Lily leaned forward. ‘I kinda helped there, too. I neglected to tell you I slipped my Warbler into one of your jacket pockets while you were sleeping earlier. Remember when you woke and I was sitting with you, rubbing your shoulder? That’s when I did it. I don’t know, I kinda just figured you might need it at some point.’

Jack reached into a zippered pocket of his canvas jacket and pulled from it the disc-shaped Warbler.

He shook his head. ‘Thanks, kiddo.’

He smiled.

After feeling so alone, now, seeing these people he loved so much, he felt revitalised and recharged.

‘God, I’m glad to see you all,’ he said.

Alby then explained his presence.

He and Aloysius had been dead to rights on their vertical oil rig when the newly arrived Werewolf chopper had opened fire.

Only it hadn’t been firing at them.

It had been firing at an armed Knight of the Golden Eight—the consistently nasty Jaeger Zwei—who had appeared above and behind them, climbing over the top edge of the vertical helipad with a gun in his hand.

The attack chopper’s gunfire ripped Zwei apart, turning his entire body to mush.

When the roar of fire stopped, there came a squeal of feedback from the Werewolf’s external loudspeaker, then a voice.

‘Why, hey there, guys, sorry we couldn’t get here a tad sooner,’ the slow drawling voice said. ‘Took Sky Monster and me a little while to steal this chopper. Want a ride off this rig?’

As he had peered at the Werewolf chopper, Alby recognised its two pilots and his face broke out in a wide grin.

It was Rufus and Sky Monster.

When he and Aloysius were safely aboard the Werewolf, Rufus had asked Alby where he wanted to go.

Alby had pointed across the vast city-maze at the towertop on which Lily and Easton sat with Smiley.

‘There,’ he’d said.

Minutes later, Rufus landed the Werewolf attack chopper on the towertop near Lily, Easton and Smiley with his melted back.

Lily and Alby hugged warmly as they were reunited, and the whole group—Rufus and Sky Monster, Alby and Aloysius—quickly swapped notes on what had happened to them all and how they might be able to help Jack.

And then Zoe had arrived and taken charge.

‘We get some scuba gear and go in after him,’ Zoe said.

‘Absolutely,’ Lily said.

Aloysius said, ‘Mind if I stay out here with these two pilots? Got some things I’d like to do, some very destructive things.’

Zoe nodded. ‘Do what you have to do, Captain.’ She turned to Easton. ‘Just take this brave minotaur and his bronzeman with you.’

Easton began to protest. ‘But—’

‘You’ve done your part, Easton. Smiley, too,’ Zoe said kindly. ‘And that bullet wound needs attention. Time for you to tag out. And I have a feeling that Alby wants to tag in.’

‘Do I ever,’ Alby said.