Paelen watched Agent O shrug. ‘I don’t know. Maybe they wanted to keep a low profile,’ he said. ‘Stay hidden in our modern world. But the myths do say that Mercury travelled around in winged sandals. Look at what you’re holding. What do our scientists say about them?’
‘Nothing,’ Agent J spat furiously. ‘The materials are untraceable! They say these are real diamonds, rubies and sapphires sewn on to the sides. But the feathers on the wings aren’t from any known bird species on Earth. Neither is the leather. They just can’t tell us where they came from.’
‘So our kid could in fact be Mercury?’ Agent T asked.
Agent O nodded. ‘He claimed that was one of his names.’
Agent J snorted. ‘He also claimed to be Hercules, Jupiter and Paelen the Magnificent. I wouldn’t put much stock into what he’s told us so far.’
‘What about the bridle?’ Agent T asked.
‘Same as the sandals,’ Agent J answered sourly. ‘Untraceable materials. Yes, it’s real gold. But there’s a lot more mixed in with it. They found saliva on it too. The DNA doesn’t match any kind of known horse. In fact, it doesn’t match anything living on this planet. Just like the kid and that creature we have down on the slab.’
‘So it could belong to the real Pegasus?’ said Agent O.
Agent J sighed heavily, ‘Lord, I hope not. We’re here to find extra-terrestrials, not Olympians! But we won’t know for sure until they get here and we can test the stallion for ourselves.’
Paelen almost jumped from his skin. Had they found Pegasus?
‘When should that be?’ Agent O. asked.
He saw Agent J look at a small device on his wrist. ‘Based on their current movements, I would imagine we’ll have them captured and delivered here before noon today,’ he said.
‘How did you find them?’ Agent T asked. ‘Last I heard they were hidden in the park.’
‘They left the park hours ago,’ said Agent J. ‘We just brought in two guys from a livery on 50th. They called the police and claimed that four people with a winged stallion broke into their stables and stole a carriage. With that, it wasn’t too hard for us to locate the carriage and keep an eye on it.’
‘Four people?’ Agent O repeated. ‘There were only two kids in the photo with Pegasus. Who are the other two?’
‘The guys from the livery said one of them was a tall, super-strong woman the others called Diana. They said she carried a spear and beat them both senseless because of the way they treated their horses.’
Paelen had to cover his mouth to keep silent. Diana was in this world! If Pegasus ever told her about him stealing the bridle, he knew there would be no escaping her wrath. But to hear these people were going to bring Jupiter’s daughter to this facility with Pegasus was almost too much to bear.
‘The other adult with them is a New York City cop, Steve Jacobs. The girl from the picture is his thirteen-year-old daughter. What we don’t know is how or why they got involved. Nor do we know who the other kid is. He may be like our Mercury or he may be human. The owners of the stable said that the monsters arrived not long after they broke into the place. I’ve just seen the photos our guys took of the livery. Those creatures tore through the door like it was butter.’
‘What were they after?’ Agent O asked.
‘The stallion,’ Agent J said. ‘At least that’s what the guys said.’
‘What if they get to them before we do?’ Agent T asked.
‘They won’t,’ said Agent J confidently. ‘We’ve already got our people in position. Pegasus and the carriage are completely surrounded on all sides. They can’t make a move without us knowing it. We’ve got the 59th Street Bridge locked down and secure. We’re just waiting for our prey to enter the trap.’
Agent O shook his head. ‘Sounds a little risky to me. If we know where they are, why don’t we move in now and grab them. How can you be so certain they’ll try for the bridge?’
Agent J stood up. He yawned and stretched. ‘Because that’s what I’d do if I were them,’ he said. ‘Look, if we try to take them out in the open, there’s a chance that stallion will fly away. We need to get them where he can’t use his wings. The centre lanes of the bridge are perfect for that. The bridge itself will work as a giant cage.’
‘And you’re sure they are going to try to leave the city?’ Agent O checked.
Agent J nodded. ‘They have to get out of the city before those creatures find them again. That bridge is the closest route off Manhattan. They can’t afford to waste time heading further uptown to one of the other bridges. Besides, we’ve got those covered too. New York City is secure. There is no way off.’
He put down the sandal. ‘We’ve got a few hours left before we close the net. It’s been a long night. I’m going to go get some rest. If they arrive here early, make sure they are all separated. I want to talk to each of them alone. Especially the kids. I have a feeling that woman with them isn’t human. If she’s anything like our Mercury, she won’t talk. But I’m pretty certain the kids will.’