‘You don’t know that, Carter. He lies. He killed Jo…’
‘I know.’ His tone was measured. ‘But we have no reason to believe he killed Rachel.’
‘The blood.’ Allie pointed at Emma who now sat with Nicole, who’d cleaned her face with bottled water and draped her own jumper around her. Staring at them all mutely, the girl appeared to be in shock. ‘Where did it come from?’
‘It’s Rachel’s,’ Nicole said. ‘But the wound Emma describes sounds superficial.’
‘That much blood was from a superficial wound?’ Allie’s voice was sceptical.
Sylvain crouched down in front of her; his blue eyes dark in the shadows. ‘He cut Rachel’s arm with a knife. And smeared the blood on Emma. He said it would –’ He stopped, his jaw tense, and Allie saw that he was fighting to control his temper. ‘He said it would get your attention.’
‘I hate him,’ Zoe muttered to herself, stabbing at the ground with a piece of wood she’d picked up somewhere.
Still holding on to Emma, Nicole leaned forward to catch Allie’s gaze. ‘Emma says he made a bandage for Rachel’s wounds and the cuts were not deep. Allie, he wouldn’t be so careful if he intended to kill her.’
‘The thing I can’t figure out is how Nathaniel got into the building in the first place,’ Carter said. ‘How did no one see him? Is our security that weak?’
Allie rubbed her face tiredly. ‘The drivers. Isabelle said the drivers were all Nathaniel’s guards. That’s how they got in. They walked in together, in a crowd. It caused such chaos they couldn’t keep track.’
‘And one of them was Nathaniel.’ Sylvain said bitterly. ‘It’s so brazen – it’s just his style.’
‘They didn’t get a chance to count them in and out, then.’ Carter’s jaw tightened. ‘Some of them could still be in the building.’
‘That’s why Isabelle said we had to stay down here,’ Allie said.
‘I don’t care. We have to get out of here.’ Jumping up, Zoe threw the stick across the cellar. It bounced off something in the shadows and hit the floor with a thud. ‘We have to tell Raj about Rachel. He’ll know what to do.’
Pressing her fingertips against her forehead, Allie tried to make herself think. ‘Should we tell him, though?’
The others stared.
‘Of course we have to tell him, Allie,’ Nicole said. ‘She’s his daughter.’
Do not bring Raj Patel or Isabelle or any of the instructors or guards…
Thinking of Nathaniel’s words, Allie felt cold inside, as if ice water ran through her veins instead of blood. But she had to stay focused. For Rachel.
‘He’ll want to run out there to fight Nathaniel,’ she said. ‘And if he does that, Rachel will die.’
Sylvain and Carter exchanged a look.
‘What do you think?’ Sylvain asked.
‘I don’t know…’ Carter sounded worried.
‘He’s tactical.’ Sylvain reminded him. ‘Always tactics.’
‘Yeah, but this is his daughter,’ Carter said.
Allie looked back and forth between them as they worked it out. They knew Raj better than she did. Better than any of the students. They’d been working with him nearly every day for months.
‘Even then’ – Sylvain’s voice was firm – ‘he believes in strategy. He’ll be able to handle it.’
After a second, Carter nodded and turned to Allie.
‘Sylvain’s right. We should trust Raj. He’s too smart to just rush out without thinking it through, even if it’s Rachel. He’ll help us plan.’
Allie held Sylvain’s gaze. ‘You’re certain?’
He didn’t hesitate. ‘I’m positive.’
She trusted him. ‘Then let’s get Raj.’
First, though, someone had to get out of the cellar.
‘Isabelle says the cellar is safe because Raj’s guards are all around it – they know we’re down here,’ Allie explained. ‘If they’re around us there must be some way to find them.’
Zoe looked around the circle. ‘Let me do it.’
Everyone objected at once, their voices making an echoed cacophony, but Zoe held up her hands. Her determination made her face look more grown up.
‘Look, I’m small and fast. I won’t go into the main buildings. I’ll search the stairwells and corridors – all the places they could be guarding. I’ll find them.’
‘No!’ They all said it together.
Her face reddening, Zoe glared at them. ‘I could do this better than you. Do not forbid me just because I’m young and a girl.’
A heavy silence followed.
Carter gave in first. ‘I think we should let her.’
Allie’s chest tightened. ‘Carter, no…’
‘She’s faster than any of us.’ Nicole took his side.
‘Sylvain…’ Allie appealed to him, but, although his expression was sympathetic, he shook his head.
‘I agree with the others.’
After a quick discussion about where she should go, Zoe leaped to her feet to head towards the stairs but, as she did so, Sylvain caught her arm. Pulling her closer, he whispered something to her.