Cold Fusion - A Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Fusion Short Story Anthology

Leverage part 3

It was nearly a full 45 minutes later by the time Annabeth had made her way down to Leicester Square, where, according to posters nailed to every available posting board and wooden post, the animatronic circus was playing. As she stepped off the street car at the New Coventry Street stop, she could hear the circus' steam-powered calliope playing from inside the square. That, and the booming voice of the circus' barker:

"Ladies and gentleman, step right up and behold, the most amazing animatronic creatures ever created! From the steam-powered swan to the gear-filled gorilla, this is truly a sight to see! You don't want to miss it!"

'No, I don't," Annabeth ruefully thought before looking up at the nearby clock tower. 'I love animatronics. But I'm already late. Cruikshank is already in there, somewhere, getting ready to make the drop with the plans. If I don't hurry ..."

That thought alone was enough to jolt her into motion, adrenaline and anxiety sending hot and cold flashes through her body even as they flooded her palms with nervous perspiration. With the heels of her boots clicking sharply against the paving stones making up the pathway leading into the circus, Annabeth made her way as quickly as she could inside, her eyes peeled for the shorter Cruikshank.

According to the massive Sully, there was a good chance that Cruikshank would be looking for Agency operatives, men sent by Carlton in a bid to stop him. The grim young woman only hoped he wouldn't be looking for a rather determined young lady of the night with a pistol strapped to her waist and a mystery weapon in a case.

Sadly she had managed only a handful of steps into the square proper, putting the circus on her left, when a low voice addressed her from a small stand of trees close to the entrance.

"Are you sure you want to go charging in like that?" the voice asked in the low, smooth timbre of an educated man.

Fighting the impulse to go for her pistol, Annabeth slowed just enough to throw a careful look over her shoulder. That look found a lean, dangerous-looking fellow in a long, dark coat with his back against the nearest tree, a rolled up magazine in one hand and an unlit cigarette in the other.

Hold on a moment; an unlit cigarette? Like the one Sully had? Seeing that, Annabeth decided to play a hunch. Pulling up, she turned and faced the man.

"What concern is it of yours?" she asked tautly, hands on hips. "Did Kate send you too?"

The lean man chuckled.

"No, but I think she knew I'd be here," he replied. "Usually I work with Red, However she's a little busy with a luncheon party and a certain traitorous major."

Annabeth's eyes narrowed at that. Wasn't Red the assassin that Brown and Cruikshank were so afraid of? Then she risked a quick look to either side to see if anybody was nearby that could've heard the man dropping names. To which the man laughed again, a low, menacing sound.

"Oh, you needn't worry about Cruikshank's lookouts overhearing us," he said almost conversationally, unrolling the magazine to idly flip it open. In doing so, Annabeth caught sight of the cover, a lurid and brightly colored thing showing a woman narrowly escaping the jaws of a massive beast under the title 'Fray'. "I took care of them almost as soon as they arrived here."

"And Cruikshank?" she asked, looking back at the man's face.

"Oh, he's still here, wandering around, looking for Geppetto. Coincidentally so am I. I was rather hoping the turncoat would do all the looking for me." He paused to look away from his magazine and at the case in Annabeth's hand. "But I see our little Kate has something else in mind for him. Something to leverage him into doing something a bit more productive for Queen and Country, I wager."