Maitho felt as though the phone was burning against his skin, even though the device wasn't hot. The fear of discovery was slowly overwhelming him. He was concerned about how he might look or if the fact that his body temperature might squeeze a bead of sweat or two on his skin. Whatever physical reaction he had could raise suspicions, especially with Brigid. It wasn't just the fact that she was keen eyed, but she was also looking for any reason to attack Maitho.
He forced his breathing to be steady. He adjusted himself in his seat, bringing his face in the way of the car air-conditioner. Extreme fear might make him sweat regardless of the temperature, but at least this would help cool him until he could calm himself.
He heard the faint sound of ringing from Brigid's smartphone. The call had gone through.
There was no ringtone. No vibrational alert. Just silence.
Maitho waited a few more seconds to confirm if it was really the case.
Again, there was no sound of a phone's ringtone. Earlier, he had turned off the phone's vibration and sound as he was walking towards Quinn in the underground parking lot. By walking behind Epona, he gave himself an opportunity to change the settings of the phone without her catching him in the act.
Maitho wanted to exhale. He held himself back, willing his mind to breathe at a steady pace. Realizing that he might inadvertently do something or reveal an expression that might raise doubts, he looked outside the windshield as though he was checking something.
Then it occurred to him. Perhaps he could turn this situation into an opportunity. He faced the trio in the backseat and let go of his breath. It wasn't too loud, but it was noticeable. By doing so, not only did he receive a chance to calm himself, but also make it seem like he was exasperated. Like he was impatient.
"Sorry Maitho," said Bevan. "I should have checked earlier."
Maitho showed his palm and shook his head. "That's okay. I'm just concerned about waiting here with Raiden around."
"He has a good point," said Quinn. Maitho was glad that the car agreed with him.
Brigid waited until a beeping tone announced that no one had picked up the phone. She disconnected the call. After taking a moment to ponder, she handed over her phone to Bevan. "Use that for now. You can call Epona for updates." Bevan nodded.
"Since you guys have planned everything out, might I suggest something?" said Quinn.
"Of course you can," said Maitho. "You don't need permission."
"That was sweet. For your kindness, remind me to call you boss."
Maitho responded, a bit too quickly. "You don't have to call me that." Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the trio looking at him. "You're good."
"Ah well," said Quinn. For some reason, Maitho imagined the car shrugging and wondered how that would look. Would the front bumpers lift up? Or would the mirrors raise themselves? It was an odd thought to have at that moment. But because he was embarrassed by Quinn's previous response, he welcomed any thought to distract him. "Anyways, I suggest leaving Bevan a block away from your apartment Maitho. He can make his way to the building from the rooftops, since he was planning to use them anyway. He will have a better chance to check the surroundings. Besides, I don't trust sending everyone together. It's always good to have backup."
Maitho blinked. Then he blinked again. "That's a great plan."
"Let's do it," said Brigid and faced Maitho. "Any location recommendations?"
"My building is one of many that are sandwiched between two streets. It is closer to one street than the other. We stop at the other. Bevan can carry," he looked at the Celtic descendant, "any weapons required."
Bevan must have got the hint, because he gave a quick nod. "I don't mind that. I'll be ready to break stuff if needed." He added the last part as a joke.
"We aren't breaking anything," said Brigid, the sharpness in her tone revealing that she wasn't in the mood to accept lighthearted jests. "Not unless we absolutely must." After a moment's thought, she continued. "Alright Quinn, you can drop Bevan there. He will use the rooftops."
"What about you, Epona, and Maitho?" asked Quinn.
Brigid shook her head. "I don't want everyone leaving together. We'll get down in front of the hypermarket. Better to split up as much as possible. Besides, it might be that only Maitho needs to show his face. I'll be going with him and Epona. You and Bevan can be our backup."
