The Secret Society (The Mayfly Series Book 2)

by Hannah Hopkins

  “I saw enough,” Finley replied curtly, not wishing to waste any time explaining how he had immediately recognised Saul’s dark and murky surroundings as the Mayfly’s maintenance tunnels.

  After their brief descent, Finley, Will, Elsie and Alfie stepped into the lobby, where the earlier scenes of chaos had dissipated. The robots had been successfully deactivated and lay in heaps around the floor, surrounded by the bodies of their victims. Many of the injured were gathered in groups outside the empty shops, which were being used by nurses from the Medic Ward as make-shift treatment centres. As soon as the Captain’s presence on the scene was noticed, an elderly matron rushed over to him, her grey hair dishevelled, and her cheeks flushed pink with worry.

  "Sir," she said breathlessly, as soon as she had reached Alfie. "We've been looking everywhere for you. As I’m sure you are aware, a great number of your citizens require urgent medical attention. We need access to more equipment, but our medical budget for the year has almost been exhausted.

  "I understand," Alfie nodded. "Send some of your staff to the control room. They’ll be able to access the credit allocation system from there. Take whatever you need.”

  "Thank you, Sir" she nodded, bustling away to follow the instructions he had given her.

  As Finley and the rest of the group began to make their way across the floor, they noticed Emily, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows as she assisted her mother in bandaging a wounded young man. As soon as she saw them, she hurried over, wiping the sweat from her brow and tugging her jumper down to hide the dry blood that covered her arms.

  “Emily, are you alright?” Finley asked her when she arrived, scanning her person for any sign of injury.

  “I’m fine,” she replied. “We stopped the robots.”

  "Well done," Will congratulated her, pulling her into a celebratory hug that caused her to turn crimson.

  "It was all Mr. Mayhem really," she replied, though Finley could tell she was secretly flattered to have been given credit by Will.

  "Where is he?" Will asked her, gazing around the lobby for any sign of Mr. Mayhem's famously unkempt hair.

  "He disappeared into I- Techs headquarters after we pulled the switch," Emily explained. "He said he needed to find something. I probably shouldn't have left him in there, but I wanted to come and help in the lobby. There have been quite a few serious injuries. Some fatalities too…"

  She trailed off, her face strained with distress.

  "I’m sorry, Emily, but we’ve got to go,” Finley interjected. "We need to find Lois."

  "I saw Saul’s broadcast," Emily frowned, her eyes flickering towards the Captain. “Do you know where she is?”

  "I do" Finley asserted, “but we need to hurry. There isn’t much time."

  Emily nodded and wished them good luck, returning to her mother’s side and busying herself by rooting through a discarded first-aid kit. Finley set off again the moment she had gone, leading the party towards the back of the lobby where the lift that led to the lower floors was situated. Along the way, Alfie picked up several human Guards and added them to his ensemble, causing Will to ask with panic if the high level of security was necessary.

  "Of course it is," Alfie snapped. "Do you really think I'm going to show mercy to these people?"

  "They don't deserve any," Finley agreed, focussing his mind darkly on the punishments he hoped the men who had taken Lois would receive.

  "Finley, before we go down there, I need to talk to you," Will pleaded with him, jogging to keep up with his determined strides.

  "Not now, Will," Finley snapped, without looking at him. He knew he was incredibly lucky not to have dissolved into a state of anxiety, his resolve to find Lois resolutely stronger than the fear he felt over the harrowing situation he had found himself in. Any infringement on the concentration it required for him to maintain his resilience had the potential to send him spiralling back down into the pit of terror it had taken him the best part of a year to climb out of. He focussed his mind on Lois, the knowledge that he was the only one who could save her spurring him on with every step he took.

  For the first time in his life, he was extremely grateful for his family’s impoverished state as a child, for had his mother been able to afford childcare for him then his father would have never been forced to take him to work, thus making him one of the very few people that knew how to navigate the labyrinth of tunnels that ran through the Mayfly. The responsibility resting on his shoulders was of a greater magnitude than anything he’d ever experienced before, and he tried desperately not to entertain the possibility of his failure, the thought of which he was certain would paralyse him.

