With that bombshell, he turned to Zelazny. ‘Over to you, August.’
‘Quiet!’ Zelazny barked, glaring at the students, although Allie hadn’t heard anyone speak. ‘We’ll start today by appointing training partners – each one of you will have a partner with whom you will work throughout the term. This person will be your backup – the other half of you as far as Night School is concerned. You will be scored the same as your partner, so if your partner isn’t working hard I suggest you inspire them to try. If your partner fails, you fail. Your partner assignment is non-negotiable.’ He paused to glower at them again. ‘Do not even think about asking to have your assignment changed. There are no exceptions to this rule. Ever.’
He flipped a page on his clipboard. ‘Henderson! Your partner is Mitchell.’ Allie saw two boys she didn’t know walk to each other and silently high-five. ‘Richeau, your partner is Smith-Tivey.’ A girl with long dark hair walked over to a stocky, muscular boy. Allie chewed on the cuticle of her thumbnail and listened to her heart pound until he said, ‘West!’
She held her breath, hoping to hear her own name.
‘Your partner is Matheson.’
Allie’s shoulders slumped. Carter’s partnered with Jules?
Although Allie was less intimidated by the girls’ prefect than she used to be, Jules still had a way of making her feel insecure – she was so perfect. So Cimmeria-insidery. And such an old friend of Carter’s.
If Allie’d been partnered with him it would have been so perfect. They could have helped each other. Now she’d be with some stranger, and knowing Zelazny it wouldn’t be a very pleasant stranger …
She was so lost in self-pity when Zelazny finally read out her name she didn’t hear the name of her partner.
Panicked, she tugged on the sleeve of the person next to her. ‘Did you hear what he just said?’ she asked a tall, blond boy. ‘Sheridan and who?’
He gazed at her blankly.
‘He said Glass.’
The chirpy voice came from behind her. Allie spun around to see the small, ponytailed assassin from the hallway.
‘As in Zoe Glass,’ the girl said, cocking her head sideways. ‘That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.’
EIGHT
‘No!’ Allie turned to the younger girl in horror. ‘It can’t be you.’
‘Great.’ Zoe rolled her eyes. ‘Trust between training partners is super important. So I’m glad we’re totally starting out on the right foot.’
‘There you are.’ Lucas and Carter walked up together. Allie gave them a helpless look.
‘I can’t believe it.’ Allie looked at Carter for help. ‘I can’t be her partner. I just … can’t.’
He held out his hands helplessly.
‘I don’t think she likes me.’ Zoe stood with a hand on one hip, obviously unbothered.
Ignoring her, Allie turned to Carter. ‘Could you believe what he said about us investigating each other? That’s just —’
‘Enough chit-chat, people.’ Zelazny’s chainsaw voice cut her off. ‘You have your partner assignments. Training starts now. I want to see a five-mile competitive run on the usual path. Then Raj will run us through a defensive training drill.’
Everyone rushed for the door at once. Allie turned to Carter, her expression blank. ‘What’s a competitive run?’
Grabbing her hand, he pulled her after the crowd heading down the corridor to a side door. ‘It’s a timed run – last one back is punished. Hurry!’
‘Punished how?’ But she ran after him.
‘Does it matter?’ Lucas asked, speeding past them.
Outside, a soft rain fell as the cadre of students took off into the darkness at speed. They all seemed to know to run down a footpath towards the edges of the school grounds.
‘Shouldn’t we warm up first?’ Allie asked as Carter set a fast pace. ‘We could all get cramp. And I can’t see where I’m going. Can you see where you’re going?’
Out of the darkness, Zoe appeared right beside them.
‘Does she ever shut up?’ she asked Carter before turning to Allie. ‘Do you ever shut up?’
‘Yes … I mean … What?’ Allie stuttered. She was so taken aback she tripped over a root and pinwheeled off the path. Grabbing her arm, Carter kept her on her feet.
‘Bloody hell.’ Zoe looked baffled. ‘What is wrong with you?’
‘Talk about,’ Allie panted, ‘me shutting up. Why don’t you … give it a try … Shorty.’
