Zoe wore jeans and a striped top with trainers. The simple outfit made her look even younger than she really was.
‘You look weird,’ she announced, studying Allie with a disapproving wrinkle of her nose.
‘So do you,’ Allie fired back.
‘It’s a disguise,’ Zoe explained.
‘Are the cars here?’ Carter’s voice came from the corridor seconds before he and Lucas emerged into the entrance hall together, looking slightly panicked.
‘Yeah but… They’re just sitting there,’ Allie said.
Lucas, who was staying behind, was the only one of them still in a school uniform.
‘I came to see you off,’ he said, answering the question no one had asked.
Zoe rolled her eyes but Allie was genuinely touched.
‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘I wish you were coming with us.’
He gave an amiable shrug. ‘Someone’s got to stay and defend the homeland.’
Allie glanced over to where Carter stood in the doorway, looking out at the silent row of cars. In dark jeans and a black pullover, he looked so much like a normal person it was disturbing.
‘Nice disguise,’ Zoe commented. Carter gave her a puzzled look.
Lucas punched Zoe lightly in the arm. ‘Whatever, Shortie.’
Zoe kicked his fist away with an effortless swing of her foot and Lucas promptly adopted a mock-fighting posture. Before it could go any further, though, Carter held up his hands.
‘Let’s not.’ He said it with such unconscious authority that they both obeyed.
‘Sorry.’ Lucas said sheepishly. ‘Nerves.’
‘I hear you.’ There was no rancour in Carter’s voice. He looked at his watch. ‘Where the hell is everyone? It’s time.’
‘Here.’ Raj’s voice echoed off the stone walls and they all spun round.
He walked towards them from the grand hallway, backlit by a crystal chandelier and followed by phalanx of guards. Isabelle, Zelazny and Eloise were among them.
Dom and Rachel appeared at the back, weighed down with equipment.
Allie’s heart sank.
She ran to Rachel’s side. ‘What are you doing here? You’re not coming … I mean …’ Realising how that sounded she stumbled over her words. ‘Are you?’
But it was Dom who replied. ‘Don’t worry. We won’t be in the park. We’ll be blocks away monitoring you in the best-protected car you’ve ever seen. Rachel will be safe. Now.’ Dropping her bags on a marble-topped table she motioned for Allie to come to her. ‘Let’s get you all wired up.’
As Dom and Rachel began opening bags and arranging supplies, Allie’s heart beat out a rapid cadence and she took gulps of air. She needed to calm down.
Rachel will be fine, she told herself. Dom knows what she’s doing.
She forced herself to let it go. To trust Dom.
Seemingly unaware of her inner turmoil, the tech pulled a long, slim black box out of one of the bags and opened it carefully. Inside, Allie saw neat rows of what looked like dark pins.
‘What are those?’
‘This’ – Dom held one up between her thumb and forefinger; it was no bigger than a freckle – ‘is a tracker. Put your foot here.’ She patted her bent knee. After a brief hesitation, Allie did as she was told.
‘Nice Docs.’ Dom tapped Allie’s heavy red boot. Carefully, she inserted the end of the device into one of the laceholes in Allie’s right boot. Amid the tangle of black laces it was invisible.
‘Done.’ Dom released her foot. ‘Now, if you take a wrong turn or fall into a pond, we’ll be able to find you. But … you know. Don’t do that.’ She turned to Carter, who stood just behind Allie’s shoulder, watching. ‘Your turn.’
‘No comms system this time?’ Allie said as Dom placed the tracker in Carter’s boot.
Dom didn’t look up. ‘Too hackable. I’m not giving Nathaniel a toy to play with.’
When they were all kitted out, the guards began climbing into the Land Rovers. The air filled with the low growl of powerful engines.
The students huddled together by the door. They wouldn’t see each other again until this thing was over, one way or another.
Allie was so nervous she couldn’t stand still; she shifted from one foot to another. What if this went badly? What if they never came back? What if this was the last day?
She looked around, at the grand stone building, with its glorious stained-glass window, the grounds sprawling green as far as she could see into the darkness of the woods. This was her home. These people were her family.
There had to be another day. They had to come back.
‘Well, good luck, you lot.’ Lucas’ earlier jovial mood had evaporated. He looked around the group sombrely. ‘Kick some Nathaniel arse. Watch your backs.’
The boys shook hands and pounded each other’s shoulders. Lucas paused to whisper something to Rachel. When he walked back into the school building, Allie saw her eyes were bright with unshed tears.
Rachel cleared her throat. ‘Look … you all have to stay safe, OK?’ She looked around the group, her eyes pleading. ‘Just say yes.’
‘Yes.’ Nicole pulled her into a quick, fierce hug. Allie followed suit.
‘Be careful,’ Rachel whispered before letting her go. And Allie fought a sudden urge to cry.
‘You, too,’ she said.
‘Rachel.’ Dom strode past. ‘Let’s go.’
Her tone was business-like but, as she passed, the American caught Allie’s eye and gave her a nod that seemed to say without any words, ‘You can do this.’
Coming from Dom – so cool and capable – it meant a great deal.
I can do this.
