ONE IF BY LAND, TWO IF BY SUBMARINE by eileen schnabel

Author:eileen schnabel [Schnabel, Eileen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wonder Jumps Press
Published: 2019-11-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Kep and Tela sprinted to the alley near the prison where they’d left Max and found him pacing back and forth.

Relief flooded Kep at the sight of his brother, but Max looked pale and anxious.

“I’m s-so sorry!” Max stammered. “The explosion didn’t work!”

“We didn’t need it,” Tela assured him.

“You got the acid in the lock?” asked Max.

“Mission complete.” Kep paused. “There’s no chance that acid won’t work?”

Max shook his head. “That’s a simpler mixture than the first. It’ll work.”

“Then don’t worry.” Kep looked toward Tela. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d taken the vial out of the bread? I nearly went into cardiac arrest!”

“Sorry. It was last minute. I thought maybe the bread was too obvious, so I put it in my pocket. I figured they might pat you down, but they wouldn’t pat down the friend of General Gage’s wife. And I thought you’d act more natural if you didn’t know.”

She had a point, but he still didn’t like it. “How about we all agree no more surprise plan changes.”

They reviewed the next step of the plan: lighting the lantern signal at Christ Church. Minutes later, Kep, Max, and Tela hurried through Boston’s dark streets.

Chimney smoke rose from rooftops, candles flickered in windows, and church bells rang eight o’clock.

“T.J.’s meeting us at the transport?” Max half-ran to keep pace.

“Yes.” Kep didn’t add that T.J. had insisted on trying to find Hancock and Adams first.

“What if he gets caught escaping?” insisted Max. “What if he’s not at the transport?”

“We’re not leaving anyone behind,” Kep said.

“Agreed,” said Tela.

Max nodded.

“You know, I’m wondering, for this lantern signal,” Tela said, not breaking their fast pace, “how did Revere find out General Gage’s plan? Wasn’t it secret?”

“People think Gage’s wife warned the Sons of Liberty,” said Max. “Because her whole family had been born here, she sympathized with the rebels. But she felt torn because her British husband’s job was to stop them.”

“How awful to have to choose between family and country.” Tela frowned bitterly. “My dad would pick his country—or rather his political career—over me, hands down.”

Kep gave her a sympathetic look, glad his parents weren’t politicians. Max patted her arm. “I bet he’d pick you.”

Several streets later, they arrived at the church. Standing in the steeple’s looming shadow, Kep tried to pick the lock of the massive door with Tela’s hat pin. No luck.

Time just kept ticking by. “Could we skip the lanterns?” Kep bent the pin and tried again. “How critical is it?”

“If you and I don’t make it out of the city,” said Tela, “the lantern signal will be the only warning the colonists get.”

“There’s a vote of confidence. Not.”

“Maybe there’s another option,” said Max. “See that brick house across the street? A guy named Newman worked at the church. He hung the lanterns for Revere the first time around. I’m pretty sure he lived across the street. Maybe he has a key?”

“Let’s try around back before we involve anyone else.” Kep started around the church, but Tela grabbed his arm.

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