A Song of Spiders

Chapter 17 - Assassination

Rachel roused them at first light. A pale grey-blue dawn was growing out on the Irish sea and the air was cold and damp, but fresh. Karma and Dex had slept huddled together and woke feeling warm but stiff and tired.

Rachel said ‘I've prepared you some breakfast guys, eat it and get ready, we're going, I want to meet the cafeteria staff early at Time Tours so they'll let us in the back way. Then we have to get to the Phoenix Park. I have tried to get Gnome Ann to talk again, but no luck. I think we are on our own again. Come on.’

Karma and Dex stretched and got up. Rachel was already pacing restlessly on the beach while  Minnie scaned the horizon. Once Dex and Karma joined them Minnie said. ‘OK, let's go, the tide is coming in.’ They jumped in one of the currachs.  Dex noticed some colourful ribbons had been added to it. Rachel then handed them some hastily made colourful hats. ‘We're going to head up river looking like just some rich kids out for a pleasure cruise. Try and look like you're having fun. We’ll pretend it’s all a be-movie.’ Her grim expression broke briefly into a smile. 

Minnie steadied the currach as they climbed it. They began to row back towards Dublin and the Liffey river mouth. Minnie said ‘tide’s coming in will get us there faster, but we still don’t have a lot of time before the pope uses the ark. Are you sure you can get the explosives?’

Rachel said. 'I doubt they found them. The police are sloppy, they are too used to passive people. That gives us an advantage.’

It was still just after dawn, nevertheless, there were a few dockers on the quays. Some glanced at them as they passed. The four waved at anyone they saw to allay suspicion. The dockers looked away and resumed their work. In a few minutes they made it all the way to the time tours offices without any trouble. 

Looking to make sure they were not observed, Minnie threw up a rope and they climbed up the river wall and onto the quay. Minnie said ‘I’ll hold here as long as I can for you. Good luck, don’t be too long, OK? ’ 

They went up the slick river wall, across the road then quickly and quietly around the back of the Time Tours building. There was a van there unloading large trays of fresh sandwiches and other supplies. Rachel simply nodded at a man with a clipboard who pretended not to see them and continued checking the boxes. They slipped in the back door and put on the overalls of kitchen staff, as well as grabbing three ID badges. 

Dex asked Rachel ‘Are they in on this?’ 

Rachel said ‘Of course, but they have to pretend they're not.’ 

Rachel grabbed a trolley of tea and biscuits and started pushing it towards the lifts. They pushed it into a meeting room where Rachel said ‘Close the blinds and lock the door. Karma, wait outside and if someone comes asking questions, tap four times on the glass.’ Karma nodded and stepped outside the door. Dex realised he was a little scared, he said to Rachel ‘So weird, I worked here so long, most of my life. Then they try to kill us here, and in such a casual, ordinary way, it seems like it couldn’t have happened, do you know what I mean Rache?’ Rachel had stood up on the meeting table and had pushed a panel across in the ceiling, she was shining a small torch up there. ‘I have never felt safe around the Chthonic church Dex, you've been lucky you had some time feeling that way.’ She tugged a black canvas bag out, crouched and unzipped it on the desk. She looked inside and seemed satisfied. 

‘Right, let's go.’ she was already stepping outside as she did this, nodding to Karma. Then they heard the strange metallic voice of Gnome Ann in Rachel’s pocket. ‘ALERT. ROUTINE SECURITY APPROACHING IN 30 SECONDS.’

‘Oh shite, what do we do?’ said Dex.

‘Back in here.’ whispered Rachel to the other two. She jumped up on the desk and lifted herself up into the ceiling panel. She then helped them up too. ‘We have to get to the secured be-movie room the Chthonic church maintains here, it's the only one I suspect the security don't have access to. We’ll wait there until the security guy returns to sitting at his desk eating his huge bag of Crispy Orbwebbas. Follow me.’