Page 48 of Circle of Death
Maddy looks back into the kitchen and a flicker of recognition comes over her face. “Oh, my God. That’s Tapper and Hawkeye in there, isn’t it? More descendants? What’s going on?”
I nod. “They arrived last night. They’re here to help us fight the Command.”
Maddy turns abruptly and walks toward the staircase. “Perfect. You guys solve the world’s problems—the Shadow and his elite team of experts. I’ll find Deva’s killer.” She heads up the staircase. “I’m going to the fair tonight.Alone!”
Margo grabs my arm and whispers softly. “Like hell she is.”
CHAPTER 57
IT’S JUST AFTER dark. The three of us are walking through the fair entrance together. A united force. It took some talking, but once Maddy realized that there was no way we were letting her go off by herself, she came around.
She understands our combined powers are a lot stronger than hers alone. Not that our powers have done much good on this case. So far, our most impressive feat has been to watch people die—after they’re already dead.
Maddy does a slow turnaround, taking in the expanse and spectacle of the fair for the first time.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” says Margo.
“Yeah, sure,” says Maddy. “For a slaughterhouse.”
I know how she feels. The first time I visited the site with Moe, all I saw was promise and potential—a city trying its best to get back to normal. I was blinded by the lights. Now all I see are the seams of darkness in between. This place feels anything but normal. Anything but hopeful. It feels menacing and evil.
As we walk together down the midway, I spot a few men and women moving purposefully through the crowd—some solo, some in pairs. Undercover cops. I guess Captain Bates has decided that an ounce of prevention is better than a ton of cover-up. But the killer is way too cagey for this kind of surveillance. I should know. I’ve been inside his head.
I’m looking at faces, checking body language, sorting for clues. But it feels impossible. The killer could be anybody here. Or nobody.
Maddy speeds up and walks ahead of us. She stops at the entrance of a massive pavilion. The roofline soars high above the walkway. On either side of the entrance, I see gigantic tiered platforms filled with mounds of fresh fruit—apples, pears, oranges, kiwi, grapefruit—all lush and colorful. Margo and I catch up as Maddy walks inside. A few steps later, we’re in a different world.
The air is thick with floral scents and the sound of falling water. From the ground level to the ceiling hundreds of feet above, the space is filled with spectacular hydroponics displays. Curtains of flowers and vines drape down over rocky cliffs. Waterfalls plummet from ten stories up. On every side, canopied groves bloom with tangerines, mangos, and bananas. It looks like a scientifically enhanced version of Eden.
“Jesus,” says Margo. “This is one fancy fruit farm.”
We wander through rows of hybrid flowers and specimen trees, and past long white troughs of cultured seaweed. Workers in white uniforms pile harvested produce onto huge stainless-steel carts. It looks like this place could single-handedly end world hunger.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, I get antsy. The exhibit is stunning. But three pairs of eyes in one place seems like a waste of resources. I pull Margo and Maddy aside next to a miniature orchard. “You two take your time in here. I’m heading across the way.”
“Don’t get lost,” says Margo.
I look Maddy in the eye. “Stay together. Never out of each other’s sight. Clear?”
“Okay, okay,” she says. She sounds like she means it.
I turn and head for the exit—like something’s pulling me.
CHAPTER 58
AS SOON AS I step out of the garden pavilion, I know exactly where to go. About a hundred yards up the path is an exhibit that caught my eye the other night. Something about the “magnificent isolation of outer space.”
Sounds dark and mysterious. And maybe a good place for a killer to lurk.
A minute later, I’m passing through an electronic entry curtain with a group of fellow enthusiasts—a few couples and one large family. For about half a minute, we all wait in a large, dark chamber. The kids can hardly contain themselves. Then one whole side opens and we step out onto a rocky surface with the whole universe surrounding us. Disorienting, but thrilling. Like nothing I’ve ever felt.
According to the readout floating in midair in front of me, I’m standing on an asteroid, hurtling through the Black Eye galaxy, twenty-four million light-years from home. The illusion is amazing, and totally complete. All I’m missing is a spacesuit.
Some kind of audio effect has canceled out the sound in the room. I can see the kids nearby squealing with excitement, but in total silence. Eerie. I turn slowly on the jagged rock surface. The asteroid is a mere fragment, maybe a few hundred yards across. We’re surrounded by glittering stars—and billions of miles of endless black. Filaments and particles shoot past us, creating a sense of movement, like we’re surfing through space. Incredible! Time seems to stand still. Minutes seem like hours. Or maybe eons.
Suddenly, a comet shower passes overhead like fireworks. Then, in the distance, a giant sun explodes, blasting outward in concentric circles of yellow and orange, brighter and brighter. For a moment, the whole universe is whited out.
In that split second, my mind flashes back to the murder scene in the rain forest—those two terrified kids an instant before they died. But now I see something else. I see whattheysaw. The killer’s face! Blurred and dark. Feral. Monstrous. With grotesque green features.
