The day after the Deathbats arrived, preparations for the raid started in earnest.
The night before, Synyster and Shadow had been sent out with Luna’s ATV to explore the area around the closest part of Battery City; it was well known that a tunnel system existed that could take you just about anywhere in the city from outside the patrolled boundaries, and now they had to find whoever was in charge.
They hadn’t returned by late afternoon the next day, and M. and Wolf were busy working out the details of the plan, so Zacky decided to take Luna out to practise her shooting – much to the disgust of the bored, and now lonely, Missy.
They drove out in the Deathbats’ antique Cadillac just before sundown, making sure to stay off the roads until they were far away from the underground hideout, and anywhere they could be seen by dracs.
Luna was happy just to be out of the dark, enclosing tunnels, and said so to Zacky as they drove, earning a laugh as he shook his head.
“I wouldn’t be there if I didn’t have to be, either,” he agreed, not taking his eyes off the road so he could steer around a tall cactus plant. “But I would’ve thought you’d be used to living in the holes by now?”
The statement was almost a question, but curiously phrased so that he hadn’t asked her directly; who are you?
“I only arrived the day before you guys did,” Luna admitted, “A couple of dracs almost blew me up, so I took off – and luckily I turned up near the tunnels, so Shadow found me and Wolf let me stay.”
She thought for a second, then added with a wry smile; “He only let me stay because Missy needed my help, I think.”
“Yeah,” Zacky grinned as well, slowing down a little as they neared a clear area with some cactuses like targets at one end. “He is a bit like that, but only because he’s afraid he’ll get hurt if he’s too nice to anyone. That’s why he’s called Sugar Wolf, y’know.”
The car stopped, but Zacky had a thoughtful look on his face after he had mentioned Wolf getting hurt, so Luna thought now would be a good time to ask the question that had been burning in the back of her mind for some time.
“Hey, Zacky?” she began tentatively, and waited until he turned to her and raised a questioning eyebrow before continuing. “Who’s this Bella that they all keep referring to, but never talking about? All I’ve figured out is that she’s… she got ghosted,” she added.
Zacky sighed and chewed on his lip ring, obviously wondering if it was his place to tell her.
“Bella Muerta was Wolf’s wife,” he stated finally, “as much as marriages go out here, anyway… she got ghosted in their last raid, not long ago – the same time Miss Murder, Missy, you know her as, was shot. A pity, really – she was really something…” he paused, letting the information sink in, before finishing; “Wolf hasn’t been the same since.”
“I can see why,” Luna said softly when he had finished speaking. “As often as it happens out here, I don’t think you could ever get used to losing everyone…”
“Nope,” Zacky sighed again, and he lowered his voice as he watched the last of the sun’s rays dying the sky purple. “All you can do is get revenge…” he let out a short, bitter laugh, “Zacky Vengeance – fitting, isn’t it?”
He didn’t wait for an answer, but got out of the old car, leaving Luna wondering how these killjoys stayed sane when all they had to look forwards to was death.
The tragedy of the story had got to her, but she forced herself to clear her mind and focus on the task ahead; getting emotional over the deaths of people she never knew wouldn’t help, but as Zacky had said, all they could do was avenge their deaths.
In which case, Luna thought as she got out of the car with a determined step, shooting practise wasn’t a bad idea.
Luna worked with Zacky for a few hours, going over all of the things she had learnt, years before, and forgotten; how to dodge and shoot, hide and run, and hand-to-hand combat – how to survive.
The bright stars above were the only light by the time Luna could hit the farthest cactus targets with ease, but Zacky was encouraging.
“You’re doing good for someone who hasn’t used a raygun for years,” he told her as she took a break by the car.
“Thanks,” Luna nodded, flipping her hair out of her eyes as she took a sip from a water bottle.
She was about to tell him how she thought it was more of a fluke than anything else, but before she opened her mouth, he suddenly stiffened, squinting at the dark horizon.
Luna started to ask what was wrong, but he motioned for her to be quiet, and eventually she heard what Zacky had noticed minutes before.
The quiet rumble of an engine echoed around the salt flat where they stood; the newly tuned, neat hum of it betraying its driver.
“Dracs,” Zacky whispered, still watching the horizon for headlights.
Luna nodded, scanning the darkness until she finally saw a faint glow in the direction of the sound.
“Shouldn’t we be getting out of here?” she whispered, getting nervous as the lights drew closer.
“No,” Zacky shook his head, and crouched down by the side of the car. “They’re looking for someone, and if we move now they’re sure to see us. We’ll have to wait ‘til they pass.”
Luna nodded again, trying not to make any noise or movement as she sat down on the sandy ground, and the lights drew closer still.
Ten long minutes later, Zacky declared it safe to move, climbing in the car quickly in case the dracs returned; thankful, Luna hurried to the other side of the car to get in, almost stepping on a sheet of paper that blew over as she watched.
She gasped and froze, staring at the face on the poster that the BLInd agents had been spreading.
For beneath the word ‘wanted’ in huge red letters, her own face stared back at her.
