"We'll just have to be sneaky."

"If we get caught, act drunk and stupid."

He nodded. "Got it."

The carnival was divided into two sections, public and private, with the public section in front. A temporary fence marked the division and the openings were guarded, so the direct route wasn't an option. Aaron and Marina left through the front entrance and began the long walk around the block.

The night sky had an orange tint. He looked east and saw Chicago glowing in the distance.

His phone rang. He opened it and said, "h.e.l.lo?"

"What are you doing?" Ethel said.

He looked across the busy street. Ethel and Smythe had set up an observation post on the roof of a grocery store. They were sitting on lawn chairs and watching through binoculars. They were dressed in black, and Aaron couldn't see them in the darkness, but he knew their approximate location.

"Going around to the back side, ma'am," he said.

"Be careful," Ethel said.

"Always. Have you seen anything worth reporting?"

"No."

"How is Smythe doing?"

"Very quiet," she said, "which is good. I've had enough of his whining."

"The carnival is closing pretty soon. You might let him collect some food samples now."

"I'll consider it. Bye."

"Bye." He put his phone in his pocket. He turned to Marina and said, "Ethel didn't sound happy."

"She doesn't like new recruits in general," Marina said, "and Smythe is a particular pain in the a.s.s. I'm starting to like him though. He's a pain in the a.s.s for the right reasons. It would be a shame to lose him."

"He'll shape up. I'm sure of it. He's smart enough to figure out which lines he can't cross."

They now had a good view of the back side of the carnival. Semi trucks and motor homes were packed tightly together to form long, neat rows. Thick cables ran to large electrical generators, and Aaron heard them chugging even from a few hundred yards away. Bright floodlights illuminated the parking lot on all sides. Sentries were posted everywhere, as if the carnival were a military encampment. It seemed there was no way to approach unseen.

"This is a problem," he said.

"As usual," Marina said.

"We should've expected heavy security. They're professional a.s.sa.s.sins, after all."

"I'm actually happy to see some security. If there are guards, then they must be guarding something important."

"So, how do we get in?"

"I don't know." She frowned. "It's a shame we can't just kill them. There is a sniper rifle in the truck, and you're a great marksman. Ethel doesn't need to know."

"Be serious," he said.

"Fine. We don't have to make this complicated. It will take us about thirty seconds to run through the lights and hide, so we just need to distract the sentries for that long."

"I'll call Ethel. She can arrange a distraction for us."

Smythe watched Ethel as she finished her conversation and closed her phone. Even this small motion was executed with uncanny precision. She never seemed to relax.

She looked at him, and as usual, the darkness in her eyes troubled him. It wasn't natural. The Eternals worshipped the night but she was made of it. Shadows seemed to cling to her skin like sticky webs.

"Aaron and Marina are having a little trouble," she said. "They need a distraction. Go create one."

"How big a distraction?" he said.

"Big. There are incendiaries in the truck, but don't kill anybody."

"Yes, ma'am."

"While you're down there," she said, "you may also collect your precious food samples."

He smiled slightly. "Yes, ma'am."

Smythe stood up and his knee joints popped. He had been sitting on a lawn chair in the cold for hours. His whole body felt stiff as a board.

He and Ethel were on the roof of a grocery store. The location was high enough for them to observe the entire carnival, and n.o.body could see them from the street. It was a great lookout post.

He had a strange sensation in his body, which made him pause.

"Something wrong?"

"Maybe," he said. "I'm feeling a little warm. I hope I'm not getting sick."

"You have a tingling in your guts? A burning in your veins? Everything looks brighter and sharper than usual?"

"Yes, ma'am." He stared at her. "You know what it is?"

She smiled. "You wouldn't believe me. It's a good sign though, so don't worry. You're fine. Get moving."

He walked over to a rope ladder attached to a grappling hook. He climbed down the ladder and dropped softly onto the parking lot behind the store.

He jogged across the street, dodging traffic along the way. It felt good to get his blood moving. He felt good in general, not sick at all despite the extra warmth in his body.

The white truck was locked and he had the key, but if he just tried to open the door, the truck would explode. An effective distraction, he thought, but not the one I want. He reached under the rear b.u.mper and felt around until he found a key pad. The keys were different shapes, and working by touch alone, he pressed the right sequence. Then he unlocked the rear door. No boom. Good.

He went into the back of the truck. There was enough equipment on hand for an entire commando unit, and Smythe approved of the level of preparation. It was impossible to bring too many guns to a fight.

He decided to keep the distraction simple. He grabbed a small block of C4, a detonator, and a timer. Choosing how he would collect the food samples required more thought. He couldn't just stroll through the carnival with an evidence kit. He settled on a plastic garbage bag and a pair of latex gloves, which he stuffed into his coat pocket.

