The Clearing (Outside #2)

by Shalini Boland

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  *

  ‘Quick, hide,’ I hissed.

  ‘What?’ Luc replied.

  ‘Hide.’

  He and Denzil followed me to a clump of bushes where we crouched down out of sight of the wall.

  ‘Riley, what is it?’ Denzil asked.

  ‘Last time we were here, the Cathedral guards came out of the walls. They’re hollow. The walls are hollow. Don’t you remember, Luc?’

  ‘Yes. God yes. Can’t believe I forgot that.’

  ‘Hollow walls?’ Denzil said. ‘What’s that got to do with anything?’

  I crept to the edge of the bush and stared at a section of wall, but I couldn’t see what I was looking for. ‘When we were here before, there were bricks missing in parts of the wall.’

  ‘And?’ Denzil said.

  ‘They’re kind of peep holes. The guards are inside the walls and use the missing bricks to spy out of so they can spot anyone approaching the walls.’

  ‘I can’t see any bricks missing,’ Denzil said, using his binoculars to scan the walls.

  I peered out and stared hard. As far as I could see, he was right. ‘This part of the wall must be different,’ I said with relief. ‘I think it’s okay.’

  ‘That’s good information to know anyway,’ Denzil said. ‘We’ll just have to pay extra attention as we go, that’s all. Come on.’

  We crept out of our hiding place and ran across to the towering brick wall which stretched off into the distance in both directions. Denzil went first, then me, then Luc. We stayed close to the wall, hunched down low and followed it around to the left. There was a barbed wire fence up ahead, separating this field from the next, but Denzil pulled at the wire and I saw it had been cut, so there was a gap for us to slip through.

  ‘My handiwork from earlier this evening,’ Denzil said, with a wink. ‘Useful tip – always carry a pair of wire cutters.’

  I eased my way through, careful not to get caught on the barbs.

  ‘Not far now,’ he said.

  Scanning the grey bricks, I kept imagining I could see missing ones, but it was only my eyes playing tricks on me. Ivy clung to this section of the wall and Denzil slowed down.

  ‘Here it is,’ he said.

  There in front of us, a small arched wooden door was set into the wall.

  ‘Connor said he’d let us in here,’ Denzil said. ‘Called it the tradesman’s entrance.’

  ‘Is it safe to wait here,’ Luc said.

  ‘No, we can’t risk it,’ Denzil replied. ‘There’s a track at the edge of the field. We’ll wait over there, out of sight.’

  We sat off to the side of the track, under a couple of sturdy trees. I could clearly see the door in the wall, but we were less exposed here. It was a good place to wait. The leaves whispered and an owl hooted.

  ‘We should try and sleep,’ Luc said. ‘I’ll keep first watch.’

  ‘I won’t argue with that,’ Denzil said. ‘Keep your eyes on that door, Luc. Wake me if you see anything.’ He lay on his side using his backpack as a pillow, closed his eyes and was almost instantly asleep.

  How had he managed to do that? I knew it would take me ages to feel relaxed enough to sleep out here.

  ‘Go on, Riley,’ Luc said. ‘Get some kip. I’ll wake you if anything happens.’

  I shuffled back against one of the trees and closed my eyes. I was aware of every little sound. Every rustle and twig snap, every breath of wind and distant fox bark. I was also conscious of Luc, sitting near me, leaning against the other tree. I opened one eye. He was staring at the wall. I closed my eye again and despite my earlier claim of not being able to sleep out here, I soon drifted off.

  Through the night we took turns keeping watch, but the door in the wall remained closed. I admitted to myself that I was worried about Connor. I knew I’d said I didn’t care about him. That Pa would always be my father. But I realised that part of me did want to see this man again; my biological father. I still didn’t know what I would say, but that didn’t matter. I only wanted to see him. To see him without shock clouding my judgement this time. To examine his features and maybe get a sense of who he was. Perhaps see if we were in any way similar.

  The sky was lightening. I stood and stretched. It had been hours and there was still no sign of Connor. No sign of anyone.

  ‘This isn’t good,’ Luc said.

