“Better that way. If we are captured, we can’t give anyone up through torture or other means.”

  “And Kora?”

  “Sold to a research facility run by a Doctor Helstrop. He’s been trying to find a cure for the wasting disease for a few years. Last I heard, she escaped. The resistance is looking for her and may have located her by now. I’ve been out of contact for five days.”

  Eli flashed Jade a grin. While he was shocked Kora had been sold to a scientist, he was happy. Kora had a resilience he admired. Something must have made her see the light if she’d absconded. “Thanks for keeping your promise of finding her.”

  “What are we worth if we don’t keep our word?”

  “Not much, I’ll warrant.”

  “What’s the plan, then?”

  “I need to get back to Lincoln and speak to the chief. Getting into the city is going to be dangerous, but we have no other option. If Zapata has come to finish the job, I can’t stand by and let him. Even if the mayor signed our execution warrants.”

  Eli woke Ley, Nox and Colter, and brought them up to speed while they dressed and ate. Nox playfully tugged on Jade’s sleeve until she relented and caroused with the Alsatian, pretending to slap him on one side, then tapping him on the opposite side of his head. Nox sounded out a yelp of joy before running to his water bowl and lapping up the liquid with gusto.

  “I had a feeling we hadn’t seen the last of Zapata,” Ley said. “Sadistic prick.”

  “Agreed,” Eli said. His mind was elsewhere. He wanted to talk to Jade about the clue they had found in Kora’s pendant. Maybe, with her topside knowledge, she could decipher it.

  Marie burst into the room before he got a chance. “We need to leave. Patty radioed in. They’re on the move and heading this way, armed to the teeth. Sentries, drones, heavy artillery.”

  “Can we get her out?” Eli said.

  “She’ll meet you at the Cavern of Lights.” She stared at Eli for a full ten seconds before speaking again. “Good luck, Miller. We’ll hold them off here for as long as we can. Give you the time you need.” She saluted, then urged them to move.

  In minutes, the Watchers, Jade and Jess were in the supercharged buggy with Colter driving. When they picked up Old Patty, she and Jess jumped up onto the back footplate to keep an eye out for hostiles. Nox was wedged between Jade and Ley on the back seat, his tongue hanging from his mouth in excitement. Eli wasn’t sure if he shared the dog’s emotion, but then again, they had an amazing way of living in the moment. At that particular point in time, they were speeding through the tunnels, whizzing over train tracks as if they weren’t there. Years ago, Chief Furillo had asked the Watchers to take driving lessons from the motor racing teams they sponsored. Eli had been terrible. Ley, not so bad. But Colter was a natural, to the point the racing team had offered him an apprenticeship. As they took a sharp turn, sliding sideways, Eli understood why. His friend seemed to be one with the machine. To his credit, Colter had politely turned the offer down.

  It took ninety minutes to travel a distance that normally took two hours. The fact there were no trains made it much easier.

  Colter slowed the vehicle at the ore-crushing plant and pulled up behind a row of empty carts. The constant stamping of the battery masked their arrival. This far out, they should go undetected by the shift workers. The ore plant was always behind schedule due to the sheer amount of minerals to be extracted, and more arrived three times a day. Fortune was on their side: a load had just arrived and was being processed.

  Eli grabbed his scope and glassed the pressure gates on the far side of the cavern. As expected, it was open, and security was thoroughly checking everyone’s credentials. He spotted a few more armed security than normal. They were using mirrors to look at the undersides of the stopped vehicles.

  “They’re checking everything.”

  “To be expected,” Ley said. “Maybe we could use that smuggler route we discovered?”

  “Dismantled,” Colter said.

  “Jess. Maybe take the buggy in and let us know what’s happening?” Eli said.

  “Sure. No problem. I’ll talk to Bill and see if we can arrange something.”

  “I know a way.” Old Patty chuckled. “Same route I used before.”

  “And were caught.” Ley said.

  “Yeah, but now I know about the cameras, not this time.”

  “Sounds good.” Eli grabbed his backpack from the buggy and whistled for Nox to stay close.

