Chapter Twenty-Two
Into the belly of the beast.
The weather had deteriorated overnight. The winter winds were now thick with falling flakes, while ice blanketed the city under its ghostly weight. The booze called out to me as it so often did when the cold pressed against my skin.
At ten o’clock in the morning, I tried to blend in with the braver tourists around the gated entrance. I had showered, shaved, and dressed more smartly than I had in a long time. For my plan to work I needed to look the part. I’d also slung on my new-old coat to help me mix in with the rest of the wintry public. My hood was raised to protect my face from the watchful eyes of the myriad cameras. Like digital gargoyles, the boxy sentinels scowled down at us from all around.
I was with eleven tourists, two German
