Chapter 36

36

Twenty-four hours later, the merciless sun beat down on the abandoned amusement park, its unforgiving rays baking the already parched earth to a crisp, dusty brown. The derelict Ferris wheel loomed overhead, its rusted skeleton creaking ominously in the oppressive heat. Faded, peeling paint clung desperately to dilapidated ticket booths, while tattered remnants of once-cheerful banners fluttered weakly in the stifling breeze.

The eerie silence of the deserted park was punctuated only by the incessant drone of cicadas, their grating chorus a discordant soundtrack to the team’s covert operation. Broken mirrors from a fallen fun house lay scattered across the cracked pavement, reflecting fractured images of the cloudless sky and adding to the unsettling atmosphere.

Alex wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, the salt stinging her eyes as she surveyed the ghostly remains of what was once a place of joy and laughter. The garish colors of a nearby carousel had faded to sickly pastels, its horses frozen mid-gallop, their painted eyes seeming to follow her every move. A decrepit clown statue grinned maniacally from its perch atop a defunct shooting gallery, its chipped face a nightmarish parody of mirth.

“Remind me again why we couldn’t set this up in a nice, air-conditioned mall?” she muttered, adjusting her ill-fitting construction worker’s vest and trying to shake off the feeling of being watched by the park’s spectral inhabitants.

Jason’s low chuckle carried across the desolate landscape, echoing strangely off the hollow shells of abandoned concession stands. “What’s the matter, city girl? Can’t handle a little heat?”

Alex shot him a glare that could have melted steel, even as she suppressed a shudder at the sight of a sun-bleached stuffed animal trapped beneath the splintered remains of a game booth. “I can handle the heat just fine. It’s the bugs I have issues with.”

As if on cue, a mosquito landed on her arm. She swatted it with more force than necessary, her nerves already on edge from the oppressive, almost supernatural atmosphere of decay and forgotten dreams that permeated the park.

Around her, the team buzzed with activity. Gabriel, looking as wilted as she felt, fiddled with hologram emitters near a collapsed bumper car arena. Tai’s drones whirred overhead, their persistent hum adding to the cacophony of insects and the occasional groan of settling metal from the decaying structures. Mac crouched beside her, fumbling with a hidden camera, his usually steady hands betraying a hint of unease in this forsaken place.

The stage was set for their confrontation with Seven-Five, but as Alex took in the haunting remnants of past merriment, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were actors in some twisted, sinister play, with the ghosts of the abandoned park as their silent, watchful audience.

She scanned the perimeter. “How’s it coming?”

Mac grunted. “If my hands would stop sweating, we’d be golden.”

Across the way, Jason’s team worked with military precision, setting up physical traps that looked innocuous to the untrained eye. Alex couldn’t help but admire their efficiency, even as a twinge of competitive spirit flared within her.

“Liv, how’s our network?” she asked over the comlink.

Liv’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “Up and running. We’re more connected out here than most of San Diego.”

Alex nodded, a small sense of satisfaction cutting through the oppressive heat. They were as ready as they’d ever be. Now, all they needed was for Seven-Five to take the bait.

Her gaze drifted to Gabriel, who was slumped against a rusted support beam, his face flushed and glistening with sweat. She frowned, concern etching lines across her forehead. Her cousin had never been one for the great outdoors, but this heat seemed to be taking a particularly heavy toll.

“Gabe, here.” She tossed him a water bottle. “Hydrate or die, remember?”

He caught the bottle with fumbling hands, offering a weak smile. “Thanks, Alex. I’m fine, really.”

But she knew better. The pressure was getting to him, just like always. Even as kids, he’d been the one to take things harder. Have a tougher time rebounding. The thought suffused her with a familiar guilt. Losing her parents so close together as an adult had been devastating. Gabe had been eight when he was orphaned.

Her people moved with the confidence of those who trusted in their tech, each motion precise and calculated. Jason’s team, on the other hand, seemed to be in a constant state of hyper-vigilance, their eyes constantly scanning for threats.

“You’d think we were in enemy territory,” Mac muttered, following her gaze.

“In their minds, we always are.”

She hated to admit it, but a part of her envied their battle-hardened caution. Memories of past missions gone awry due to tech failures flashed through her mind: the Beijing op where their comms went dark at the worst possible moment, the fiasco in Cairo when their state-of-the-art facial recognition software mistook a civilian for their target.

As if reading her thoughts, Jason appeared at her side. “Everything good over here?”

“All systems go. Your team ready to play catch if our toys fail?”

A ghost of a smile played on Jason’s lips. “Absolutely. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

The unspoken tension hung between them, thick as the humid air. For all their preparation, for all their tech and training, they both knew how quickly things could go sideways. And out here, under the merciless sun with danger potentially lurking behind every decrepit carnival ride, the stakes had never felt higher.

Tai’s urgent voice crackled through the comms. “Heads up, we’ve got company. Vehicle approaching from the south. Hold up. It’s a county car. Seriously? Could they be here for an inspection?”

Alex’s heart rate spiked. She locked eyes with Jason, seeing her own alarm mirrored there.

“That’s impossible,” Paige insisted. “I backdated all the permits. We should be clear.”

“Well, someone didn’t get the memo,” Graham muttered, his hand inching towards his concealed weapon.

In a flurry of controlled chaos, the team scrambled to their positions. They’d planned to appear like a construction crew if any civilians came close, but they’d never expected an official government visit. Alex grabbed a hardhat, shoving it on her head as she snatched up a clipboard. The sound of gravel crunching under tires grew louder.

A dusty sedan pulled up, and two figures emerged. An older woman with steel-gray hair pinned in a severe bun, and a fresh-faced young man who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.

The woman’s voice cut through the air like a whip. “What’s going on here? We have no record of permitted work at this site.”

Jason stepped forward, all easy charm and disarming smile. “Ma’am, there must be some mistake. We filed all the necessary paperwork months ago. I’ve got a copy of the permits right here saying we’re good to go.”

Alex sidled up beside him, praying her racing pulse wasn’t visible. “That’s right. I have the copies, too, if you’d like to see them.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed, suspicion radiating off her in waves. “Let’s see them, then.”

As Alex fumbled with the clipboard, her mind raced. Were these really county employees, or Seven-Five operatives? The young man’s nervous fidgeting seemed genuine, but the woman’s steely gaze could hide any number of secrets.

After what felt like an eternity of scrutiny, the woman huffed. “Well, it seems to be in order. But I don’t appreciate these last-minute filings. And that support beam over there needs to be properly secured before you continue.”

Alex nearly sagged with relief. “Of course, ma’am. We’ll take care of it right away.”

As the county employees drove away, the tension in the air slowly dissipated. Alex let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

Jason’s hand on her shoulder made her jump. “Nice work,” he murmured.

She managed a shaky smile. “You too. But let’s not do that again, okay?”

A chuckle rippled through the team, but Alex noticed everyone’s hands were still hovering near their weapons. One wrong move, one unexpected variable, and their entire operation could come crashing down around them.