He crouched on the bank of the river and waited. It was then I realised he thought we were hiding beneath the water and was waiting for us to come up for air. His uniform was incomplete. The tool-belt was missing his Plan-It, and more importantly, his weapon. The Enforcer stood up and walked down the bank to the river bed. He was only a few feet away from us now, with his back to us. I saw an opportunity and I took it.
I rose to my feet. Daniel’s eyes widened when he understood what I was doing but I didn’t give him a chance to stop me. I ran. With a blood-curdling battle-cry I sprinted from beneath the bridge like an animal freed from a cage. My bandaged feet pelted the mud. I ran faster than ever before. And as I leapt into the air, he turned, my head hit his helmet and we collided into the river.
Spray churned around us. The current was strong and it dragged us along. I heard someone shout after me – perhaps Daniel, maybe Sebastian. I coughed up water. I had hold of the Enforcer in my fingers, the leather of his uniform slimy and wet. He pushed at me but I held on and tried to pry his helmet away. My fingers turned white and pale from the strain. The Enforcer elbowed me in the ribs and I fell away from him. I kicked out with all my might and the Enforcer fell back, his helmet thwacking the water. The current pulled us together again and I struggled with the helmet. He writhed, scrambled and kicked. Water splashed all around me, in my eyes and ears, up my nose. The Enforcer punched me in the face and then he had me.
He grabbed my arm behind my back and yanked until I screamed. Then my face was plunged into the water, filling my mouth with foul algae. The water roared in my ears and every part of my body hurt. My lungs cried out for air and I kicked out at every angle possible in a desperate attempt to injure him. It was no good. He had me held tight. He was stronger.
It felt endless: timeless. It was unbearable. I didn’t want to die but I just wanted the pain to end. A blackness seeped over me like an inky cloud in a bright blue sky. I was tired. So tired. Something released and my arms were free. I was weightless. Random thoughts ran through my head – childish memories of my parents, romanticised and untrue. Angela appeared – she was older and happy with little children running around her feet. Sebastian smiled and nodded his head as though giving me his blessing. Then Daniel. Daniel holding me in his arms. Daniel’s blue eyes on mine. Daniel smiling. Daniel kissing me. Someone kissed me. I tried to kiss them back but then a mass of river water and bile rose in my throat and I was coughing river water on myself. I rolled over and forced myself onto my knees to vomit.
“I’ve never been so glad to see someone puke before,” Sebastian said.
I leaned back in the mud. “The Enforcer?”
Sebastian frowned. He avoided my eyes. “He’s dead.”
My chest burned and my throat rasped. “You killed him?”
“To save your life,” he said defensively.
“Thank you,” I said. But I felt uneasy. “Daniel and Angela?”
“They’re still under the bridge.”
My teeth chattered and Sebastian put both arms around me, rubbing my shoulders. “We should leave. We need to get Angela and Daniel and get out of here.”
“You need to recover,” Sebastian said.
“No, the sun set an hour ago. We need to get moving.”
Sebastian conceded and helped me to my feet. I coughed up the last of the river water. I’d washed up a few hundred feet down the river. By the time Sebastian helped me climb the river bank Angela and Daniel were on their way towards us. I thought of the Daniel in my vision, holding me and heat spread to my cheeks. For a moment I wanted to hug him, even though we were in front of Angela, and then I saw his facial expression and stopped.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he said through gritted teeth. “Did you ever stop to think why there was a lone Enforcer without a weapon following us? Did it not cross your mind that it could be a trap?” His eyes widened angrily. “You absolute idiot. You put us all in danger with your little stunt. There could be a tracking device or––”
Behind us I heard one slow, sarcastic handclap and I turned in the direction of the noise. A woman stepped forward from the trees and my heart sank to my knees. Her mouth was moist with lip gloss and even in the mud she wore high heeled shoes. Her dress was tight, bulging at the chest, and her face framed with fiery red curls. It was Mrs Murgatroyd. I wanted to puke some more.
