Mistrunner - Chapter 30 - Spygames

There are more skills out there than you can imagine. Some are specialized. Others are broad. Learning to counter each and every one of them is folly. Instead, we must lean into our own strengths, lest we get lost in the weeds.

Jeremiah Braddock III

For all that it was outwardly silent, the incessant beeping of my alarm was like a horn blaring in my mind. With a flick of thought, I turned it off, and for a moment, I considered simply going back to sleep. The fight with the crab had been more tiring than I expected. Not physically – I was well past the point where that short battle would be more than a warm up – but rather, mentally. Still, my training hadn’t been for nothing, and I quickly pushed past my tendency to procrastinate and forced myself to rise from that little corner of the building.

As soon as I did, the day’s efforts caught up to me. Not only was the smell of the not-so-fresh-anymore crab strong in my nose, but my brief bath had been wholly unequal to the task of getting me clean. As a result, I felt crusty in ways I didn’t even want to think about. The thick braids of my hair had grown stiff with old crab guts, and I knew it was probably too much to hope that I didn’t smell like a fishery.

Even so, I was alive, and the crab wasn’t. So, there was that, at least, to give my mood a little perk. Plus, if everything went right, I’d only have a day or so before I was back in Mobile and training.

It struck me then that it was kind of strange, how much enjoyment I got out of training. There was just something about seeing those numbers go up that I found addictive. But it wasn’t just that, either. I liked getting better at things, seeing the improvement, day by day. Inch by inch. Minute by minute. That, as much as the changes to my status, was reason enough to look forward to training.

But first, I needed to prove that I could take it. That’s what these tests were all about, after all. Making sure I had what it took to keep going. I was eager to show that my training hadn’t gone to waste. So, with that in mind, I did a few light stretches, then stepped out into the salty, night air.

Unsurprisingly, the village was mostly deserted, save for a handful of staggering figures who looked inebriated. However, I did catch sight of a few drones hovering near the palisade that encircled the small town. According to my uncle, there were a host of other measures in place to ensure their security. From drones to motion sensors and everything in between, it would be almost impossible to covertly infiltrate the town. Except the way I’d come, at least – and that was only possible because I looked relatively unthreatening. If my uncle – or one of the amigos – had tried the same thing, they’d have ended up in a firefight at the gate, regardless of whether or not they had skills or abilities to hide their identities.

I crept forward, hiding in the shadows as I moved toward the village’s main building, which I’d overheard Sadie refer to as The Plant, probably because that was what it had once been – a seafood processing plant. If there was intel to be had, it would be found there, I was sure. Along the way, I had to keep an eye out for errant drones – as well as the few night owls, especially around the town’s lone saloon – but none of them were terribly difficult to avoid. Still, it was slow going, and almost an hour passed before I found myself pressed against the wall of the building across the street from The Plant.

I crouched low, studying the building. It was crawling with mooks of all shapes and sizes. In addition, I saw no less than eight cameras and five drones that never left the area. My experience with infiltrating the Tigers’ compound had not prepared me to assault this base. At first, I panicked, thinking that my mission was impossible.

But this was just my first impression, wasn’t it? I had plenty of time to watch, to wait, and to figure out what needed to be done to accomplish my goal. So, that’s what I did, settling down on my haunches and watching the comings and goings.

The first thing I realized was that, though the rest of Bayou La Batre was asleep, the people in The Plant were decidedly more active. As the hours passed, I counted four different boats tying off at the docks, unloading or loading boxes, and then slipping away. What’s more, from what I could see, the men and women manning those boats all wielded shinier and more impressive weapons, and many of them sported gleaming cybernetics, the likes of which I hadn’t seen since leaving Nova City. And even then, I’d only seen them when someone descended into the Garden from one of the richer districts.

Or when the Enforcers made a visit.

I shuddered. No – these boats weren’t manned by natives of the area. That much was abundantly clear. Something else was going on, and my task of figuring it out loomed over me even more oppressively than before. There was every chance that this test wasn’t so much a test as an actual mission, after all.

Those thoughts and more flitted through my mind as I watched the building, but even when the sun started to peek above the horizon, I hadn’t discovered anything new. Nor had I made any headway in my task. But a short delay was preferable to rushing in with less than perfect information. There was a time for haste, but when the situation afforded the opportunity, taking things slow and steady was almost always the best option. Nobody ever complained that they went into battle with too much information, after all.

And I did think I was in for a fight, one way or another. There were too many discrepancies. No – strange things were afoot in Bayou La Batre, and I intended to discover everything before going back to my uncle.

