"Not a buh, a bomb," I said, unable to resist indulging in the classic corny joke line. Tabby also had a chuckle before I continued. "It's part of Mark's plan. To really keep the Confederation confused, each of the four eliminations we're making are going to be done in different ways. Han Faoxin was hand to hand. Illuysas Petrokias by long range shot. The next two are going to be done by bomb, and by poison."
"Which is what we're shopping for," Tabby said. "I don't think they have this sort of stuff over at Wal-Mart."
"You'd be surprised," I said in reply. "Actually, other than one or two things that Mark wants me to get at a medical supply place, we can get most of it at Home Depot."
"Really? I would have thought that it would be harder to get the stuff for a bomb or a poison."
"It is, normally. But so much of the regular world runs on chemicals nowadays, its impossible to control fully. Did you know that the difference between aspirin and LSD is really only a few molecules?" We pulled into the parking lot of the Home Depot, and got out. "And that you can, with a few interesting additions you can get from here, you can convert one into the other?"
Tabby shook her head, and looked at me, impressed. "I guess you learn something new every day. It's going to be fun working with you guys. You ever whip something up just for fun?"
I shook my head. After one time being slipped some Ecstasy at a dance party that had left me with a splitting headache and not much else, I didn't mess with mind altering chemicals. "Nope. You?"
Tabby grinned at me as I shut off the engine. "Hell no, it's too much fun being me most of the time. But I gotta keep my eye on my staff, you know. After all, I already found you trying to have sex in my entertainment room."
"Were you not entertained?" I replied, causing her to laugh and blush at the same time. Since staying with us every day other than work, Tabby had returned to her former self, although there was still an undercurrent of seriousness that hadn't been there before. In some ways it was refreshing, but still I missed the irreverent girl she'd always been.
The inside of the home shopping center was cavernous, and I tried to think back to the last time I had been inside such a place. Finally it came to me, it had been when I had needed to get some plaster patch for Tabby and my dorm room after she and a nighttime visitor had gotten a little too enthusiastic, and had put two divots in the wall above her headboard. I'd also bought a pair of foam pads that had been taped to the headboard to prevent further incidents, which Tabby had gleefully left there for the rest of our time living together.
Our first stop was in the car supplies, where we picked up road flares, some power steering fluid, a jug of antifreeze and a canister of refrigerant for air conditioning. After that we went over to plumbing where I got a jug of industrial strength drain cleaner, before swinging through the kitchen section for a hand mixer, and then finally picking up a five pound can of honey roasted peanuts next to the checkout. "What are the peanuts for?"
"I'm hungry, and they are awesome in homemade peanut butter," I replied. "So I decided on the really big can. Besides, looks a little better this way, doesn't it?"
Tabby thought for a moment before grabbing two root beers from the cooler next to the register. "No, now it looks better. Root beer goes great with peanut butter."
The rest of our shopping went equally smooth, with at each of our stops Tabby or I added a few other items to make it look like we weren't just shopping for chemicals. Still, it took half a dozen stops to complete our errands, and it was already early afternoon by the time we got back to Mount Zion. "You have a lab here?"
"We have a former mental hospital, remember?" I said, indicating the larger building. "It's not as clean as a chemistry lab, but we don't need it to be. Mark assures me that just a regular room will be just fine."
"Then why use the old outbuilding?" I asked as I pulled the SUV we were driving that day in front of it. "Why not just the house?"
"Mark said that making this stuff smells like crap," I replied. "Maybe not cooking meth bad, but still not exactly an odor you want lingering around the kitchen. This outbuilding will work just fine, as long as we're careful."
Taking our bags inside, I saw that Mark already set up his materials. "Okay guys, thanks, but I'm going to need to make this stuff myself," Mark said. He was dressed in a set of coveralls and had a rebreather around his neck, and all I could think of was Walter White crossed with a fitness model. "Some of these steps are a bit nasty, and I don't want you guys to risk getting injured."
"Are you sure?" I asked nervously. "We can't help at all?"
Mark shook his head and smiled. "Not this time, babe. Maybe I'll teach you how at some point, but I'll take care of this."
I nodded, worried. "Be careful, okay?"
"I will. This one's actually easy. Plastique is pretty easy, and the poison's not that hard to control. But still, you two get inside, and I'll be in for dinner."