a little bit too, then punched me lightly on my shoulder. “I break your icy exterior. You no longer hate me? Yah? Vee be friends?”
Instead of answering, I punched him back. “If you stop hitting me, maybe I’ll consider it.”
“It is, how you say, a deal.”
“Klaus, Christine,” Quinn called from the doorway. He sounded like a teacher leading his class through the city streets and was trying to corral the stragglers. “Come on, we have to get some rest. Big day tomorrow.”
“Be right there,” I shouted back.
Quinn looked at us through half-closed eyes. Then he smiled and gave a wink before he went inside. I wondered why he had that reaction. It didn’t take too long to figure out he’d sifted through Klaus’ head. Unfortunately for me, his thoughts weren’t what one might call appropriate.
“So, vee are alone,” he said with a wink of his own.
He leaned in on me and closed his eyes, expecting to get a kiss. How could the boy be so stupid? I pushed him, both physically and mentally to get him to back off. He stumbled back and opened his eyes up in shock.
“I thought vee be friends. Vee have a deal.”
“Yes, friends, not lovers.”
He looked uncomprehendingly at me, as if in his mind there was no difference between the two.
Grunting, I walked away, using the disagreement as a reason to leave. I had to meet the Agent and find out what he wanted. Besides, my need to get away from the boy was all too real. If I stayed , I probably would have killed him.
“Christine, vait for me!” The boy was persistent. I had to give him that.
I stopped in the middle of the street, which probably wasn’t the best idea. But since the only car I’d seen so far was our own limo, I was pretty sure I wasn’t about to be hit by anything. In a second, he was standing in front of me again.
“I apologize.”
“It’s okay. I think we should get away from each other for a little bit.” It wasn’t a lie. I couldn’t meet with the Agent if he was hovering over my shoulder. I had no idea where Klaus’ allegiances were. He could potentially run right back to Quinn and reveal everything.
He didn’t look like he was going to bite though. He stayed put, as if I might change my mind in a second. Persistent as he may be, the boy didn’t take a hint.
I started to retreat, backing away from him slowly, but Klaus matched my every movement. I had no choice but to send him a much harsher message. I grabbed hold of his thoughts, and altered those thought patterns so his infatuation became disgust.
His entire demeanor changed in less than a second. Where lust and attraction had filled his eyes a moment before, now only confusion and a look of distaste remained. He stopped his advance and allowed me to back away from him. By the time I made it to the opposite sidewalk, he’d already turned and was trudging back to the hotel.
The feeling would pass in a few minutes, and I was sure he would figure out what I’d done, but a few minutes was all I needed to find a meeting place with the Agent.
As soon as he was out of sight, I ran down the darkened street where I saw the Agent escape. I reached out, trying to sense the emptiness I was all too familiar with. It didn’t take long to find him, less than a block away, hiding in a small courtyard filled with trees. He had his back on one of the trees, waiting casually for me to walk up.
Once I was close enough, I was able to tell who it was. I honestly hadn’t expected him to come out to the field. I pictured him as one who delegates tasks such as this to his subordinates.
“Smith, what are you doing here?”
“Agent Smith, if you would Agent Carpenter.” He groaned in frustration at my informality. “Nice work slipping away.”
Wow. A compliment from Agent Smith, the world might come to an end.
“We only have a few minutes before you’re missed, so let’s get to the point. What intel have you gathered thus far?” I had to hand it to him, the man really did put himself entirely in his job. He didn’t even have time for a “hello, how you doing?” He went right to the conversation.
Not that it was much of a conversation. I explained how we’d been right about the target, and I told Smith about what Quinn had told us about saving the world. I explained about the three added members of the team and how Quinn had promised each of them a big payment on completion of the mission. Smith didn’t betray anything. If someone were watching us, they’d probably think I was telling him about my day seeing the sites of Torino.
Which begged the question, if Smith didn’t react to Quinn’s motive, did he already know about it? Maybe Smith was hiding something. On the other hand, he could be as good at hiding emotions as Quinn and Abby were. Either way, I still had no real answers.
“Do we have a timetable?” Smith asked when I was finished.
I shook my head. “He hasn’t said anything, but we are doing surveillance tomorrow. If I’m right, we’ll be hitting the cathedral by the end of the week.”
He made a barely perceptible nod. “Keep me informed. Your team should be arriving at their location in just under two hours. We will be watching.”
He pulled a matchbook and a cigarette out of his pocket. I would never have pegged him as a smoker. But he pulled a match from the book and lit the cigarette, inhaling a small puff of smoke and causing the tip to light bright orange. He blew smoke out of his mouth and then tossed the burnt match and the matchbook on the ground.
“Text me at this number if you need to meet. I will be here ten minutes after I receive the message.” I expected him to hand me a paper or a card with a phone number on it, but instead, he walked away, tossing the barely smoked cigarette into the grass as he did.
He was gone by the time I thought to call to him and ask, “What number?” Why did Smith always have to be so cryptic? If it were Abby, she would have given me the number to dial with specific instructions. Smith seemed like he wanted me to pluck the number from the air through some clairvoyant power I didn’t possess—okay, I sort of possessed it.
Smith hadn’t even given me any information either. My team was going to be here soon, but where? What were they planning on doing to Quinn? How were they going to stop him? Where would they be watching from? I wanted so badly to howl and curse, but all I did was kick the trunk of the tree he’d been leaning against.
In kicking the tree, my foot moved the matchbook Smith had thrown in the grass. It flipped over and revealed words on the cover. It read: Smith’s Auto-Service – 011 555 2626.
“Oh, he’s good.” I picked it up. If Quinn saw this, he wouldn’t think anything of it. A simple matchbook for some auto mechanic wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. My frustrations with the Agent simply vanished as I walked back up the street to the Hotel Chelsea.
However, the good natured feelings too vanished, when I saw Klaus, standing in the doorway of the hotel, waiting for me.
Like what you’ve read? Well this isn’t the end of the story for Christine and her friends. New chapters will be coming soon! Stay with us and enjoy the fun!
Check out more High School Heroes stuff at our website!
Also, if you like the content above, we have plenty more for you! We will always post stuff you can access for free, but we also have premium content for our premium subscribers. Want to access this content and see what it’s all about? You can be hitting that Subscribe Now button below and starting a 7-day free trial!