“Very good,” she said with a smile. “You must be Daniel. I believe you broke into my house.”
Daniel’s hands formed fists while I just gaped. I had to pinch myself to see if it was really happening. I stood, helpless, soaking wet. The blood drained from my face. I’d never felt so young in my life. So young and stupid.
“Now, Miss Hart. To prevent you the bother of a repeat of your little performance on poor old John in the river I’ll introduce you to a few friends of mine.”
A bright light turned on and scores of Enforcers stepped out from the trees and my hopes dropped. The pit of my stomach dipped. They were armed. We were outnumbered. I was too exhausted to use my gift. It was over. The Enforcers shouted orders at us and my sodden wrists were forced into cuffs. I tipped my head back to stop myself from crying.
“Did you really think you could get away?” Her wild mane moved like snakes in the wind. Her eyes twinkled with pleasure. “You should have known that it would always end like this – after all I did warn you. It’s just a shame you dragged all of your little friends into it.”
I looked desperately at Angela, Daniel and Sebastian, all being held by Enforcers. “If it’s just me you want, take me. Leave them alone. Just get it over with.”
“Now, I didn’t say I just wanted you. Did I?” Mrs Murgatroyd’s eyes darted to Daniel and back to me. She moved towards me and grabbed hold of my hair. “I preferred it the way I cut it.” She threw my head back savagely. I refused to show the pain on my face. I held her eye contact.
“Let. Them. Go,” I said between gritted teeth.
She laughed and walked away, pacing around me, circling me like a lion does its prey. “You know, human death is a terrible thing. The boy floating down river for one. The youngest of our little team here.” She pointed at Sebastian. “This one didn’t think twice about holding him underwater until he drowned.” She turned to me. Sebastian was left red-faced. “Why do you think that is, Mina? Do you think that maybe the Children of the GEM are wired differently? Do you think they are less emotive? Well, that can’t be right, because it was you who attacked him. It was you who tried to kill him. Sebastian here only saved your life. You’re the real murderer.”
Bile rose in my throat. I held it back.
“When we pull his body from the water it will be bloated out like a dead fish––”
“Stop,” I said, weakly. “Just do what you have to do to us. But please stop talking.”
“He was only seventeen,” she said. “Two years older than you.” She moved forward. “By God I am going to watch them give you the Operation myself.”
I spat in her face.
She wiped it away, disgusted. “You’re rotten to the core.” She grabbed me by the shoulder. “Come on.”
She forced me forward, every step dragging against the leaves. My friends were jostled by Enforcer guns. I avoided their eyes, ashamed that it was all my fault. Together we disappeared into the woods, into darkness. All my hope was lost.
52
We staggered into a clearing and the Enforcers bundled us into trucks. The others were split away from me and I was alone with only my captors. As the doors slammed I knew everything was over and I felt hollowed out. A husk. I put my head in my hands. I’d let them down. The tears burned my eyes but I refused to let them fall. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. For the first time since being on the run I hated my dad. How could he leave me in all this mess? The truck began to move, bumping over the rough woodland. In front of me Enforcers sat in a line, their hands neatly placed on their laps.
“Where are we going?” I said. “Where have you taken my frie
nds?”
They sat solid. Not a twitch or an acknowledgement between them.
“Please don’t hurt them,” I said. I struggled against my handcuffs. “Tell me where we’re going.”
They did not speak.
I raised my voice. “Where are my friends?”
An Enforcer leaned forward and pushed his gun in my face. “Be quiet.” He leaned towards me, so close that I could just make out his features inside the helmet. I saw his eyes, the line of his nose, and then the strangest thing happened – he winked.
He sat down and I shut my mouth. I put my hands on my lap, mimicking the others. I tried to stay calm but inside I was a whirlwind. Why did he wink at me? I searched the helmet for his eyes. Only the black visor faced me now. The truck bounced over pot-holes and I struggled to keep my balance on the bench.
We travelled in silence. My gaze never faltered from the Enforcer who winked. I had something powerful now. Hope. I thought of Daniel and my heart clenched. He was wounded. He needed me.
