Chapter 98: Sugar Dame
It took a while for the sun to finally set and bathe Mischel in darkness, but the Free Bird Mercenaries–the ones not imprisoned–were used to waiting. Their patience on the brink of a mission like this was unmatched. They went through their own preparatory rituals.
Hugo caressed his bow and whispered soothing words. Mole sharpened his daggers. Lily relaxed against a nearby tree with her eyes closed and hands clasped over her stomach like a dead man.
Squawks flipped a coin or rolled a die repeatedly, depending on the day and mood. Dima looked at his reflection in one of his blades, using them like mirrors.
Odd to others. Perfectly understandable to each other. It was what worked for them, what kept them in top form, and what increased their odds of getting out of Mischel alive.
Eventually, it was time.
The five mercenaries got up, erased their traces, and split up. They went to different sides of Mischel to minimize the risk of detection and, should any of them get caught, the possibility of implicating and exposing the others.
Mole was the best climber, so he went to the hardest and most guarded place right next to the gate. The others find their own places to try to climb the wall. It was a stone wall with many outcroppings and footholds, but it was also five or six times as tall as Damas, and the holds weren’t the best.
Fortunately, it was also a city of criminals.
If you were good enough, you were basically permitted entry. After all, climbing a wall wouldn’t ensure your life once inside. It would just mark you as one of the underworld and turn you into a target for the Syndicate or whoever else was interested.
For the most part, it went well for all the Free Bird Mercenaries, except the one who wasn’t free, of course. It was just a little awkward when Squawks bumped into someone doing the opposite climb, and both of them almost fell.
But Squawks helped the guy hold onto the wall again, gave him a thumbs-up, and proceeded up the wall.