18 March 2020

Coronavirus Invasion Nea Ionia Lockdown Day #1

The city streets are empty and I drive the car in near silence, passing the rare open shops who braved the curfew and the few masked silhouettes hiding from the invisible attacker. My mission: buy additional ammunition from an undercover friendly supplier and deliver these plus two mysterious packages in a blind drop to my agent. Masked and gloved, I sneak pass along militians who've arrested some unfortunate Roma motorist, under suspicion of helping the invaders. The "fifth column" is already here!

I reach the first rendez-vous point, an underground shop in an undescript building. The grid is down and I park my car at a safe distance to avoid risks of identification. The owner, a middle aged lady, is now lifting the grid, giving surreptitious looks on both sides. A stranger approaches and exchanges a few words. I pretend I'm not there, since I don't really belong. The stranger hovers around and I don't like this. Her lack of mask or gloves makes her stand out. I decide to come in anyway. I give the password: "Do you have chick peas?" - "Yes of course", the owner answers. She points at a lower shelve, hidden from view on the left side. I take two clips of ammo and head for the counter where the owner stands, now masked as well. She looks at me with an understanding gaze: "It will be 340, cash of course, small notes". Then she smiles: "I recognize you, you're agent X". Damn! I've been made! How long am I going to go like this if I'm burned on the first day, even masked? I blurt some excuses and leave the shop for the dead drop, my clips safely in one of the bags.


The system is simple: I ring the bell, give the code phrase. My agent answers. She is a kind old lady and can't hear very well. Or maybe it's the mask and the interphone... I don't know. I identify myself and she eventually opens. I enter the cold hall and get up the stairs to the lift. Everything is empty, as it should. Too easy? I open the lift door, drop my bags on the floor and push the 5 button before jumping out. The lift door closes by itself and I see the numbers changing on the hall screen: 1... 4... 5 and stop! I hear the door lift upstairs opening and closing. Someone (my agent, I hope) has dropped something in the lift and pushed the 0 button. Thirty seconds later, I open the door to find a black wallet, slightly dusty. I grab it and leave as fast as i can without drawing attention. I'm back to base in no time...

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