There was an almighty crunching sound. I flew across the truck, landing messily on top of the Enforcer – the winking Enforcer. He gripped my wrists as the truck rolled sideways, throwing us around like dolls. Heavy men fell on top of me, bruising my ribs. The truck bounced jerkily. My head snapped back and forth, painfully but the Enforcer pulled me closer, almost cradling me from harm.
“Keep hold of me,” he whispered in my ear. His voice had a strange accent to it that I had never heard before.
The truck rolled again, finally settling back on its wheels. The door flew open, revealing a grassy bank. I landed in a tangle of helmets and leather. I felt my nose and it was bleeding.
My Enforcer stood up, dragging me to my feet and said to the others, “I’ll do a check of the perimeter. I’d better keep the girl close. She’s a flight risk.”
Before they could protest we were outside.
“Are ye hurt?” he whispered.
“No,” I replied. “Aren’t they going to figure out that I would be much safer with them?”
“Yes,” he said. “That’s why we’re gunnae run. Now!”
*
“Who are you?” I shouted as we ran.
“Ali,” he said. “I’m here te take ye te The Clans. There’s a new plan.” He pointed in front of him. It took me a few seconds to realise where we were – the road leading to St Jude’s school. I was back where it all began. The moonlight glinted against the windows.
Gunshots rang out in the distance. Ali swore. He grabbed me and pushed me ahead of him.
“Run te that tree. Fast as ye can.”
I obeyed. I was still in my bandaged feet and the rough chipping underfoot cut into the soles. I ignored the pain and gritted my teeth. If I could get away I could rescue Daniel, Angela and Sebastian. I had to try. I had to push harder.
We made it to the tree and Ali reloaded his gun. He tossed me a loaded pistol.
“Know how to use it?”
I shook my head. Ali took it and pulled a small lever. “Point and pull the trigger.” He said between ragged breaths. “We need te get te the front yard of yer school.”
I nodded. We were hidden behind the old Oak tree at the bottom of the GEM running track. We had a playing field to cross and then a run around the side of the school. Luckily, we had darkness to cover us.
“Okay. Go!”
The gunfire was closer. I ran, unbalanced with the cuffs on my wrists, the gun in one hand. Ali ran with his arm outstretched, shooting towards the noise. Bullets pelted the lawn around us. I forced my calves to go faster, even though they felt like they were about to pop. I kept my head low. The footsteps gained on us.
“Faster,” Ali instructed.
I thought of Daniel, hurt and losing blood. My legs moved faster. The school loomed on.
“Ministry Officials. You must stop!” someone growled behind us. We ignored him.
Bullets skimmed the wall of the school as we ran around the perimeter. My heart pounded against my chest, my lungs burning. I gasped in air but I couldn’t slow down. I refused to slow down. Sweat trickled down my back. Ali grabbed my elbow and pulled me around the corner of the school. We were close now. Another bullet whizzed past us, so close I felt the air move by my ear. I ducked. Brick dust coated my skin.
Then I saw the van, a battered white thing tricked out with machine guns, including a man through a trap-door on the roof with an intimidating automatic weapon. Ali waved and the man nodded in return. A few seconds later the back door swung open and a middle-aged woman with her hair in an ashen blonde plait motioned for us to hurry. She held up a rifle, pointed, fired and I heard a thud behind us. Ali pushed me forwards. When we reached the van he threw me into it and jumped in. The door slammed shut and we were moving.
Ali pulled his helmet away and I saw him for the first time. He was young, brown-skinned and attractive. He threw the helmet to the side as though it was dirty and peeled away the leather gloves.
“We’ve got four, maybe five on the chase,” he said to the woman with the plait.
She nodded and poked her rifle through a peep-hole in the van wall. “Hold it steady, Reg,” she shouted. “To the right to the right.” She fired. She pulled her body back and flattened herself against the van. “Keep yer head down, lass.” She said to me.
I turned and grabbed hold of Ali’s shoulders. “We have to find my friends.”
