“Are you serious?”
“Look,” said Harmony soberly, “I understand if you don’t want to say yes straight away, but take a few days to consider-”
“Oh Harmony,” said Marland, “I’m in.”
“I knew it!” yelled Gary, punching the air in triumph. “I knew you would want to do it. You’re amazing, Marland.” Gary leaned down and kissed her.
“Oh,” said Harmony, as they all waited awkwardly for the kiss to end. “Excellent.”
Marland and Gary came up for air eventually. Marland’s face was red and she exchanged a quick, excited glance with Sarah. Sarah wasn’t sure if that was about the kiss or the whist-blower position, but she gave her a congratulatory nudge anyway.
“And, er, you two?” asked Harmony, towards Sarah and Finn.
Sarah’s heart sank. She didn’t want to be in the spotlight. She was probably already on a wanted list somewhere, and she didn’t want to make it to public enemy number one. She thought back to a month ago when she had believed that she only had to survive three months on a ship and then she would be home. Now she was on the run from both the prison authorities and the Hourglass Group. It was unlikely that she would be able to return home anytime soon. If she went public with what she knew, she would never be able to see her mother again.
“I’m sorry Harmony,” said Finn as these thoughts were whirling through Sarah’s mind. “I’ve found that during war it’s best to go unnoticed. Bad things happen when too many people are looking at you.”
Sarah’s sunken heart rose back up in her chest. At least Finn would be with her.
“I’m sorry too,” she said, hoping that Harmony took bad news well. “I have family in a Covenant city, and I would like to go back to see them some day.”
Harmony sighed disappointedly but she didn’t look that upset.
“Well, three would have been better than one, but one was more than we were expecting,” said Harmony.
Marland looked over at them, their words finally sinking in through her bubble of happiness.
“You’re not going to stay, are you?”
Sarah glanced at Finn, and then shook her head.
“But, the Hourglass Group… after all they’ve done?”
“We’re not giving up entirely, Mar,” Finn assured her. “We’re just going to do it quietly. We might,” he threw Sarah a quick glance, and she nodded, “throw a few spanners into the works if the opportunity arises, but we’re not going out machine guns blazing.”
This seemed to mollify Marland a little bit until she remembered that they were still going.
“But you’re still going?”
“Yes, hopefully with a little help from Harmony,” said Sarah with a hopeful glance in Harmony’s direction.
“Yes, of course,” said Harmony with a glint in her eye, “especially if you were serious about those spanners.”
“We are.” Sarah turned back to Marland. “Mar, come with us, hey?”
Marland shook her head sadly and grabbed Gary’s hand. “Sorry Sarah, this is where I’m meant to be. This is my purpose. It’s everything I’ve dreamed of.”
“Yeah, I thought so,” said Sarah with a sad grin, “it was worth trying though.”
“Excellent,” said Harmony, standing up and ending the session before Marland could change her mind. “I’ll start talking to people about preparations. Marland, we’re going to need to find you somewhere permanent to sleep.”
Finn stood up as well.
“Harmony, before you go, can I chat to you about this?” He held up his wrist with the barcode burnt into it. “It has to go.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” She turned to Marland, “Marland, I think you should keep yours, as further proof that what you say is real.” Marland nodded happily. Harmony turned back to Finn. “Are you sure you want to destroy yours? They prove who you are.”
“I hate every second it’s there,” said Sarah. Finn nodded in agreement.
“The options of removing it aren’t exactly gentle, you know,” said Harmony warningly. “We’re a small, independent town. No laser removal here.” Sarah’s heart sank.
“What about a tattoo?” Sarah didn’t really want a tattoo either, but the alternative was unthinkable.
Harmony just shook her head. “A tattoo won’t work. The scanner reads the raised edges of the scar as well as the image. Unfortunately ink alone won’t smooth out your skin. We can cut it out, but you’ll probably need a skin graft and those things take weeks to heal. If you went on the road with a new one of those, even if it did take, it would probably get infected. The only other option is-”
“I’m not getting it burnt off.” It was a statement. Sarah had enough history with burns to last her a lifetime.
