Chapter Thirty Three

Transit

Time slithered by. I looked back through the open door. The office was larger than some apartments available in the city. A U-shaped desk was in the middle, giving Charles plenty of room to maneuver his wheelchair. The wall behind the desk was bookcases filled with research material and religious books. Noah had pulled one of two tan plush armchairs up to the computer. 

I paced along the balcony, watching the street. It provided a spectacular view of the Church. The lighting beautifully accented the medieval columns in the night. The only modern touch was the illuminated clock on the bell tower. 

The longer I waited, the harder my heart thumped. I expected to see someone running around the corner any second. 

I glanced in to check on him again and he was coming through the door. We headed back toward the stairs. 

"Sorry. Their systems are so slow. Anything new on the radio?" he inquired. 

"Frederick tripped the alarm for the lab and all of the guards ran inside. Everyone else is headed to the rendezvous." 

"Good." Noah shook his head. "Man, that guy has some balls." 

"I know. I didn't expect it from one of Dorothy's men." 

We flew to the meeting place and arrived before the others. I dropped down on the ground in the shadow of a grove of trees and looked out onto the river. The moon reflected off the water, illuminating the bank on the other side. A flush of warm moved over my body. 

Noah bent down and put a hand on my forehead. "Are you doing OK?"

"Yes, worrywart. I am not used to running so much anymore, but I actually feel wonderful." 

The brushed crashed behind us. My muscles tightened, ready to flee, as Nate popped through. Aaron and the others followed close behind. 

Noah's hand flew to his heart. "You almost gave me a heart attack." 

"Sorry, my feet got caught up on something," Nate explained. "Bad news, though, a group of officers is hanging out a ways up the Greenway." 

"We need to take a different route," one of Nate's cronies said. 

Nate crossed his arms and shifted his weight to the right. "I'm afraid I agree with Joe,"

The others murmured in agreement. 

Aaron stepped forward. "I think I have a solution. The Police Force electric scooters always have the keys in them. They won't be able to catch us." 

"Headquarters, are you kidding?" Joe demanded. 

"No one will be there," Aaron said. 

Noah put a hand out to help me up. "What do you think, Lily?" 

I grabbed his hand and let him pull me up, pondering the situation. "The grounds are deserted after six. They'll never expect it." 

Noah clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's go." 

Despite the groans of protest, we made our way up the river and crossed. If they were informed about the University, they weren't about our rendezvous. We moved swiftly through the streets until we reached the headquarters' outdoor lot. Aaron stopped and scratched his head. 

Noah strolled next to him. "What's wrong?" 

"It is usually not closed. I...I'm not sure if the alarm will trip if I try to open the gate without a hand scan." 

"Great. Now, what do we do?" Nate wondered. 

Noah and I sized up the chain link fence. It was about ten feet tall, including the three wires ran along the top. 

"Can you clear it?" he asked me. 

"If you give me a boost." 

"Are you kidding?" Joe squealed. 

Aaron moved to the side of the building, out of our way. "Do you really have so little faith in their abilities?" 

The other men followed Aaron. Noah crouched down with his hands together and his back to the fence. I moved a couple of feet away and sprinted toward him. I stepped on his hands and I vaulted into the sky, easily clearing the fence. But I misjudged how high I would go and couldn't get my feet under me. My left shoulder hit the cement first and then I rolled up onto my feet. 

"Way to stick the landing," Noah remarked. 

"The next wisecrack out of you, I'm going to punch you in the throat," I retorted as I flipped the switch to de-energize and unlock the gate. I controlled my breathing so he would not realize how much my shoulder hurt. 

Aaron pushed the door open and showed everyone to the scooters but only four were available. 

"No big deal," Noah said with a shrug. "We don't need them." 

"Speak for yourself," Joe said. 

"I am speaking for myself, and Lily." 

We walked back to the street and a voice echoed, "Hey, what are you doing with those?" 

My adrenaline spiked. We scattered. Three of the four motors fired up and jetted down the street. Nate couldn't start his so he pushed it behind Noah and me down an alley and a few blocks away. 

"We'll distract them and go the other way, so you can reach the factory," Nate said out of breath. 

"What? No. We can shake them and all go together," I responded. 

"This is the best way," Noah said. 

Nate flicked the starter switch and the scooter roared to life. "This is the only way." 

I bit my bottom lip. It would be dangerous if they got caught. 

"Why would you risk yourself for this?" 

"It is not just this. It's our families. The people that depend on us." He tipped his cap. "And for you, missy. The woman who isn't afraid to stand up for us." He straightened his hat and sped off. 

I stared as he disappeared from sight, dumbfounded. I didn't want to see anyone harmed on my account. 

Noah slapped my shoulder. "Come on." 

We moved forward but my mind remained. "Do you think they'll be OK?"

"Now, who's the worrywart? They volunteered for this and knew the possible consequences. Focus on the task at hand." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right." But it felt wrong. 

Static filled my ear. The short range communication was breaking up and I couldn't make out what they were saying. I ripped the earpiece out and tossed it into the grass. I didn't need the distraction.