After a final wave, Rachel followed her, and the two disappeared into one of the Rovers. Now only Allie, Carter, Zoe and Nicole stood on the steps.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then, lowering his head, Carter caught Allie’s gaze. ‘We should go.’
‘I know …’ But she was reluctant to leave. She turned to Zoe and Nicole.
‘Look. Be careful, OK? Don’t do anything crazy. I’m so glad you’re going to be there ….’
Nicole’s answering smile was filled with understanding and affection, but Zoe, who had endured the earlier goodbyes with barely contained irritation, stared at her as if she’d gone mad.
‘Of course we’ll be there. Where else would we be?’
Allie’s lips twitched. She tugged at Zoe’s ponytail. ‘Just … go, OK? I’ll see you when this is over.’
At that, Zoe zipped away towards their assigned car, not hiding her relief at escaping the emotional scene.
Nicole hugged Allie quickly. ‘I’ll keep an eye on her,’ she promised. ‘She’s only scouting. She’ll be safe.’
‘I know.’ Allie forced a smile. ‘Take care of yourself, too.’
‘And you.’
After giving Carter a hug, Nicole ran after Zoe. Then Allie and Carter were alone on the wide front steps.
It was time.
With a shuddering sigh, Allie raised her gaze to his. ‘Ready?’ ‘I guess so,’ Carter said, but still they didn’t move.
His gaze swept across her face. ‘Look at us,’ he said, a wry smile making his dark eyes twinkle. ‘The dynamic duo. Together again.’
Her responding smile was tremulous but her voice was steady. ‘Allie and Carter save the world.’
There was so much she wanted to tell him. So much to decide. But the weight of the moment was too heavy. There was too much at stake right now.
This wasn’t the time for anything except fighting.
She raised her eyes to his. ‘Let’s go.’
The drive to London passed in tense silence.
Allie and Carter sat in the back seat, looking out of their respective windows. Two guards sat in the front. Raj’s voice crackled occasionally from a radio. He was in the lead car, about a mile ahead.
The cars were to take different routes. Dom and Rachel were following their progress thr
ough the trackers, making sure none of the vehicles got clustered together and that everyone followed their assigned course.
As the evening light faded, they passed mostly farmland. Pastures were dotted with pale sheep, recently sheared and relishing their new nudity. In the distance, church steeples thrust up at the darkening sky like stone daggers. Sometimes, for fleeting moments, grand, Victorian mansions, not unlike Cimmeria, could be seen peeking out through faraway trees.
The last of the light had disappeared from the sky by the time they entered the bustling fringe of London, where torturously twisted streets made the metropolis a gigantic vehicular labyrinth. But the driver seemed confident as he took first one slow road then another.
Allie, who had grown up in the city, traced their route through the tube and train stations they passed. Richmond, Chiswick, Acton, Shepherd’s Bush … Seeing the names again was like running unexpectedly into old friends.
Next to her, Carter stared out of the window in a kind of fascinated wonder. Allie was reminded that he’d grown up in the country.
‘Have you ever been to London before?’ she asked, and he glanced over at her.
‘A long time ago, to go to museums,’ he said. ‘I’d forgotten how crowded it is.’
The car stopped at a red light and a stream of people hurried across the road, women in business suits and sensible low heels, or in tiny skirts and teetering on stilettos. Men with headphones on, never looking up.
When she’d lived in London, Allie had never really noticed how many of them there were. This was just … home. Her life.
Now she saw it differently. The people packed on pavements, in cars and in the double-decker buses that swayed past. The tall buildings filled with office workers even at this late hour. The teeming pubs beginning to empty. The throngs outside kebab stands and fast-food joints, and lingering in the shadows around bus stops and tube stations. The complaint of horns and blinding bright lights.
They were a long way from Cimmeria Academy’s green fields and quiet forests now.
A siren shrieked very close by and they both jumped. Twisting around in her seat, Allie looked through the rear window. She inhaled sharply. Carter turned to see.
A police car pulled up behind them, its warning lights flashing in an angry swirl. The driver motioned sternly for them to pull over.
Adrenaline flooded into Allie’s system. Her heart thudded in her ears.
Come on, Allie. Think.
What should they do? They didn’t have a plan for if they got stopped on the way into town. That was stupid of them. Nathaniel had a firm grip on the police right now. Could he have this much control?
It didn’t seem possible.
Anything was possible.
In the front seat, the driver and the guard in the passenger seat were arguing but the screech of the siren was too loud and close for Allie to make out what they were saying.
Glancing to her right, she saw Carter studying the guards with calm alertness, as if looking for clues about how bad the situation might be. One of his hands had come to rest casually on the door handle.
Allie followed his example. She placed her fingers on the cool metal of the door handle. Her other hand lay on the catch of her seat belt.
But as the moments went by it was clear the guards were more irritated than nervous. After a moment, the road ahead cleared and the driver pulled the Land Rover up on to the kerb.
As the police car sped by it was so close Allie could see the officers inside clearly. They were both looking straight ahead, utterly uninterested in the Land Rover they were passing.
The wail of the siren bent and twisted before fading away in the distance.
Gradually Allie’s heart rate returned to normal.
