Interlude 3

It was nearly noon the following day, and Sal had barely been able to sleep after returning from the Airyard. It was all a flash, a good flash - he hoped, but everything was set into motion now. They were early… too early for what he wanted. Part of being a successful leader was dealing with unexpected circumstances. That was all this was: unexpected. It did not change the end goal, just shifted it slightly. Shifts were normal. All of this was normal.

Then why did he feel so anxious about it…? Perhaps it was simply nerves? The explosives were prepped and ready, set in several places around the Undercity. Their statement would be made tonight… adjusted after the early raid on the Airyard. A whirlwind of emotions and thoughts and failed contingencies swirled around his mind. They would not shut off. Sal rose from bed and wandered into his apartment living room.

The door to Amber’s bedroom was cracked slightly. He peered inside, seeing her sprawled out in bed. Sheets and blankets were loosely strewn about, some covering her, others piled onto the floor at the base of the bed. It had been a long day for her yesterday. When Sal returned from the Airyard, she had already fallen asleep, and now she rested until an alarm would go off. Sal would need to keep her in the apartment today. He told her to take a few days off, to “get settled”, but Amber balked at the prospect. She wanted to get back out there.

The doorbell chimed. Amber stirred in her room but did not wake. Sal answered, and Veet stood in the doorway. He was a bit earlier, but Sal accepted the new speed at which everything moved.

“Glad to see you made it back,” Veet started, stepping inside, “I know you do you, but next time, let me know. Some of us were worried you may have been-“

Sal pressed a finger to his lips and pointed at Amber’s bedroom door. It was still cracked, and he didn’t want prying ears to listen in. She served her part in all this. It was now time for her to rest and then bask in the new world once it was complete.

Veet bit his lip and lowered his voice. “We were worried.”

“No need to be,” Sal explained, “The police raid of the Airyard was an unfortunate situation, but it happened.”

“What of the PI?”

“I shot him. Left them for dead. I’m sure his assistant helped, but John Darcy should be in no condition to continue his search. He can relay what he knows to the police. That is fine. We’re at the doorsteps.”

Veet was relieved to hear that. Amongst the cells, there had been concern for the next steps. If Sal was dead or captured, if the Airyard was truly compromised, what would happen to the plan. To see their leader and his unwavering confidence, Veet was confident in their plan again.

“I will inform the cells then.”

Sal shook his head. “You will inform them of more. Tonight, we start. Not in three days like planned. No. Tonight. It must happen tonight.”

“Tonight?” Veet bit his tongue as he realized he was yelling. “There are still units working, securing the explosives, creating the devices. Only 60% of the cells are ready.”

“The police will be hot on our tail now,” Sal explained, “We’ve managed to fend them off while letting them sniff along a breadcrumb trail. They’ve found the entire loaf. It will only take a moment for them to devour the entire thing, and then, they will come for us.”

“What should I tell the cells that are still working? There will be Districts unaffected?”

“Tell them to be ready. Those that are not will standby as planned. Those cells will claim their District, and by the morning, the Undercity will be in our control. Explosives or not, this must happen.”

Veet sighed, loud enough that Sal could feel his dissatisfaction. To move up the attack, so suddenly, was understandable, but Veet couldn’t help but feel the whole thing was massively misguided. This entire setup, obtaining the explosives, where to set up them up, partaking in abhorrent crimes like trafficking and worse, Breeding, to enrage up the Neko populace, and finally, the careful planning of key attacks that would send the already bubbling populous into a frenzied rage, took years of planning. When Veet met Sal several years ago, he was a man with a dream and goal, someone who never relented in obtaining it. With such rash decision making, he was faltering.

“You disapprove?” Sal asked.

“This whole thing has been five years in the making,” Veet replied, “We’ve… done things that no one will ever forgive. There is a very special place in hell for most of us. It was all for a purpose though. If we are not ready, if things are too hot, why are we doing this?”

“If we are caught before it can happen, would that not be more of a waste?”

“If we fail because we prematurely acted, wouldn’t that be worse? Wouldn’t all those deaths be pointless?”

Sal had considered all of that. If they failed, if the explosives didn’t go off, if the Nekos didn’t rally, if the police caught them beforehand, all their planning, the suffering by Nekos under their thumb, would be for nothing. Sacrifice only matters if it means something. The world learned that lesson after WWIII, where there were no winners and the millions dead and the ecosystems destroyed having as much meaning as a common easterly wind.

“We will not fail…”

Sal would have continued, but Amber’s bedroom door opened. Out she stepped, yawning, and pulling up a pair of pajama pants that hung loosely at her hips. Rubbing her eyes, she said, “Gosh guys… Can you be any louder?”

Veet went white. “Ah… you heard that?”

“Heard what? A lot of murmuring? Enough to wake me up…”

Sal felt a bit of relief. “Apologies about that. I don’t believe you’ve met. This is Veet, a co-worker of mine. We go way back, and he had a work question for me. We’ll be stepping out.”

“I guess I’m going back to bed then,” Amber said, “You were super late last night. Don’t be out too long. Work too hard, and you’ll get sick.”

Sal promised it would only be for one more night. Then, he could take a “break”. As Amber went back to her room, Sal asked her, “What are your plans for the night?”

“I was supposed to work, but you know, you said to take a break,” Amber said, “Besides, we never watched our movies last night. Promise me you’ll be back so we can?”

“That may be difficult,” Sal started, but when he saw Amber’s pouting face, he shifted his tone. “Let me see what I can do!”

He and Veet left, heading for one of the cells in District 14.