The theft itself was bad enough, but things had spiraled. First with the explosion, then the security guard. God help me, I didn’t even know if he was alive. The idea that our theft could turn into a homicide investigation scared me to my very core. Mind you, I hadn’t actually killed anyone, not that Mackleroy or the District Attorney’s office would care much for that distinction.

  Speaking of which, who the heck was that lunatic with the crossbow? They’d shown up twice now, each time with bad intentions. Could they be working with the wraiths? Possible, but I didn’t think so. More likely, they were a third party hunting the ring.

  The ring.

  It all came back to that. Keep it secret. Keep it safe.

  My chest started to ache, and I forced myself to draw in a long breath, holding it in my lungs before exhaling. I’d toed the line plenty of times before in my other cases. Played fast and loose with the law. Always for the greater good, or so I’d told myself. This time though, it was different. This time, I’d stepped over it. What that meant in the long term, I didn’t know.

  What I did know, was that I was committed to seeing this through. I wasn’t going to back down. Not when we’d already been through so much. I refused to abandon Tobin and Milo when they needed me. If that meant burning my career to ash, or even losing my freedom, I’d accept the consequences with my head held high. What I wouldn’t do was stand at their funeral and watch as they were lowered into the earth, all the while knowing I could have done something to prevent it.

  Breathe, Chloe.

  Rickson was my friend, but he was also a good cop. He’d do what he thought was right, and trying to influence things one way or the other would only end badly. For now, I just needed to focus on the next step.

  I roused myself and shook my head. “Call everyone. Tell them to head toward the Union Oyster House.”

  Alberad glanced back at me through the rear-view mirror. “Not Blue Moon?”

  I shook my head. “Trust me.”

  Alberad nodded and started making calls. I settled back in my seat and closed my eyes. As catnaps go, it was brief, and I woke up when we pulled into the tiny parking lot in the back alley. We exited the car and made our way inside. I spoke with the hostess, a different girl this time, and she led us up the stairway to the Admiral’s Quarters.

  I handed the backpack containing the White Oak to Auggy, then motioned the rest of them to head on inside. Cort went in last, hesitating at the doorway.

  “Good to see you, Chloe.”

  “Good to see you too. I wasn’t sure you’d get my message.”

  “I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. Thought it might be a setup. Almost didn’t come.”

  “I’m glad you did. We’re in a jam, and we could really use your help.”

  “Mind filling me in on what’s going on?”

  “Sure thing. Just need to wait until the rest of the team gets here.”

  He nodded and headed inside. Once they were settled, I made my way to the far corner of the room and took up position near a window that allowed me to look down onto Congress Street and the City Hall Plaza Playground.

  Man, I loved this city.

  I loved the history, the weather, even the people, unhinged as some of them might be. The sounds of Boston were in my blood and in my soul, and I couldn’t imagine making a life anywhere else.

  The question then became, what would I do if the city were done with me? The sooner I found out, the better.

  I drew my cell phone from my pocket and called Blue Moon Headquarters.

  Cambrie answered on the second ring. “Well, heck and tarnation, sister of mine. Hallelujah. We were getting ready to send out a search party if we didn’t hear from you soon.”

  The sound of Cambrie’s voice, ever cheerful, sent a surge of warmth through me. I didn’t hug my phone, but I cupped it a little tighter and let my shoulders down. “Yeah, sorry about that. I pulled an all-nighter.”

  “Well, that explains the pizza boxes. You might consider cleaning up after yourself. Otherwise, we’re going to get rats.”

  “Right, rats. Won’t happen again.”

  There was a moment of puzzled silence from the other end of the phone. “You alright, Chloe?”

  “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I think so. It’s just… kind of a lot has happened over the past two days.”

  “You need backup?”

  “No. At least, not right now. I’ll let you know if things change.”

  “Alright,” Cambrie said, not sounding convinced.

  “Has anyone been by looking for me this morning?”

  “Like who?”

  “I don’t know. Just… anyone.”

  “Not that I know of. You expecting a visitor?”

  I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath, but I let it out in a whoosh. Whatever else was happening, Rickson hadn’t fed me to the wolves. At least not yet.

  “Chloe?”

  “Still here. Don’t worry about it. I’m just checking in. What’s on the docket for today?”

  The sound of rustling papers came through the phone. “Business as usual. We’re going to host a community meet-and-greet down by the waterfront for next month. Figure it would give the locals a chance to meet us face-to-face.”

  “We have money for that?”

  “Heck no. But I’ve got some leads on a couple of sponsors. We’ll get some ice cream trucks and a few of those bouncy houses. Make it kid friendly, you know?”

  “Sounds great.”

  It actually did. Deputy Superintendent Bulwark had transferred Cambrie to Blue Moon as a way of torpedoing her career, but she’d embraced the role of public relations specialist and had been working hard to improve our public image ever since. Not an easy task, especially after the last story to come out of England involved Tempest hacking up some lunatic with an axe.

  “Chloe?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You know I love you, right?”

  “I know.”

  “And I’m saying this with love.”

  “Saying what?”

