"Bloody hell!" That could only be Skinner, thought Nemo. But the thief's words, crude as they were, summed up the situation fairly well.
All the lights had gone out. The room was in almost complete darkness. A phrase, heard recently, flickered into the former pirate's mind.
'They attack either in the dark, or from behind.'
Instinct made Nemo whirl, his sword flashing out of its sheath just in time to block a strike. Shouts and cries sounded out, suggesting the rest of the League and the five representatives were in similar trouble.
"Oh God, oh God, oh – aaarrrggghhh!"
Nemo's blood ran cold as he heard the choking scream. It didn't sound like one of the League, thankfully, so it was probably a representative. He fended off another blow. He couldn't see his attacker's features, only the shadowy outline. He kicked out, sending his opponent spinning away.
Something bumped into him, and he swiftly turned, raising his arm to strike as he did so.
"Whoa, Nemo, it's me!"
"Sawyer?" said the Captain, but had no time to say more. His opponent lunged at him again, their blade moving with startling speed. But Nemo was no amateur with a sword. He returned the attack, just as viciously.
Tom was unsure what to do. Shadowy figures flailed about everywhere, but he didn't dare shooting in case he hit someone on his side. Something flickered in the corner of his eye, and he jumped back, narrowly missing being cut in two. He ducked as they swung at him again. Tom lashed out with his gun, managing to smack the figure in the stomach. They let out a grunt, and staggered backwards. Tom pressed the attack.
Mina was a lot better off than most, her vampiric senses allowing her to see fairly well in the dark. She conjured up her bats, their high-pitched squeaks only adding to the din. She lunged at the nearest person, and sank her fangs into their neck. At last, a feast! She drained the figure quickly, then moved onto the next, careful not to attack any of the League or the reps. If she saw Mr Brewster though...
Jekyll reached for the elixir that would transform him into Hyde. Inside his head, the beast laughed with glee at being allowed out to 'play'. But before he could drink it, someone charged at him. He yelped and twisted sideways. The attacker growled angrily and swung again. Jekyll fumbled behind him, his hand closing on a hefty book. He threw it at the figure, and was rewarded with a cry of pain.
Suddenly, the figures retreated. The League fell back slightly, confused. Why were they retreating? The League was technically outnumbered, so they had no reason to back off.
Tom lunged for one, trying to take them prisoner, but the figure kicked his legs out from under him, sending him sprawling on the floor. By the time Tom got to his feet again, the person was gone.
The reason they had retreated became clear as the lights flickered back on.
"Didn't want to get seen," said Tom, inwardly disgusted with himself. He'd HAD that guy, but had let his guard down. Next time, he vowed, I'll get you.
Nemo gazed around, swiftly counting up the damage that had been done. Mr Brewster's friend lay dead – it was he who had screamed. Mr Brewster was cowering under the long table, along with the two the reps. Mr Hamer was leaning against a bookshelf, his face drawn in pain, a long gash on his arm.
The League seemed okay. Jekyll had a small cut on his hand, and Tom's lip was swollen where he'd banged it. Jekyll was looking pleased, and even a touch proud. He'd managed to fight without the use of Hyde.
"They took the bodies," said Mina, her voice tight with anger.
"Bodies?" asked Tom.
"Yes. I slew some of them, but the bodies are no longer there."
Nemo frowned. "They are well-prepared. They do not want us identifying them."
"This is going to be harder than we thought," said Jekyll.
Suddenly Mina's head snapped up. "Where is Skinner? Surely he would have said something by now."
One of the reps came out from under the table. He was holding Skinner's coat in one hand, and the thief's glasses in another. "These dropped down next to us, and I heard footsteps moving that way." He pointed to a door. "But what he was doing, I have no idea."
"Bastard was probably in league with the murderers," spat Brewster as he emerged from his hiding place. "How else would they have got in? We have guards!"
"In case you haven't noticed, Skinner's on our team!" shot back Tom. "Who's to say they didn't kill the guards? They're good fighters."
"Well, if he's so noble, where is he?" snarled Brewster.
"Scouting around to see if he could spot anyone," came a disembodied voice.
"Skinner? Is that you?" asked Nemo.
"Who else do you know who's invisible? Thank you," he said to the rep, relieving him of the coat. The rep watched in fascination as the coat twisted in midair, gradually outlining the thief's form.
"I went round to see if I could get the lights back on, catch the buggers unawares. Unfortunately, I bumped into one. They can be almost as invisible as me in the dark. And, before you ask, no, I didn't see their face. Anyway, must be well-informed, cos he worked out what was going on pretty quick, and tried to slice me up. Managed to avoid becoming salami, and ran around to where the electricity box was."
"How did you know where it was?" asked Mina.
"I'm a thief. You learn to take in every detail. Anyway, there were two or three of them standing guard. Led them away with an old thieving trick, locked them in a room and turned on the lights."
"Are they still in the room?" asked Tom eagerly.
"Fraid not. I don't know how they did it, but they unlocked the door and scarpered."
"Damn!" Tom slammed his clenched fist down on the table.
The coat shrugged. "It happens. Don't fret; we'll catch 'em eventually."
Tom nodded grimly. "We'll catch them all right.
DiabloCat: Oooh! What will happen next? Will they catch them? Or will the mysterious attackers thwart their plans? Tune in...er...whenever...and catch the next episode of 'Shadow's Underground!'