He went outside and looked around. What should I blow up? Destroying a car in the parking lot could spray burning gasoline all over. He needed an isolated target. His gaze settled on a dumpster overflowing with garbage bags. Perfect.

He jogged over. Quickly, he a.s.sembled the bomb and set the timer for three minutes. He pushed the bundle down deep into the pile of garbage. He walked away at a quick pace.

Without looking back, he went into the carnival and sought out the nearest food vender. He snapped on the latex gloves.

The bomb exploded with a thud that rattled his body. Trash flew high in the air, creating a volcano of burning debris. All eyes turned in that direction.

Smythe used the distraction to swipe some food. He stole a hotdog from a boy's hand and a slice of pizza from a little girl. They yelled, but he didn't care. He also stole a couple of baskets of food from a picnic table. All of it went into the garbage bag that he was holding.

The crowd was moving away from the fire. He allowed himself to be swept along until he finally broke free from the press of people.

He headed back towards the truck. He stopped when he saw a man holding a cell phone, and an idea occurred to him. He could make an anonymous call to his old colleagues in the Army. He could tell them about the Eternals and this carnival. Innocent people were dying of PRooFS every day. As a doctor and a human being, Smythe was obligated to do everything he could to stop the ma.s.sacre, even if that meant betraying the Society's trust. Besides, he had never really promised to obey their nonsensical rules.

He took his own phone out of his pocket. Edward had given it to him that morning, and Smythe hadn't used it yet. The gray, metallic device was larger and quite a bit heavier than an ordinary phone. Edward had claimed it would work on any network in the world. High security encryption and an emergency radio beacon were built-in. Smythe had read the manual, and the list of features was very impressive. It was the kind of gear a military operator might carry.

The call would take just a minute, and a lot of good could be accomplished in that short time. Smythe ran his fingers across the b.u.t.tons. Ethel wasn't watching. Considering the rewards, the risks seemed acceptable.

Still, he hesitated. There was so much about this situation he didn't fully understand. Was he about to make a terrible mistake?

"What are you doing?"

Smythe almost jumped out of his skin. Ethel was standing beside him.

He took a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm himself. "Why wh-what?" he stuttered.

"You're just holding your phone. Do you want to make a call?" She gazed at him without visible emotion.

"No." He swallowed. "I was..."

"Let me guess. You were about to tell the authorities about this carnival."

"No, ma'am!"

She rolled her eyes. "You're very lucky I stopped you."

"Lucky?"

"You still don't get it." She sighed. "G.o.d made the rules we follow, and if you violate them, you will offend Him. He expects us to be perfect soldiers who obey His instructions."

"Are you saying G.o.d will strike me down if I use my phone?" He crossed his arms defiantly.

"Do you want to find out? Go ahead."

She took a step back.

He examined his phone again. He believed she would let him make his call, although what would happen afterwards was less clear.

He turned his attention to the sky. City lights washed out most of the stars but he could still pick out a few. Was G.o.d actually watching? He didn't know the answer.

He looked at Ethel. "Do you promise we will stop the Eternals? We won't let them keep poisoning people?"

"When we have all the facts," she said, "I will decide the proper course of action."

"That wasn't my question, ma'am."

She was silent for a moment. "You have to trust me. I've been protecting humanity for a very long time. I can't even guess how many lives I've saved. I know how to do my job."

It was his turn to hesitate. He couldn't afford to make a mistake when the stakes were so high.

Finally, he put his phone away. "OK, I'll trust you." For now.

"Come on." She patted him on the shoulder. "Let's get back to the observation post. This night isn't over. I have a feeling the fun is just beginning."

Chapter Eighteen.

Aaron watched the sentry like a cat watching a mouse.

"Move!" Marina muttered. "d.a.m.n it, get out of the way!"

The explosion had drawn off most of the guards, but a lone man remained directly in their path. Aaron and Marina crouched in the shadows, and until the way was clear, they were stuck.

"f.u.c.k it." She took off running.

"No!" he said softly but it was too late. He chased after her.

She sprinted straight across the parking lot. She was fast, not nearly as fast as Ethel, of course, but Marina could still move. He had a hard time keeping pace with her.

The sentry heard her coming and turned to face her. He barely had time to squawk before she plowed into him at full speed like a human wrecking ball. Aaron heard the impact. Marina rammed her black fingernails into the man's neck, and a few seconds later he was asleep.

Aaron caught up with her. "That was... something."

"It worked, didn't it?" She stood up and straightened her clothes.

"Technically, yes."

He picked up the unconscious sentry and deposited him in the shadows beneath a semi truck. n.o.body would see the body there.

Aaron and Marina found other shadows to hide in. Carnival workers were wandering everywhere, and moving without being seen was going to be a challenge. On the other hand, there was plenty of background noise, so they didn't have to worry about being very quiet.