“Meanwhile,” Kaldar added, “Audrey and I will be the Day team. We will approach Yonker out in the open and draw a lot of attention to ourselves. Yonker will concentrate on us.”
“Here comes the fun part.” Audrey smiled. “If the gadget isn’t well protected, then the Night team will either steal it or tell us, and we’ll sneak in and steal it together.”
Kaldar nodded. “If the gadget is too well protected, then the Day team will swap the real gadget for the fake one in broad daylight, pocket the real item, and walk right out of there.”
Gaston raised his hand. “Question: what happens when Yonker figures out that the gadget is a fake?”
“All hell will break loose,” Kaldar said. “But the gadget switch should buy us enough time to get out.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Gaston asked.
“Then we go to Plan C and cut our way out,” Kaldar said.
“I like that plan,” Gaston said.
“Let’s hope it won’t come to that.” Audrey looked at George, then at Jack. “This heist usually takes a lot of time. We don’t have time because that blond bitch is on our trail. We’ll be very rushed. There can be no mistakes, guys. No room for error. Do you understand?”
Jack nodded. No mistakes, got it.
“And if we tell you to get out, you run,” Audrey said. “You run, and you don’t look back.”
“Listen to her,” Kaldar said. “If we pull the plug in the middle of the heist, you two walk away. Clear?”
Jack nodded again.
“Can the two of you handle pretending to be runaways for a couple of days?” Kaldar asked.
George nodded. “We can do it.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Audrey said. “These are unscrupulous people. We don’t know what they will do, but we may not be there to help you. It’s real, and it’s dangerous.”
And they were not babies. “We’ll be fine,” Jack said. “I’ll take care of George.”
“I’m not worried about George.” Kaldar stared at him. It was a dominant, hard stare. Jack felt invisible hackles rise on his back. To the right, Gaston rose, his jaw set, and moved to stand by Kaldar’s side. Gaston’s silvery eyes glared at Jack. Ready to fight.
“Why would you worry about me?”
“You’re a whiny baby,” Gaston said.
What?
“You like to feel sorry for yourself, Jack,” Kaldar said. “It’s all about Jack, all the time.”
Inside him, the Wild gathered itself into a tight ball, all fur and teeth.
“Poor, poor Jack,” Audrey said. Her voice was sweet, but her eyes mocked him. “Everyone’s mean to you. What will you do? There is no room to run away to this time, and Rose won’t help you.”
How does she know about my sister?
The Wild snarled. They had all ganged up on him. Jack’s heart hammered in his chest. His claws prickled the inside of his hands. He glanced at George. His brother stood there, his face calm, like he was a complete stranger.
“Selfish and stupid,” Kaldar said. “That’s you.”
“Good for nothing,” Gaston added.
The Wild screamed and scratched inside Jack, straining to break free. He wanted to grow teeth and claws and dash into the forest. No, he had to stand his ground. Changing in the Edge wasn’t like changing in the Weird. It hurt, and it lasted half a minute. They would kill him before he was done.
The world distilled itself to painful clarity. He had to defend himself. He couldn’t let them take him.
Why? They were friends—why would they do this? Why didn’t George do anything?
“You’re on your own,” George said. “Don’t ask me for help, crybaby.”
Traitor. Jack looked into his brother’s eyes. They were blue and calm, almost peaceful. George always helped him. Always. Even when everyone else turned away.
This was wrong. George would never turn on him.
It’s a test, he suddenly realized. They were testing him to see if he would snap and give himself away. They were watching him carefully, trying to gauge what he would do.
Jack’s instincts told him to bite back as hard as he could. But that was what they expected of him, then he’d be stuck in that clearing by himself, while George went out to spy and probably fight. George was good with his rapier but not that good.
Jack pushed the Wild back into its hole. It clawed him, refusing to go, and he had to force it, step by step. It hurt. His mouth tasted bitter. Finally, he shoved it deep inside, into its usual place. It must’ve taken only a couple of moments, but to him it felt like forever.
The colors lost some of their sharpness, the scents faded just a fraction. He stepped away from the edge of the cliff.
Jack took a deep breath and forced himself to smile. “That’s okay. If I get in trouble, I’ll just mop up my tears with George’s hair.”
It was a lame joke, but that was all he could manage.
Audrey was looking at him, and her eyes were kind again.
“Good man,” Kaldar said. “There is hope for you yet.”
Gaston walked over and punched his shoulder.
Jack breathed. He was terribly tired all of a sudden.
“Okay, now we’ll need money,” Audrey said. “And a lot of it. Preferably owned by some ass, so I won’t feel bad stealing from him. Gaston, any candidates?”
Gaston raised his black eyebrows. “How do you feel about a slaver? Rumor says he doesn’t believe in banks. He keeps all his money in his mansion in the Edge.”
Kaldar raised his hand. “Sold!”
“Oh, really?” Audrey crossed her arms. “So I guess you’ll be breaking into this mansion all on your own without my help.”
“I could,” Kaldar said. “But I would get caught.”
“In that case, how about I decide if we’re sold or not?”
Gaston waved his notebook. “Maybe the two of you should let me tell you about the guy first.”
Jack heard them bicker, but the words barely sank in. His legs grew weak, as if all his muscles had turned to mush. He took a couple of steps back and half sat, half fell, on the grass. Exhaustion claimed him. He took rapid, shallow breaths.