A Small Gray Dot

I didn’t drive all the way to the gate. Instead, I swung the car around so that it pointed back the way we’d come and parked it about a hundred feet away pulling to the side near the trees. We got out taking the Molotov cocktails and the gas container with us. We kept close to the trees as we approached the company gate. There was a jeep parked directly in front of it, a Wrangler, the kind with a retractable fabric top popular with off roaders before the Event.

“That’s the jeep the guards use,” said Duncan. “Must be what they used to bring your girl down. Wonder why they left it out here? Normally, anybody going in by car drives around to the vehicle gate and into the lot. You have to go about three blocks to get to it but if Morgan was as groggy as Harlow said, and they had to carry her, you’d think they would’ve used it.”

I considered it for a moment. This gate was closer to a building. “Perhaps they didn’t want to bother with driving around to the parking lot. Maybe they expected to dump her and come right back out.” I wondered why they hadn’t returned, though. There’d been plenty of time.

I looked out across the lighted lot. It was the only place in Blue Heaven where I’d seen that many lights in the same place that actually worked. All the buildings were dark except the nearest one. Light glowed in three of the big front windows on the second floor.

“What’s in that building, Duncan?” I asked.

“That’s Henderson’s main office. He’s got a smaller office in an extension he added on the other side but since the lights are on in his main office, I figure he’s there.”

The add-on wasn’t visible from our position but it had to be the one Dr. Bennett had mentioned. There was no way to be sure of where they had Morgan but I didn’t think she was in the extension, or in the living quarters. Because of the lights, my bet was she was somewhere in the main office.

I checked out the row of delivery vans and trucks parked on the lot where the pavement picked up at the bottom of the grassy slope.

“How’re we gonna git down there without bein’ seen?” asked Percy.

“Yeah, Tenn. They have cameras all over the place. No way we can sneak up on them,” added Duncan.

That was an observation I’d already made.

Unless… “What about those trees over there?” I asked Duncan. There were two strands on either side of the paved path that led down from the gate, but I was most interested in the one to our right that marched down the slope almost to the side of the building.

“There’re a few cameras in the trees, too. Hard to get through them without being seen.”

If they were diligent about watching those cameras, they would see us no matter which way we went, but the trees might afford us a little protection and if we could create a diversion…

I judged the distance from where the trees ended to the lot. Only about fifty feet. From there, I could throw far enough to reach the first couple of vehicles. I was pretty sure the guys could, too. We needed a distraction until we could get down the approximately two hundred feet to the bottom. Something that might take attention away from the cameras.

“How can we get in without going through the front door?” I asked.

Duncan pointed. “See the door on this side? That’ll get us in, and there’s also a back door.”

“They keep them locked?”

“I don’t know.”

I nodded. The back door was going to be better and I could get it opened if necessary. And I thought of a use for the jeep.

I studied the gate and the path leading down. Wide enough.

“We’re not going to exactly sneak,” I said. “I believe Morgan is somewhere in Henderson’s office building, up where the lights are, so that’s where we have to go. But we need a diversion. Hand me the gas can. This jeep is about to take a trip.”

Duncan cocked his head over, then said, “I believe I see what you have in mind but it won’t have enough speed to do much damage by just pushing it. Slope’s not steep enough.”

“We won’t be pushing it.” I pulled the jeep’s driver side door open and peered in.

“What’re you doing?” asked Lem. “You’re ain’t gonna drive it down, are you? They bound to see you, and how’re you gonna get it started?”

“I don’t intend to drive it down, but If they’re watching, they’ll see us anyway, Lem, and I’ll start it with the key.” I held it up. I could’ve started it without the key but having it was better. And a little quicker.

Percy shook his head. “You mean th’ dummies left it?”

“No reason to take it,” said Duncan shrugging. “Nobody in Blue Heaven bothers the jeep.”

Until now.