14. Four : A night's walk
I had to wait until Tuesday afternoon to get the accreditation for the building plans area. Johanna had me filling about 6 different forms for it, and each set of plans you order is another form, to keep a record of what's been copied by the staff members. They said it's just in case the plans are spoiled or destroyed. I begin to think this is actually a good idea to make proper housing outside the city, but we would need to repair the train lines too, and that's a big job.
I prepared carefully my list of request not to draw attention on the Fort Sheridan plans I really want to. I order only plans for big buildings or compounds that could actually be renovated as housing areas: Northeastern Illinois University, Evanston Campus, Indiana Dabney University, Oak Forest Health Center, Chicago Midway International Airport… and of course Fort Sheridan.
On Wednesday afternoon, all the copies wait ready on my desk. I take them all home to study the fort ones properly without curious looks around.
Before leaving, I discreetly make several copies of the main view and central part of the fort, so we can write on it what we're going to find.
It's very dark tonight. That is good for camouflage but it will not help us to find our way around the fort.
I decided we should make shifts of 2, I don't want us to be vulnerable. I team with Zeke and George goes with Amar, so there's one cop in each group. We don't intent to get caught but you never know.
I spotted on the plan that there is only on main entrance to the fort on Sheridan Road. I suppose the secret part of the compound, is more or less at the centre. The map has allowed us to find exactly where the tower is. It stands between Whistler road and Leonard Wood av. That's where we're heading for tonight.
We all dressed in black and George got night view binoculars for everyone. It made me shiver to hold a gun again, I thought I wouldn't need this again, but I was surprised to feel I liked it. I actually like the powerful feeling the weapons give you. That's scary though.
When we get there, It's nearly 11PM. George parks the car in Old Elm street, on the opposite side of Sheridan road, not to drive attention on us. Anyway, there are no lights lit around here and the seldom houses are blind. We enter Simon's way together as I plan to separate at next road with one team going to the shore to see if we can escape this way. I chose to go and see the buildings with Zeke.
We don't walk on the road too openly, because, as we get near the center, I start to spot some lit housings and we have glimpses of people moving around. When we reach closer from Leonard Wood avenue, we come across a barrier with a guard's cabin. Think we found it whispers Zeke. I nod and give sign to George to go further to have a look to the shore. Zeke and I are trying the make a circle walk around the security area, to check how many guarded posts they have and who's guarding them.
It happens that only the barracks where the tower stands seem to be in use, even if the checkpoint has been installed at a distance from it. I suppose they keep the other areas protected to store material or vehicles. We count 4 check points with 2 guards with guns for each, and I get to know why they needed the tower. As we get closer I can see the watching platform that has been installed on top with 2 other guards and one of those very big army spots.
When we meet back with George and Amar, it happens we have enough information at the moment. As we need to get back before dawn, we leave at 2.30 AM, just after what seems to be the night's shift. The guards leave in turn at each checkpoint with a 10 minutes gap in between.
On the way home, I think about tomorrow. We took a day off with Tris to go to the IVF clinic. Now we're here I'm not so sure about it anymore. Christina agreed to Matthew's idea, therefore he plans to go to the compound next week with his token of allegiance. I feel it's a bit of a rush but on the other hand I don't want Adam to stay too long in there, now I know my father's torturing him like he did to me. I'm a little scared for Matt too, he's not to stand against my father if it comes to this.
Hope that Tris will be brave for us both.
I suppose we all feel relieved when we get back home. As we enter, we see Tris half asleep on the couch and I know she's been trying to wait for us to come back. When the guys are gone I take her to the bedroom and she barely opens her eyes.