  “In order for these events to have a positive impact, the community has to know they can trust us.”

  “And right now they don’t?”

  “I just think it would help if you could avoid getting into trouble between now and then. I know you can’t always help it but, maybe you could try?”

  My throat tightened, and it took two swallows before I could speak. “Right. Message received. What’s going on with the rest of the team?”

  “Tootsie’s working on a couple of cases. Small time stuff. She seems to have hit the ground running. And Pongo’s loitering around the courthouse. Watching cases and chatting up lawyers.”

  I didn’t worry about Pongo slacking off. He was fascinated by the law. The more knowledge he had, the better it was for us. “What about Robbie?”

  “Uh, I think he’s playing computer games.”

  I considered it, then determined that so long as he was at his desk and staying out of trouble, it was a win. “And the lieutenant?”

  “City Hall.”

  That made sense. Lieutenant Kermit spent most of his time there, making connections with government officials, rallying support for our cause, and searching out ways to supplement our meager budget. Just covering our salaries wasn’t going to cut it in the long term. We needed equipment, professional training courses, and the occasional overtime wage.

  “Okay,” I said. “Sounds like you’ve got everything handled. I’m going to get back to work. If you don’t hear from me…” I wasn’t sure how to end that sentence. Should I tell her that I was most likely lying dead in a sewer tunnel, or that I’d been slain by ghostly wraiths? Neither of those fit, and I cleared my throat. “I’ll check in later.”

  “Alright,” Cambrie said, drawing out the word. “You’re sure you’re okay though?”

  “Never better,” I said, and hung up before she could say anything else.

  I slipped the phone back into my pocket, then drew in a long breath and held it for a slow count of ten. Down in the street below, neighborhood children laughed and ran through the playground, leaping from the top of colorful blocks and descending the slide in pairs.

  They were happy.

  It was a good day.

  There were no goblins prowling the shadows. No lizardmen looking to drag them into the sewers, or wraiths waiting to emerge from the mist. Just happy children at play.

  For a brief moment I got to see the world from their point of view. The city was a fine place, and the people who inhabited it were mostly good. It was a welcome relief, like a breath of fresh air for the soul. I knew they wouldn’t all keep those beliefs as they grew older. But for now, just for today, I wanted to do my part to help them believe.

  I exhaled, reached into my opposite pocket, and drew out one of my business cards. I laid it on the windowsill and scribbled out a quick message, then added my signature at the bottom.

  I made my way back into the dining room. Easton had arrived while I’d been on the phone, and Warman and Tobin came through the door a second later, both still dressed as gardeners. I slowed my steps, and we reached the door at the same time.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  “Seems to be,” Warman said. “You been listening to the radio?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “It’s a mess. Hopefully it stays that way.”

  “Any leads?”

  “If so, they’re not saying. At least not yet.”

  Yet. One little word, but it carried a tremendous amount of weight. “Our equipment?”

  “Back in storage. And I switched out the license plates. So, there’s that.”

  “Good man. And you, Tobin?”

  Tobin glanced up with bloodshot eyes, the stress of the last three days weighing heavily on his face. “I’m okay, Sergeant.”

  “We’re almost there,” I said.

  He nodded, and the two of them moved on into the dining room. I entered last, shutting the sliding doors behind me before moving to my chair. “Alright everyone, bring it in.”

  “I assume we were successful?” Easton asked.

  I motioned toward Auggy, and he drew down the zipper of my backpack to reveal the White Oak. “Don’t be shy, folks. Take a gander.”

  The corner of Easton’s mouth twitched toward a smile. “Then we should have all we need to get inside the doorway.”

  “In theory,” I said. “But it was close. There’s going to be some blowback coming our way.”

  “There always is,” Easton said. “In the meantime, we should move to—”

  I held up my hand, cutting him off. “First things first. We have some unfinished business.” I glanced over at Auggy, and one by one everyone else turned that way.

  “What?” Auggy asked.

  “Train’s parked at the station. This is your exit.”

  “Oh, uh, gee. That’s it, huh?”

  I nodded and slid the business card containing my signature across the table. “Give that to Junie at Animal Control. Should be enough to see Master Paco free. I’ll settle up with him later.”

  Auggy nodded, and took the card, slipping it into his shirt pocket. He started to rise, then hesitated at the last minute. “You know, I was thinking. Whatever it is you’re all up to, it might not be such a bad thing if I were to stick around. I mean, heck, you’re going to need someone to care for the tree samples, and, let’s face it, I know more about trees than anyone else here. Having me around might not be such a bad thing.”

  There was a moment of unsure silence amidst the table. “There’s no treasure waiting at the end of this path, Auggy. No money coming our way. Best case, no one will ever know what we did. Worst case….” I let the words hang.

  “Yeah, I get that,” Auggy said. “I just think it might be nice to do some good for once. Think of me like the party torch bearer. And when we’re finished, Easton and I can make sure the White Oak sample gets back to the Arboretum. Assuming that’s okay with everyone?”

  I glanced over at Warman who motioned as if to say it was my decision. Easton shrugged, and Tobin considered it for a long moment before he gave a single nod.

