‘Carter, I’m so sorry about Jules.’ Her voice was tentative. She wasn’t certain how welcome her sympathy would be. ‘I didn’t know about… about her parents.’
His face darkened. ‘I missed her by minutes. She was supposed to go to one of the hiding rooms but she didn’t make it. By the time I got outside the car was gone. It happened so fast.’
Allie looked at him sadly. ‘I didn’t know her parents were…’
He shook his head. ‘I didn’t want to advertise it. Besides, you two…’
Hated each other.
‘Yeah,’ she said, ashamed. ‘I’m sorry about that, too. All that fighting… it seems so unimportant now.’ She turned to face him. ‘Do you think she’ll get away? Come back? She’s trained.’
He shook his head, a muscle flickering in his jaw. ‘I don’t know. Could we just… talk about something else?’
But what else was there to talk about?
When Raj walked through the door some time later they were all sitting in tense silence, waiting. He looked around the room, his eyes missing nothing.
‘Let’s go,’ he said.
‘All you do is put it in your ear, like headphones.’ Raj put a small silver device on Allie’s fingertip, and she placed it cautiously in her ear.
It felt cold against the sensitive flesh and she shivered. ‘Won’t it just fall out?’
‘Adjust it until it feels snug but don’t force it,’ he said.
She moved it until it seemed to fit. ‘I think it’s in there.’
‘This is your microphone.’ He showed her a tiny piece of what looked like black plastic no larger than the head of a pin. ‘Here. Lean forward.’
She did as he asked, and he stuck it to the fabric of her jacket, just below her jaw. She craned her neck to look for it – it was invisible.
He placed an earpiece in his own ear. ‘Say something.’
His voice rang from the device inside her ear and she flinched. ‘Wow. That is way too loud.’
‘It’s because I’m standing so close to you. The transmission is not strong – as soon as you leave the building my voice will seem faint to you but you should never lose contact at any point.’
Biting her lip, Allie nodded. They were standing at the end of the corridor, by the stairs leading out on to the grounds. She’d been through that door a hundred times in the last few months with the other Night School students. She knew the path she was about to take like the back of her hand. She knew where she was headed and what she was going to do. She was ready.
She’d never been more frightened.
As if he could see it on her face, Raj took her by the shoulders. The others were gathered behind them so he lowered his voice until only she could hear. ‘You’re sure you want to do this?’
Allie thought of Rachel, sitting at her library table bending over her chemistry books, glasses sliding down her nose. Throwing back her head to laugh at one of Allie’s bad jokes. Calmly explaining complex molecules. Running into her room when she had a nightmare.
Terrified, with blood running down her arm and Gabe holding the knife.
Lifting her chin she met Raj’s gaze with fierce eyes. She might be scared but she wasn’t about to back down. This was her chance to get the bastards who killed Jo. Beautiful, happy, crazy Jo. And who now wanted to kill Rachel.
They were all just pawns in Nathaniel’s game.
Allie was sick of being a pawn.
‘I’m ready.’
Her words were simple but her tone was eloquent – Raj didn’t ask her again.
‘OK.’ Stepping back, he looked at them all, pride in his eyes. ‘You know the plan. I know you can do this. Go out there. And bring her back.’
THIRTY-FOUR
A
llie walked along the dark path with quick purposeful steps, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. Her senses were so alert it felt as if her hair stood on end. She tingled with nervous anticipation.
Keep it together, Allie, she told herself. You can do this.
She thought of the way she’d felt when, just before she’d gone, Sylvain had pulled her into a rough hug. He’d whispered something to her in French and she hadn’t known what it meant and yet thought she understood, all at once.
She could do this.
The night was quiet. The only sounds were the thudding of her feet on the soft soil, the rapid pounding of her heart; her breath. The others should be in the woods around her by now, following her steps through the trees. But she didn’t hear a thing.
There was no moon – clouds obscured every star. The air felt heavy with impending rain. It was so dark she could barely see the path at her feet but she hesitated to use the torch that dangled from her hand. If she relied on the torch, its beam would be all she could see. Her eyes would adjust, but the darkness was so complete it was taking time.
Ahead, the path began to ascend, twisting and turning steeply, becoming rockier.
‘I’m at the hill.’ She whispered the words, lowering her head towards the tiny device affixed to her jacket.
‘Clear.’ Raj’s voice was steady and calm in her ear.