Carter exhaled audibly. ‘Bloody hell.’
After a second, traffic began to move again. They bumped down off the kerb and turned to the north.
‘This is it,’ the driver said as he pulled the Land Rover to the side of the road and cut the engine.
Turning her head, Allie could see the street sign attached to the decorative wrought-iron fencing that edged the pavement.
Tanza Road was a short street on a hill that tilted gently up, as if something heavy sat on one end of it. Elegant terraced houses made of beautifully carved Victorian stone and brick lined the lane on both sides.
Now that they were here, she felt strangely calm. Focused. As they waited, she was acutely aware of everything around her. The engine ticking as it cooled. The guards talking into their phones. Carter’s observant stillness next to her.
Her heartbeat was steady and even.
A sudden thunk echoed in the quiet as the doors all unlocked through some central system.
The guard in the passenger seat turned to face them. ‘Now.’
Allie turned to Carter. She could see the readiness in his face. The determination. It reflected the way she felt.
We can do this.
She took a steadying breath. Then she popped open the seatbelt with a decisive click and metallic rattle. Carter did the same.
Holding her gaze, he reached for the door handle. She grabbed hers. His eyes asked if she was ready and she nodded her reply.
Their doors opened at the same time.
Allie jumped down out of the tall SUV on to the dark street. She closed the door without looking back.
It was time to be brave.
37
Thirty-seven
On the street, the night was alive with sounds. The noise of television programmes floated softly through windows left open to the warm summer breeze. Voices could be heard in the distance – talking, laughing. From farther away came the faint song of sirens, the growl of a plane.
A normal big city on a normal Friday night. Nothing to see here.
Some of Allie’s tension evaporated as soon as they started walking. Despite everything, it felt strangely good to be back in a city. In the countryside she was always the outsider. London was her territory.
The elegant buildings around them spoke of money and power. Light poured from tall windows, golden and silky, as if everything inside was gilded.
Walking side by side, like two Hampstead kids out for a stroll, Carter and Allie made their way to the top of the street. Their eyes constantly scanned the right side of the lane, peering between houses.
Allie saw it first.
‘There.’ She nudged Carter, tilting her head at the short, paved path running between two houses. It was unmarked, almost hidden.
They turned into it.
Instantly, they were plunged into darkness. The pavement beneath their feet soon ran out and the path turned to dirt.
They were in the Heath.
Aware that they were still visible through the windows of the houses behind them, they kept their pace languid. But they were both assessing the terrain around them.
To the left, Allie could see a scattering of trees and then thicker forests beyond. That was where they were headed.
Once the light of the houses faded, they broke into a jog. The ground was uneven, the grass high, but they were both used to that.
The route they’d chosen required them to circle the base of Parliament Hill – its widest point – and then climb to the top.
As Raj had warned them, what seemed simple on a map was more complicated at night. Once they were in the trees, it was hard to keep a sense of direction. At least in the city there was more ambient light. Once their eyes adjusted they could see where they were going without the use of flashlights.
‘I’m sure I’ve seen this tree before,’ Allie whispered, glaring at a memorable tilting pine.
‘Trees all look like trees,’ Carter pointed out, pulling a GPS reader from his pocket. ‘We should be going north-west.’ He turned his body and the device slowly until he had a reading that satisfied him. He glanced back at Allie. ‘That way.’
Once they’d turned, though, the brush grew thicker. Soon they were fighting their way through thorny br
ambles and stinging nettles that left Allie with bleeding cuts on both arms.
‘Bloody evil pissing things.’ Allie swore as a thorny bramble branch slashed the skin of her right hand.
‘I think it thins out ahead.’ Carter pointed to a clearing they could just make out through the trees.
Clutching her wounded hand, she hurried after him. They jumped over a fallen log that blocked the path, landing on the edge of a slow-moving stream. They forded the water as quietly as they could, scrambling up the bank on the far side with their boots squelching unpleasantly in the mud.
They were just entering the clearing when Allie saw it. A flicker of movement that shouldn’t be there.
At first she thought it was just a shadow. Then it moved again. And it did so with far too much intent and purpose.
Someone was there.
Silently, she grabbed Carter’s arm, pulling him back into the protection of the trees. His eyes met hers, questioningly. Raising her hand, she pointed into the glade.
At first his eyes searched the area aimlessly, seeing nothing. Then his gaze sharpened.
The shadow seemed to glide across the glade – its movements soundless. Lethal.
One of ours? Allie wondered. Or theirs?
There was no way to know. In the dark, both sides looked the same.
They crouched down low, watching the shadow.
If his strength is superior, evade him.
Up here, the noises of the city faded away. Allie could hear only her own heartbeat and Carter’s even breathing. There was almost no breeze and the trees stood still, as if they were waiting, too.
When the shadow finally disappeared, they waited for several long minutes to be certain it was gone. Then Carter caught her arm and gestured ahead. She nodded.
Rising in unison they slipped through the glade, as silently as the shadow before them.
By unspoken agreement they cut across the path it had taken and headed to the base of the hill on a diagonal trajectory. Their training told them this was the best direction to avoid running into the shadow again.