‘Then we’ll look for months,’ said Albert. He didn’t mean to sound calm, he certainly didn’t feel that way, but somehow, that was how the words came out. ‘And if we don’t find her, we’ll keep looking.’

Colby looked wonderingly at him, as if suddenly seeing him in a new light. ‘You know, I really believe you mean that.’

‘I do.’

‘Well, how far do you think you’ll get? What do you know of the tunnels? You just got here, for crying out loud!’

‘Yes, but there must be someone on the force who knows them and—’

‘Yes, a bit, but a bit’s not going to help, not one … um … bit! Who knows where this guy Cillian is camped, if he’s camped at all! Renegades usually keep moving.’

‘What would Renegades want with the girl?’ said Joe suddenly.

Colby shook his head. ‘No clue. When it was Seekers it made sense, but now I really don’t know. Renegades aren’t interested in the Code.’

‘Mebbe this ’ere Cillian’s a Seeker.’

‘Who is this Cillian, anyway?’ demanded Albert.

‘I don’t exactly know,’ said Colby. ‘Only what Joe told us.’

Albert turned to Joe enquiringly.

‘My Pa used to talk a fair bit about him,’ said Joe.

‘So who is he?’

‘Was. He was a Renegade boss, had one of the biggest Renegade groups out there a few years ago. Caused quite a bit of trouble, too, to all sorts of people. Trickier than a snake without a charmer, Pa used to say he was. But then the force busted up his clan, and that’s the last I ever heard about him. Been a good ten years, though.’

‘A decade? That’s a long time to be missing.’

‘Aye.’

‘I wonder …’ said Albert thoughtfully.

Colby looked sharply at him. ‘What?’

‘No, I was just thinking. You say nobody’s seen or heard from Cillian in a decade. And from what I remember you telling me, your Shadow has been gone for exactly the same duration.’

‘Maybe he’s right,’ said Joe slowly. ‘You know, I always thought this Shadow business was Renegades. Mebbe that’s why Pa was so riled up about both of ’em all the time. It was Cillian all along.’

‘No, it weren’t,’ said Kieran.

‘Oh yeah? How do you know?’

‘Cause Cillian’s a man and a man ain’t no Shadow.’

‘What about the fact they both been gone as long? Coincidence? The cap’n always says there ain’t no coincidence.’

‘You ain’t the cap’n.’

‘Well, it make sense, don’t it?’

‘No it don’t make no sense, ’cos a Shadow ain’t a man,’ said Kieran stubbornly.

‘Don’t be daft.’

‘Yer saw ’im at it, did yer?’

‘No, but you didn’t see him not at it, so don’t get all stubborn-like.’

‘It’s not bein’ stubborn, it’s—’