Increasing her speed, Allie focused on getting as far away from the girl as possible.
‘I wouldn’t use up all my energy so early,’ Zoe called after her.
‘No talking!’ Zelazny’s voice seemed to come from nowhere, as he ran up behind them. ‘Anyone found to be talking from this point on will be punished.’
‘Oh just sod off,’ Allie snapped, but she said it quietly enough so no one could hear.
Still, she knew Zoe was right. Five miles was a long run and she was already tired – she wouldn’t make it if she didn’t pace herself. But she certainly wasn’t going to let Zoe see that.
So after a half-mile or so she slowed her pace to a more reasonable rate, shaking her shoulders to loosen the muscles that anxiety had tightened into knots. Soon, even though her thoughts whirled, her footsteps entered the steady, hypnotic rhythm of a regular runner.
As always, the exercise calmed her and, even as her heart rate increased, she could feel herself relaxing into the pace. Now she could pay more attention to the world around her. Clouds blocked the moon but her eyes were starting to adjust to the dark – she could see the pine trees all around her, swaying in the breeze, and the path ahead.
Only now did it occur to her that she hadn’t just lost Zoe when she sped off, she’d lost Carter and Lucas as well. She was completely alone. But she didn’t mind – the endorphins had kicked in and she ran with confidence and grace. The only way she could be certain she was still on the right path was that occasionally she’d pass another runner, then they’d fade into the background behind her.
The problem of Zoe occupied her thoughts, although she was calmer now. And the way Raj Patel had acted – tough and ice cold. Was this the side of him that Rachel had warned her about? The side she hadn’t been able to imagine before?
She guessed she’d run about two miles when she reached a deep patch of the woods where the path was so dark she had to slow her pace to avoid tripping. The darkness here was so intense it almost had a weight – she imagined she could feel it pressing against her skin.
As she moved at a slow jog the wind picked up; the sound of thousands of trees swaying in unison was like a roar – like waves pounding against a pebble beach.
Then off in the distance a vixen shrieked a blood-curdling scream that made her skin crawl. She was sure it was a vixen. It definitely wasn’t a girl being murdered and screaming for help.
Definitely.
Thoroughly unnerved, she picked up her speed but found it hard to get back to her previous easy rhythm. Every sound made her jumpy; she kept looking over her shoulder, thinking she heard footsteps behind her. Hoping another runner would catch up with her.
When she noticed she was nervously counting her footsteps, she ordered herself to stop. Having a panic attack now in the dark, all alone, would not be cool.
Don’t freak out, Allie. Don’t freak out, Allie. Don’t freak out …
She was telling herself not to freak out for the thirty-seventh time when she saw someone standing in the woods.
It happened so fast she was past him before what she’d seen fully registered in her brain, then she skidded to a stop. Spinning around, she looked back – the woods were empty. Carefully, she backtracked down the path, squinting into the darkness where she’d seen a man in a suit standing under a tree. Staring at her.
But she was completely alone.
The sharp retort of a twig snapping behind her made her spin around, but she could see nothing but inky darkness. Then the wind blew through t
he trees again with a rush, and she assured herself that the roaring sound of branches brushing into each other was all that she’d heard.
But she didn’t really believe it. So she ran.
Willing herself not to turn around, she ran as fast as she could. There was somebody back there – she knew it. And she could imagine them following, their footsteps in time with hers.
Right behind her.
Her breath burned in her throat as she hurtled pell-mell down the footpath through the trees, ignoring the protests from her muscles. Only when she rounded a bend and the forest thinned enough so she could see students running in the distance ahead of her did her nerves steady enough for her to look behind her.
The footpath was empty.
The end of the run was signalled by a student with a pale blue fluorescent light stick silently waving the runners to the school building. Limping down the stairs to the basement, Allie clutched at the stitch in her side with her hands as she headed straight to Training Room One and Raj Patel, who stood talking to Zelazny at the back of the room.
‘Saw,’ she gasped. ‘Man. Woods.’
Bending over double, she put her hands on her knees and watched her sweat drip on to the dark blue padding covering the floor. She closed her eyes to try and steady her nerves.