  As they reached the discount shops and convenience stores situated at the back of the lobby, Finley came to a sudden halt, stopped by the sound of somebody calling his name from a distance. Turning on the spot, he saw Miss Fortem rushing towards them, her long, blonde hair flowing freely around her shoulders as she raced across the lobby, her high heels clacking loudly on the marble floor.

  “Finley! Will” she called with relief as she reached them. “Thank the Universe I found you.”

  “Miss Fortem?” Will replied. “What are you doing here?”

  “I saw you flying off in the security cameras,” she explained. “I couldn’t let you face the Society alone. As your Headmistress, it’s part of my duty to protect you.”

  “It’s a shame the same courtesy couldn’t have been extended to my daughter, Veronica,” Alfie remarked, causing Miss Fortem’s face to cloud with concern.

  “Lois has been kidnapped,” Finley informed her. “Saul Jacobs has taken her.”

  “One of your students, I believe?” Alfie said snidely. “Perhaps we ought to have a talk about your position when all of this is over.”

  “Alfie now isn’t the time for this,” Elsie reprimanded him. “We need to find Lois.”

  “You better pray that my daughter is okay,” Alfie told Miss Fortem under his breath, the menace behind his words unmistakeable.

  Finley watched with unease as his usually fierce Headmistress shrunk into herself, her lip trembling slightly as she briefly revealed a flicker of vulnerability. Feeling the friction in the air beginning to build, Finley hurried away, moving the procession he was part of towards the tunnels.

  Entering the lift, Finley felt an immense relief that nobody had taken it upon themselves to change the numerical code that allowed passage into the tunnels in the years since he had memorised it. He stood at the front of the group, ready to spring into action and begin his quest to reach Lois.

  When they eventually came to a standstill, Finley rushed through the doors, barely waiting for them to open before he squeezed through the tiny gap they provided. Without checking to see if the others were following, he sprinted along the first tunnel, activating the torch on his Personal Device to guide them. He didn’t know exactly where Saul was, but he was familiar with enough shortcuts to cover a vast amount of ground in a small amount of time. He kept his eyes peeled for any sign of movement and strained his ears to pick up the slightest indication of noise, jumping every time he heard a pipe drip or caught sight of his own shadow. A brief glance over his shoulder informed him that the others were following him, jogging to keep up with the pace he was moving at, the human Guards trudging loyally behind their Captain.

  Rounding the nearest corner, Finley came to a sudden standstill as he noticed the outline of a figure standing at the end of the passage, his back facing the opening of the tunnel. Taking a few wary steps forward, Finley shone the light from his Personal Device towards the silhouette, revealing the crimson, red cloak hanging from their person. He turned with uncertainty to the group behind him, each of them nodding their silent encouragement as they urged him to proceed towards the unmoving man.

  Finley’s chest tightened painfully, the air disappearing from around him as he struggled to breathe. His legs went numb from beneath him as the world began to spin, causing his mouth to dry uncomfortably as he lost gr
ip on his surroundings. Terror consuming him, Finley staggered backwards, crashing into Will who was positioned only centimetres behind him.

  “Finley? Are you alright?” Will asked him.

  “I can’t breathe,” he gasped.

  “What’s the matter with him?” Elsie whispered from behind the group.

  “He says he can’t breathe,” Will informed her. There was a brief scuffle as Elsie pushed her way to the front of the group, taking Finley by the shoulders and crouching to his level as she looked with purpose into his pale face.

  “Listen to me, Finley, this isn’t real,” she told him, speaking quietly so the figure at the end of the tunnel wouldn’t hear them. “Your mind is playing tricks on you. Take a deep breath. You are in control. You need to focus on Lois. She needs our help.”

