Only hours after Luna, Zacky and Missy finally got to sleep on the night of the shooting practise and Luna’s transformation, Shadow and Synyster returned from their reconnaissance expedition, and the tunnels were suddenly busy again.
All of the killjoys – Luna now included – convened in the meeting room, and before long, the dim underground atmosphere was filled with hectic voices.
At last Wolf called for silence, and a dusty, tired-looking Shadow and Syn stepped forwards to relate what they had learnt from the killjoys nearer Battery City.
“The most important thing,” Shadow began, stepping forwards slightly, “is that we’ve found the tunnels, and the group that operates them.”
Luna happened to be looking at M. as he said this, and noticed the grim smile as he nodded for them to continue.
“We did some asking around,” Syn continued, as Shadow stepped back and everyone focused on the taller man, “and we now know that we can get in there – the tunnel right into BLInd headquarters does exist – so we just have to prepare and let them know when we’re going in, and they’ll open everything up.”
The certainty of Syn’s last address set the room buzzing; Missy especially, standing near the wall so she didn’t have to put pressure on her healing leg, wanted to know when this would all be happening.
Wolf waved them all silent again, and Shadow stepped forwards again.
“The other thing we managed to get while we were out – the reason we weren’t back yesterday,” he said, this time waving a large sheet of paper in the air before him, “Is a map, a blueprint of BLInd headquarters so we can get in, find Johnny, and get out. We know exactly where everything is.”
The room fell silent at this, no one expecting it would be this easy, even with the threat of draculoids and exterminators as soon as they neared and entered the city.
Wolf stepped forwards then, taking the map from Shadow and spreading it on the table, then telling him and Syn, tired from days on the road and dodging drac patrols, to go sleep.
They left quickly, needing the recuperation so that they were ready at a moment’s notice to go through with the plan.
When everyone was settled again, and M., Zacky, Missy and Luna were all watching quietly, Wolf started to speak, looking at M. from time to time to make sure he agreed.
“So,” he began, quietly but surely. “What we’re going to do is this; as soon as everyone is able and ready, we’ll send a broadcast to the tunnel rats to let them know it’s happening. Then we go from here, in the Cadillac and on bikes, towards the tunnels that Syn and Shadow found, and start underground.”
Everyone nodded as he paused, making sure that the plan was clear so far.
“From then on, we won’t be sure of anything; we have the map to lead us to BLInd, but it may have changed, or we may be attacked by a patrol of dracs, or even exterminators. If we make it to the end of the tunnels undetected, then we’ll have to split up.”
Wolf looked around at the small group before him, sensing their dissent but going on.
“Missy, you and Shadow will be keeping watch at the vehicles, and you can radio us if it seems an alert had been sounded. Okay?”
Missy agreed reluctantly, knowing there was no other choice; she wouldn’t be completely healed, and Shadow was the best at stealth, so it was natural for them to stay behind.
“Everyone else will be going inside,” Wolf went on, now pointing to sections on the map as the rest of them gathered closer to see. “M., Zacky and Syn have a score to settle with the exterminator that authorised their attack, up on the top levels, and Myst and I will be going down to the prison sector to find Johnny and bring him back. You all get that?”
They all nodded, the hardened light of battle shining in everyone’s eyes but Luna’s, who was still digesting the fact that M., Zacky and Syn were going to be practically taking on a suicide mission, even worse than the danger her own foray with Wolf would entail.
Wolf himself looked weary, his commanding front finally falling away as he told everyone to go back to bed, and be ready to move by the following night.
Luna hung back as the others filed past, waiting until Wolf had rolled the map away and extinguished the lamps that provided light in that room.
“You’re still here,” he commented when he was finished, suddenly looking older than the mere twenty years he must have been.
Luna nodded, silent at first while she tried to work out why she had stayed behind.
“Are you okay?” she asked finally, watching as Wolf hesitated, before he answered.
“Not really,” he said truthfully, then added with a sardonic twist, “but is anyone out here ever okay? I know you’re new here, but in case you haven’t noticed, people are dying.”
The defensive bite to his words hurt, but Luna refused to be daunted.
“I had noticed,” she said, letting a trace of anger tint the words to hide the fact that she too was scared and worried. “But I also noticed that your friends help you out here, and even though people get hurt all the time, they don’t sink into a pit of self-pity like you have.”
The blunt, bitter truth of her words stopped Wolf where he stood, but he didn’t respond until he had regained his composure and finished packing up.
“You may know some things,” he said finally in a cold voice, “but if you bothered to think, you might have realised that I died when Bella did, and the only reason I’m still here is that people need me.”
Luna hesitated as he turned away, wondering if her attempt to help had not just backfired badly, but sighed and let him go; no matter whether he hated her for it now, perhaps she had given him something to think about, and help him move on with his life.