Harmony shrugged. “Then you cover it up, because that’s it.”
“You can burn me,” said Finn, determined. “I want it off.”
Chapter Four
Sarah, Finn and Marland sat tensely on the table in the small kitchen, waiting for Harmony to arrive. Greg was there as well, standing next to where Marland was sitting. There was a small but hot fire burning away fiercely in the corner.
Sarah bit her lip nervously. “Are you sure you want to-”
“Yeah,” cut in Finn.
There was a pause.
Marland had a go. “But its proof that-”
“Don’t care. Want it off.”
Marland nodded silently and Greg squeezed her hand supportively.
Finn turned to Sarah. “You should do this too. If they catch us they’ll know everything about you as soon as they scan you.”
“I know, I want it off too, but…” the Hourglass insignia burnt onto her shoulder-blade and the barcode on her wrist itched simultaneously, “I just, I just can’t be burnt again.”
Finn stared at her for a moment and then nodded once. He turned back around to the stove, which they were all facing.
Harmony walked through the door and they all jumped slightly. She was carrying a metal rod. She held it up briefly, showing it to them.
“I got the medic to clean this so it should be nice and sterile. The fire should do the job anyway, but I just wanted to be sure.” Finn nodded at her in appreciation. Harmony went to the sink and wet a cloth before throwing it at him. “Clean your wrist as well, hey? We don’t want to burn in any bits of dirt or fabric that might be lingering there.” Finn scrubbed at his wrist while Harmony moved over to the fire and heated her metal rod.
Nobody spoke as they waited. Finally the rod glowed red and Harmony pulled it out. Finn took a gulp of the nasty alcohol the town self-brewed and had offered to him for pain relief. As the town was independent, the only medical supplies they had were the ones they made themselves or that they managed to buy on the black market from other, sympathetic sources. Finn had seen how tiny their anaesthetic supply was, and turned down their offer to use it on him. If they went live with what Marland knew, their town could easily come under attack. They might need it themselves pretty soon.
“Ok,” said Finn. “Let’s do this.”
Harmony nodded and walked over. Finn jumped off the table, Sarah and Marland quickly following. Harmony reached over and turned on the nearby tap.
“As soon as I burn you, stick your wrist under the running water. Leave it there for twenty minutes, no matter how much it hurts. The burn will still work but it will diminish the scarring and the pain.” She hesitated. “At least, that’s what the medic tells me.”
Finn nodded grimly. He stuck out his arm.
“Sarah, hold his arm tightly,” said Harmony.
Sarah nodded and stood closely next to Finn, one of her arms snaked around his elbow, supporting it, the other hand gripped his forearm.
“Ok,” said Harmony, taking a big breath. “Ready or not.”
She bought the rod down onto his wrist. Finn screamed. His arm shook and his fingers went white as he squeezed his fist, but he didn’t pull away. Harmony rolled the rod so that it covered all of the barcode an
d then took it away. The whole thing lasted two seconds, but it was long enough.
“Quick, get him to the sink,” said Harmony. The hand that she was holding the rod with was shaking.
Sarah, her face white as chalk, clumsily pushed Finn over to the sink and thrust his wrist under the running water. Finn gave a small yell but kept it there with her support.
“Ok,” said Sarah, breathing heavily, “twenty minutes.” Her eyes flickered up to the clock and marked the time. She looked back at Finn’s wrist. The rod had blistered the skin and burnt through the top layer. There was no sign of the barcode left. Finn was taking large, gulping breaths of air next to her. She leaned into him as she continued to support his arm. He leaned back. It was the closest they had been to each other since that evening underneath the pier. Despite everything, it felt nice.