  Finley snapped his eyes shut, conjuring the image of Lois’ face into his mind’s eye. For a minute, he battled with himself internally, the sight of Lois’ delicate face morphing into the harsh appearance of his old Headmaster, leering at him and laughing maniacally as though he had returned from the grave to taunt him. Letting out a small whimper, Finley stumbled around blindly, his hands finding the solid stability of the cold, tunnel wall, which he pressed his back against, his chest heaving with fear. He balled his fists up tightly, concentrating every ounce of his mental strength on the thought of Lois and how much she needed him. If he couldn’t stop Saul from hurting her, she would become as deeply traumatised as Finley was. His anxiety had tortured him for the entire year, forcing him to stagnate alone in his room, shutting out his friends and isolating himself in a deeper loneliness than he had ever experienced before. The thought of Lois suffering the way he had created enough passion in his heart to push his fear away, his vision returning to normal as he steadied himself, counting to ten inside his head and inhaling deeply.

  When he came back to reality, he saw his companions in a huddle before him, their eyes tore away from the figure in red by their concern over Finley’s strange behaviour. Swallowing hard, he pushed himself forward, approaching the end of the tunnel where the silhouette continued to wait. When Finley reached the proximity of the figure’s shadow, Finley cleared his throat loudly, poising himself at the ready for whatever might happen next. Slowly, the unknown person turned, dropping their hood to expose their identity.

  “Mr. McGowan?” Finley said, reeling with shock, the sight of his favourite teacher clad in the Society’s red robes sending his stomach into knots.

  “Jeremy?” Miss Fortem said from behind him, pushing her way forward. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m sorry, Veronica” Mr. McGowan sighed.

  “This is a disgrace,” Alfie spat. “Not only is an Academy student a member of this heinous group of rebels, but also a member of the teaching staff. How could you let this happen, Veronica?”

  “She didn’t know,” Mr. McGowan interjected, defending the Headmistress. “Our deception was calculated. Nobody would have suspected our involvement.”

  “Why?” Finley asked him in a low voice, unable to elaborate any further.

  “I thought I was doing the right thing,” Mr. McGowan replied forlornly. “Up until tonight, the Society seemed genuine in their intentions to create a better life for us all. I had no idea what Saul was planning. I just wanted to do right by my friend. Our leader told me that Jarvis Holt’s murder could have been prevented if the Captain had competently carried out his duties. I was grieving. I got sucked in. That’s why I made the broadcast in the lobby using a mask of his face. It was all for him. I never meant for anyone to get hurt.”

  “You made that broadcast?” Finley repeated with confusion. “But…I saw you in the Medic Ward after it happened. You said you hurt your arm in all the chaos in the lobby.”

  “I hurt my arm fighting off one of the robot Guards. It caught me coming out of the lift with the mask in my hand. I managed to defeat it, but I got injured in the process,” he replied flatly. “I’m sorry I lied to you, Finley.”

  “What were you doing just standing down here?” Will asked him, peering nervously over his shoulder in case more society members were hiding behind him.

  “I didn’t know what to do,” Mr. McGowan stuttered. “Saul has gone insane. I didn’t want to be around him in case he did something terrible. I was hoping our leader might turn up and stop him, but it doesn’t seem like anyone else is coming.

  “I’m going to make this very clear,” Alfie seethed, stepping forward so that his face was level with Mr. McGowan’s. “Either you take me to Lois now, or I have my Guards shoot you in various parts of your body until you tell me where she is.”

  “I’ll take you,” Mr. McGowan agreed, “and then I would like to hand myself in. I deserve to pay for my crimes, as misguided as they were.”

  Alfie nodded, motioning to his Guards to ready their weapons as Mr. McGowan guided them down the passageway, pausing as he levelled with the round entrance to a small chamber.

  “Saul’s in there,” he told them, ducking to the back of the group as they entered.

  The room they found themselves in was small and bare, dimly lit by the feeble power of flickering overhead lamps. In the middle of the space was a wooden chair, to which Lois had been tied, her arms and legs fastened behind her and her mouth gagged with a piece of grubby cloth. Standing in front of her was Saul, the ruby hilt of a jagged knife clutched in his right hand. He caressed the blade lovingly, staring at the image of his face reflected in the steel. Lois caught sight of Finley and the others first, squealing with relief through her gag as they stepped into the room, the Guards pointing their guns in Saul’s direction.

