Rousseau, just about swaying on his feet, finally broke the silence. “We need to do a sweep of the area, pick up any stragglers. Will, any chance of that?”

“I’ll send a search party, but I’m not ordering anyone inside the building. Not with those maniacs.”

R.J. said, “For once, Doyle was right. That den needs taking out.”

“Yah,” said Spunk. “But we gotta wait on dat. Need time ta musta a defense. Go in dere short, dey’ll trow everyting dey got atcha. Cut yer strength in half fer nuttin’.”

“Alone might be the best way to do it,” Daniel said quietly.

“Suicide mission,” R.J. scoffed.

Daniel shrugged. “Probably.”

“If Doyle gets wind of this,” said Will. “He’ll be in there in a heartbeat.”

“Let him,” said R.J. “One less thing to worry about.”

“No, no, no! He’ll start a war we can’t win, and he won’t be there to help us!” Rousseau walked away, pacing in and out of the shadows. “Spunk’s right. We need time to plan. Round up the stragglers, Will, but keep it quiet. For now.”

“As best we can.”

“Let me bring this kid,” Daniel said. “He can help call in his denmates.”

“Good. And . . .” Rousseau turned back. “We need a bolt hole for when they come after us. Which they will.” He shook his head ruefully. “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’ll send an exploratory party upriver tomorrow. See who’s playing at Yankee Stadium.”

“I’ll go,” said Rubio.

I stirred in protest. “You shouldn’t! You’re not . . .”

“I’m going.”

I looked to Irv. “He’s not well enough. Can’t you see . . . ?”

Irv shrugged. “And me.”

Spunk nudged me. “Let da man do his t’ing.”

Idiots. Macho idiots! But I was fading fast. My clock had tripped toward twenty-four hours without sleep. I’d catch Rube in the morning, talk sense into him then. I lay back on my bench. Hard, narrow, but better than remaining upright.

Just rest a bit, I told myself.

TWENTY-SEVEN

I woke to the scrape of furniture. I was stretched flat out on the bench in near darkness. A few lanterns guttered on the disordered square of tables at one end of the Mess. Vague shapes shuffled through the shadows, cleaning up food debris, resetting tables and chairs for breakfast, rousing others like me who’d fallen asleep where they’d sat or lain down. Gray daylight seeped through the open double doors. I could hear rain pattering on the main hall’s central skylight.