‘What?’ Zelazny’s voice was sharp as a razor. ‘What is it, Sheridan? Out with it.’
‘She said she saw a man in the woods.’ Mr Patel’s voice was too calm, and Allie turned her head sideways to see his face. He was watching her alertly. ‘Get your breath, Allie. Can you describe him?’
‘Short … hair,’ she panted. ‘Wore … suit.’
Mr Patel stiffened, and she knew she’d said something important.
‘Did you recognise him?’ As he spoke he reached out and gestured to somebody behind her. Her hands still on her knees, Allie shook her head. ‘Too dark.’
She was catching her breath now. The pain in her side was subsiding. The intense attention he was paying to what she’d seen made her nervous – it had been dark and she’d been spooked. What if it was all her imagination? But she didn’t know how to say that without looking like a total flake.
Two muscular men in running clothes and a woman whose long blonde hair was pulled back in a braid flanked her, facing Mr Patel expectantly. He didn’t introduce them. ‘Allie saw somebody in the woods,’ he told them. ‘Wearing a suit.’
They exchanged glances as he turned back to Allie. ‘Where were you precisely?’
She described as best she could the location. When she’d finished, he nodded to the others and they slipped out of the room as quickly as they’d appeared.
‘If anybody’s still there they’ll find him.’ Mr Patel’s words were a kind of dismissal, and Allie walked back to Carter and dropped down on the mat beside him.
‘You OK?’ His face was flushed from exertion as he handed her a bottle of cold water. Beside him, Lucas, Jules and a boy she didn’t recognise were sprawled in various poses of exhaustion.
Holding the cool bottle to her forehead, she nodded.
‘What were you and Patel talking about?’ His eyes studied hers. ‘It looked a bit intense.’ As she told him about the man in the woods, his lips tightened. Jules and Lucas moved in closer to listen.
‘You didn’t get a good look at him?’ Lucas asked before she’d finished.
She shook her head. ‘It was super dark there. I only saw him for a second. When I doubled back he was gone.’
‘And you’re sure it wasn’t just your imagination?’ Carter asked. ‘Nobody could blame you for being a bit paranoid after all you’ve been through.’
His question revived her own self-doubt and she felt a twinge of defensive anger. ‘I can’t be certain, Carter. But I had to tell Raj what I saw.’
‘Carter’s not saying you did anything wrong, Allie.’ Jules adopted a soothing tone. ‘I think he’s just trying to decide how worried to be.’
‘Well, don’t be worried.’ Allie knew she sounded snappish but she couldn’t seem to help it. If somebody else had just seen the freaky banker in the woods they wouldn’t be having this conversation. Everybody would just believe it. ‘Raj sent some of his manimals out to look for him.’ Her gaze skittered off Carter’s. ‘And we’re all here, safe and sound.’
‘Everybody up.’ Mr Patel stood in the middle of the room. His tone brooked no opposition and the students climbed to their feet, groaning. ‘Find your training partners and prepare for basic self-defence techniques.’
Carter bounded to his feet but Allie didn’t move. ‘He must be joking,’ she said.
Across the room Mr Patel snapped, ‘Right now, people!’
With a sigh, Allie stood gingerly – all her muscles ached.
‘You’re sort of out of shape.’ Zoe’s piping voice came from right behind her; Allie paused to take a calming breath before turning to face her. She looked none the worse for wear after the run. Her ponytail hung limply down her back and a sheen of perspiration covered her face, but she looked as energetic as ever.
‘No,’ Allie said. ‘I’m not.’
Zoe shrugged, doubt clear on her face. ‘Are you ready?’ No, Allie thought.
‘Yes,’ she said curtly.
‘So you’ve done this before?’
Before Allie could reply, Mr Patel spoke again. ‘Each pair choose one to act as an attacker, the other is the attacked.”
‘I’ll be the attacker,’ Zoe volunteered.
‘Awesome,’ Allie muttered.
‘The attack will come from the left side,’ Mr Patel called, walking around the room to study the students’ preparation. ‘The attacked will attempt to throw the attacker to the ground and subdue them.’
