The first night at the Shapeshifter Safehouse had passed quietly, with the exception of Piroko trying to stretch her legs and being told by five armed guards that she wasn't leaving her room without a blindfold. The '
guests' were given rooms in the cold, dilapidated warehouse that the gang called their headquarters, spending the night on damp mattresses and wrapped in vermin-mauled sheets. By morning Torsty, Zypher and Piroko were looking worse for wear, but a breakfast of stale coffee and staler bread kept the pneumonia at bay. By mid-morning the three were sitting on packing crates in the centre of the warehouse as Shifters of all breeds and temperaments arrived around them.
A meeting had been called, Myrn sending the word to every corner of the ghetto. Whatever this raid was that he had planned, it was a big one.
"Okay, let's get started," The first mutter to break the silence was Myrnodyn's. The man was standing by the window, where dull twilight caught his haggard face. He looked even worse than the others - the telltale marks of insomnia and alcoholism. And something more... some other burden that he could not speak of.
"Do you have the items?"
Opposite him, a group of Wererats came forward. It was the same cadre that had stopped the newcomers on the square last night. By their weapons and their posture Torsty guessed them to be of some standing here - maybe even a faction unto themselves.
"Only twelve were finished. But it should be enough," the alpha rat answered, placing on one of the packing crates the object he had brought. The other Shifters moved closer to get a look. It was a clay vase, fashioned by hand and painted with gold leaf designs. He put it down carefully, the tremble of his hand showing that it was heavier than it seemed.
"Half a pound of semtex in each. Slow burn fuse wire moulded on the inside. About two minutes to get clear."
"You boys planning to blow something up?" Zypher asked, raising her eyebrow at the rat, then at Myrnodyn. But Myrn only looked away, veiling the pain behind his eyes.
The Wererat, meanwhile, gave Zypher only a passing glance before continuing,
"We'll use seven in the main chamber, then two to breach the first and second kitchen." he motioned at the viking next to Zypher.
"With Torsty's help we can get the last bomb into the Hall of Skhone..."
"Wait," Torsty interrupted, turning from the rat to look at Myrnodyn.
"You told me this was about stealing weapons? Why do you need this much explosive?"
Again, Myrnodyn looked away, his arms folded and his shoulders sunk.
"It's not that simple, Torsty."
"This isn't just about stealing bread and weapons," The Alpha Rat picked up the vase and handed it to one of his pack.
"This is about revenge. The Shifters have been made the clowns and vagrants of this city - the dancing monkeys for the Mad King. Well, tonight we'll give him something to laugh about. The more civilians we kill in the Hall of Hunger, the more afraid the people will be to step inside foot the temples. We'll bleed the Bread Cult dry, one bombing at a time."
* * * * * *
Another smile, twitching and imperceptible, crossed the scarred face of the Inqusitor. Natalie took back the book and pen and rose to her feet.
"You have done your city proud." she said, before heading out of the cell and leaving Spammy in darkness once again.
On the outside, as the door was shut, Natalie turned to the Bread Priest who was snuffing out the candle.
"I want him moved to the Teknikan Lab. Have him cleaned up and ready for transfer in ten minutes."
Giving no space for argument she turned and strode down the hall, passing a window where the silhouette of Kitti had just vaulted the perimeter wall. Natalie might have noticed it, had her phone not rung at that precise moment. Looking down, she pulled the device from her pocket and saw the incoming call from the Inquisition tech wing.
"Anything?"
"No Maam. We pulled apart the CCTV network but we can't work out who's hacking it. They've covered their tracks too well."
"Then why did you ring me?"
"We did a spectral scan of the apartment complex. Turns out there was a Class 4 Deviant incursion on the street outside. Someone stretched reality just before Asmodeus was captured."
"So?"
"Well, it's not like a Noob to be in that part of town. And what's more, there's a report of reality bending during the Cbox incident. And then there's the rumours about a murder at the Markov Ma-"
"Are you deliberately wasting my time, or do you just enjoy the sound of your own voice?"
"Well... it's just... sorry, but... I think the readings might be linked to the Medu--"
"Know your place, Herald!" Natalie snapped into the phone.
"It is not your job to make assumptions. Come back to me when you've found the hacker." She ended the call abruptly and continued down the hallway.
It wasn't long before the phone rang again... an urgent call from the ISAF command centre.
* * * * * *
For a moment he thought he had been shot. JackShade staggered slightly, almost losing his grip on Julez, his foot ending up in a deep puddle. The splitting headache scrambled his '
vision' and the whispers came flooding in.
"
Warsevonlooseriflekilledsrtreetbarloc... Severdus... Warmaster... Guardian ID#49712... breach of protocol..."
Tegan turned and looked back at JackShade, seeing him half on and half off the pavement, his foot submerged in the puddle as he struggled to hold Julez. She could see the anguish on his face, as if an old wound had split and left him rooted to the spot.
But JackShade endeavoured and, with the focussing exercises he had learned over the years, he filtered through the flood of whispers.
"
...three ISAF fatalities... unarmed... heading west... Paulus Street... 7 minutes prior to transmission... Validation Nic10283Cpr... PURGE IMMEDIATELY... PURGE IMMEDIATELY... PURGE IMMEDIATELY."
The Shadow's next mission had arrived.
* * * * * *
Orochi's back... and he's brought some friends. A whole trolley of them. The sadistic bastard wheels in a cart of freshly baked goods - cinammon loaves and flapjack cake, brownies and toasted crumpets. Muffins of fragrant blueberry and waffles dripping with butter and sugar. The aroma forces its way down my throat like a crowbar prizing through every chamber of resolve.
I drool... I swallow... my mouth becomes a desert and my insides growl. Oh God, I'm starving... just one little bite... please...
"Not long now, Asmodeus." Orochi says as he lifts a scone and bites into it, the crumbs falling between us. "The Mentors are doing their final checks. Once we are sure that your reputation is in tatters, we can move on to the main event."
It doesn't take an English student to read between the lines. He means my execution.
"Of course..." he continues, coming close as he bites into a waffle, the butter and sugar oozing down his chin. "You could always speed things up. Tell me about this Coffeecake character. Was it unrequited love? Or did you ever get inside his robes?"
My face is locked in a glare... not because of his insult, but through pure concentration. I'm willing him to get a little closer. The pen the Hijacker gave me is held in the only place where he won't see it... clenched at the tip between my toes with the shaft lying flat to my sole. My legs are only loosely chained... enough slack for a kick. One kick. It's all I'll need.
Come on, you bread-munching bastard. Just a little closer...
I don't know who that Hijacker was or what he wants from me... but I'll be damned if I'm gonna miss my ride on the Deus Ex Machina.