To that end, I slipped further into the alley that had been my perch for the night, where I intended to change back into my disgusting clothing from the day before. Black fatigues were all well and good, but they tended to stick out, especially in a place like Bayou La Batre. Still, regardless of the necessity, I hesitated before changing. The tee-shirt, especially, was ruined, stained a dingy sort of yellow. I’d tried to wash it in the seawater, the same as I’d tried to bathe, but my efforts had been less than effective. The jeans had come mostly clean, though. Or at least the crab guts were gone, even if the smell wasn’t.

I sighed, then set about the horrible task. I already felt dirty, and the horrid stench clinging to my clothes was enough to make me gag. But I pushed those minor discomforts to the back of my mind and tried to pretend I didn’t smell like a fish market.

It didn’t work, and I ended up heaving what little I’d eaten into the muddy alley.

All in all, it took me about fifteen minutes before I got used to the smell, and when I did, I set off back to the abandoned building where I’d killed the crab. However, when I drew close, a voice brought me up short.

“You ought not go in there, girl,” a raspy voice called from behind me. I turned to see a tiny, wrinkled, old woman. She carried a woven basket piled high with raw shrimp on one hunched shoulder. Her white hair was thin enough that it looked like it would blow away at the slightest breeze, and when she opened her mouth, I saw that she had scarcely more than three teeth in her mouth. Notably, she was ethnically similar to Kimiko, which, given what I’d learned about the area, meant she was probably of Vietnamese descent. “Old Snappy lives there, and he don’t take too kindly to visitors.”

“O-old Snappy?” I asked, barely remembering that I was supposed to be a terrified refugee.

“Used to be somebody’s pet, believe it or not,” the woman said, spittle flying from between her lips. “Grew up. Ate the owner and his family, from what I hear. By the time anybody noticed, Old Snappy was too big for anybody ‘round here to kill. He don’t come out of that house none too often, and when he does, he don’t stray far. But he’ll kill anybody who’s dumb ‘nuff to waltz in there and present him with a live meal. Best not be dumb, girl. S’all I’m sayin’.”

“I…I don’t have anywhere else to go,” I whined, seeing an opportunity. The old woman seemed kind enough, and more importantly, she wasn’t accompanied by a creepy boy who wouldn’t stop staring at me. Perhaps she could help me with my lack of information. Once I knew more, I would be better prepared to tackle my mission.

“Where’re you from, then?” she asked. “I ain’t seen you ‘round here.”

“Uh…Wilmer,” I said, stating the name of the town I’d pretended to have escaped. “I came cross-country, and I didn’t arrive until yesterday. But I don’t have any food or anywhere to go. I don’t mind working. I just…”

The old woman looked me up and down, then spat on the ground. “Fine,” she said. “Follow me. I’ll at least give you a meal and show you where you can clean up. You smell like a shrimp boat.”

“I…I’m Mira.”

“Call me Sue,” said the old woman. “Now, c’mon. We ain’t got all day to laze about.”

“Do you want me to help?” I asked, nodding at her basket.

She looked at me like I was an idiot, then let out a cackle that was altogether too unnerving for such a diminutive woman. Then, without a word, she turned and marched away, her boots squelching in the muddy street. I hurried to follow her. As I did, I got a better look at the village.

Bayou La Batre was a lot of things, but civilized wasn’t really one of them. The roads were unpaved, the buildings – especially the ones that passed for residences – were little more than hovels, and the people were dirty, smelly, and looked as if they were all in need of a good meal. Which was strange, considering how proud Jasper had been of the town’s shrimping legacy. If his boasting had been any indication – as well as the impressive boats I’d seen in the harbor – the town shouldn’t have had any issues with getting food. And yet, the people looked like they were starving. More, I remembered Sadie’s complaints about quotas.

Something didn’t add up, and I was beginning to think that it had a lot to do with the people – operators from somewhere like Nova City, I was now certain – I had seen during the night.

I followed Sue for only a short while – after all, it wasn’t a big village – until she reached a small building. Once she was there, she told me to wait while she took care of some business inside. When I complained, she looked me up and down, then said, “You stink. Nobody likes stinky people.”

My jaw dropped, but she ignored my attempts at a sputtered response. Instead, she went inside, leaving me standing on a side street to await her return. As I did so, I got a few cutting glances from passersby; the whole town seemed full of early risers. I tried to ignore them, but as time wore on, I started to feel very self-conscious. Thankfully, Sue returned after only a half hour, muttering something about getting ripped off. I couldn’t help but notice her basket was empty, so I assumed that she had sold the shrimp.

With that done, it wasn’t long before we’d crossed the town to a small shack near the northernmost wall. She led me inside, where she said, “Strip out of those clothes, girl.”

“W-what?”

