A Game Called Mafia (ONC)

FIVE

We reassembled on a side street, a few kilometres away from the main road. Despite the freezing Lake Michigan breeze, people were out and about, shopping at department stores by the dozen, helping create our alibi.

Jun stood in the center wearing what appeared to be a tailored suit. Azena was pushing a stroller, pretending to talk on the phone. Jean wore a tracksuit and incredibly, dyed his hair a blotchy red. Meanwhile, I stole a cleaning lady's uniform and smelled like a used sponge.

"Tell me you didn't steal a real kid," Jun muttered as he took a peek at the carriage.

"Do you really think I'm that psycho as to kidnap a baby?" she asked in a calm voice, pretending to talk on the phone.

"Yes."

"Well it's an empty pram should you know."

Jean kept walking ahead of us. "Anyone have money?"

"I have a card I nicked."

"Get us a couple of hotel rooms for the night to regroup."

A few moments later, we followed Jun into a sensible hotel lobby and then rode the elevators up. We walked into a room and shut the door.

Azena launched herself on the bed and groaned. "I could fall asleep right now."

I collapsed into the nearest chair, aching all over. "Agreed."

"What exactly are we going to do?" Jun demanded as he marched up to the windows and drew the blinds.

Jean gingerly leaned against the desk in the room. "I don't know. Half the city is on the lookout for us. I heard it on the news. It's only a matter of time before they search for us in this hotel."

"We need to go to Mission in Chicago," I pointed out.

"For what? To get blown up? Plus, unless we have an invitation from an adnexa, we're stuck on this side," Azena said with her face on the pillow.

"So what do we do?"

"We continue the mission," Jean declared, poking in the mini fridge for water. "Price, go order food."

"I should be pregnant," she announced, bouncing over to the bathroom. "No one ever suspects a pregnant woman."

I watched as she expertly contorted a towel into a baby bump and shoved it into the band of her leggings. "Nice."

She waddled over to Jun with a frown on her face. "Look what you did."

He glared at her. "I'm not sure it's mine."

Her lips formed a perfect O shape. "How dare you John Smith!"

"Price, we're starving," Jean said in a strained voice. "Go."

She waddled angrily out the door.

"How did you come by the documents, sir?" I asked Jean.

He sighed heavily and took Azena's spot on the bed. His hands ran through his hair. "I had a strange IP address delivered to me along with a note that said 'airplane'. It was delivered to my apartment a few weeks prior to me finding out about the mission. I didn't piece it together until the airplane voyage over."

"So you were given something and I was visited," I said, rubbing my temples. "That means people knew about the mission way before we did. We were probably being watched."

"Which means they anticipated some of our moves," Jun pointed out, tearing off his suit jacket. "Damn it. We played right into their game."

"What is the game?" I asked. "What exactly is the goal? The Gifted? Do you think the kid is safe?"