Mission Manhattan by James Ponti
Author:James Ponti
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2024-02-06T00:00:00+00:00
17. Improv
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATESâPRESENT DAY
IN THE THREE YEARS SINCE heâd met Mother, Rio had become a spy, a brother, and now even something of a hero. But part of him would always be the Amazing Encantado. It was so ingrained in him that if he were dropped onto Copacabana Beach in front of a group of tourists, he could still perform his old act from memory without missing a beat. Not that it was ever really memorized. The key to his success had always been that he ad-libbed about half of it. Thatâs what kept it fresh and funny.
Heâd found the same was true about spy work. It was usually a fifty-fifty mix of careful planning and flying by the seat of your pants. But not this week. This week everything felt improvised, and that had him worried. Theyâd come to Washington to protect Beatriz but were still making up basic mission elements as they drove from the airport to the British embassy.
âWhereâs our rendezvous?â he asked. âIn case something goes wrong.â
âGreat question,â Mother said as he tried to think of one. âHow aboutâ¦â
âThere,â Monty offered as she pointed through the windshield. âBut on the other side.â
Theyâd just crossed a bridge into the city and were approaching the back of the Lincoln Memorial, one of the most famous monuments in Washington.
âPerfect,â Mother said. âItâs easy to get to, open late, and there are plenty of tourists to help us blend in. The Lincoln Memorialâs our emergency RV.â
âWhat about a panic word?â Paris asked.
âI know weâve used it a couple times lately, but I like Apple Jack,â Brooklyn said. âItâs easy to remember, and itâs been good luck for us.â
âI like it too,â added Sydney.
âDone,â Mother said. âIf you hear âApple Jack,â that means itâs time to scramble and meet up in front of old Honest Abe.â He paused for a moment and let out a frustrated sigh. âIâm really sorry that this feels so scattered.â
âIt couldnât have been helped,â Monty said. âI think itâs amazing that weâve pulled it together as well as we have.â
It had only been three days since Brooklyn and Kat had identified the bombers and their possible threat to Beatriz in Washington. There simply hadnât been enough time to plan a full-fledged mission.
âWhat else do we need to figure out?â Sydney asked.
âIt doesnât matter because weâre already here,â Monty said as they pulled up to the embassyâs guardhouse. âDonât worry. Weâre going to do fine. You all have the skills, and more importantly, you all have the right instincts. Whatâs the Motherism? The essential part is that you trust your heart. When the time comes, youâll know what to do.â
âOr, put another way,â Mother added with a wry grin, âready or not, here we come.â
Once theyâd cleared security, the team was greeted by a young man from the protocol office. Sydney took an instant liking to his sense of style. He wore a maroon two-button blazer and a pair of classic black oxford shoes and kept his hair long on the top but tapered on the sides.
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