Saturday, September 15, 2012

Philli Part 35

Oh. So that was what we were going to do. I didn't like it.
Stanyard clarified, "Like I said, we all need to scatter our way out of here. We are leaving anyway."
Cea objected, "There's no way all six of the United's most wanted can travel from here to Iceland without detection."
Stanyard answered, "First, we would be flattering ourselves to much to be considered on the most-wanted list. Maybe Nic or I could make it, and Nic more likely than me, but otherwise, we are all pretty low-key besides the recentness of this episode. Second, I don't think we should all go. And before you explode, Dr. Smyrna, hear me out.
"Philadelphia and Cea will stay back, together. I think Cea was right, and we need a small group for stealth. Besides, they can act for our behalf as decoys. If the United follows them, even as much as we hope it follows no one, it may think it has the trail of all of us. And that would give us double the chance of getting out there. I can get us a smaller boat that way, too, which will be able to make it by the coast-guard unnoticed."
Smyrna sat in silent acceptance. If those two stayed together, it could be fine. He had an idea, "If they sneaked back into camp, couldn't they hide in a house? They don't really search often, and by now they will have already searched there."
Stanyard nodded. "They can go anywhere. There's a usual network of safe-houses, so they can stay there a while until the United has lost interest, and then sneak to camp, and eventually we will find a place for them all."
I looked at Cea. Was she accepting all this?
Cea nodded slightly, "I am not to bad with a gun, but of course, Phil needs protection, too."
I couldn't deny that in the least.
"So let's finish the job here and then pack up and go."
Nic, Ephesus, and Stanyard went back up the ladder to finish trashing the upstairs until it was devoid of clues and evidence. I figured that would be interesting to do without making too much noise. A few minutes later I realized noise was not a concern in the least as things smashed and crashed and banged with alarming volume.
Cea, my daddy, and I started burning away as much evidence as we could. There wasn't much down there for evidence or clues, so at last we just piled everything in a heap and poured the fires ashes on it. Maybe that would hide fingerprints. It would certainly make combing through the charred books, sleeping mats, and garbage more irksome.
We spent most of the night trashing the basement. Stanyard wouldn't let any of us on the main floor, so that there would be less we could tell if we were caught.
Then began the planning conference. For over an hour Nic, Daddy, Stanyard, and Ephesus poured over maps and options and plans. Cea helped for a while, until she realized she knew no more than Ephesus. Eventually the schemers recommended the two of us catch a few winks of sleep. They'd wake us when they had plans.

And wake us they did. But not because of a plan.
"Come on, get up quick. They're here!"


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