“You can’t wear them no more,” she said. “They stink. I’ll find you somethin’ else. My daughter was about your size.”

“O-oh…she won’t mind if I wear her clothes?” I asked.

The old woman snorted. “Took off for the big city, she did,” Sue stated. “Ain’t seen her for two years. Said she was gonna be a big shot ‘cause she was Tier-3. Tried to tell her different, but…well, she was a stubborn girl, just like her daddy.”

“Uh…”

“Strip, I said!” she hissed. “Bathtub’s in the next room. Should be some soap in there, too.”

“T-thanks,” I said, already taking off my clothes. I wanted to ask why I couldn’t do it in the bathroom, but the old woman was insistent, and I wasn’t in any position to argue. So, off my ruined clothing went, and before long, I was as naked as the day I was born. The woman barely even looked at me – thank God – before I retreated into the bathroom. Once there, I discovered precisely why she wanted me to undress out in the other room. The bathroom was tiny, and I had to hunch down just to fit inside. Still, I was relieved to find that the water worked just fine, even if I had to squat in the tub to splash myself.

Once I finished my awkward bath, I arduously unraveled my braids before going through the process of cleaning my hair. When I was done, it was frizzy and wild, but at least it was clean. I tied it back, which mitigated some of the problem, then left the bathroom to find Sue waiting outside with a clean, white towel. She handed it over, and I dried off.

“You have no idea how good that feels,” I said.

“You still stink,” was her response as she shoved a bundle of clothing into my hands. I was relieved to find that the outfit consisted of a pair of baggy jeans and a longsleeve shirt with a few buttons at the neck. Once I was dressed, I had to admit that the outfit was comfortable enough.

“Better,” Sue said. “Now, put your shoes on. I’m going to take you to see Savanna. She’ll know what to do with a stray like you.”

“Savanna?” I asked. “Who’s that?”

I knew she was the leader of the town, and there had been hints that she was in control of the swarm of drones that patrolled the skies above the village. However, beyond that, I didn’t know anything about the woman.

“If you’re lucky, she’ll be your guardian angel,” Sue said.

“And if I’m not lucky?” I asked.

Sue didn’t answer. Instead, she just cackled and walked out the front door. I swallowed hard, and though I felt my trepidation building, I still followed. After all, I had a job to do.

Trailing after Sue, I looked up, noticing that the sun was a lot higher than I had expected. A quick glance at my clock told me that it was already mid-morning. Sue’s errand as well as my bath had taken far longer than I expected, and I was beginning to feel the effects of spending most of the night awake. Thankfully, due to my high constitution attribute as well as my experiences during hell week, I had little difficulty pushing past my fatigue. It wasn’t pleasant or anything, but I still managed.

Sue shuffled through the muddy streets, and I followed at her heels. Slowly, we made our way to The Plant.

“Used to be a processing plant,” she explained as we drew closer to the low-slung building. “Back before I was born. Before my momma was born, too. It’s old, and most of it’s been replaced at one point or another. But it’s saved us more times than I can count.”

“Saved you? How?” I asked.

She cut her eyes at me, saying, “Them walls ain’t more than a speed bump for the critters out there. They don’t do nothin’ more than slow ‘em down. Gives us time to get inside the fort, where Savanna can protect us, see?”

“Protect you how?” I asked, eyeing the building suspiciously. With its metal and concrete walls, it didn’t look much better fortified than the rest of the village. “Some of the…uh…critters I’ve seen could knock those walls down in a second.”

“How, you ask? Overwhelmin’ firepower,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes and a mischievous smile playing across her creased face. “Now, c’mon. We best get you inside. If I know Savanna at all, she’ll want to hear your story.”

“Y-yeah,” I said, and we covered the rest of the distance in a matter of moments. Finally, she led me to a nearby loading dock where men and women were busy stacking crates. We went inside, and I kept my eyes peeled for any bit of information that might indicate what was going on in the tiny town.

While I saw plenty of boxes – which was strange, in and of itself – I didn’t really see anything else of note as Sue led me inside and across the building’s ground floor to a set of metal stairs that led up to a catwalk that cut across the room. We crossed it, with Sue’s short, shuffling steps making it take far longer than it should have, but eventually, we reached a balcony running along the far wall. At the end of the balcony was an open door leading to an office, which I surmised was our eventual destination.

Sure enough, my suspicions proved correct when Sue’s path led us there. Not that I was prescient or anything – it was literally the only way we could’ve gone, except maybe the ladder in the opposite direction that presumably led to the roof.

Finally, we stepped inside, where we were greeted by a woman’s sweet voice. “Well, well, well – what do we have here? Aren’t you a pretty, little thing?”