Night School: Resistance (Night School 4)

‘Oh good. You’re here. I must say I very much admire your promptness, Allie. I’m afraid I was rather early. Carter.’ Including him in her enigmatic gaze, she held out one self-assured hand.

After a brief hesitation he walked up, shaking her hand with careful deference.

‘I’ve heard a lot about you,’ Lucinda said. ‘In many ways, you’re one of the reasons we’re here today. You are what we’re fighting for.’ Her eyes swept across him with a sceptical look. ‘I do hope you’re worth all of this.’

Before Carter could ask what she was talking about, Allie stepped forward. ‘Where’s Jerry? I thought he was with you.’

‘He’s here.’ Lucinda’s tone was dry. ‘I can assure you of that.’

It was clear she wasn’t going to reveal more. Allie let it go but worry twisted inside her.

Turning a wrist, her grandmother glanced at her watch. ‘Your timekeeping may be good, but I wouldn’t say much for Nathaniel’s …’

‘Oh, Lucinda.’ Nathaniel’s familiar voice came from behind them. Allie and Carter spun round to see him walking along the hilltop path in their direction. ‘Must you be so critical?’

His tone was sardonic. Familiar. He looked utterly comfortable, strolling along the lip of the hill, hands casually in his pockets.

Not for the first time, Allie marvelled at how normal he looked. How unthreatening. He was a little shorter than Carter with a medium build. His thick dark hair was neatly combed. His dark grey suit and crisp white shirt looked expensive but not flashy. He wore no tie and that made him look even more ordinary. But everything about his appearance was far too precise to be normal.

Her heart began to race but she forced herself to stay still. Look calm. Next to her, Carter hadn’t moved a muscle.

She scanned the surrounding woods for any sign of Raj or his team but found nothing.

They were alone with him.

‘Nathaniel,’ Lucinda admonished, ‘you should announce yourself. Did I teach you nothing?’

She spoke in tones of mild irritation, as if he’d turned up late for dinner at her club. Allie could see no sign of discomfort in her expression or stance. Instead, she actually looked pleased – her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright. As if he’d done something amusing.

She likes this, Allie realised. The game. The high stakes. This is her world.

‘Always the professor.’ Nathaniel laughed, and it was not an unpleasant sound. He brushed his left sleeve twice. And then his right sleeve. His movements were identical in both cases.

She was reminded of Katie’s belief that he had OCD.

He strolled up to them, as if they were friends about to have a picnic in the park.

Suddenly he turned to look at Allie, his eyes clear and interested. ‘Allie. You look well.’

She’d been this close to him only once before, and that time he’d held a knife to her throat.

Her mouth went dry and she couldn’t seem to speak.

Carter took a deliberate step to his right, placing his body between them.

Clearly intrigued, Nathaniel cocked his head to one side. ‘And who might you be?’

‘I don’t think I’m required to tell you anything.’ Carter didn’t attempt to hide the dislike in his tone.

‘Oh, I think you are, actually.’ Nathaniel’s gaze sharpened. He didn’t look so nice any more. ‘This is my party. I set the rules. Your name.’ He snapped his fingers. ‘What is it?’

‘Nathaniel,’ Lucinda interceded. ‘May I introduce Carter West? Carter? Nathaniel. Now can we get on with what we came here for?’

But Nathaniel wasn’t ready to move on. He studied Carter with new interest. ‘So you’re the famous Carter West. How intriguing. I’ve heard so much about you. Somehow I’d expected you to be … I don’t know. Bigger.’ He paused, stroking his thumb across his cheek thoughtfully. ‘Actually, haven’t we met before?’

Carter didn’t reply. He just stared at him with icy contempt. He betrayed no fear but Allie saw a muscle twitch in his jaw.

The last time Nathaniel had seen Carter was the night Gabe nearly killed him.

‘Now I remember.’ Nathaniel straightened as if the memory had just occurred to him. ‘It was at the castle. I am sorry about that. Gabe went too far … again. He is so difficult.’

Still, Carter said nothing. Allie admired his self-control, but she didn’t share it.

‘The last time I saw you, you stabbed me in the arm,’ she said, taking a step towards Nathaniel. ‘Remember that?’

‘Allie,’ Lucinda said reprovingly. ‘Remember your promise.’

Unexpectedly, though, Nathaniel looked apologetic. And when he spoke, some of the cockiness left his voice.

‘That was truly accidental, Allie,’ he said. ‘You moved too quickly for me to pull the knife back in time. I had no intention of hurting you. I’m very sorry it happened.’

Allie stared at him in mute surprise. If there was one thing she hadn’t expected from him tonight it was humility.

‘I was glad to hear you were not badly injured,’ he continued. ‘That night did not go as expected.’