The Night Wanderers

8 - The First Test

~8~

- The First Test -

 

 

After being subjected to a six-hour work shift watching Jake and Elsa floozy up to one another, Toby was let out of the café with plenty of time to meander back to his apartment. Dusk was two hours away, but still Toby half expected hands to reach out of the alleys and grab him.

None did.

As he grew closer to his tower building, Toby became increasingly aware that he had no way of contacting the Night Wanderers. It dawned on him then, as he reached the door to the tower, that he had seen three members of the group that day and had not spoken to any of them. Perhaps those sightings had not been coincidences and he was supposed to approach them. Maybe he had missed his chance.

Toby paused outside the door and took one last glance around. The street was beginning to empty now, with everyone heading for home or shelter. There was no sign of Lukas, Marcus, Oliver, Lucy or anyone else dressed in a hooded grey coat. He had no desire to search through the alleys, especially as he assumed nobody would be there until dark. He did not enjoy his time in the dark before, even with a team of seven guards, and he certainly did not want to venture out on his own just yet. The night had felt heavy, oppressive.

The air in his apartment froze the breath in his lungs, as usual. He locked his door behind him and set about lighting the candles while the sun was still up. He even lit the stove just to add a bit of warmth to the place.

Toby sat on the edge of his sofa, staring intently at the window as darkness began to creep in. It was warm enough that his breath no longer frosted in front of him, but still he felt chills run across his skin as he waited. Bright light shone briefly through the gap in his curtains as a helicopter floated by, its spotlights skimming the ground and rooftops alike in search of civilians.

The door reverberated with a bang and Toby’s heart missed a beat as he leapt to his feet. He first looked to the window, but quickly realised the sound had come from the other direction. He had not expected a Night Wanderer to come straight to his door, but now that he considered it, he remembered the mysterious voice that had spoken through his buzzer the previous week. He could now identify the voice as Lukas’, but had never given it much thought before.

Taking a breath, squaring his shoulders, Toby prepared to give his answer.

But behind the door was Jake. Toby slumped noticeably. “What do you want?”

“Nice to see you too,” Jake answered, making to step through the door. Toby put his arm out, leaning against the frame, to block his way. He was in no mood for Jake’s antics, especially when he was expecting another visitor. Jake raised his eyebrows. “I actually have to talk to you.”

“Have you run out of apples?” The coldness in his tone was clear to Toby’s own ears, and yet he could not feel guilty.

Jake ignored the jibe. “You’d rather talk across the door?”

“Yes. Actually I’d rather not talk at all. I need to sleep.” He tried to close the door, but Jake held it open. “Jake, go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He tried again. When Jake persisted, Toby lost his temper. He pushed at Jake’s shoulders and his friend stumbled backwards.

“Okay, I don’t know what it is I’ve done to anger you this much, but you haven’t been right since last week.”

You don’t deserve Elsa. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine, just…stressed.”