“I’m good,” Mercy replied. “It was a close call though.”
They walked back to the station shelter.
Barnes was waiting at the top of the steps. He held his hand out to Mercy and smiled. “Glad you made it Dawes. You sure as hell had us worried. You stirred up a hornet’s nest back there. You clean? You’ve not been followed?” His eyes strayed over her shoulder to the street behind.
“I’m pretty sure I’m in the clear,” Mercy answered.
A groan came from the shadows at the bottom of the metro steps. Mercy reached for her rifle and stepped back. “What’s down there?”
Barnes glanced over his shoulder, “Mission accomplished. We got us our two decoy tropes. Scrawny bastards but they’ll do the job—”
Mercy descended a few steps to get a better view. Two semi-clothed tropes stood tied to the steel gates at the bottom of the steps. One was wearing a motorcycle helmet, the other was missing its lower jaw. Mercy let out a low whistle. “Good job.”
Barnes spat on the ground, “So, what happened with you?”
Mercy filled them in on her encounter with the DARPA hunter killer robot, her escape from the apartment block and the attack by the mutated boar. She finished and slumped to the ground, exhausted. “Have you got any food?”
“Sure, sorry… I should’ve asked you before,” Rose said. She pulled an MRE from her pack and handed it to Mercy.
Mercy read the label, “Chicken with noodles and vegetables. Nice. Not had chicken in a long time.” She tore the MRE open and scooped out a handful of food, cramming it into her mouth.
Rose smiled, “Do you want the good news… or the good news?”
Mercy looked up, raising an eyebrow. She stopped chewing and shrugged.
Rose reached into her cargo pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar. “Me and Barnes scored some candy. I kept this for you—”
Mercy swallowed and rubbed her hands on her jacket. She reached out, her hand shaking, and took the bar. “Rose, I’ve not had chocolate since… the ship. I thought I’d never see chocolate again. I can die happy. You’ve made my day girl.” Mercy sniffed the chocolate bar and traced her fingers across its faded label. “This, this right here… is magic.”
“Yeah, that’s what the world used to be all about. You’re holding a piece of history right there, enjoy it,” Barnes said.
Mercy put the chocolate into her jacket pocket and returned to her chicken and noodles. She ate in silence. Barnes kept a watchful eye on the street. Rose sat beside Mercy and lit a cigarette. Mercy finished her food and took a drink from her water bottle. Rose handed her the cigarette. Mercy took a drag. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the concrete wall.
Rose sighed, “So… what do you wanna do? You could probably use some rest—”
Mercy exhaled smoke and shook her head. “No Rose, they’re getting closer each time. This might be our last chance, this happens now, today—”
Barnes glanced down from the top step, “I agree with you on that one Dawes. We’re on NSA turf here. It’s only a matter of time before they find us. Our luck won’t hold out much longer, not with all the resources they’ve got.”
Mercy closed her eyes, “Yeah Barnes, on that cheerful note you and I both agree. So, we’ll go in now. We all know the plan; use those two tropes to trigger the laser alarm in the metro. We’ll sneak in and hide, the NSA patrol will find the two tropes and think there’s been a breach further up the tunnel. They’ll investigate, leaving us free to infiltrate their facility. We could hitch a ride on one of those body bag carts… or not. We’ll just have to wing it, see what happens—”
Rose frowned, “Not so sure about the cart idea. I’d prefer to advance on foot but yeah, we’ll see—”
Mercy nodded and turned to Barnes, “You happy Barnes? Got any other ideas?”
Barnes grunted and reached into his pack, “Me and Rose came across an ambulance and found a couple of space blankets.” He threw a small packet down to Mercy.
“The NSA will do a sweep in the tunnel. They might have thermal imaging goggles. If you pull that around you it’ll hide your heat signature. Just a precaution—” Barnes tapped his BoPET-lined ghillie suit, “Me, I’m OK, I’ve got this.”
Mercy nodded, “Good call Barnes, thanks.”
Mercy and Rose sat in silence for a few minutes, lost in thought. The captive tropes shuffled and moaned in the stairwell below. Outside, birds chattered in the early morning sun. Mercy shut her eyes and tried to empty her mind.
A lot can happen in twenty-four hours. I wonder where we’ll be in twenty-four hours—
She stiffened.
There is no past, there is no future. There is only this moment, this now, this breath, this heartbeat. Do it. Live as long as you can… and when it’s your time, it’s time—
“OK, ladies, saddle up. I reckon we need to get the show on the road,” Barnes picked up his pack and stepped out into the light.
Mercy helped Rose with the captured tropes and together they emerged from the shelter into the sunshine. Mercy looked at Barnes, striding ahead, and at Rose beside her. Doubts grew in her mind. She slowed down, almost stopping.
Rose noticed and halted, “What’s up Mercy? Something wrong?”
If it’s stupid, but it works, it isn’t stupid—
Mercy blinked, her resolve returning. “No, I’m good. We’re good. It’s just… such a beautiful day—”
Rose smiled, “Yeah, I know what you mean. I was just thinking that myself—”
Such a beautiful day—
Chapter 3
Infiltration
They used the fire department access hatch as before and fifty minutes later they were underground, approaching Eastern Market Metro Station. Mercy raised a hand and crouched beside the wall. She turned to the others.
“Lights out from now on. We’re a few minutes away from the laser wall. It gives off just enough light to
