It was one more day Nate spent trying to figure out what the heck he could do to get inside. The catering personnel was already inside out and taking in the stuff they needed for station set up. And from the looks it was some freaking fancy tech involved.
Looks like fancy finger food isn't enough these days... Nathan mumbled to himself while taking another puff from his nebulizer.
The very pretty looking but also rather bossy lady with dark lightly curled hair and porcelain skin seemed to be the boss for catering. She looked very determined and profoundly professional in her heels and pad on arm. She looked like Earth people. Because here paper was rare technology for notes among locals.
Olay he did scribble on his hands still but that was different.
Officials used digital stuff and they even had pretty advanced tech. Not all of course. Only the high rise. Mid levels and low lives like him relied on old school shit. Basically what he'd deduced mostly was that those from Earth that came less officially or before were simple stayed simple. He was still the same paper and pencil guy but kept up his secret techie skills for another day.
Because what he had otherwise would require strict observation and regulation. Because he was still a mutant among normal. They still avoided those with gifts like plague. Of flu.
Nate had seen many occasions when military came to swipe a building and came out with many different people in cuffs or with a net over their heads. He knew what it meant. So he always ran from hospitals. Always. And never gave his real name. Always an alias so it wouldn't tie him to system or get him in trouble.
Nate was the one to always be cautious. Especially after Samara. Because he never could do this one thing she wanted- that damn crafty artsy envelope that held some ancient invitation form. It was freaking neat on the outside with real velvet covering the outer part and having red leather on the inside layer with fucking gold letters in extremely intricate engraving that resembled calligraphic handwriting. It was priceless and worth several billions on black market. It was in the fucking museum where New York held some event. And only that night alone it was out on display. And exactly two days before Samara challenged them to steal it for her. She would ring up a buyer on spot if they did.
Nate almost choked on his nebulizer mist at the ridiculousness of the thought alone. Yet they did it anyway. Almost.
In the last moment somebody else grabbed the thing and they were made to run.
The memory often came back when he was scouting such events (which wasn't that often). And for some reason he had hard time believing it wasn't one of their group who snatched it so utterly pro. Not that they weren't. Just in a way they always hesitated, especially Noel. Maybe he actually believed programming. Yet he was another group but he never stuck with them, somehow he always sneaked over to their bunk.
Other thing that kept Nate wide awake was mere memory of the boy everyone kept calling his twin. Well, mirrors and vanity was a thing for older boys and girls so little ones didn't see themselves in mirrors until they reached next level.
Therefore Nate had no idea how he looked and couldn't really compare. Waters didn't count much because in water surface it still was hard to see the reflection and it often was too distorted by tiny ripples.
But the longing was there. It never left.
He wasn't usually a sap but stakeouts made all the worse come out. So it rarely was fair.
He held little memory of others in their group. And even the third only made a pass. Samara was something entirely different though. And she possibly had mutant powers to convince people do what she wanted. But she always had a trick up her sleeve and a secret to keep. And she held special liking to the other boy. Noel was obviously jealous just like Nate. And she always knew that and manipulated them into stealing some shit or other for her. She was such a prompter.
Nate could only hope to never see her again after falling for her trick the last time. The creepy way she kept drawing him. He saw once by accident. In her sketch he had a hat on, the fedora type from old days, and a same style classic old times three piece. And he always either looked freakishly fancy or completely wild with a palette in one hand and painting brush in other doing some painting with just a white-ish stained tank top and same stained pants and disheveled hair. The face was his but the hair was bit off and he definitely didn't so either of those hobbies.
He could most likely tie his hair up now and put on a hoodie to get some engine remodeled or computer wiped. Maybe a guitar or piano and a light belt in tune. But it was rare. Most likely he'd be on a craft taking escape route.
A beep kicked his brain back to reality. Yeah, maybe try him with a nebulizer stuck to his face and for humor some steam coming out his ears.
Natr almost guffawed at that image. He packed away his medical shit and glanced back at the building across the street. They still were amidst discussion about something or other. The lady now looked even more determined and scribbled something onto her pad. The man walked away only to be replaced by another man. This one seriously screamed government and something Earth-like. They both now did.
For whole twenty minutes Nate observed the pair and decided to keep an eye on that couple. It was now completely obvious they were married and for a long time now.
They ended their lovely conversation and separated leaving the front empty for whole ten minutes before a new stream of crew piled through his picture and disappeared indoors.
So much for the plan, Nate sighed and reached for his cold coffee. If he was about to get inside to scout best crafts risk of being spotted and eventually caught was great. He knew among all the reagular guests there will be elite military and government people from both locals and immigrants. He had no idea how many crafts will be there either.
Judging by the roof they had counted everyone coming in with a craft. Which meant strictly the elite.
But elite was tricky part Nate hated to deal with. They were unpredictable in a way that always made his life harder.
Somehow Nate begun doubting himself on this. While getting even one of the elite crafts would be enough for a payment for his next procedure the risk was something he wasn't yet fully decided upon taking. There were high stakes and he definitely would end up in prison for this.
But the need for the lung procedure was coming in closer and while he still could pull it off he already started to feel some of that mess developing inside his lungs. Barely noticeable rattling and inkling of a cough in the mornings. It was dreadful feeling of doom.
He knew there will high security levels and all. Already it looked like they were staging posts up and while on the outside the guards weren't too obvious he knew there were guards on the inside.
All the time he's already been on stakeouts during days and nights the delivery trucks came and went, tech people were already setting up their equipment and so far catering people were truly moving in. The others just prepped elsewhere, he decided.
Plus even if he tried infiltration was too late to happen. He was tied to Roland and his gang and had another task entirely.
As for that...
Yes, escape...
That actually was the easiest part. Albeit there was a chance of added detail around the block and possibly removed air traffic on certain levels as well as ground traffic, which he guessed will be blocked completely with security pass control points all over the place.
And Nate couldn't deny a force field up around the building's roof. The landing spot would be cleared for all the incoming crafts and stuff but also they would secure any ways of getting sideways.
For that thought he took definite notes. And wondered what Roland had planned with his part. So far there was no new orders and he wasn't one to share his plans with other parts that weren't involved directly.
He was only meant to be a guide to escape and that was all his task.
So Nate did it too, parallel to his personal little plan. And there was strong possibility he might clash with them on his way given his usual ways of doing his thing.
That and Noel...