  Jess got the vehicle onto the tracks and pointed its nose towards Lincoln. He waved, then disappeared around the ore carts.

  Old Patty led them down a side tunnel and to a manhole with warnings stamped into the metal. “You might wanna put ya rebreather on.”

  Nox struggled while Eli strapped the mask over the dog’s head, and licked his face when he tightened the straps. “It’s okay, boy. We trained for this, remember?”

  The group descended three levels as the stench of human waste worsened, causing their eyes to water despite the rebreathers.

  “Mocker route. Sneaky little criminal buggers. Got away with it for years.” Old Patty grinned and took them down another maintenance passage until they reached another set of rail tracks. Eli had never interacted with any of the Mockers. The gang of thieves and smugglers were well before his time. Most had retired or died before he joined the Watcher service and the Cabal were the dominant organisation controlling the black market nowadays and they didn’t like sneaking around in sewers. The tracks were much smaller than those used by the ore carts but served the same purpose — transportation. In this case, human and animal waste instead of valuable minerals.

  Lincoln’s waste system was efficient and operated much like those of the old-world cities. Waste was flushed into a sewer, then carried by gravity to pumping stations and treatment plants. The difference down here was in what happened after that. It was mixed with animal manure and used as fertiliser, and the methane gas used for power and heating. The excess was filtered out through massive rigs on the surface of the ocean.

  Old Patty gestured with her head at the twin tracks, then jumped up onto the empty cart, wedging herself inside. Jade shrugged and jumped in. After helping Ley and Nox into the next slow-moving cart, Eli crouched between the next carts with Colter. The stench coming off the manure was overpowering. The waste engineers had come up with a genius solution by using genetically modified earthworms and slag from the ore factories to turn the poop into viable soil.

  “The cameras are going to ping us the moment we reach the sewage plant on Level Zero,” Eli said.

  “I got this beauty.” Colter pulled the black device from his pocket and switched it on. “Helped me out of the city too.”

  They should go undetected, at least to the facial- and gait-recognition cameras. As Eli was contemplating his next move, the enormity of what they faced struck him. The struggle. Like he had been pushing a boulder up a hill for the past month, only for it to constantly roll back down.

  “Can I borrow your commpad, Colter? Need to get a message out.”

  Once his friend had passed it him, he scanned through the contacts list until he found his sister’s. He considered for a fleeting moment whether to go directly to his father but wasn’t sure if he’d take the warning seriously. Faith, on the other hand, always believed him. He would put money on the fact it was her who had led the protest against Mayor Sousa.

  Old Patty sounded out a shrill whistle and signalled for them to get off the slow-moving train. A set of rusty stairs led up from the tracks. Nox bounced around in circles.

  “Seek,” Eli said.

  The Alsatian leapt ahead, bounding up the steps until he reached the first level. He sniffed the air and around the exit door, then sat down — his all-clear signal.

  “Handy dog,” Old Patty said.

  “Hold up for a sec,” Colter said. “I need to make sure this is working.” He mucked around with the device and his commpad for a moment before nodding. “That should do it.”

  The group ascended the rickety stairs in silence. The stairs had probably been built over a hundred years before, back when Lincoln was a collection of lode hunter huts and rock hopper equipment depots.

  Once Nox and Colter gave the all-clear, Eli inched the exit open and peeked out. The corridor beyond was quiet. He sent Nox ahead and urged his friends to follow. During the dash through the tunnels, they had discussed where to go and who they should warn first. Each of them had figured Furillo was the safest bet. The biggest problem was getting there. Even with the scrambler, citizens knew who they were due to the news feeds and the protests. Again, Old Patty provided an option.

  Immediately after exiting the sewage plant, Old Patty took them to a dive bar, shoving drug- and booze-addled patrons out of her way. Eli and Ley had to move a heavy table to get to the stairs, thick with cobwebs and rodent droppings. The attic and subsequent roof cavities fared no better. The group crept along the rafters, going from one building to the next for thirty minutes of dust and muck-filled crawling. Parts of the firewalls had been removed long ago to create a path. Finally, the group reached the last building in the row and exited into an alley. Ley checked both directions then gave the all-clear signal.