  “Okay,” I said. “You’re in. Now pay attention. This is where things get serious.”

  The table drew silent as I filled Cort in on all that had happened. The former Arcadian listened intently and let out a noncommittal grunt when Easton withdrew the city blueprints and laid them out across the table.

  “Well,” I said, once I finally finished. “What do you think?”

  Cort let out a long breath. “I think you’re in trouble.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “Like if it can be done?”

  “Seems a good place to start.”

  He considered it for a long moment. “The short answer is yes. But it’s not going to be easy.”

  “Enlighten me.”

  “Okay, first thing you have to understand is that there is a maze of tunnels underneath this city and they don’t all connect in the ways we might like. I know the tunnel system you’re talking about. It’s what we call a closed system, meaning there are only a handful of entry or exit points.”

  “You’ve been there?”

  He nodded. “Long time ago, and no, before you ask, I don’t recall ever seeing this door of yours. You’re sure it’s there?”

  I glanced at Easton who gave a half-shrug. “We’re sure.”

  “Okay, assuming you’re right, I can get us inside easily enough. But once there, we’re in for a bit of a hike.”

  “How far?”

  “Three miles away, give or take.”

  I glanced around the table. “We can manage three miles.”

  “On the open street, sure. But the tunnels are different. Things get tight in there, and the weight of the city presses down on you. Not everyone can handle it.”

  “We’ll be fine.”

  “There are other concerns as well. Cave-ins happen. Tunnels collapse. We might need to figure it out as we go.”

  “Then we’ll do that.”

  “There’s more,” Cort said. “Even if everything goes well, the path there is going to take us straight through the wretches’ territory.”

  I blinked and frowned. “Who are the wretches?”

  “You remember when the Arcadians ascended from the sewers?”

  “Sure. You guys attacked Mayor Altair’s fundraiser and ended up slugging it out with Boston’s elite and the Daughters of Goody.”

  “Things didn’t go our way, and a lot of our people didn’t make it back. Of those who did, not all of them stayed for long.”

  “Why not?”

  “They’d lost their faith,” he said. “Evangeline was the glue that held our people together. Her stories made us what we are, her promises of a better life sustaining us when times were hard. When she was proven wrong, some of our people lost all hope of ever ascending. It broke something in them. Their hearts, or maybe their minds.”

  “What happened?”

  “Some of them left straight away. Just walked off into the darkness. Others lingered on the periphery for a while, fighting and stealing for what they could. Eventually they all drifted away. Last we’d heard, they’d gathered here.” He leaned forward in his chair and tapped a spot on the blueprints. “Where the tunnels pass underneath the Charles River.”

  “Can we bargain our way past them?”

  “I doubt it. We’ve sent envoys to speak with them, but they all say the same thing. The wretches aren’t right anymore. You can’t talk to them. Can’t reason with them. Most of them are too busy chasing one sort of high or another. There have been attacks.”

  “What about avoiding them?”

  “We can try, but I can’t make any promises. If I had a couple weeks to scout it out, might be I could come up with something.”

  I shook my head. “We’re on a shot clock. We have to go now.”

  Cort frowned. “I was afraid you’d say that. In that case.” He spread his hands.

  Tobin cleared his throat and raised his hand. “What do we do if they want to fight?”

  The table went silent, and one by one, each member glanced over at me. I felt the weight of their gazes, and drew in a long breath, holding it for a slow count of three before exhaling. “We try the stealth route first. Hopefully, if we’re quick and quiet, we can pass through and they’ll never know we were there. But if they’re determined to fight, we hit them fast and hard. Break their lines and push through to the objective.”

  “Is that wise?” Warman asked.

  I glanced at Cort who shrugged. “It should be doable, provided they aren’t waiting on us, but it could come back to hurt us later. If we reach your tower and there’s no door, we’ll have to go back the same way we came in.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” I said.

  Cort nodded. “Right. Okay then. I’ll need some time to prepare. We should meet back here around nightfall.”

  I frowned. “Why can’t we go now?”

  “The entryway into those tunnels is in a public place. If we go now, while the sun is still out, it’ll draw too much attention. We have to wait until after dark. Preferably closer to midnight.”

  “Time is a factor here, Cort.”

  “I understand that, but it can’t be helped. Unless you want to explain to some of your fellow officers what it is we’re up to?”

  “Not particularly.”

  “Then we go after dark. Once most folks are already asleep.”

  “Okay,” I said. “After dark it is. In the meantime, everyone try and get some rest.” I looked at Tobin. “You’re with me. Easton?”

  “I’d like to speak with Cort here a little more,” Easton said. “I’ll make sure we have all the equipment we require.”

  I nodded. “Good enough. Alberad?”

  “Uh, well—”

  “He can stay with me,” Warman said. “Auggy too. We’ll keep the samples with us.”

  Alberad cast him a grateful look. “Much obliged.”

  I nodded my thanks as well. “Alright folks, meet up back here after dark. Be careful. And don’t forget those wraiths are still out there.”

  Countdown to Zero. Friday, August 7th 1040hrs.