After twenty minutes had passed Harmony put some paste that the medic had given her over the wound and wrapped it in a bandage. She then passed Sarah a thick, leather bracelet that tightened around her wrist like a watch, covering her own barcode.
“It’s hardly foolproof,” said Harmony, “but better than nothing.”
“Thank-you, Harmony,” said Sarah, meaning it. “For everything.”
Chapter Five
They left the next day. Marland left a meeting with the others to say goodbye. Now that they had her insider knowledge of the layout of the Hourglass Group compound, the townspeople were planning on breaking in and releasing the other prisoners. After that they were going to use Marland and any of the other prisoners who wanted to stay around and help their cause to publicise what was happening. They already had an underground radio station in play. Now they were going to go mobile as well, sneaking in to other towns and cities, telling their stories, spreading the word. It was, Marland had told them enthusiastically, just the start. The first step, she said, was to make people aware of what was happening, get them on their side. Once they had convinced the populace of what was happening, then they could coordinate further infiltration, sabotage bigger things, make more of a difference. Sarah didn’t want to say goodbye but Marland’s eyes had shone with so much enthusiasm and hope that she wasn’t going to force her into coming with them. That being said, she still tried.
They were standing outside the building where Harmony’s group were discussing their next move. Both Finn and Sarah were wearing backpacks stuffed with food and water and other basic equipment to help keep them alive over the next few days.
“Mar, are you sure you don’t want to come with us? What you’re doing is going to be dangerous. Really dangerous.” She thought back to how nervous Marland had been when they had been dealing with the Queen, and this was on a whole different level.
It was like Marland knew what she was thinking. “Don’t worry, Sarah,” she said with a smile. “It’s not like before. Now I have a whole town behind me, and it’s not just about us anymore. We have a proper cause.” Her smile was beatific. Somehow in the last few days the nervous, conspiracy theory-spouting girl she knew on the ship had changed into this dedicated, determined rebel.
“Yeah, but-”
“Besides,” cut in Marland, “it’s not like what you’re doing is without risk. Anything at all could happen to you guys. Do you even know where you’re going?”
That stopped Sarah in her tracts. Marland had a point. Even if they somehow managed to avoid the military, they could get lost in the woods, run out of food, get attacked by an animal… the possibilities were endless.
“Harmony gave us a map,” replied Sarah, ignoring the part about risk. “There’s a city a couple of days walk from here. If we can slip in somehow we can maybe start anew, incognito.”
“And then what?”
“I don’t know,” Sarah shrugged. “Maybe,” she said, like it had just occurred to her, although she had been thinking about it quite a lot, “after a bit of time has passed, I might be able to get back into my old city. See my mum and uncle again.”
“I hope you succeed,” said Marland, meaning it. She leant in and gave Sarah a hug. Sarah hugged her back.
“Thanks Mar,” she whispered. “Good luck with, well, everything. I hope you change the world. Oh, and Harmony’s given us some tips on how to throw those spanners.”
They pulled apart, Marland laughing before turning to face Finn.
“And you?” she asked kindly. “What’s in store for Finn?”
“I just want a fresh start,” said Finn with a shrug. “What I had before was… messy.”
Marland nodded and hugged him as well.
Greg came out of the building holding the meeting. “Mar,” he said, “we’re going to take a vote.” He nodded at Sarah and Finn and then ducked back inside.
“You better go,” said Sarah with a smile.
Marland burst into tears. “If you ever need anything, just let me know,” she said. “I owe you two everything.” She darted forward and gave them each a quick hug and then hurried back inside.
Finn and Sarah turned to each other. Finn executed an elegant half bow. “Lead the way.”
Chapter Six
The next city was exactly five days walk from Harmony’s little town. The city was too well guarded for anyone to find a way in themselves without going through the official channels, but Harmony had a contact in the city that regularly checked a hidey hole, secreted just outside the city limits. According to Harmony, this contact could sneak in or out just about anything, or in their case, anyone. She had given them a note of introduction, promising the contact that they weren’t a danger. Sarah just hoped they wouldn’t be waiting too long before the contact checked the hole, found the note and decided to trust them. She didn’t fancy camping outside a city that had regular patrols for too long.