  The Watcher sergeant-on-duty gasped and stood when he recognised the bedraggled persons who had just entered the station. Without saying a word, he went to the door and locked it securely, then gestured towards the chief’s office.

  Eli nodded his thanks and entered, foregoing the courtesy of knocking.

  “Fuck me,” Furillo said. His face looked like he’d seen a ghost.

  “Chief,” Eli said.

  “Get in here, all of you, and shut the damn door.” Furillo hugged first Ley, then Colter and Eli. “I thought I’d lost my three best Watchers. How did... How... Never mind. You’re safe.” He eyed Jade and said, “Thought you said you’d go topside?”

  “I did, but things have changed that need attention.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “The Nine are back, Chief, and they brought friends. Wey Corp mercs,” Eli said.

  “Mercs.” Furillo shook his head in disbelief, but Eli noticed his fist clenching at his side. “I’ve heard about them.”

  “My agency intercepted the communique between Wey and the mercs, ordering them down here,” Jade said.

  “Zapata with them?”

  “No confirmed sightings, but he will be.”

  “They’re probably attacking Pitt as we speak. Lincoln is next,” Eli said.

  Switching on his desktop computer, Furillo scrolled through something on the screen. His brow furrowed as he whipped through the pages. “Shit a brick,” he muttered. “I can’t get through to Pitt.”

  “It’s all true, Furillo,” Old Patty said. “Seen it with my own old eyes. EV-suited soldiers and massive artillery. Sentries and drones. It’s all coming this way. If we don’t stop it, darkness awaits.”

  “Durand?”

  “Aye.”

  “Fuck me. I’m seeing ghosts by the dozen today.”

  “We need to give the evacuation order,” Eli said.

  “Damn right we do.”

  Furillo picked up his commpad from the desk and used it to switch on the wall screen. Typing fast, he issued the order, using his thumbprint to authorise it. First, the nursery and schools would receive the notice, then any teenagers doing apprenticeships through the guilds. Falcon Legion would be alerted. Churches and religious bodies would be next, followed by the general population. Children were the future, and every citizen knew the laws.

  “That prick Sousa sacked the council, but at least there is some good news,” Furillo said. “Your father relieved the general of his duty and he’s now in charge.”

  “He did what?”

  “He had the backing of nearly every serving officer. They stood down Turing, saying he was no longer fit to serve, and confined him to quarters.”

  “Why?”

  “Found some evidence that Turing was taking bribes. No idea who from, yet.”

  Eli raised his eyebrows but wasn’t surprised. It was probably a clever play by Faith, and Noah would take his opportunity with both hands. Maybe they had a chance now.

  “Go down to the overnight bunkroom and arm up. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Furillo said.

  The overnight bunks were reserved for anyone on night shift, or those who were too exhausted to head home. Not many Watchers used them, most preferring the comforts of their own homes or the pleasure hotels. Down the hallway from the bunks was the emergency armoury.

  Colter punched in the code and whistled at the weapons stored inside — high-grade military ballistic rifles and stacks of ammo cans. “I never knew we had these.”

  “Never had a crisis like this before,” Ley said.

  “I’m beginning to think the whole no-ballistics-because-of the-risks was a lie.”

  “It’s risky, dumbass. But the risks outweigh dying.”

  “This will do.” Jade lifted one of the rifles off the rack and checked it over. “Needs an oil, though.” She took down five of the carbines and placed them on the workbench, then set about cleaning them.

  “Evidence locker still in the same place?” Old Patty asked Eli.

  “End of the hall.”

  “I need that fancy unlocking gizmo, Colter.”

  Colter tossed it to her. “Press the two buttons on the side at the same time to unlock the door.”

