And that was what she needed right now. Still, it sucked. And she had to tell Rachel soon.
She slipped the earphones over her head and plugged them into the laptop. The room disappeared, replaced by the harsh male tones of Nathaniel’s world.
The voices of his guards were increasingly familiar. Some had such distinctive personalities, she felt like she was getting to know them.
The guard known as Nine was the most interesting – he seemed grumpy and bitter, but also funny and irreverent. He really didn’t like Nathaniel or Gabe at all.
Six, on the other hand, was whiny and unpleasant. He seemed the type to toady to anyone in power. Sucking up to anyone who could help him get more power himself.
He made her skin crawl.
When, after half an hour of idle chit-chat among minor guards, Nine’s gravelly voice appeared in her headphones, Allie was secretly pleased.
‘What’s the news?’ His question was apparently directed at anyone who happened to be listening.
The others ribbed him. ‘What kind of time do you call this?’ one of them asked him.
Allie recognised the voice as belonging to Five. He sounded younger than the others, and he and Nine often teased each other in a way that indicated they might be friends.
‘I call it early enough,’ Nine growled good-humouredly.
Then Six’s nasal voice interrupted them.
‘Our man is up.’ He sounded smug. ‘Back on his feet. One says he’s his old self.’
Allie straightened, instantly alert.
She typed, Nathaniel is better, into her laptop.
‘Hallelujah,’ Nine replied dryly. ‘Does this mean we’re getting on with things? Are we all through crying?’
‘There’s a meeting at 1700,’ Six said, ignoring his sarcasm. ‘At headquarters. You should be there. Things are happening.’
‘Well, miracles never cease,’ Nine said. ‘Maybe we’ll get to do something useful at last.’
A voice she didn’t recognise spoke up. ‘Hey Six – any idea what’s going on?’
There was a pause.
‘All I can tell you is something’s happening,’ Six said, clearly pleased to be the one in the know. ‘Tonight. We’re making a move.’
Allie took the news straight to Dom. By the time five o’clock arrived that evening, the office was packed.
Isabelle and Raj were there, along with several of Raj’s guards, Zelazny and Eloise. Dom put Nathaniel’s comms through the wall speakers so everyone in the room could hear. Then they waited.
The minutes ticked by slowly. Allie began to doubt herself. Maybe they hadn’t said 1700. Maybe she’d overblown the importance of what she’d heard.
When it reached six o’clock, and still not one guard had spoken, the mood in the room changed from eager curiosity to disappointment.
Raj turned to Allie. ‘You’re certain they said five o’clock?’
Despite her unspoken doubts, Allie nodded. ‘Positive.’
The instructors exchanged dubious looks.
‘Could they still be in the meeting?’ Eloise asked.
No one replied.
An hour was a long time just for Nathaniel to give his guards an assignment. If Allie had been right about the meeting time, something was definitely up.
Sylvain walked up to Raj and murmured something too quietly for her to hear. Raj nodded, looking at his watch.
‘We’ll give it five more minutes,’ he said.
Allie looked away quickly, but she could feel Sylvain looking at her. There was no way he hadn’t noticed she’d been avoiding him by this point.
At that moment, a voice rumbled from the speakers. ‘Well, that was illuminating.’
Allie’s breath caught.
It was Nine. Sarcastic as ever.
‘Wasn’t it just?’ Five sounded amused.
‘Well,’ Nine sighed, ‘I guess that’s me cancelling all my plans for tonight. I had big plans, too, with that hot blonde from the other night…’
‘Copy that.’ The other man snorted a laugh. ‘She’ll have to wait while we go pay the boss’ family a little visit.’
Allie stiffened. The family? Does he mean Nathaniel’s family?
Across the room she saw Raj pull his phone from his pocket.
The only family Nathaniel had left was Isabelle.
The headmistress stood very still, one hand gripping the back of the chair in front of her, listening intently.
‘When are we rolling out?’ Nine’s voice was loud in the frozen silence of the room. ‘Did he say eleven?’
‘That’s affirmative,’ Five replied.
‘Just let me powder my nose,’ Nine said. ‘And I’m good to go.’
The two fell silent.
Isabelle turned to Raj. She looked pale, but when she spoke her voice was steady. ‘Eleven, then.’
He headed for the door at speed, his phone pressed to his ear. His reply was crisp.
‘We’ll be ready.’
Allie was still hunched over the computer an hour later, earphones pressed to her head, when Eloise tapped her on the shoulder.
‘I want you to take a break,’ the Night School trainer said. ‘It’s dinner time. And you’ve been here too long already.’
‘I’m fine,’ Allie insisted. ‘I’m not hungry.’