And they would get through this, she told herself.
They had to.
35
Thirty-five
The next morning, Allie fought to stay awake in class. They’d worked on plans for the parley until three in the morning. Carter absorbed information quickly but Raj insisted he have it all down perfectly, so they’d gone through it all over and over again.
She couldn’t even remember climbing into bed.
By the time Zelazny walked into the history classroom, his arms filled with stacks of books, she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. Even through a haze of exhaustion, though, his demeanour caught her attention. He didn’t shout at them to be quiet in his usual way or fix them with a glare. He’d been subdued ever since Jerry’s exposure as Nathaniel’s man. As if he’d believed they’d all failed.
Allie had never expected to miss his bluster, but she did.
‘All this term,’ the history teacher said, as the students fell silent, ‘we’ve been talking about the years of the British Empire. But today is an unusual day.’ Setting the books down on his desk, he studied the students sombrely. ‘There’s no point in pretending. You all know about the parley with Nathaniel.’
Allie’s breath caught. Outside of Night School, none of the instructors were talking openly about it. She glanced over to where Carter sat next to her, but his gaze was fixed on Zelazny; a small frown line creased his forehead.
The other students seemed similarly surprised. Two Night School students murmured disapprovingly in the back. The non-Night School students looked fascinated. Hopeful they’d learn more.
At the front of the room, the history teacher was still talking. ‘Most of your teachers will act as if nothing is happening. They want to distract you. Keep you calm. I intend to do something different.’ He began walking around the room, placing a book with a black cover on each desk. When he reached Allie he paused, holding her gaze. ‘I want to talk to you about surviving.’
The room filled with the whisper of pages against desks as the students hurriedly picked up the books to see what they were.
The volume was slim and light in Allie’s hand, almost insubstantial. The elaborate gold letters on the front, almost gaudy against the black, read: Sun Tzu: The Art of War.
Zelazny had returned to the front of the class now, where he held up his own copy.
‘Sun Tzu was a general in China in the sixth century,’ the teacher explained. ‘His theories are still taught in military schools, studied by generals, used in combat. I think they could be useful to us, too.’ He leaned back against his desk. ‘Carter, read from page ten, please.’
The other two Night School students at the back of the room exchanged a glance as, still frowning, Carter flipped the pages in his book. For a second he scanned the words silently.
Then he began to read aloud.
‘Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with moral law? Which of the two generals has the most ability? With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven and Earth? On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced? Which army is stronger? On which side are officers and men more highly trained? In which army is there greater consistence in reward and punishment?
‘By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat.’
To Allie the words felt horribly portentous. What was Zelazny trying to tell them? That he thought they would lose?
When Carter finished reading, Zelazny straightened slowly and looked out at the class.
‘The two sides who will meet at the parley tomorrow are, I believe, equal in strength and in training. Because we are the same people. We attended the same schools. Followed the same course in life. Therefore, we are equally matched with our enemy.’
A rustle of disapproving murmurs swept the room. No one in that room wanted to believe they were anything like Nathaniel.
But, despite herself, Allie could see the truth in his words. This was a civil war.
Zelazny ignored the discomfort his words were causing. ‘I think Sun Tzu could not say from looking at us, which would win.’
His honesty in these circumstances was breathtaking. None of the other adults were even countenancing the possibility that they wouldn’t succeed. But Allie had always known failure was possible. She could see the effort it took for Isabelle to look positive. The doubts Raj failed to hide.
But for him to say this so openly was chilling.
As if he knew what she was thinking, Zelazny looked right at her. ‘That is where strategy comes in. Allie, read from page twenty-one.’
Flipping through the pages, Allie found the one he’d asked for. It held only a few lines.
‘All warfare is based on deception.
‘Offer bait to entice the enemy. Then feign disorder and crush him.
‘If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If his strength is superior, evade him.
‘Attack where he is unprepared. Appear where you are not expected.’
The room had gone quiet again but the words rang in Allie’s head.
All warfare is based on deception.
She thought of Christopher standing in her room.
Nathaniel holding a knife to Rachel’s throat.
Lucinda’s promises and Nathaniel’s threats.
Her chest felt tight. Who’s the liar?
‘This is the best advice anyone can give you.’ Zelazny’s sharp voice broke through the fog of her thoughts. By now he had everyone’s full attention. Every student in the room was hanging on his every word. ‘When you are faced with a clever enemy, one well matched to your strengths and weaknesses, you must be smarter than him. You must adapt and innovate if you want to stay alive. Because, however technically perfect your plan might be, there’s one thing I can promise you.’ He thumped his desk hard with his finger. ‘It will go wrong. Nothing will be as you expect. Night is always darker when you step into it than it seems when you’re in a lighted room.’
As he looked out at the class, his stare was intense.
‘For the rest of the lesson I want you to read this book. Commit it to memory. As if, tomorrow, I was going to make you recite it to me.’ He lowered his gaze to Allie’s. ‘It could save your life.’
The rest of Allie’s classes that day passed in a haze. Zelazny was right – the other teachers were just trying to distract them. Keep them calm.
