and cover our faces anyway.”
“Vince is right,” Charlotte said, walking to the beds. “We’ll cut up these sheets and wear them as scarves. Of course, no one knows about Izzy, so she doesn’t need one.”
Alan looked at Charlotte, with the sheets in her hands, and to Vince, with guns in his. “So let me get this straight. Our plan is to walk in there and hope that no one recognizes us, and if they do, we charge in, guns blazing.”
Vince and Charlotte nodded.
“Okay then,” Alan said, shrugging. “Let’s do it.”
Vince cut long strips from the sheets and Charlotte inspected their guns. Alan wandered to the pantry to stock up on food. They met at the front of the boat, just as it was pulling into the gate. The huge swinging doors were already wide open.
“Hmm,” Charlotte said, carefully studying the gate. “They usually keep these closed. Greene didn’t much care for outsiders. At least not the ones that weren’t test subjects.”
“Simon must have opened them,” Alan said. “He’s all about freedom after all, right? Just like the prisoners in the Spire. Free to stay or free to leave.”
“Live free forever,” Vince said, recalling the Rodin motto. It was the same motto Harry Hedcrown carried over when he first formed the Crowns.
“Live free forever,” Alan repeated. “As long as you agree with Simon. Otherwise, Live free until he shoots you in the head.”
The boat slid through the gate and into the docking area. The place was eerily quiet. Dozens of boats were docked against the wooden platforms, none of them occupied. Piles of cargo sat out, unattended. Not a soul was around. The only sound was that of their motor, growling along as they passed by other boats, searching for a vacant spot.
Charlotte steered towards the end of the dock, where there were plenty of spaces. She butted up against the platform and threw the rope around a nearby post. Once they were secure, she wrapped the self-made scarf around her face and hopped out. “I’ll check the area. Watch the girl while I’m gone.”
She jogged up and down each path, checking the windows of every boat. Vince and Alan stood on the deck, marveling at the size of the place. They knew the City was big, but the sight of so many boats was overwhelming. They were still both new to the technology of the City, motorized boats included.
Charlotte returned with her gun lowered. “The area is clear. We’re alone, for now.”
“So where to next?” Alan asked.
“Next, we go to the Spire,” Vince said. “To find Simon.”
“Right,” Alan nodded. “How far are we?”
Charlotte considered the question. “Let’s see. The Western Gate is the closest one to the Spire, other than the Spire gate of course. It’s about five miles away.
“Five miles?” Alan said shrugging. “I guess we walked in the snow plains for five days. What’s another five miles?”
“It is a long distance to go unseen,” Vince said. “Especially in a place this densely populated.”
Charlotte nodded. “So we stick to the shadows and move quickly. Stay away from the main streets. The tunnels are completely off limits. Everything underground is Crowns territory.”
“Isn’t everything Crown territory now?” Alan said.
She shrugged. “I guess, but it will be far worse underground. We have no reason to go down there anyway.”
“We need to look out for cameras too,” Vince added.
“That will be difficult,” Charlotte said. “Greene’s cameras are on almost every block.”
“We did it when we were with Simon. Otherwise, Greene would have seen us coming.”
Charlotte looked up at the camera mounted on their boat. “Maybe we don’t have to worry about them. That camera up there was staring us in the face for the whole trip, and there’s no one here waiting for us. If he was paying attention to the cameras, he would have sent someone. Maybe he missed Greene’s camera systems, or he just lost interest.”
“Okay,” Vince said. “So
“Vince is right,” Charlotte said, walking to the beds. “We’ll cut up these sheets and wear them as scarves. Of course, no one knows about Izzy, so she doesn’t need one.”
Alan looked at Charlotte, with the sheets in her hands, and to Vince, with guns in his. “So let me get this straight. Our plan is to walk in there and hope that no one recognizes us, and if they do, we charge in, guns blazing.”
Vince and Charlotte nodded.
“Okay then,” Alan said, shrugging. “Let’s do it.”
Vince cut long strips from the sheets and Charlotte inspected their guns. Alan wandered to the pantry to stock up on food. They met at the front of the boat, just as it was pulling into the gate. The huge swinging doors were already wide open.
“Hmm,” Charlotte said, carefully studying the gate. “They usually keep these closed. Greene didn’t much care for outsiders. At least not the ones that weren’t test subjects.”
“Simon must have opened them,” Alan said. “He’s all about freedom after all, right? Just like the prisoners in the Spire. Free to stay or free to leave.”
“Live free forever,” Vince said, recalling the Rodin motto. It was the same motto Harry Hedcrown carried over when he first formed the Crowns.
“Live free forever,” Alan repeated. “As long as you agree with Simon. Otherwise, Live free until he shoots you in the head.”
The boat slid through the gate and into the docking area. The place was eerily quiet. Dozens of boats were docked against the wooden platforms, none of them occupied. Piles of cargo sat out, unattended. Not a soul was around. The only sound was that of their motor, growling along as they passed by other boats, searching for a vacant spot.
Charlotte steered towards the end of the dock, where there were plenty of spaces. She butted up against the platform and threw the rope around a nearby post. Once they were secure, she wrapped the self-made scarf around her face and hopped out. “I’ll check the area. Watch the girl while I’m gone.”
She jogged up and down each path, checking the windows of every boat. Vince and Alan stood on the deck, marveling at the size of the place. They knew the City was big, but the sight of so many boats was overwhelming. They were still both new to the technology of the City, motorized boats included.
Charlotte returned with her gun lowered. “The area is clear. We’re alone, for now.”
“So where to next?” Alan asked.
“Next, we go to the Spire,” Vince said. “To find Simon.”
“Right,” Alan nodded. “How far are we?”
Charlotte considered the question. “Let’s see. The Western Gate is the closest one to the Spire, other than the Spire gate of course. It’s about five miles away.
“Five miles?” Alan said shrugging. “I guess we walked in the snow plains for five days. What’s another five miles?”
“It is a long distance to go unseen,” Vince said. “Especially in a place this densely populated.”
Charlotte nodded. “So we stick to the shadows and move quickly. Stay away from the main streets. The tunnels are completely off limits. Everything underground is Crowns territory.”
“Isn’t everything Crown territory now?” Alan said.
She shrugged. “I guess, but it will be far worse underground. We have no reason to go down there anyway.”
“We need to look out for cameras too,” Vince added.
“That will be difficult,” Charlotte said. “Greene’s cameras are on almost every block.”
“We did it when we were with Simon. Otherwise, Greene would have seen us coming.”
Charlotte looked up at the camera mounted on their boat. “Maybe we don’t have to worry about them. That camera up there was staring us in the face for the whole trip, and there’s no one here waiting for us. If he was paying attention to the cameras, he would have sent someone. Maybe he missed Greene’s camera systems, or he just lost interest.”
“Okay,” Vince said. “So
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