Chapter 37: Attack
Today was the day before Blackwell's deadline. Today was the day that we attacked.
Early before dawn, Audra's scent still lingering on my skin, the four of us friends met by the campfire, faces alert despite just waking up, stomach's empty though no one was complaining. And in a beat of a second, we were all moving simultaneously, gathering thingsâ loading them in the car.
It was after breakfast, when the sun had not even risen, when we gathered by the campfire once more. The four of us knew what we were going to do, but somehow, here and now, we were looking at each other, as if we didn't have a clue.
"So I guess. . ." Hanz was the first one to break the silence. The one who had given us pages of papers earlier too, asking us to write a letter.
A letter for our loved ones, in case everything didn't pan out.
His hair touching his forehead now, unlike the super short cut before this adventure started, Hanz smiled at us, much like he'd done for the rest of the weeks. "So I guess this is it," he said again. "Anyone wants to say their piece before we do it? Before we attack Blackwell once and for all?"
Audra didn't open her lips, though I knew exactly what she wanted to say.
She wanted blood. For her. Our friends. For people that Blackwell had stepped on. Most especially for me.
Even though she didn't tell me about it last night, every touch, every kiss, every shiver down Audra's spine spoke volumes than any word could say. She would die before I was taken from her.
Neil, in the meantime, ruffled his hair. "Anyone who dies today before we steal shit from Blackwell would have to answer to me in hell," he said. "You got that? Because in hell, I'm King." He smirked. "So if you don't want me following your ass for a whole freaking eternity, better do a great job today. Or else."
All of them then turned to me.
It was my turn. "I. . ." My throat was clamping up. How do I say to this group that I was more than thankful enough? That they were my best friends in the world? That I was glad to have known them?
But funnily enough, like I knew what Audra was trying to say even though she had not spoken, the three of them already understood. A second later, we were all locked in a tight hug.
I didn't know this could be possible.
Hanz was the first one to break away, wiping his eyes. "Let's do this," he whispered. "For people like my mom's."
Before dawn, we were already in the car, travelling at a fast speed, Audra behind the wheel like a maniac.
Even though none of us enjoyed her driving, not one of us complained. Not one of us needed to. Everyone knew the part they were going to play. We had been waiting for this for days.
When we broke through the city after avoiding checkpoints, I pressed my hands on the window, not speaking at all.
Neil, as our car went further down the street, tapped me on the shoulder. "Don't get too excited," he whispered. "We won't be seeing much people from here. Blackwell's Lab is located on the edge of the city."
I nodded to him. We were all briefed with this. During the days, we found out the exact location of Blackwell's Lab. His research facility was on the edge of downtown, surrounded by offices that belonged to his company. So while we were here, we wouldn't see much people, except those working for him.
It was not too much of a loss, however. At least this way, we were focused on our tasks. At least this way, we wouldn't envy other teenagers like us. Teenagers who were living a normal life, not weighted by the false 'cure.'
After a few minutes of driving on side streets, Audra entered the car on a back alley, checked a few times if we were being followed, killed the engine, turned to us.
"I think this the best place if we're going to kill time," she said. It was still dark in the car, as with outside. But being stuck in many dark places before, we needed neither flashlights nor even a match stick. We saw each other just fine.
"Let's catch up on sleep then." Hanz placed his head against the window on the backseat.
Neil, beside him, did the same on the other side. "Leighton. . ." Neil said. "Audra? You guys handle the first shift. That cool?"
"Sure," I murmured, glancing at Audra. This would be a long day. But at least we got each other to keep us company.
It was lighter outside when I was awoken again. We had traded shifts once, and now looking at the sky, it could be two or three in the afternoon. But something in the air caught my attention. "Is it snowing?" I asked, turning to the one who'd shaken me awake.
Audra nodded from the driver's side. "Yes." She shrugged. "Weird, isn't it? It hadn't snowed in forever. Not in this part of the country." She started to take her brown jacket off. "Here, take this, Pax. The snow is just light, but you must be getting cold."
I shivered on cue, but I hated the fact that she'd have to remove her jacket just to lend it to me. Yet Audra didn't look chilly. In fact, as she wrapped the brown leather over my shoulders, she kept on smiling, a silly look on her face. "It looks perfect on you," she murmured. "But then. . . There's nothing better than last night's look."
Good thing I had the sense to duck my head when Neil returned to the car, or else he would have seen the blush surfacing on my face. Nevertheless, looking me and Audra, he started to say. "This is why we have to do this mission successfully, girls. I'd been too lonely by myself. Dang. If we don't get me a partner soon, I will die. Single."
Hanz returned to the car to us as well. "It's almost time," he said. "Ready?"
The three of us turned to him. Now, under the light, I could see the gravity of the situation on his face. How serious this was for each and every one of us. It was now or never.
Pulling the jacket that Audra had thrown over me, I started to depart the car. "Let's start the war," I agreed.
The kind of war we envisioned was one where no one would get hurt. No one would die. No one would suffer. At least from our group.
The idea was to send a message. And by message, it meant that stealing the antidote to Blackwell's 'cure' when no one was looking, afterwards trying to replicate it. Finding someone who could, at least, down the years.
The point was, stealing something that important would tell Blackwell never to screw with us again. That, or we kill him. Audra's words not mine.
But in order to do all that, we had to get in his main research lab first. If an antidote was indeed created, it would be there. In the three-storey building we were looking at right now from a distance after leaving the car.
Hanz stiffened when a guard from a nearby building started to notice us. "Good thing there's no military here," he said. "They must be concentrated on trying to find us. But I think it would be best if we get moving. Or maybe we should have hidden in the back-alley, right?"
Neil was adamant in his stance, though, still looking at Blackwell's building from afar. "If you try to act guilty, you will look guilty," he said. "Haven't you heard of the saying, hiding in plain sight? We should have done that from the start."
