Carnival Of Mayhem Part 15

"Let's see," he said.

The trunk was full of suitcases. Some were made of hard plastic and some were steel.

Smythe looked over his shoulder. "Do you have a change of clothes for me? I left my luggage in my car."

"The guys back at headquarters prepped this car. We'll have to see what they packed for us. But be gentle. There may be explosives."

They pulled all the suitcases out, laid them on the ground, and opened them. There were plenty of clothes, and Aaron picked fresh outfits for himself and Marina. Smythe couldn't find anything in his size, so he settled for a few sizes too big, and he took a belt to hold up his pants.

One of the suitcases contained only weapons. The guns were generally small in size and caliber, which disappointed Aaron. He remembered Ethel had not authorized lethal force. He was lucky she had allowed him to have any guns at all.

On the other hand, there was an overabundance of surveillance gear. Aaron had his choice of tracking devices, microphones, video cameras, transmitters, and so on. There was enough stuff to keep a dozen private detectives happy.

"I have to admit," Smythe said in a grudging tone, "your people know how to pack for a mission." One of the suitcases was stuffed full with cash. He touched the neat bundles, which were grouped by denomination. "Seriously, where does all this money come from? Don't tell me G.o.d dropped it from Heaven."

"I honestly don't know the details," Aaron said. "We have special bankers in Manhattan who supply the money we need. It's a subject we're not supposed to talk about too much."

Smythe frowned. "Sounds like a criminal conspiracy."

"When I started, I was a skeptic like you. But then things happened, things that are supposed to be impossible. Eventually, I believed. You will too, if you survive long enough. Ethel will explain everything."

"I'm sure she'll try."

"There is one thing you have to understand right now, though. We are a secret society. That means you don't talk about our business with anybody else. Not your own mother, and certainly not the authorities. If you betray our trust, you're a dead man. You could hide in the deepest cave or the darkest jungle. The Gray Spear Society would still find you."

"Why is secrecy so important? What are you hiding?"

Aaron pursed his lips. "I'll try to explain. Imagine you owned a beautiful mansion with manicured lawns, gardens, expensive art on the walls, and the finest furniture money can buy. Your home is an architectural masterpiece."

"OK.".

"G.o.d sees this world the same way. It's His pride and joy. The problem is that every house has flaws. Sometimes rats get into the walls, or the wrong people move in next door. These flaws have to get fixed quickly and quietly before the house guests notice. We do the fixing."

"But G.o.d doesn't need your help," Smythe said. "He's supposed to be omnipotent."

"He certainly has that reputation. Enough talk. Let's finish sorting this luggage."

Aaron put his own and Marina's clothes into one suitcase, and Smythe packed another. Everything they didn't need was put back in the trunk.

Marina returned to the car carrying two sets of keys.

"That took a while," Aaron said.

"The manager was a real grouch after I woke him up." She gave one set of keys to Smythe. "He called me a tramp. He was very rude."

Aaron smirked. "So, instead of paying him, you knocked him out with your venom and swiped the keys."

"You know me." She held up her sharp, black fingernails. "I thought it was fair, and we'll be gone before he wakes up."

Aaron woke up when the alarm on his phone went off. An instant later he felt needle sharp points pressed against his neck. There was only one possible explanation. He remained perfectly still.

"Relax, Marina," he said slowly and softly. "It's just me. I'm not a threat. Don't kill me."

The sharp points were removed. He rolled over to look at Marina's beautiful, freckled face. Her reddish blonde hair lay strewn across her pillow.

"Sorry," she said.

"You're a little edgy this morning."

"I had a nightmare."

"Want to talk about it?" he said.

"Not really."

"You almost killed me. I deserve to know why."

She swallowed. "OK. A man was raping me. He was huge and covered in black robes. I couldn't move. I felt like he was crushing me. When he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, this black... goo came out. It sprayed all over my face and went down my throat. I was drowning and helpless. It was awful." She squeezed her eyes shut.

He gave her a tender hug. "Maybe it's a sign from G.o.d that we're on the right track."

"I hope so," she said. "At least this nightmare was different than the usual one. It's time to get up."

Aaron went straight to the tracking device, lying on a table. He quickly confirmed that the homing beacon was still nearby and transmitting. "We're good," he said. "The Eternals must still be asleep."

They had allowed themselves only four hours of sleep. It was still dark outside but dawn would come soon. He yawned.

I have to get dressed. He chose blue jeans and a plain green shirt from his suitcase because those clothes would help him blend into a crowd. He strapped a knife to each ankle and put a small gun in a holster under his shirt, just above his belt buckle. He slipped a TEC-9 into a holster on his back in case he needed more firepower. Finally, he put on a gray windbreaker and zipped it up.

Marina wore a brown dress with long, loose sleeves and a full skirt. He expected she carried several knives underneath her clothes. Blades were her specialty. According to her, being very close to her target when she killed made the experience more "intimate and meaningful." No doubt she also carried guns, but it was her weapon of last resort.

"Let's wake up the rookie," Aaron said.

