“Urgh.” I backed away. “That’s so gross!”
Daniel laughed.
With a snort the cow turned and slowly walked away from us. With an almighty moo it instructed us to follow.
45
We trailed hoof-prints like the solemn followers of a religious procession. The cow was a sign of things to come, our luck changing; it showed us that miracles really do exist. When Sebastian told me about the farm, about living independently from the Ministry, part of me hadn’t really believed him. Now I did.
The field stopped at a dry-stone wall with an old rusting gate. We climbed over and I winced at the pain of my ankle. On the other side lay a muddy track, worn by hooves and boots. The track led to a yard with a large barn on the right. On the left stood a small farm cottage which was old but not dilapidated and in much better condition than some of the houses in the ghettos. Pot plants framed the steps leading to the farm-house door.
“Are you ready, Mina?” Daniel asked anxiously. “It should be you who knocks on the door. You know that.”
“It must be late,” I said. “There aren’t any lights on inside. Maybe they are asleep and they won’t hear us.”
“If they don’t hear we’ll just have to set up camp nearby and wait ‘til morning,” said Daniel.
“Don’t worry, everything will be okay,” Angela said encouragingly. She squeezed my shoulder for moral support.
I sucked in air and moved towards the cottage. The painkillers were wearing off and I limped. Every bit of me ached, and as I walked I felt like my legs were made of lead. I lifted a tired, trembling hand to the door. Doubts flew through my mind: What if they turn us away? What if they turn is in? Will Sebastian and Daniel fight? Does Sebastian hate me? I ignored them all and knocked hard and loud.
We were greeted by the barrel of a gun. I gulped and raised my hands. The man wielding the gun was handsome and middle aged. He had deep-set dark eyes and hair that greyed at the temples. I forced the tingle in my palms to come, just in case I had to take the gun out of his hand. I didn’t want it to come to that. I didn’t want to reveal myself.
He looked surprised. “A Blemished girl?” He narrowed his eyes. “Who are you? What do you want and how did you find us?
“My name is Mina Hart,” I said slowly. “I know your son, Sebastian.”
The man turned his head away. Next to me Daniel twitched and I placed a hand on his arm. The last thing we needed was Daniel tackling Sebastian’s father to the ground.
“Seb? Do you know these people?”
Inside the house there was a shuffle and the sound of squeaking door hinges. Eventually Sebastian appeared in front of his father. He saw me and smiled.
“You came!”
It was as though nothing had happened between us. He was still Sebastian, easy going and friendly. My stomach unclenched.
“You gave this girl directions?” said his father.
Sebastian looked up guiltily. “She needed help, Dad. Remember how I told you about her?”
I watched this exchange, eyeing Sebastian’s father’s reactions. He wasn’t happy to see us but there was no malice there. He seemed mildly irritated with Sebastian but not particularly worried. It was almost as though they’d been expecting us. But why would he pretend to be surprised? I decided to stay alert. My ankle twanged and I shifted my weight.
“Are you hurt?” Sebastian touched my arm and looked at me with concern. Next to me Daniel stiffened.
“My ankle was bitten by a dog a few nights ago,” I said.
“Well, you three look like you’ve been through the wars and then some,” Sebastian’s father said. “You’d best come in.”
We followed them in, Sebastian held me by the crook of my elbow and I didn’t protest, my muscles felt suddenly very weak. My forehead was burning.
“You feel hot, Mina, feverish,” Sebastian said.
He steered me into a lounge and helped me onto a soft, cushiony sofa. Daniel watched with his arms folded and his lips pressed tightly together. Sebastian hadn’t really looked at him.
“Were you followed?” Sebastian’s father asked.
“No,” I mumbled.
“We lost the Enforcers in the Industrial Estate about twenty miles from here,” Daniel said. He spoke with a stern authority I’d never heard before. “We moved fast through the woods. Didn’t hear anyone following.”