Harmony had drawn them a map, pointing out where they needed to go. Most of it was simply following this one main road, so they didn’t have to struggle too much with directions. The road was not in good repair. There were cracks everywhere, with grass and small trees pushing their way up in-between the bitumen. Still, it would have been possible for a car or a motorbike to travel along it, as long as it had good suspension, so Sarah and Finn tried to keep an ear out. If they thought they heard or saw something even closely resembling a motor, they ran off the road and into the trees as fast as their legs could carry them.
They didn’t really talk much the first day, each lost in their own thoughts. The weather was warm at the moment, and so they were able to set up camp comfortably without a fire, each eating a protein bar and some carrots that had been grown in the fields just outside the town before going to sleep.
Sarah woke up on the second day and groaned despite herself. Her shoulders were aching from the backpack she carried yesterday, and her feet protested at having to carry her weight.
Finn gave her a small smile. “At least the backpacks will get lighter the further we go.”
“True.”
They ate some packed vegetables, cleaned up after themselves and set off again.
“Finn,” asked Sarah hesitantly, “do you think we’re doing the right thing?”
“What do you mean?”
“Leaving Mar behind.”
“Sarah, Mar chose to stay behind. We both know it’s what she wants to do. I’ve never seen her more confident, happy and optimistic. It’s kind of scary, actually.”
Sarah sighed. “Yeah, I know. It’s just…”
“You’re worried about her,” said Finn, not waiting for her to finish. “Of course you are. She’s worried about you too, you know.”
“But she’s actively walking into danger.”
“And we’re not?”
“Maybe we should have just stayed in town?”
“And done what? I want to have a normal life again. Do you think we could do that while we watch Marland try and infiltrate the Hourglass Group? It would have eaten us apart.”
Sarah didn’t say anything. He was right, or course. It was exactly why they were leaving.
&nb
sp; “This is what you want, right?” asked Finn, a trace of nervousness creeping into his voice.
Sarah looked at him, surprised. “Yeah, or course it is. As far as I’m concerned, if nothing exciting ever happens to us again, I’ll be happy.”
Finn grunted and ran a hand through his white hair. He reached down and awkwardly fumbled for her hand. She grinned at him and held on. Sarah felt happy.
On reflection, she realised that it was probably why they hadn’t heard the truck sooner.
Chapter Seven
They heard the sounds of a diesel engine and quickly scampered off the road and into the surrounding bush. The road was curved, with trees impairing their view, shielding them from the trucks. Just before they disappeared into the first copse of trees Sarah risked a glance back over her shoulder.
She wished she hadn’t.
If she hadn’t she might have lived in blissful ignorance for a few seconds more.
Instead what she saw made her stumble mid-stride.
She had locked eyes with a scout.
The scout had come on foot, ahead of the truck. To be fair, the scout who preceded the truck on foot was far quieter than the truck, but she still felt they should have been better prepared. There was a crucial moment where, even fifty metres away, she felt like she could see the scout’s eyes change as he went from surprise to making a decision. It was not the decision she was hoping for. He yelled something unintelligible behind him, waving his arm forward.
“We’re spotted,” puffed Sarah. Finn whipped his head back, searching through the trees, but kept on moving. Sarah and Finn were out of sight now, racing through the trees, trying to stay quiet but failing miserably as their feet crunched on loose leaves and pebbles. They were going fast. The adrenaline surging through their body was ensuring that. Somewhere behind them she heard a truck screech to a halt, its tires skidding a little on the uneven surface of the road. It was followed shortly by the sounds of boots crashing through the woods after them. Someone whooped with excitement. Sarah felt sick to her stomach. They were enjoying this.
The Weapon (The Hourglass Series Book 2) Page 2