Agent T looked unconvinced. ‘If Mercury hasn’t talked, what makes you so sure about those kids?’
‘I’m sure because we know at least one of them is human,’ said Agent J. ‘And unlike our strange alien or Olympian friend, I’m sure she will prove more susceptible to the persuasive powers of pain.’
Paelen listened in shock. They were planning to torture the human girl he’d seen in the picture with Pegasus. She was just a child! Yet they didn’t seem to care.
The men finally left the office, closing the door behind them. Paelen waited awhile to make sure they weren’t coming back. When he was certain, he reached forward and applied pressure to one side of the vent. The screws gave easily. But this time, Paelen was more careful. Instead of pushing the grate off completely, he only bent it a bit. When there was enough space, he winced in pain as he forced his bones to stretch out again.
Bit by bit, Paelen manipulated his body until he was able to pour himself into Agent J’s office. He landed softly on the floor. Without returning his body to its natural shape, he reached for Mercury’s sandals. Throwing them up into the vent, Paelen quickly climbed back in after them. He secured the vent again, caught hold of the sandals and returned to his normal shape. He quickly took the tunnels back to his own quarters.
Paelen left the sandals in the vent outside his room. With another painful shape change, he slid back into his room and replaced the cover. Once he was satisfied that everything looked normal, he lay back down on the bed. He put the cuffs back on his ankles and wrists and returned to his natural shape.
It had been his plan to escape and find Pegasus. But he knew that his chances of finding the stallion in this strange world were remote at best. Hearing Agent J talking about how they were about to capture Pegasus and Diana and deliver them both to the very same facility, Paelen knew what he had to do. Nothing.
He would suffer their torture and whatever else they planned to do to him. He would not fight them. He would not try to leave. He would wait until the others were here. Then, when the time was right, he would take Mercury’s sandals and help Pegasus and Dinna escape.
Together they would return to the remains of Olympus.
21
As the carriage travelled slowly along 18th Street, Emily was grateful that no one was paying them much attention. Apart from the helicopters circling the city and the rotten way she was feeling, on any other day she would have enjoyed the ride. She struggled to keep her eyes open. She felt very hot and knew her fever was spiking. Diana still had her arm wrapped around her and was constantly checking her forehead.
‘Hold on, child,’ she coaxed. ‘It will not be much longer.’
In her fevered state, Emily thought she heard her mother’s voice speaking gently to her, encouraging her to go on. ‘I will, Mom,’ she mumbled.
Diana gave her a gentle squeeze. Dimly, Emily heard Diana speaking to her dad.
‘Steve, where is Emily’s mother?’
‘She died three months ago,’ he said sadly. ‘It hit Em really hard. She and her mother were very close.’
Emily heard her father’s response and felt her throat tighten. Her mother would have loved Pegasus and would have been right there fighting alongside them.
‘So you are grieving,’ Diana said gently. She gave Emily a comforting squeeze. ‘My poor, poor child. Now I understand.’
The carriage turned up 1st Avenue. Struggling to keep awake, Emily watched the streets going by. Soon they were passing the United Nations buildings. As each block past, Emily half expected to see Nirads charging at them. But so far, it had been a blissfully quiet trip.
‘Steve, do they allow carriages on the bridge?’ Joel asked quietly.
‘No,’ he answered. ‘But I’ve got my badge with me if anyone tries to stop us.’
Soon they were on the entrance ramp to the 59th Street Bridge.
‘Here we go,’ Steve called. ‘Do we want to follow the route that goes under the framework of the bridge, or stay on the uncovered outside lane?’
Pegasus nickered several times and snorted.
Diana leaned forward to translate. ‘He says he much prefers to stay in the open in case something should go wrong. He says his wing is feeling much recovered and should be able to carry the carriage if needs be.’
‘If he’s sure,’ Steve said. ‘Pegasus, stay to the right. That will take us to the outside uncovered lane.’
As the carriage moved into place, they found the traffic on the bridge was particularly heavy.
‘It seems like a lot of other people had the same thought about leaving the city,’ Joel said. ‘The outside lane is bumper to bumper. Nothing is moving.’
‘That area is moving over there,’ Diana suggested as she pointed to the centre lanes leading under the cover of the bridge. ‘We must go that way to keep moving.’