Sebastian looked at Daniel for the first time. They stood facing each other, both with stiff backs and arms folded. Daniel jutted out his chin.
“Just because you didn’t hear them doesn’t mean they didn’t follow,” Sebastian said.
Daniel smiled – it was a sarcastic, caustic smile. “No, but they can’t have been anywhere near us. The woods are so deep they’ve probably given up by now.”
I thought back to the way I disarmed the Enforcers in the ghettos and wondered if they would give up so easily after seeing me do that. A woman bustled into the room. She was plump and pretty, with silver tinged strawberry-blonde hair.
“We have visitors?” she said to her husband, her expression one of confusion but not fear.
“Mum, this is my friend, Mina,” Sebastian said. He ignored the presence of Angela and Daniel.
“Nice to meet you Mrs Cole,” I said weakly.
“My goodness. You look just terrible,” she said. She looked around at the others. “What are your names, dears?”
“I’m Angela,” she said shyly.
“Daniel,” he said with a smile approaching warmth.
Sebastian’s lips tightened further as Daniel confirmed himself. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. It wasn’t a friendly look. I tried to sit up straight and say something to defuse the tension but instead I slipped and fell forward. Daniel and Sebastian both jumped forward to catch me but bumped into each other instead.
Mrs Cole tutted and helped me up by my arm. “So, Mr Cole, we have some sick children to help, do we?”
“Seems that way,” Mr Cole answered.
“All right then. I’d best get this one upstairs. Seb, you can feed them. There is bread and cheese in the kitchen. Mr Cole could you give me a hand please?”
The Coles slipped their arms under me and lifted. I blacked out.
*
When I woke my head was nestled in the most comfortable cushions I’d ever felt, plumped up to perfection. Sunlight peeked through lace curtains. I was snuggly, warm, and above all – clean. The heat from my forehead was gone and my ankle had been strapped up tight. It still hurt but the warmth from the cut had faded. Mrs Cole sat by my bed reading a novel.
“You had a fever,” she said matter-of-factly.
“How long have I been sleeping?”
“Two days and nights,” she answered.
I sat up fast and my head spun. “Two days? Why didn’t someone wake me?”
“You needed it. Sit down now. You need even more rest to let that ankle heal. You’re lucky you found us when you did. And I’ve stitched up the wound on your arm too.” She shook her head. “In my day girls did what they were told and didn’t get into trouble like that.”
“Thank you,” I said, touching my arm gently. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“Don’t mention it, dear.”
The bedroom door opened and Angela bustled through in a new dress. “Mrs Cole I’ve changed the bedding in the master bedroom and… Mina, you’re awake!”
I smiled. It was good to see her. “I am.”
She dumped a pile of clean bedding below my feet and leaned across the bed to embrace me. “Finally! You had us all worried. Sebastian and Daniel have been fighting over who mops your brow.” She rolled her eyes. Mrs Cole raised her eyebrows and shook her head. “We all thought you were going to die for a little while. It was scary.”
“You look so pretty,” I said. She really did. She wore a floral dress with long billowing sleeves that was delicate but still practical, the hem-line finishing just below her knees. She wasn’t wearing her h
eadscarf and the curls framed her face.
Angela curtseyed and Mrs Cole beamed. “Pretty as a picture. They belonged to my eldest daughter. She died before we even moved to Area 14 but I just couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. I’m so glad I didn’t because now they have a new purpose.”
I remembered Sebastian telling me about Eve, the pregnancy and the involvement of the Resistance. There was something off about Mrs Cole but I couldn’t put my finger on it. She was kind enough. She tended to my wounds when I was vulnerable. She even seemed to care about Angela. There was a slight vagueness about her which reminded me of Angela’s mum. Yet a Blemished woman would never be married to a man who worked in London so she could not have had the Operation. I watched her as she smiled warmly at Angela.
“It’s amazing here, Mina,” Angela gushed. “They have cows and horses and chickens.”
