To Be A Leader

Chapter 40: 76 Trumbones

"Oh, come on. Come on! Where is he?" Sam sighs in annoyance. "It's too dark for my cams to pick anthing up, even with all the flaming torches. Peter, what do you see?"

"A window," He replies through what sounds like gritted teeth. "A window of the gents' toilets of Muddleton corn exchange. I'm using state-of-the-art infrared goggles to stare at a loo."

"But do you see anything?"

Peter gasps, and I tense. "No."

"There's no need to be a spoil-sport," I say, and he scoffs.

"Of course you'd say that. You not only got to go on a more important mission like you've been wanting, but you were also put in a nice spot with a slightly better view than mine."

I shrug, leaning against a building in an alleyway, staying close in the shadows as people pass by, their eyes alight. The fire of their torches casts a happy glow on their faces. "Well, you're not wrong. My view isn't as bad as staring at a bathroom, but it's not like the people passing by are eyecatching by any means."

"Well, Five, as much as we wanted your break to be longer than a week and a half..." Sam grumbles, "we actually wanted you to be on break for around two months, but we needed you for this mission because you're short and small and you can easily move through the crowd. Plus you used enough makeup to make yourself looking unrecognizable."

I grin. Ah, the power of contour and highlight.

"I wish he'd hurry up though. I don't like you being out here."

"We have time," Kefilwe says calmly. I can see her in the crowd of people up ahead. "The market square is crowded, which will make our escape easier. And Muddleton has only just gone over to Ministry control. Not everyone here will be loyalist. We do not need to fear each pair of eyes in a busy crowd like this."

"Clever of you to get the Laundry to arrange a midnight fair to celebreate the gift of the cure."

"Sigrid was delighted with the tribute to her. If the woman has one fault, it's vanity."

Sam lets out a 'hmph'. "Uh, yeah. I think she probably has more than one fault."

"Probably," I add, smiling when he laughs.

"But vanity is the useful one," Kefilwe says. "There are very few guards at this fair."

I've only seen about six guards so far since sneaking in and taking this position. Sigrid only has a few guards here, but she made sure to have just enough security to make me nervous. Even with makeup and this outfit I'm wearing and it being dark, there's always a fear that I will be noticed.

Peter isn't as well known as I am, neither is Kefilwe. Everyone's seen my face from pictures or wanted posters or drawings. And if someone doesn't known me as Runner Five, they know my face because of my dopplegangers. Blending in isn't exactly easy for me.

"And we're here to rescue a... trombonist?" Peter says, and I frown. "There's a sentence I never thought I'd hear myself saying."

"Wait, a trombonist? You guys told me this mission was important."

"It is," Sam replies, sounding slightly irritated. "Just because Sigrid's not here doesn't mean you're safe. You're still in Ministry territory. And this isn't really about him. It's his wife, Dr. Kitnis."

"Then why aren't we rescuing her?"

"Because she's already in Abel."

I make a face. "What?"

"Okay, listen. This is a bit complicated. Dr. Kitnis used to work for Sigrid, but then she fled to Muddelton to be safe, right?"

"Okay," I say slowly, trying to follow along.