  ‘What should we do?’ I asked.

  ‘All we can do is wait,’ Denzil said. ‘We’ve got two more days until Charlie Duke leaves. And if this door in the wall doesn’t open, we’ll have to go back to the copter.’

  That’s not an option, I thought to myself.

  ‘A lot can happen in two days,’ Luc said.

  ‘Too true,’ Denzil replied. ‘Let’s have some brekkie.’

  We waited another day and another night. We spoke little. There was nothing we could do or say to make a difference, to ease the impotence we felt. All we could do was hope. But I was starting to think that something really bad must have happened to Connor.

  * * *

  Liss opened her eyes, her body rigid with terror. A man loomed over her. He seemed to be staring at her neck, but as her eyes opened his stare moved to her face. She tried to open her mouth to scream but to her horror, her mouth had been taped closed. He slid his hands beneath her back and lifted her out of bed. She thrashed her body but he had tied her wrists and ankles. She was being taken. It was happening again! She wouldn’t, couldn’t let it happen again.

  Even though he wore a cloak, her abductor did not look like someone from The Close. There was something about him that seemed more . . . alive. Was he a raider or a murderer come to kill her or worse? Why were her roommates still asleep? Why didn’t they wake and sound the alarm?

  The man had now reached the landing. He used his elbow to edge the bedroom door closed.

  ‘Keep calm, I’m here to rescue you,’ he whispered. ‘I saw the birthmark on your neck. You’re Lissy aren’t you?’

  Did she hear him correctly? Liss stopped struggling for an instant. No one called her Lissy except her parents and, once-upon-a-time, FJ.

  ‘Mmmphffff.’

  ‘Shhh,’ he murmured. ‘Stay calm. We’ll never get out of here if you wake them. Your parents sent me. Fred and Jessie. They’re desperate to see you.’

  At his words, Liss felt herself go limp. The man stopped walking, sensing her confusion. He softened his expression. ‘Sorry about the tape, but I couldn’t take the chance that you’d scream.’

  She nodded.

  ‘We need to find your brother, Freddie Junior. I promised them I’d get you both out.’

  Liss shook her head vigorously.

  ‘Is he still alive?’

  She nodded.

  ‘Is he here? In The Close?’

  Again she nodded. The man had an unusual accent. Northern. A bit like Grey’s.

  ‘I’m going to peel back the tape,’ he said. ‘You won’t scream will you?’

  She shook her head. Who was this stranger? As he pulled at the tape, she almost yelled out with the pain.

  ‘Sorry,’ he whispered. ‘That must’ve really hurt.’

  ‘I’m alright,’ she said.

  The man carefully carried her all the way down the wooden staircase.

  ‘Where’s your brother?’ he asked as they reached the bottom.

  ‘He won’t come. Grey’s changed him. He’s lost his mind.’

  ‘Oh. I’m sorry.’ He set her down on the hall floor and cut through her ties. ‘And what about you? Do you want to leave this place?’ He reached out his hand to open the front door.

  Her heart raced as she understood that she was finally being rescued. After dreaming about this moment for so long, it was actually happening. Liss stretched out her limbs and stood, her nightdress untwisting from her legs.

  ‘Lissy? Are you okay?’ he asked. ‘Do you want to come with me?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Yes of course.’

  ‘G
ood. Then we have to go quickly. I have some friends waiting outside.’ He handed her a cloak which had hung from the bannister. He helped drape it around her shoulders before opening the front door.

  She fastened the cloak with trembling hands, felt the cold night air rush in and wrap itself around her ankles. ‘Won’t we get caught?’

  He took her hand and led her out of the house. ‘I hope not. I think Grey’s guards are busy with other things at the moment.’ He jerked his head over towards the North Canonry and Liss gasped as she saw smoke and flames shooting up into the night sky.

  ‘My brother! FJ is in there! Did you do that?’ Much as she held little love for her brother anymore, she would not wish him harm.

  ‘Don’t worry. I piled up some dry wood against one of the empty outbuildings. The main house is safe.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes. Now come on. We have to run before they realise it’s nothing.’

