Luna on the Run (The Carmsborough Vigilantes #1)

Chapter 8

"Mary, wake up," I whisper, lightly shaking the older woman. "I've got some bad news about our little escapade earlier today."

"Is that you, Luna?"

"Come on, Mary. We messed up."

My voice wavers as much as my hands. I don't want to picture what will happen when they find the video footage.

"What happened?"

"There are cameras, Mary. We have to move now, or we're in serious danger."

Mary straightens dramatically, her eyes wide. "I did not think of the cameras."

"Yeah, me neither. We've gotta figure out what to do and how to do it. The clock is ticking."

"We must find a quieter place to talk. Others are still awake and could cause trouble."

"True. Let's bounce to the shed. We'll grab our equipment and go from there."

Sneaking out of the cramped lodging this late at night proves to be as much of a challenge as it sounds. Those that are still awake aren't interested in us leaving, probably because of my Overseer status, but that doesn't mean guards were going to be okay with it. When one rounds the corner, we make it look like we're getting ready to sleep for the evening, heading for open spots on the floor. They spend a minute surveying and snooping, and eventually dip.

Finally, after thirty minutes of espionage, we enter into the cold December night. A few dense storm clouds threaten to break open, blotting the sky and full moon. How funny would it be if the first snow of the season came right when we're ready to enact our plan?

A snowflake flickers down and lands on Mary's shoulder.

Apparently not very funny at all.

"Let's make this quick. I don't think we wanna freeze to death."

"What is the plan after we get the suits?"

"We're going to grab Freckles, steal a ship, and fly all the way to Carmsborough. If we can, I'd prefer a cloudship, because that's the only thing I've ever flown."

I exclude the detail that I've never learned how to fly in the first place. The last thing I need is her flaking on me now. Like it or not, either of us are screwed if we decide to stay on the island.

"That sounds more like a dream than a plan."

"It's not like I had a lot of prep time, Mary. Do you have anything that could help?"

"Well, they never leave the ships unlocked. Even the cloudships. They keep the keys somewhere, but I am not sure where. Maybe in one of the last few rooms we did not check in the Administration building."

"Okay, so we'll get Freckles, grab an airship key, snag a ship, and get out of here. Piece of cake, right?"

"Hmm."

I'm not totally convinced, either.

Despite a rally of panning spotlights and an occasional guard patrolling the grounds, we make it to the shed in good time and rush to equip our stolen gear. The radio and wrench jingle uncomfortably in the spacious pockets of my suit, bumping against my hips as I step.

As a test, I decide to switch on the radio. It emits a constant low static noise, signaling empty airwaves. I turn the volume just low enough that the static disappears, but loud enough for us to hear any late-night conversations.

"Would it be better if we could disable the video system for a short time?" Mary suggests.

"You're full of good ideas, Mary. Any idea where the security room would be?"