His mouth opened to answer but then the van was pelted with a shower of bullets. None of them made it through the van.
The blonde woman winked at me. “Reinforced steel.”
The man from the roof pulled his head and shoulders into the van. He was shaven headed and bulky. “Three trailers, Reg. Put yer foot down.” He looked at Ali. “Want to take over, boss?”
Ali shook his head. “Yer doing a grand job, Stevie.”
“Please,” I said. “My friends are in trouble.”
Ali turned back to me. “We’re all in trouble, kid.”
“You don’t understand. They’re going to die,” I pleaded.
The blonde woman shook her head. “So are we if we don’t get out of here pronto.”
“Now, now, Mary,” Ali said to her. “The girl’s been through a lot. Play nice.”
“Haven’t we all,” Mary mumbled.
The van swerved. More bullets hit us.
“Any get the tyres, Reg?” Ali called into the front of the van.
“Nah,” he replied. “They’re lousy shots.”
I fell forwards into Ali, knocking us to the ground. My bruised ribs ached, but I was alive. Against all odds, I was alive and I wouldn’t give up on my friends.
I pulled myself to my knees and grabbed Ali’s wrists. “If you don’t help me I’ll jump out of this van right now and help them myself.”
Mary whistled. “She’s got some spirit, I’ll give her that.”
Ali set his jaw and held my eyes for what felt like an eternity.
“Please,” I insisted.
Ali swore and rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
“Jesus, Ali,” Mary said. “Yer gunnae get the lot of us killed.”
Ali ignored her and turned to me, grabbing my arm. For a second his eyes lingered on my wrists where the cuffs tore at my skin. Blood trickled down my forearms. He swore again.
“Mary, if ye want three children’s deaths on yer conscience that’s up to ye. But I can’t,” he said. “Stevie, get the hell outta the way I need the gun a moment.” He pulled me up through the roof just as Mary swore back at him. He lifted me so I could see properly. “Look through the scope an’ tell me if ye see anything.”
I gripped hold of the roof to steady myself as we swerved all over the road. Two Ministry trucks were following now, we’d lost one. Both were more like pick-up trucks, with unroofed portions. I saw the Enforcers sat in the open sections, taking aim with their guns. The first truck was filled with the usual black helmets. But there were three faces standing out in the far truck. My heart swelled. Angela, Daniel and S
ebastian were in that truck.
53
“I see them!” I shouted.
Ali took the gun from me and pressed his eye to the viewfinder. “All right. Get back down into the van.” He stepped down after me. “Reg, yer gunnae have to do some fancy driving here. Get rid of the truck behind us.”
Reg nodded.
“Stevie, take out as many Enforcers as ye can. From the front truck only.”
“Nae problem,” Stevie replied with a grin.
“Ginge. Yer covering me,” Ali said.
In all the chaos I hadn’t noticed a young girl with red hair opposite Mary. She nodded sternly.
“Mary––”
“I know the score,” the blonde woman said.
Ali moved forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. Mary’s ice cold exterior melted for a second. She clasped Ali’s hand.
Ali broke away and turned to face me. “Word is that ye have a special talent.”
I nodded. “That’s correct.”
“Can ye use it now?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Well then. Yer coming with me.”
Reg slammed on the brakes. I fell back hitting my head and the van screeched to a halt. Ali worked the machine gun, the sound of the gunfire hammering my ears. I heard a scream. My heart twanged. I hoped my friends were safe.
“NOW!” Ali shouted. “Everyone keep your head down.”
Ali dropped down from the roof and grabbed hold of my elbow. Ginge and Mary moved to the back of the van, their guns in position. They nodded to Ali and he kicked open the van door. Keeping hold of me we leapt from the vehicle, Ali ducking quickly to the side. It was horrendous. Enforcers lay bleeding in the trucks, slumped over the sides. I fought back the urge to vomit.
“Stay calm,” Ali whispered. “We have te get te the last truck and ye need to disarm the men.”
The Blemished (Blemished Series) Page 25