Her mind wouldn’t let go of his lesson. Whenever no one was looking, she flipped through the book he’d given them. Words and phrases floated up at her. Chilling her.
If his strength is superior, evade him.
Run away. Hide.
Zelazny was always confident. If he was worried … were they doing the right thing?
But they had no choice. Always, it came back to that.
They had to go to the parley, they had no choice.
They were trapped. She was trapped.
There was no break between classes and Night School training. As soon as her last lesson ended, she was back down in the training room, practising evasion techniques with Carter, Nicole and Zoe. Rachel was off working with Dom.
Just before dinnertime, Raj walked over to where Carter and Allie were trying a complex manoeuvre of whirling kicks and elbow punches.
He spoke so quietly only they could hear. ‘Isabelle would like to see you both in her office.’
‘Should we change first?’ Allie asked, running a hand across her forehead. They were both sweating, and dressed in their black Night School exercise gear.
Raj shook his head. ‘She’d like you to hurry.’
Allie’s heart stuttered. It sounded bad.
When they reached Isabelle’s office minutes later, her door was closed but they could hear her talking to someone inside.
Carter and Allie exchanged a look before he knocked lightly on the carved wood.
Isabelle’s response was immediate. ‘Come in.’
Carter turned the handle – the door swung open silently.
Inside the familiar office, Isabelle sat at her desk – the room was otherwise empty. Her desk was topped with neat stacks of papers and an open laptop.
‘You wanted to see us?’ Allie said.
Isabelle motioned for them to sit in the leather chairs arranged so they faced her imposing mahogany desk.
As Allie took a seat, she studied Isabelle’s face for clues. She didn’t appear panicked or distraught, but there was a new sadness in her eyes, and the set of her mouth.
Only when they were settled did the headmistress speak again. ‘Lucinda, are you still there?’
‘I am.’ Her grandmother’s voice emerged from the computer on the headmistress’s desk, clear and strong. Relentless.
Allie’s heart jumped. So it was that kind of meeting.
Carter swung round to look at her in surprise. Allie held up her hands in a ‘sometimes this just happens’ gesture.
‘We’re all here, as you asked.’ Isabelle leaned back in her chair. ‘Allie and Carter are both present.’
‘No one else?’ Lucinda said.
Isabelle gave her head a slight shake. ‘No one.’
‘Good,’ Lucinda said.
Fleetingly, Allie wondered what it must be like for her. She stood to lose the most. Her position in the Orion Group and all the power that came with that were on the line. Already she’d lost her place at government meetings; her respected position as a senior advisor.
What would she do if she lost all the rest?
‘I asked Isabelle to bring you both here so we could go over The Rules for tomorrow night,’ Lucinda said.
The Rules? Allie thought, instantly suspicious. What the hell is she talking about?
‘Allie, when I offered to let you go to the parley, it was on the condition that you follow the plan I set for you. I presume you recall that conversation?’
Put on the spot, Allie hesitated. She had only vague memories of Lucinda’s voice projected through Isabelle’s tinny phone, her own anger about Christopher. She wasn’t really certain what she’d agreed to that night, but she would have said yes to almost anything if it meant she got to go to the parley and take on Nathaniel herself.
‘Yes … I think so,’ she said after a moment.
‘Excellent.’ Lucinda’s tone was crisp. ‘Then I’ll expect you to hold to your agreement. Carter West.’
Carter straightened. ‘Yes … ma’am …?’ His gaze shifted uncertainly from Isabelle to the blank, dark plastic of the computer.
‘I must have the same commitment from you that I’ve received from my granddaughter. I require you to swear that you will do precisely as you are told today. That you will follow The Rules Isabelle and I set out for you, above and beyond anything you are told by anyone else. Up to, and including, Raj Patel and his guards.’
Allie stared at the computer in shock. Is that what I agreed to that night?
She could see her own doubts reflected on Carter’s face. What Lucinda was asking for wasn’t small. It was like a gigantic ‘just trust me’ to both of them.
But this was her party.
After a short, tell-tale pause, Carter gave a helpless shrug. ‘Fine … I mean – yes. I agree to your Rules.’
They both looked at Isabelle as if she could give them some explanation but her expression was inscrutable. Clearly, Lucinda was in charge here.
‘Then we are ready to proceed,’ Lucinda said. ‘The Rules are as follows. I will meet you on Parliament Hill in the park at midnight. I will have Jerry Cole with me. You are not to interact with him even if he provokes you. ‘
Allie tensed.
Lucinda was going to be in charge of Jerry?
She thought of the way the muscles in his arms bulged that night in the basement cell when he yanked at the chains holding him. She’d believed for a moment he might rip them from the wall. He was strong. Far too strong for a woman of Lucinda’s age to control him. What was she thinking?
Her grandmother continued: ‘Once we are all there, I will do the talking. Nathaniel will speak to you, I have no doubt. If he addresses you directly, I will indicate whether or not you should reply. The indication will be a nod. One nod means yes. Anything other than that means you must let me handle it. This is not up for discussion.’