  At the sound of Lois’ voice, Saul looked up, his expression changing from shock to disappointment and then to rage as he realised he had been discovered. Mr. McGowan appeared from his hiding position, emboldened by the protection of the Guards and moved to stand beside the Captain in a demonstration of his new allegiance.

  “Traitor,” Saul hissed with fury. “You’ll pay for this, McGowan.”

  “Saul…it’s over,” Mr. McGowan told him. “You’ve gone too far. Do the sensible thing and turn yourself in. Don’t let this become any messier than it already is.”

  “How could you ally yourself with him?” Saul demanded, gesturing to the Captain with his knife. “Jarvis would be disgusted with you.”

  “Saul, listen to Jeremy,” a cool voice said from the shadows. The Guards jumped, swivelling in all directions as they tried to locate the speaker.

  Suddenly, a group of hooded men and women appeared from the shadows, each clad in the same red cloaks as Saul and Mr. McGowan. At the head of the procession was a short but stocky figure, his demeanour and way of moving suggesting that he was the one in charge of the Society. The moment he saw him, Saul jumped, his manic grin faltering as he was humbled by the man’s presence.

  “Leader,” Saul greeted the speaker, bowing as low as he could manage. “Have I done you proud?”

  “Far from it,” the leader replied, ignoring Alfie and his ensemble as he circled the room, his speech directed at Saul. “You’ve gone against everything that we stood for, and you’ve exposed us. We’ll all be punished for this.”

  “I know that voice…” Alfie said slowly.

  Right on cue, the Society’s leader dropped his hood, revealing the plump face of a balding man in his mid-forties. Finley recognised him immediately as Pax Madden, the Head of Security aboard the Mayfly. Alfie’s body turned rigid with shock, the sight of one of his most trusted friends dressed head to toe in a sweeping, red robe freezing him to the spot.

  “You?” Alfie said quietly. “You’re the Leader?”

  “Yes,” Pax replied, his voice steady. “I am.”

  “I don’t understand” Alfie replied. “This betrayal is inexcusable.”

  “I suppose it is,” Pax nodded, “but you really didn’t give me much choice, Sir.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Alfie retorted.

  “It means,”
Pax replied, his tone dripping with disgust, “that your orders became a little bit difficult to comply with, Captain. Particularly when you asked me to convict innocent passengers of being a Vacuous, even if there was little or no evidence to support it. You didn’t care about the pain you were causing, as long as you could protect your image. Ordinary people were thrown from the ship on a whim. Nearly all of them from the Lower Floors. That isn’t leadership, Alfie. It’s murder.”

  “Liar,” Alfie hissed. “You tell yourself and your little followers whatever you need to. You and I both know what this is really about. You want the Mayfly for yourself. You always have.”

  “No, Alfie,” Pax shook his head. “You know the truth.”

  “Hold on…” Alfie said, his face reddening with anger. “You’ve been asking me for months if you could lead the investigation to find the Society of the Enlightened. You begged me to let you have that case. You were trying to trick me, weren’t you? String me along with false information so you could protect yourself and these other traitors.”

  “What does it matter now?” Pax sighed. “It’s over. Saul has made sure of that. No matter what I might think of you, Captain, I would never have ordered the kidnapping of your daughter. The Society used such tactics back on Earth. I never agreed with it. This has gone too far.”

  “On the contrary,” Saul replied, “I don’t think it’s gone far enough.”

  “Our plan has been ruined, Saul. The device you stole from Mayheim was supposed to give us control of the A.I on the ship, not free them and spur them into violence. People have died because of you. Now let the Captain’s daughter go before more innocent lives are lost.”

  “I don’t want to let her go,” Saul said softly, turning back to Lois, the knife still clasped in his hand. “The Captain must pay for everything he’s done.”

  “No!” Finley, Alfie and Will cried out in unison.

  “What did you plan to do, Saul?” Alfie asked him. “Govern a ship full of killer robots to Novum? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  Saul laughed humourlessly.