Mrs Cole chuckled. “Angie has been helping me with the chores. She’s a grafter, this one. A real hard worker.”
I smiled nervously. Only Theresa called her Angie. “Sounds great.”
“I know,” Angela mused. “I hope we never leave here.”
“Me neither, dear,” Mrs Cole said.
A chill ran down my spine.
46
Mrs Cole set down hot soup with a smile and left. I was still in bed. Angela had gone to help set up for dinner, leaving me alone apart from occasional visitors –as though I was a patient in a hospital. Daniel seemed tense during his visit and told me not to trust the Coles, but I wasn’t sure if it was just the jealousy talking. Sebastian popped in, but he had to get back to farm work. The only real company I had was Splicer, a tabby cat missing half an ear and with burrs stuck in his fur. He padded up and down the bed, rubbing his tatty head against my arms. I heard the others laughing to private jokes and ate my soup unenthusiastically, the warmth made me sleepy and I drifted into a settled slumber.
The days following our arrival at Cole’s Farm went by in a blur. People called into my room at regular intervals. Mrs Cole fussed over my ankle insisting that I kept the weight from it. Daniel shared my concerns about Angela who had bonded instantly with Mrs Cole. He told me how she always changed the subject when he tried to discuss leaving.
“I’m worried she’s becoming too attached,” he said the following afternoon. “She’s replaced her mum with Sebastian’s.” He grimaced as he said Sebastian’s name. I’d gathered that they hadn’t exactly become the best of friends. “She loves it here.” He leaned closer from the chair by the bed. His eyes were thunderstorms again, worried. “There’s something weird about them, the parents. Her in particular. The other day she started calling Angela, Eve.”
“That’s the name of Sebastian’s sister,” I said.
“The weird thing was that Angela didn’t even correct her.” He pulled at his hair. Daniel’s foot tapped an anxious rhythm and I found myself wanting to take his hand and calm him. “Him I don’t trust. He has his wife running any little errand for him, fetching drinks, making food. He gets people twisted round his little finger. He has me and Sebastian working on the farm. It’s good honest work. But there’s something…” he trailed off and sighed. “I dunno. It’s like he knows how to control people.”
I nodded.
“And he asks about you all the time. Where you’re from, your dad’s name… all kinds of stuff. I try to change the subject but Angela just answers all the questions. You know how she is.”
I did. She loved to chat. In the first few days I met her she told me more information than any of my school-mates at Area 10.
“Daniel?” Mr Cole called from downstairs. “We’re milking Bessie. Want to join us?”
He rolled his eyes and said to me. “See what I mean. The worst thing is… he makes you think it’s your idea.” He turned and shouted through the doorway. “Coming!”
“At least we’re safe from the Enforcers here,” I said. “Don’t worry, as soon as my ankle is fixed we’ll go. How long ‘til we have to go to Matthew’s set up?”
“Three days,” he said. “I’ve checked a map. It’s about half a day’s walk from here. We can stick to the woods too. We don’t have to go back into Area 14.”
“That’s good.” I took Daniel’s hand. “Thank you for looking out for me.”
He grinned. His lopsided smile was back.
My chest felt warm after he left. I shook my head, knowing that I had to pull myself together.
As soon as Daniel left Sebastian popped his head in the doorway. “Hey, you free for another visitor?”
I smiled. “Sure, come on in.”
“It’s so good to have you here,” he said, settling himself down on the bed next to me.
I laughed. “You’ve said that to me like a hundred times now.”
The sun poured in through the window, highlighting reddish-brown streaks in his dark hair. He was beautiful but it didn’t seem to have the same effect on me anymore.
“Well, every time I say it, I mean it. So how are you today?”
“I’m fine. Your mum insists on me staying horizontal though.”
“I bet you’re bored silly.”
I laughed. “Maybe. But I should be fixed up soon. Then we have to meet my uncle’s people.”
Sebastian sighed. “You’re still going?”