She added the last line sternly, as if she expected them to argue, but neither of them really wanted to be Nathaniel’s go-to guy, so they both sat in silence.
Taking their lack of response for compliance, Lucinda kept talking. ‘You will be given the name and address of a safe house in London. You are both to memorise it. If anything happens and we are separated, you are forbidden to search for me, or for Raj or his guards. Do not trust anyone who claims to represent us. Do not attempt to find anyone from Cimmeria. Go directly to the safe house and wait. As soon as possible, someone will come for you. Is that understood?’
Allie’s chest felt hollow. This was a plan for failure.
She and Carter exchanged a long look. She could see in his eyes that he knew it, too.
‘Yes,’ Allie said after a moment, her voice barely above a whisper. ‘I agree.’
‘And I agree,’ Carter said.
Lucinda accepted this without comment. ‘The last Rule is this. I expect something to happen. I expect violence. Any one of us could be hurt. We have done all we can to prevent such an outcome but pure practicality and bitter experience indicate no amount of preparation will prevent Nathaniel from violating all the parley rules and attempting something … unnecessary. If anything happens to me or to Carter, Allie, you must promise to run. You must leave that person, whichever one of us it is, and you must get out of that park and to the safe house. You must not hesitate. I will need your agreement.’
Cold with horror, Allie stared at the laptop. A sudden brutal memory jabbed into her thoughts like an ice-pick. Jo lying in a pool of blood on an icy road. All alone.
Pressing her lips together tightly she shook her head in mute disagreement but, before she could speak, Carter reached across the space dividing them. Prising her fingers loose from the chair arm she’d been unconsciously gripping, he took her hand in his.
Still shaking her head she looked up at him, already knowing what he would say.
‘Say yes,’ he said.
‘No, Carter.’ Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. ‘I can’t.’
‘Allie, Lucinda’s right. Whatever happens, you have to run. I’ll be fine. I promise. Say yes.’ His gaze was steady and his hand was warm on hers.
But how could she do it? She couldn’t just leave him or Lucinda hurt. If they needed her …
‘Allie.’ Her grandmother’s haughty voice shattered her thoughts. ‘I need your commitment or the deal is off. You stay at the school and I meet Nathaniel alone. You know what that will mean for the school and your friends. You know what Nathaniel is capable of.’
On the other side of the desk, Isabelle made a small sound of disapproval but Allie didn’t look at her. Her eyes were on Carter.
His gaze never wavered. ‘Say yes.’
Her thoughts in turmoil, Allie tore her gaze away and let her head fall back against the cool leather of the chair. She couldn’t look at him and do this.
‘Yes,’ she whispered. A tear escaped from beneath her lashes. ‘Fine. Yes. I’ll do it.’
‘Good.’ Lucinda’s voice held no emotion.
At that moment, Allie loathed her grandmother almost as much as Nathaniel. That she could make her agree to leave Carter alone to bleed to death like Jo. And for what? For power she didn’t believe in? For money she didn’t want?
No. To stop Nathaniel from hurting other people.
Even then. Even for that. She knew she’d never do it. Not really.
Lucinda wasn’t finished yet. Her voice emerged from the computer, cool and distant. ‘Carter?’
Still holding Allie’s hand, he looked at the computer as if he’d expected this. ‘Yes. I’m here.’
‘I will also need an agreement from you. Your Rule is slightly di
fferent from Allie’s. I am told you are strong, reliable and determined, and that you care for her very much. So your Rule is this. If anything happens to me or to Allie, you are to get her out of the park. Get her away from Nathaniel at all costs and to the safe house. Do not leave her at any point for any reason. If I am injured, do not let her try to help me. Do I have your agreement?’
Allie’s fingers tightened around Carter’s.
He turned to meet her gaze. His eyes were dark and endless, warm and trustworthy. As familiar and loving as family. As necessary as oxygen.
Jump.
‘Yes,’ he said.
‘Good.’ Lucinda’s brisk, authoritative tone betrayed no emotion. ‘Then we are agreed. Now, let’s go over the plans again …’
36
Thirty-six
The gleaming black Land Rovers arrived just before seven the next evening. They sat outside the front door like a glamorous funeral procession.
Allie noticed them as soon as she walked down from her room.
Raj had told the students to dress like ‘normal’ kids their age would on a Friday night, so for the first time in weeks she wore street clothes – they felt strange on her body. The jeans were stiff and itchy. Over them she wore a long, black T-shirt. Her red Doc Marten boots were laced up to the knee. To complete the picture of youthful normality, she’d encircled her eyes in heavy eyeliner and mascara. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders.
She was the first to arrive – the entrance hall was empty. The front door stood open, letting in the muggy, summer evening air. Bouncing on her heels, she waited impatiently. Nervousness gnawed at her insides as if it was trying to get out of her. She hoped the makeup hid her fear.
When Nicole and Zoe arrived a few minutes later she stared at them in amazement. She’d never seen either of them in street clothes. Nicole looked elegant with her long hair pulled back in glossy braids. She wore a snug-fitting, strappy top with black trousers and tough-looking ankle boots. She could have been any cool teenage girl on a night out with friends.