Without another response, Quinn took off. A little more than ten minutes later, he stopped near a sidewalk. Directly opposite Bevan's door was an alleyway, though he wouldn't be using it. It could however, serve as the perfect hiding spot should he require it. The alleyway itself was an interconnected grid that reached most buildings, including Maitho's.
Bevan stepped out of the vehicle, leaving the door open. He headed for the trunk and opened it, immediately taking out various items. Through the narrow slit that appeared between the bottom of the trunk and the car, Maitho saw him pull out a long object covered in cloth.
He was taking the Freagarach.
After closing the trunk, Bevan walked around and bent down to look into the car from outside, one hand placed on top of the door. "I'll see you guys soon. So don't get into trouble." He offered a smile.
"Seems like you got something extra," said Brigid, her eyes locked on to the sword covered by the cloth.
Bevan's eyes found Maitho's but they instantly looked away. It was too late. Brigid seemed to have noticed the exchange.
"I don't want a repeat of yesterday," said Bevan. "Please. Let's talk about this after we deal with the situation."
The expression on Brigid's face told the entire story. Her lips were pressed together and her hand clenched the headrest of the driver's sweat, making the leather stretch. On one hand, there was the fact that they were beaten by the enemy the previous night. The damage had been considerable. It did make sense that they will require any extra advantage they can get, even if that meant carrying a powerful weapon. On the other hand, there was the matter of her being the leader and the one to give the final word.
Maitho interrupted. "It's my fault. I suggested it to him."
"Of course you did," said Brigid. "Who else could be so stupid?"
"Not now darling. Our targets are not the people we are working with." Quinn made an attempt to fan the flames.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. "Just focus on driving and leave the decisions to me," said Brigid. She faced Maitho. "The next time you come up with ideas, keep them to yourself. Or suggest it to me when there's no one around. Better yet, I'll set up a suggestion box for you at the base."
Epona interjected. "Time's running oot. We can have this chat anither time."
For a moment, it seemed as though Brigid would not let go. But she quickly recovered, her face relaxing their muscles and realization flooding her eyes. She looked at Bevan and nodded. "Go. Keep your eyes open. Don't take risks if you don't have to."
Bevan smiled, the reaction reaching his eyes. "Thank you." He looked at each person in the car. "You guys take care. I'll see you all after this."
The hope in his voice was comforting. Maitho could not help but feel a warmth spread through his chest. It was a strange sensation, as he had never experienced it before. Being alone had deprived him of certain feelings that comprised a typical human experience.
"Go oan already. We'll hug each other once this is ower." Epona seemed to project annoyance, but she quickly looked outside the window, turning her face away from everyone.
With one final beaming face, Bevan closed the door and sprinted towards the alleyway. Quinn began moving immediately. "Next stop," he said. "The supermarket."
It took just two more minutes for the car to navigate the morning traffic and arrive in front of the hypermarket. After dropping the remaining passengers, it continued on its journey to wait at the hypermarket's rooftop parking space. No sooner had they stepped onto the sidewalk than Epona hailed a taxi. After speaking to the driver for a quick moment, she pulled out a one-hundred-dollar bill. The driver grabbed it without hesitation, as though failing to do so would mean that he would lose his chance. Epona stepped away from the taxi and the vehicle took off.
"Oor decoy is oan its wey," said Epona, turning around to face Maitho. "Show us yer humble abode."
"You can actually see it from here," said Maitho. "You just have—"
The explosion interrupted whatever he had to say. It sounded like the bursting of a tire, and maybe it could have been misunderstood as such. But something about it drew his attention. In the distance, he could see black smoke billowing out of one of the windows of a building. Even from where he was standing, the building was unmistakable to him. After all, he had been seeing it everyday for the past two years. He knows its many hallways and exits. He has even caught glimpses of its many occupants, though he has never had proper conversations with them. Just the occasional nod or greeting to show that he wasn't a creep.
"Is that?" Brigid said, but didn't complete her question. She didn't have to. It was fairly obvious.
Yet Maitho chose to confirm her thoughts. "My apartment, yes."