"We'll test him, too," Marina said. "Let's see if he's a heavy sleeper."

"Right now? I don't know if this is a good time for tests."

"Of course it's a good time," she said. "He won't expect it."

He shrugged. "OK, but nothing elaborate. Just a pop quiz."

They packed their belongings and put the luggage back in the car. Then they went to Smythe's room. Marina took a set of lock picks from a hidden pocket in her skirt, looked around, and quietly picked the lock. The worn out, cheap deadbolt presented no challenge for her.

She pushed open the door just enough to peek inside. "He's still in bed," she whispered. "I'll go right and you go left."

She opened the door a little more, and Aaron heard the sound of gla.s.s breaking. He looked down. A fine thread was tied to the door at knee level. Smythe set an alarm. Smart.

There were only two choices now: charge forward or retreat. He didn't wonder which choice Marina would make.

She shoved the door open, but before she could launch herself into the room, he grabbed both her arms and held her tight.

"No!" he said firmly.

She kicked, more out of reflex than intention. He twisted out of the way to avoid taking a shot in the gonads. She finally settled down.

"Why did you stop me?" she said.

"We need to be quiet. The Eternals are just two doors down. The test is over."

She frowned.

Smythe stood up from behind his bed, holding a gun. Something was stuffed under his blanket, and in the darkness it had appeared he was still in bed. It was a cla.s.sic trick meant to confuse intruders, and it had worked.

"What the h.e.l.l are you doing?" Smythe said. "Were you breaking into my room?"

"Sorry," Aaron said. "Marina wanted to ambush you."

"Are you serious? Why?"

"It was a test and you pa.s.sed. Congratulations. Now get dressed. We have work to do."

While Smythe dressed, Aaron studied the tracking device. According to the small display, the homing beacon was thirty yards due east. This reading confused him because the motel didn't extend that far to the east.

"Marina..." he said.

She came over and looked. "That can't be right. The knife would have to be in the river."

Using the tracking device as a guide, he walked around the motel to the riverbank on the other side. The river was about ten yards across, and the brown water moved slowly, hardly making any noise. He could tell that the water level was low because the roots of trees were exposed. His breath turned into mist in the cold air.

The ceremonial knife was stuck in a tree trunk, its point embedded deeply in the wood. The hilt had been pried open to expose the transmitter inside. The knife pinned a black envelope to the trunk.

"d.a.m.n it!" Aaron said.

Marina sighed. "They must've slipped away while we were asleep. We lost them. s.h.i.t."

"At least they left a note."

"I'm guessing it won't be very helpful. We should collect the evidence properly and take it back to headquarters. There could be fingerprints."

"I think I remember seeing some evidence bags in the luggage. I'll go get them."

Aaron walked back to the car. Along the way he encountered Smythe, who had finished dressing. Smythe wore a plain blue shirt and gray pants, and both articles of clothing were perfectly nondescript. Aaron approved.

"We have a problem," Aaron said. "The Eternals are gone. They left the knife behind just to prove they're smarter than us. Help me find the evidence kit."

He opened the trunk of the car and they dug through the luggage.

"You impressed me this morning," Aaron said. "Who taught you to be so paranoid?"

"The battlefield was my instructor," Smythe said. "You learn how to protect yourself in war, or you die."

"Useful lessons. I never spent any time in an actual war zone, unless you count the streets of Chicago."

"I miss the intensity. It's addictive. It's hard to live a 'normal' life afterwards."

"I know what you mean." Aaron nodded. "Why do you think I have this job?"

He found the evidence kit on the bottom of the pile, of course. They began putting everything else back.

"Actually, I don't know why," Smythe said. "Your job seems insane. I certainly don't believe all the religious c.r.a.p."

"You'd still walk away, if you could?"

"Sure. I never volunteered for this."

"It's interesting the way that worked out," Aaron said. "We needed a teammate with your expertise and here you are."

"Are you suggesting G.o.d set me up? Woods' accident was part of some divine plan?"

"I'm making an observation."

"What kind of G.o.d kills a man just to force me to join your crazy club?" Smythe stared.

Aaron shrugged and closed the car trunk. They started walking around the hotel.

"Are you religious?" Smythe asked.

"Not very."

"That's a strange answer, coming from somebody who claims he works for G.o.d."

"The Gray Spear Society is not a religion," Aaron said. "We don't have long ceremonies or organized prayer. We're just employees of the Almighty."

"But you believe in G.o.d."

"I've actually felt His presence and seen His manifestations. But I'm a soldier, not a priest. I honor the Lord by destroying His enemies. That's all He wants from me."

They arrived back at the tree. Marina stared up at the knife with a contemplative expression. It was too high for her to reach from the ground.

"Cute," Smythe said. "The Eternals sure made you two look like idiots."

"I guess the homing beacon wasn't hidden well enough," Marina said. "It was a good idea, though."

"What made you decide to investigate them?"

"We talked to the local fringe lunatics about what was happening at Saint Athanasius," Aaron said.