‘What do you mean—disappear?’

‘Exactly that. They’d vanish into thin air, and later their bodies would be found, not a mark on them, no sign of anything happening. But they’d be dead. People were scared to go into the tunnels. There was all kinds of internal curfews and restrictions on movement. And then a patrol picked up a couple of Renegades sneaking around Sanctuary.’

‘So it was them?’

‘Hardly. To begin with, everyone agreed that they were half dead with exhaustion and fright, and close to out of their minds. They claimed they were part of a patrol of their own, only their companions had started vanishing one by one and turning up dead. And what they described seemed awfully similar to what others who had seen friends get taken had said. Except the Renegades—they also added another detail. They said that their companions had been eaten by the Shadows. Probably mad ramblings but the phrase took off.’

‘Eaten by the Shadows?’

‘That’s what they said, and that’s all they would say, or at least that was the version that got out. And it sure got out. Great food for gossip too, don’t you think? A mysterious Shadow in the tunnels that kills people by the dozens. Spread like wildfire.’

‘Really?’

‘Uh huh.’

‘And then what?’

‘And then that was it, actually. Nothing happened again. Nobody’s heard anything of the Shadow for a good decade now. Maybe the rumour-mongers scared it off.’

Joe made a rude sound. ‘I’m telling you, it was Renegades, Cap’n.’

‘Maybe, but I’ve never known Renegades to be particular about how they killed people. These were all the same, Joe. Don’t you remember? Had everyone riled up enough. Don’t you remember the curfew? You broke it to come over often enough. And your Pa was part of the search parties too, wasn’t he?’

‘Aye, and they came back empty, didn’t they? Because it was Renegades.’

‘Then why did your Pa say he was sure there was something out there that wasn’t just a man or an animal?’

‘Aye, but then if there is a Shadow, where is it now? Where’s it been all this time? Asleep?’

‘Well, maybe it died,’ grinned Colby. ‘Think Shadows can die?’

‘You believe in spooks now?’

‘No, but it was definitely something. Maybe some animal.’

‘No, Cap’n. Ain’t no animal that don’t leave no trace. It was Renegades. What else could it be?’

‘As I said, Joe, I don’t know, but speaking of animals …’

He turned to Albert, still grinning. ‘You do realize that now you’re saddled with that thing you so lovingly volunteered to take off Ma D’Amato?’

Albert waved a hand airily. ‘Oh, that? Forget it. I’m not going back.’