The four of us moved past the building where the guard stood watch. He didn't try to chase us or anything, which made me release the breath I didn't know I was holding. That was among the first tests we'd passed.
"Okay," Neil said, stopping upon a concrete bench. There were a couple of them scattered on the side street, and trees too, trying to compensate for the buildings surrounding us, already coated with a fine sheen of snow. "We're officially in the Blackwell's district like planned. If anyone asks, you're all interns. I mean, we all look like one, except for Audra." Neil turned to her. "Female, maybe you should lose your lipstick."
One glance at Audra, and my cheeks were warming straight up again.
Earlier, as we departed the car, we tried to change into a business casual attire that they had scoured for this mission. I didn't know where Hanz and Neil got them exactly, but Audra looked especially good wearing hers. It fitted hers so well, in fact, that not only did I look underdressed in my own slacks, blouse, and the brown jacket I borrowed. Audra, next to me, looked as if she was modelling her own clothing line. I didn't know how she did it, but she was extra radiant, as if she was enjoying this.
Noticing I was looking, she smirked. "Like what you see, baby?"
"Uhm. . ."
"Oh, for goodness sake, don't be one of those couples." Neil palmed his face, shooting us a glare. "We're about to die from this mission. How can you flirt like this? I feel personally attacked."
Hanz elbowed Neil without a moment's notice. "Look!" Hanz hissed. "I think that guy is a scientist. Doesn't he look it?"
The rest of us silenced, focused at the men leaving an office, heading down the street.
"He does look like it," Audra agreed, mentioning the man in the middle of a group of four. He was wearing a blue scrub suit; the only one among them. "Quick, Hanz," Audra said. "You know what to do."
At this, Hanz cocked his eyebrows at me. We needed to get moving; both of us.
But then Audra stopped me before I left our group. "Be careful," she whispered. "Come back to me in one piece, Pax."
I nodded. And gulped. I nodded at Neil too. We had talked about this plan a million times over in-between preparations. Surely, there was no room for mistakes.
"They won't recognize you," Neil assured. "Right now, to them, the real Pax Leighton is probably gagged and tied down by her friends, will be delivered to Blackwell by tomorrow's deadline. The lower ranked employees probably won't even know your face. Trust me."
"And the CCTV and the rest of the details?" Hanz inquired.
"Audra and I will be on it." Neil gave us a small push. "Worry about your own jobs. Let us worry about the rest of the things."
"Bye," I said, then stepped next to Hanz. We needed to catch up with the man before he disappeared.
I gave Audra one last glance before we followed him.
"There," Hanz said, pointing to a coffee shop the mysterious man and his colleagues entered after a few minutes. It was better than we had been planning, the man was stopping for a few drinks. "This will buy us time, Pax. But do you think we should steal the ID from him?"
Hanz and I walked closer to the cafe, where I could smell the coffee brewing even from outside. God, I missed that scent.
Even so, we hung back by the glass-pane window, tried to sneak a look in, to see what we got.
The man that we had been stalking looked different from the group of people he was with.
"He's definitely from the main research building," I said, as we edged closer to the cafe door. "I mean, he's wearing a scrub suit compared to them, isn't he?"
"But they could have scientists in the other buildings too," Hanz said. "Do you think we can use his ID for the main lab?"
I don't know. And we were almost by the cafe doors now. This close, the smell was heavenlyâ I couldn't help but sigh. This was the nearest thing we'd have to a sense of normalcy for a while now.
Hanz and I entered the door, glanced at the men at the end of the line. Yes, Hanz was definitely right. The man could be a scientist from the building he'd exited earlier, not from the main lab that we needed to enter. But then, his ID badge could have access to the main lab as well. We needed to steal it first in order to find out.
Hanz, seeing the look on my face, steered me to a table. "So the plan is on?" he said, looking around. Aside from us and the men, there were only two women seated on the corner, chatting amongst themselves.
"Yes," I whispered, as I sat down on a chair. "Go and steal his ID, Hanz, and I'll serve as a lookout."
"Alright. . ."
Hanz turned around, went to the line where the rest of the men were ordering coffee, gave me a confident glance from behind.
My eyes lowered to the floor. This was so awkward.
And unreal.
And unbelievable.
I couldn't believe that I had suggested all of this.
But would it work?
Another second passed, and I was looking at Hanz again. Right now, he was leaning to the guy in the scrub suit, too close for comfort. He was taking up personal space.
"Faster," I whispered to myself. "Faster, please. Go and grab his ID and go." I could see the lanyard sticking from the man's back pocket. We needed the whole thing if our grand scheme was to be successful. It was the only way we could enter the main building.
After another second, Hanz had managed to snatch it away.
"Yes!" I whispered.
Only to drop it on the floor.
"Oh God!"
Hanz began to panic. He quickly picked up the ID from the ground, but by then the scientist was turning around to look.
I found myself leaving my chair. "Good news!" I said, my heart jumping to my mouth. "Honey! I just received the text from the vet. Congratulations! Our dog's pregnant!" I grabbed Hanz's hand, then pulled him away from the line before the man in the scrub even noticed his ID was gone. But then the people in the cafe were already glancing at us.
Hanz quickly covered his face, wrapped his huge arm around me. "My dog's pregnant!" He pretended to cry. "I'm going to be a dad!"
Looking at his face carefully, he was totally pale. Good thing he was so tall, he had already brought us to the door before I had noticed.
And in a few moments, he was half-dragging me, half-lifting me, getting us out of there.
Despite it all, I couldn't help but smile.
Part one, check. Now all we needed was to wait for Audra and Neil. That, and a little bit of luck.
A/N: How are you all doing, everyone? Stuff's been crazy around the world, right?