Drowning Utopia

Chapter 7: Last-Minute Reassurance

"...And then, he gave me the form-ow!" Tessa exclaimed as she lay shirtless on her caught in car nine of Old Faithful.

"Sorry, love," Lonny patted Tessa's bare shoulder. She worked at a nasty gash on the side of Tessa's torso where the glass had cut her. "Now, hold still. I am just about done."

Marcus muttered from the divider's other side, "I don't see the problem. You did exactly what we needed you to do."

"That is not the point, Marcus. She feels bad about having to take from someone she cares about." Lonny replied as she dabbed at Tessa's back.

The stinging ointment caused Tessa to flinch. She clutched the bedding with a death grip, gasping, "Thank you— Lonny. I am glad someone understands the problem here."

"Still," Marcus pointed out, "you did your part. Makes our job that much easier."

"Hey, Tess," Donny said, "I think you may have overdone it this time with the sticky fingers."

Tessa pulled the divider back slightly to see Donny going through a pile of wallets, watches, and other trinkets and valuables. The things that Tessa had stolen on the way back to the circus. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, "I am sorry, I was just stressed, that's all."

Donny pulled the money from a particularly fat wallet, "Not blaming you, just saying, I think you should cool it. At least for the rest of the time, we are in town."

"I know. I will try," Tessa said, biting her lower lip as Lonny continued to stitch up her side just below the ribs. It was like being repeatedly stung by a wasp, each prick causing her to tighten up as Lonny slid the length of metal through.

Marcus said, "Either way, we are going to have our work cut out for us; If what you say is accurate, and there is a security officer stationed just down the hall from the labs, we will need to be extra careful."

"Agreed," Tessa panted as she turned her head to see Marcus sitting next to Tatum through the gap in the wicker panels. He watched as the Omale fortuneteller worked with Tessa's tools.

"How is this?" she asked, handing over a bit of metal.

The ringleader held it up to the light, reviewing the copy of the safe key. After squinting at it, Markus huffed, "Hopefully, it works."

"Do you doubt my abilities?" Tatum asked with a side glance.

"Not I," Marcus held up his hands, "I only meant the heist as a hole. Your abilities, my dear, are far from being in question."

"Good, otherwise someone would be sleeping on the couch tonight." Tantum threatened with a sly smile.

Marcus laughed, "Now we can't have that. What would the others think if they saw us fighting?"

"That you are a boorish chief, and I am a raging banshee." Tantum quipped.

"A pox on me if I were ever to anger you, my goddess," Marcus said as he got down on one knee, kissing her hand.

"You old flirt," Tantum smiled as she leaned in and rubbed her nose against his, a traditional sign of affection for the Omale. She then playfully pulled his beard and stood, rapping her sash around her head, as she generally said to all in the train car, "I will go check on the others. Marcus, behave yourself. Lonny, do take care of Tess."

"Always do," Lonny said as Tatum left the train car.

Marcus stood, tossing the new keys, catching them again.

Finishing her work on patching up Tessa, Lonny asked, "Are you sure you can handle the next part alone? Do you want backup?"

"No, I will be fine, I think," Tessa said, sitting up and sliding back on her shirt after Lonny finished cleaning it.

"I am sure you will be," Donny said, counting the money, "Oh, by the way, Tess, you should show Marcus how to use that grappling hook gun of yours again before you go, just to be safe."

"I know what I'm doing," Marcus said, turning to the desk and grabbing one of the two grappling hook guns sitting there.

Tessa, knowing better, finished buttoning her shirt before pulling back the divider the rest of the way. She got to her feet and stepped over to her workspace next to Marcus. "Do you want me to show you again? Just to be safe?" she asked, noting the hesitation on the part of Marcus as he practiced setting it up. Without a word, Marcus handed the device back to Tessa. "All right, let's go over this one more time." Taking the device from him, Tessa demonstrated charging, arming, and firing the gun. This time, without misfiring it.

"And it is the same for both of them?" Marcus asked.

"Technically, yes," Tessa said, putting down the grapple hook gun next to its sister, "but the Mark Two has a few tweaks for functionality...." Afterward, the boys left, leaving Lonny to help Tessa prepare for the event.

"There you are! Pretty as a freshly plucked rose." Lonny chimed with a musical tone to her voice, pleased with her handy work.

"It will have to do," Tessa huffed as she looked over herself in the standing mirror, fussing with her frock.

"No, you look great. I am sure you will turn some heads at the party."

"Oh, I am sure. But I am not a fan of that kind of attention. Not as much as you are, at least." Tessa said as she took a deep breath.

"Oh, come on Tess, use that womanly figure to your advantage!" Lonny said, raising her arms above her head and bumping Tessa with a pop of her hip.

"Ha! Now you're starting to sound like my mother," Tessa laughed, pushing Lonny back, "give me a pair of trousers and a toolbelt any day over all of this unnecessary fabric."

"Oh, you're hopeless." Lonny took Tessa by the hand, "Come on, we are late as it is."

The two girls quickly rushed over to where the meeting was taking place in the caboose of Old Faithful. Those chosen to participate in the evening's side job quietly listened to Marcus. It was routine for Marcus to selectively choose those whose strengths aligned with the job. Tessa noted that today's primary team consisted of Rex, Ruffas, the twins, and Marcus. A secondary team comprised mainly the stagehands, with Tatum in charge of their part of the plan.

Tessa would have paid more attention, but she was too distracted by her part to play, mulling over what she would say to the other professors she would inevitably have to talk to at the event. Tessa was, after all, supposed to be in the limelight in less than a couple of hours, both to distract the onlookers from the actual performance in the science wing and as a means of an alibi.

Marcus then pulled out his watch, "All right; synchronize witches, now." Everyone started their watches in the circle just as the clocktower bells off in the distance struck seven. "Remember, as the clock strikes nine, we must all be in position. understand?"

A general murmur of consent and understanding responded. Tessa only hoped everything went according to plan.