This all sounded very bad to Allie, who had no idea how to throw an attacker to the ground. But then, Zoe was little. How hard could it be?
‘In three,’ Mr Patel called. ‘Two …’
Allie braced herself, shoulders stiff. Zoe stepped out of her sightline.
‘One!’ Mr Patel called out.
Hands grabbed her arm. When Allie tried to pull free the room whirled and she landed flat on her back looking up at the ornate plaster ceiling. Zoe’s foot rested on her abdomen.
‘Pathetic.’ Zoe lifted her foot and stepped back.
‘What the hell …’ Allie groaned, ‘just happened?’
‘I dropped you.’ Zoe’s tone was matter-of-fact.
‘Good!’ Mr Patel said to a pair across the room. ‘Now … Switch!’
Allie looked up at Zoe in confusion. The younger girl sighed. ‘Now you try and attack me.’
Allie scrambled to her feet. For a second she looked around the room desperately to see what everyone else was doing. Her eyes met Sylvain’s and she saw concern on his face.
Focus, Allie, she told herself.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to figure out what Zoe had done when she’d attacked her. Then she lunged at her.
The room whirled again. She hit the ground hard.
‘How?’ she gasped. Her ribcage felt assaulted.
Standing with her hands on her hips, Zoe looked down at her as if she were a maths problem she didn’t know how to solve.
‘Why aren’t you better?’ she asked.
Mr Patel appeared above Allie, his head blocking the fluorescent ceiling light.
‘Nice job, Zoe.’ Mr Patel leaned down to help Allie to her feet. ‘Now why don’t you try teaching instead of just hurting?’
‘I don’t get it,’ Zoe said, cocking her head to one side with the alertness of a robin.
‘This is Allie’s first class,’ he explained. ‘She’s never done this before. I didn’t pair you with her so you could put her in hospital. I paired you with her so you could teach her.’ He turned to Allie. ‘Zoe is one of the best in the class – she’s a natural – so I thought it would be good to put you two together. But she’s never taught anyone before.’ Turning back to Zoe, he said, ‘Stop hurting her and just help her, OK? You win w
hen Allie learns.’
‘Ok.’ Zoe’s voice held no rancour. She turned to Allie. ‘Want me to show you how to knock me down?’
‘God yes.’ Allie spoke through gritted teeth.
‘Put your hands here.’ Zoe pulled Allie’s hands into place on her own arm as Mr Patel walked away. ‘Then you just do this …’
But Allie was not a natural. This became apparent almost immediately. Although she tried very hard to flip the smaller girl over, all she managed was to drag her around a bit. Once or twice Zoe fell to the ground helpfully to illustrate how the move should work but, despite the fact that she was small and slim, Allie couldn’t seem to flip her.
Looking around, she saw other students performing the move to perfection. In a corner, Jules flipped Carter without obvious effort. He laughed as she helped him up and she patted his shoulder warmly. The longer she was unable to perform what she knew must be a simple move, the more anxious Allie became. Her chest tightened and she tried to keep her face expressionless. But by the end she was panicked; breathing in small, desperate gasps.
‘OK, everyone.’ Mr Patel’s voice stopped the torture at last. ‘That’s enough.’ He moved to the centre of the room. ‘That’s pretty easy for most of you, I know. But tomorrow it starts to get harder. If you had any trouble with today’s exercise, I suggest you start practising. This is just the beginning.’
Allie kept her eyes on the floor. She was the only one who hadn’t been able to do it. That message was for her.
As the others began leaving the room she lagged behind, bruised and defeated, hoping to slip out unnoticed. She didn’t hear Mr Patel walk up to her.
‘If you want some extra help, come in early tomorrow,’ he said quietly. ‘I think Zoe will be a good partner for you. But sometimes it takes a little time for a partnership to gel. You’ll both learn together.’
Biting her lip, Allie nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak.
I will not let them see me cry, she told herself. But she could feel tears burning her eyes. Across the room she saw Carter looking at her with concern – but that only made it worse.
Night School: Legacy Page 7