  ‘Wait,’ she hissed.

  ‘What?’

  ‘We can’t leave Annabelle.’

  ‘Who? We have to go, Lissy.’ He pulled at her hand.

  ‘No. I can’t go without her. She’s like a sister to me.’ Liss was panicking. She really wanted to go, but there was no way she could leave Anna behind. She would rather stay.

  The man let go of her hand and turned again to look at her. She stared back, defiant. He let his shoulders drop.

  ‘Okay. Where is she?’

  Relief made her feel less scared. ‘She’s in my room.’

  He rolled his eyes.

  ‘I’ll run up and get her.’ She turned back to the front door and turned the knob, but nothing happened. ‘It must’ve locked behind us,’ she said. ‘Do you have a key?’

  ‘No, I broke a window round the back. This is madness. We don’t have time for this.’

  Liss heard shouts from over at the main house.

  ‘Wait here,’ the man hissed ‘I’ll let you back in.’ He left her and headed down the side path to the back of the dwelling.

  Liss felt exposed and scared, standing in the small front garden. She sidestepped to conceal herself behind the hedge, pressing herself right into the manicured leaves. She willed the man to hurry up. What was taking him so long? He should have opened the front door by now. Should she go around the back and see what was taking him so long?

  The front door suddenly swung open. The man stood in the doorway, but Mary stood behind him, a gun trained up towards his head. His hands were raised, an expression of defeat and apology on his face.

  Mary stepped around him and spoke to Liss. ‘It seems the Voice of the Father was right. He told me to watch you. And that’s what I have been doing. And you, his sister! You should be ashamed.’

  Liss was seized from behind as robed guards swept into to the garden. She watched as they put the man in cuffs and then her arms too were roughly dragged behind her back, cold steel snapped around her wrists.

  ‘It wasn’t her fault,’ the man said calmly. ‘I was kidnapping her.’

  Liss was surprised at the stranger’s attempt to save her.

  ‘Don’t bother lying.’ Liss recognised her brother’s voice. She turned as he marched into the garden and up to the man.

  ‘What’s your name?’ FJ asked the stranger.

  ‘Connor. What’s yours?’

  ‘Take them to the cellars,’ FJ said, ignoring Connor’s question.

  ‘Why can’t you just let me go, FJ?’ Liss said. ‘All I want is to go home. Surely that’s not so terrible?’

  ‘Sister, you’re a fool. And fools die young in this world.’

  ‘I hate you!’ she cried. ‘You’ve always been a spoilt arrogant brat. God help everyone here, with you in charge. You and Grey are nothing but bullies.’

  But one of the guards was already dragging her out of the garden, away from FJ and towards a fate she could only guess at. As she tripped and stumbled away from the house, she saw a face at the bedroom window above. It was Annabelle. Sweet Annabelle. What would become of her friend now?

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  *

  After another exquisite dawn, accompanied by a shrill chorus of birds, the morning sky darkened again as grey clouds gathered. It would be miserable here if it rained, but so far it had held off, other than a few teasing spots.

  I continued to stare at the door in the wall, willing it to open. But it remained firmly shut. After all the build-up and tension of the past two days, this felt like such an anti-climax. Another dead-end trip.

  It was already late afternoon and it really didn’t look as though Connor would be coming at all. I hoped he was okay. I hoped it was simply a case that things were taking him longer than we’d thought. That he’d missed his opportunity the last two nights and was waiting until tonight to make his move.

  Evening finally came and with it, my anticipation returned. I was sure that if anything was going to happen, it would happen at night. It had to. Because Luc and Denzil said that if he hadn’t opened the door by tomorrow, we’d have to turn around and head back to the copter without him. That wasn’t something I was prepared to do and I was formulating arguments in my head just in case.

  The clouds thickened, hiding the moon, turning the wall into nothing more than a dim shape.

  ‘Can we risk going closer?’ I asked. ‘We can’t see the door from here.’

  ‘I was going to say the same thing,’ Luc said.