  Old Patty was only gone for a few minutes and returned with a carved staff much like the original one she had when Eli first met her. It had been lost when Patty had jammed it into the mouth of a Hyena. “Hid some of my things in one of them here, just in case. Here, Miller.” She handed him a sleek black knife. Eli took it and rolled it over in his hand. It was constructed from a material he wasn’t familiar with. It was light, but it seemed to be more durable than steel. Eli tested the edge. Sharp.

  “Keep it,” Old Patty said.

  “I can’t. It looks expensive.”

  “Nah. I want you to have it.”

  Eli turned it over once again and slipped it into the scabbard Old Patty handed him. She showed him how to clip it to his belt. “Thanks.”

  “No worries.”

  Nodding, Eli sat down on the nearest bunk and stretched out his aching back and neck. The stims Colter had given him earlier had helped, but the severe beating he’d received from the goons still gave him some concern. Ley and Nox joined him, the dog leaning into Eli. He kissed the dog’s muzzle and pressed his forehead against him. The whole time he’d been incarcerated, he had missed his furry companion. Nox was an important part of his life, his loyalty unwavering.

  “Could easily wolf down three servings of Rin’s ramen about now,” Ley said.

  “Would be nice.”

  “Top three foods. Go.”

  Eli smiled. He loved this game. It led to hours of discussing the merits of whatever subject the other had asked favourites for. “Ramen, obviously. Nachos. Katsu chicken.”

  “Nice choices.”

  “You?”

  “Ramen. The broth is to die for. Those cheesy bacon hash browns that Arnold’s did for a while.”

  “Arnold’s? Was that the place on Level Six, near the UV treatment studio?”

  “Yeah. When the old fella died, his son tried to run it, but it was never the same.”

  “Last food?”

  “Those waffles you make.” Ley kissed him. He welcomed the kiss, and the same endorphins of joy he’d had when they first admitted their feelings for each other flooded his system. He still had to pinch himself sometimes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. “If we make it through all this, I’ll make them whenever you want.”

  “That would be nice. Do you ever wonder what the surface is like? If it’s still the same as in the books we’ve read?”

  “Jade told me some of it is an unliveable wasteland, but that there have been promising signs of nature healing in many places. Some countries are beautiful and filled with life, especially in the south. The Thule of the United Countries of America live in the mountains. The rest of old America has too many people and not enough space.”

  “Think of it, though. Us and Nox in a house. Mountains and trees. Snow and real sunshine. You cooking me waffles every morning.”

  “Oh. Domestic servitude, is it?”

  “Of course.”

  Nox sounded out a bark of warning as the door to the stairs banged open. Eli was on his feet, taser pistol drawn. Furillo stepped inside, then to one side to let another person through. Eli locked eyes on his sister, Faith. She had dark shadows under her eyes and appeared washed out, like she’d had little sleep. The siblings embraced.

  Faith smiled at Ley over Eli’s shoulder, then broke away. “I had to see you with my own eyes after I got your message. Then Furillo said you were here. Bless the Lord. I prayed for your return.”

  “Thanks, Faith,” Ley said. “We heard what you did.”

  “Ah, it was nothing. You would have done the same if the shoe was on the other foot.”

  “Sousa fired you?” Eli said.

  “Kinda. He disbanded the council, saying that he couldn’t be sure who to trust. That we had to prove ourselves before he would reassign us.”

  “Dad?”

  Faith smirked. “Wiley old bastard made sure not to join the walk-out. Sousa appointed him on a day-by-day basis. I sent him the video of The Nine that Furillo showed me. He’s moving battalions, and evacuations have started as we speak.”

  Klaxons blared out across the city as if to emphasise Faith’s words. Much like when the storms had broken through two months ago, they filled the vast cavern with a deafening wail. The occupants of the bunkroom stared at each other for a few seconds before reacting.

  “Patty. Faith. With me on evac,” Furillo said.

  “On it.” Old Patty turned and smiled at Eli and Ley, then left hot on the heels of the chief. Faith paused in the doorway. “Stay frosty, brother.”

  “You too, sis.”

  She smiled at him. As she started to turn, Eli called her back by clearing his throat.

  “What?” Faith asked.