Raj called for questions.
‘This plan relies heavily on the cooperation of one of Nathaniel’s guards.’ Zelazny’s sharp voice cut through the low murmur of conversation in the room. ‘What’s your plan if this Moran sells you out? What if it’s not Carter who comes to the door but thirty of Nathaniel’s guards?’
It was a question he’d asked more than once in the car on the way back from the Chequers, and Raj was ready for it.
‘Then we fight.’ His voice was cool. ‘I’m bringing ten guards into the grounds. Twenty will remain hidden just outside the fence line. If I call for backup they are to move at speed to our location.’ He glanced at Isabelle. ‘I estimate we could have everyone on the grounds in less than twenty seconds. I’ve been watching the grounds for days. There are never more than fifteen security personnel on site. We will outnumber them two to one.’
Isabelle glanced at the history teacher. ‘Does that satisfy your concerns, August?’
‘It will have to do,’ the history teacher replied, but he didn’t sound mollified. Allie knew he was worried, and she couldn’t blame him.
Isabelle was already moving the conversation along, though. ‘What’s happening on the ground now, Raj? Dom?’
‘I have ten guards at various locations surrounding the farm – they’ve been there all day,’ Raj said. ‘They report normal activity. Nathaniel is not believed to be inside the house. He was seen to leave at 1600 hours. He has not returned. The house is quiet.’
Dom added, ‘Comms are normal at this time – no sign Moran’s warned them what we’re planning.’
Isabelle glanced at Raj. ‘Is there anything you need?’
He shook his head. ‘The vehicles are being fuelled and prepped now. We leave at midnight.’
The room had gone still. Everyone knew how important this moment was. Everyone knew what was at stake.
Isabelle turned to face the crowd, which now filled the converted classroom and spilled into the hallway. It seemed every person in the school had come to see what was happening.
‘This is a crucial operation.’ Her voice was strong but tinged with sombreness. ‘Our future depends on what happens tonight. Once we have Carter back, we can begin to plan our next steps as a school. As a family. For we are the family of Cimmeria Academy. This is our home.’ For a brief second her gaze met Allie’s. They both knew how short-lived this home could be. ‘I think we all realise it’s time to end this battle with Nathaniel once and for all. But we cannot do that until all our people are safe.’
She turned to Raj.
‘Bring Carter home. We’re counting on you.’
30
The planning continued into the night.
When Allie finally slipped outside for a breath of fresh air just after eleven o’clock, ten black cars were already parked on the long gravel drive. Waiting.
It was a cool, clear night, with a hint of autumn in the air. The moon hung low on the horizon, casting just enough light to see, but not enough to reveal what needed to remain disguised.
A perfect night for hiding, she thought.
It was so strange, what her life had become. She’d been Allie Sheridan, trouble-maker, angry girl. And now she was Allie Sheridan, heiress, fighter, rebel.
She wasn’t entirely certain how she’d got from there to here. It happened so fast.
With a sigh, she lowered herself down to the top step and pulled up her knees, wrapping her arms around them. She wondered if Carter could see the moon from his room in that farmhouse. If he knew they were coming.
If he believed in her as much as she believed in him.
She didn’t know how long she’d been there, lost in her thoughts, before a familiar French-accented voice broke the silence.
‘Are you afraid?’
Sylvain stood in the open doorway. The light framed him from behind, adding hints of gold to his wavy, brown hair.
Allie’s heart lurched.
He kept his eyes on the sky.
‘A little,’ she confessed.
It was a lie. In reality, her stomach was tied in knots. So much hinged on this night. Everything was in the balance. Carter’s life, most of all.
‘Me too.’ A self-conscious smile touched the corners of his lips. ‘It’s a dangerous plan. Maybe we’re foolish to trust this man.’ For the first time he met her gaze. ‘But every courageous person is also a fool, no? You have to be stupid to jump out of a plane. Or climb a mountain.’
It was oddly nice to talk to him. She’d missed his accent. His oddly formal way of speaking.
I will hate it, she realised, if we can’t figure out how to be friends.
She stood up, to be on the same level as him. ‘What do you really think? Is this going to work?’
His turned his gaze back to the moon.
‘I don’t know. I hope so. For Carter’s sake. But there’s no way to know with Nathaniel involved. Everything is a game to him. And he always seems to predict our next move.’