  ‘Come on then,’ Denzil said. ‘Fast and low.’ He crouched and ran and we followed close behind. We hadn’t seen anyone the whole time we’d been here, but it was still nerve wracking, running across the field like that. I couldn’t help imagining gun shots and robed men sweeping through the field after us.

  But we made it to the wall without incident.

  ‘We should wait here for the rest of the night,’ I said. ‘Do you think it’s safe?’

  ‘I hope so,’ Luc replied. ‘Doesn’t seem much point in . . .’

  But before he could finish his sentence, a rattling noise came from behind the door. The unmistakable sound of a bolt sliding across and a key turning in a heavy lock.

  The three of us froze, staring from one to the other.

  ‘Connor?’ I mouthed.

  The other two shrugged and I wasn’t sure if we should stay or run back. We all made a grab for our weapons, Denzil planted himself to the left of the door and I stood with Luc on the right. I held my breath as the door swung open inwards.

  Please let it be Connor . . .

  But it wasn’t.

  It was a woman dressed in grey with an iron cross around her neck and a gun in her hand.

  * * *

  In the moonless dark, Liss and Connor were led away in chains by Grey’s guards, their deep hoods concealing their faces. The guards’ silence added to Liss’s fear and anger. She could not believe her brother would treat her in this way. That he was still forcing her to do what he wanted. He had no empathy whatsoever. He had been corrupted by power, seduced by Grey’s made-up religion.

  And who was this Connor person? This friend of her parents. Was he now to suffer because of her? He had come to save her and FJ both, but her idiotic brother was too caught up in his own importance to care about anyone else’s life.

  She realised they were heading over to the main house. She hoped she wouldn’t have to see Grey. He gave her more than the creeps and she didn’t think she had the mental strength to cope with such evil tonight. The fire Connor had started in the outbuilding had burnt out, but the air was still thick with acrid smoke and floating ash. She began to cough and shiver.

  Now only two guards remained with them. They led her and Connor around to the kitchen door and prodded them inside. It was good to be out of the biting wind, but Liss’s heart gave a thump of dread as she realised where they were going. The cold night would be preferable to this destination.

  One of the guards unlocked the studded wooden door which led down to the basement. Liss had never been down there, but she ha
d heard whispers that it was where Grey kept his prisoners. Where he extracted confessions. It was a place you did not ever want to end up. She caught Connor’s eye and he shook his head and mouthed the word ‘sorry’. She gave him a small shrug and he looked away.

  The door swung open and they were led inside. A dim light glowed, illuminating limestone steps which led down into the cellars. Liss took a breath to steady her swimming head and walked downwards into the gloom.

  The air smelled of decay and damp. Coughs and moans assailed her ears along with the metallic clink of chains and unidentified scuttling rustling shuffling sounds. But although Liss felt dizzy and strange, she did not feel the terror she would have expected. No. In her head, she was having an imaginary conversation with FJ. She was shouting at him, blaming him, telling him how wrong and terrible he was for ruining her life. If he was here now, she would claw at his face and beat him with her fists. It was all him. All his fault. But it was hopeless. She was powerless against him and his guards. And now this poor Connor man was caught up in it all.

  Their metal cuffs were removed and they were pushed into a dark room with a metal door. It clanged shut behind them. There was no light. She could not even see her hand in front of her face.

  For the first time that night, she became aware of her bare feet. The floor was cold and damp. It felt spongy in places – wet.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Connor spoke to her through the darkness.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ she said.

  He sighed. ‘I’m not sure. I’ll try and think of something.’

  Liss edged forwards, her arms outstretched until her fingertips touched a wall. It was rough and dry. As she slid her hands downwards, the wall grew damp, slimy, wet. She shuddered and straightened up again. Hugged her arms around her body. She wished she was wearing shoes.

  ‘The floor’s wet,’ Connor said. ‘Don’t sit down.’

  ‘I know. I’ve got no shoes on.’ Her legs felt heavy and tired and it was freezing down here. Even with the heavy cloak.

  ‘No shoes? That’s my fault. Sorry. Take mine if you like.’

  ‘No. That’s alright.’

  ‘Here,’ he said.