“Of course I am. I have to get to The Clans and find my dad,” I exclaimed.
“Because your uncle told you?”
“Yes.”
“The uncle who you didn’t even think existed? The one who turned up on the same day your dad disappeared?”
“Yes,” I said sternly.
“Mina, when are you going to realise that you are better off here?”
There was something in his tone that I didn’t like. “When are you going to realise that you don’t know what’s best for me.”
“You’re so stupid,” he snapped. “You believe some creepy guy who turns up and pretends to be your uncle––”
“He is my uncle. He knew stuff about my dad… he got arrested to save us!” My anger caused my palms to tingle and a book fell from the bedside table.
“That’s what you think,” he continued. “You moon over that Blemished boy when you could be with me. You could have a nice life here. It would make everything complete.”
“What are you talking about?” I said slowly.
“Mum wants a girl here. I want a girl here. I want you here.”
“You’re trying to trap a girl? What is this? Some sick way to get grandchildren?”
“What’s wrong with wanting grandchildren?”
“Nothing. But you’re trying to force this life on me! And I don’t want it,” I snapped. “Get out of here.” A flash ripped through my mind and the door swung open violently. “Get out! NOW!”
Sebastian looked at me and then the door, his face in agony. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean... I just… I’m sorry.”
He ran out of the room. Mr Cole, who had been crossing the landing at the same time looked at me with curiosity.
“It’s strange how the door opened,” he said, fixing me with his eyes, “and yet the two of you were nowhere near it.”
I felt a trickle of cold sweat on my neck. “It is strange. Perhaps one of the windows is open.” I forced a bright smile.
He frowned. “Perhaps.”
And then he disappeared.
*
I got out of the bed and dressed into my old clothes. They hadn’t been washed and I had to find them out of the back of a wardrobe, it was as though someone didn’t want me to find them. My ankle felt fine to walk on. I peeled back some of the dressing noticing how the bruising had faded and the angry red had died down. It was time to leave. I walked across to the bedroom door and turned the handle. The door wouldn’t budge.
“Hey,” I shouted as I banged on the door. “Could someone unlock the door?”
Why would they lock my door? I moved to the window and saw Sebastian and his father having a tense conversation. Sebastian’s arms
flapped up and down and his dad straightened his back defensively. Angela, Daniel and Mrs Cole were nowhere to be seen.
“Mina?” shouted a muffled voice. “Mina, are you awake?”
“Yes!” I ran over to the far wall. “Daniel?” I pressed my ear to the wall.
“Is your door locked?” he said.
“Yes. Is yours?”
“Yes, I’m locked in too.”
“What about Angela?”
There was a pause. “No.”
“Why would they lock us up but not Angela?” The realisation hit me. “Angela is in on it.”
“Yesterday I tried to persuade her that we had to leave and she got upset. I think she went to Mrs Cole and… the next thing I know I’m in a locked room.”
“Did they hurt you?”
“No,” he said. “I think they drugged me. Don’t eat anything they give you.”
“Okay.” I thought about how much I had been sleeping, how tired I’d been. “Maybe they’ve been drugging me too, all this time. But I don’t understand.”
“Me neither,” he admitted. “But we have to get the hell out of here. Is there a window in your room?” He hesitated. “Do you think you can unlock the door with your gift like you did with Murgatroyd’s gate?”
“Probably,” I said.
“Are the Coles outside?” he asked.
I rushed to the window and back. “Sebastian and his father are.”
“Angela and Mrs Cole will be downstairs. If Angela was up here we’d hear her,” he said. “Okay. Try it. But lock the door immediately after. We need to use it at the right time.”
I ran over to the door. It didn’t take long to muster the energy after a replenishing sleep. The lock clicked open easily. I clicked it locked and then ran back to the room.
“It worked,” I said.
I heard Daniel sigh. “That’s good. Now we just need to come up with a plan.”
47
The Blemished (Blemished Series) Page 22