The Society of the Ethereal Medallion

And Try to Hide

We were parked in the back of my apartment building.

City life was dead around the Manhattan area. There was a God somewhere in this universe who was looking out for me.

"Now remember the plan," I said to Ares once again.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ares blurted, putting on a brunette wig. "I don't see why I have to be the one to do this. This would've been a perfect opportunity to get revenge on William."

"I don't want to see William in a wig. It suits you, love. Give you a business suit, heels, and you'd be perfect. Might take you on a date myself."

"Oh, shut up."

"William? You remember the plan, right?"

"Wait here and keep a lookout. Give you a signal if anything goes south."

Ares fixed up the fake hair on top of his head, pulling at his clothes to make himself look more feminine.

"Take Daisy with you. She'll make it look more believable. I need a couple of things, and I'll be right out. Take the route I showed you, and you'll lose them in no time."

He whistled and patted his thigh. Daisy followed him out of the car; they went around the back just as I instructed. Ares glanced at his surroundings before pulling the fire escape ladder and climbing up with Daisy tucked underneath his arm.

"Can you do that one-handed? What a fine specimen," I joked.

"I would rather not talk about the things I can do with one hand."

"You're a pig."

"Only around you, Greene."

I had given Ares my keys; he would unlock everything for me and exit the building through the front to go the same route as him. With the wig and massive trench coat he wore, it was hard to identify him as a man or woman; we were hoping that when he came out, they would follow him, letting me sneak in and out without any trouble.

"What's in there that's so important to you anyways? Are you hiding more things about Atlantis?"

"Trust, Mr. Johnson. You want to find Atlantis, and I want to live a peaceful life. Trust me, and we can both get what we want."

Ares should be getting out by now.

"Drive up to the front and wait for me there."

"Don't take too long in there; there could be more of them."

I adjusted my fedora and got out of the car; I climbed up the fire escape and waved down to William. When I opened my bedroom window, those brutes laid out a horrible sight before me.

"Animals."

My room had been ransacked; my dresser was torn to bits; drawers were strewn all across the floor; they threw my clothes carelessly. I stepped over my things, walking to the living room; my couch was ripped open, the stuffing overflowing. My books were torn, lying all across my apartment.

Two bodies laid on the ground; they were unconscious. I gave one of them a much-deserved kick.

"Knob head."

I ran back into my bedroom, flipping my bed mattress off the floor and back onto my bed frame. I laid a rug underneath my bed to cover it up, but I always kept it in case of emergencies. I lifted one side of the white carpet using my nails to dislodge a specific floorboard; I always kept a bag of extra clothes, food, archaeological tools for times like this. "Still Digging" was in there as well; my shoulders lifted from the weight of anxiety and guilt.