Fractured A Slated Novel

Chapter TWENTY NINE



* * *





A surprise waits when I open the front door. Dad, on the sofa, feet up; Amy next to him chattering about her week. Mum reading a book on a chair. Three sets of eyes swivel and stare.

Mum shuts her book. Frowns. ‘That was a long walk.’

‘Sorry, I—’

‘Give her a chance to come in and say hello,’ Dad says. ‘I haven’t seen her for a week.’ He holds out his hand and I walk over; he takes mine and pulls me closer, kisses my cheek.

‘Sit down, join us,’ he says, and I perch on the other end of the sofa next to Amy.

‘Where did you go?’ Mum asks.

Dad shakes his head. ‘Can’t the poor girl go for an afternoon walk without getting the third degree?’

Mum frowns, and there is atmosphere: waves of disturbed emotion in the air so real I can almost reach out and touch them.

‘You haven’t been on footpaths on your own, have you?’ she says.

‘No,’ I answer, truthfully. Not today. The only footpath I ventured down was with Aiden.

‘It’s not safe. They haven’t caught whoever attacked that Wayne Best yet,’ she continues. ‘You need to be careful, and—’

‘Now, Sandra,’ Dad says. ‘She says she wasn’t on footpaths.’

Amy and I both look at him, eyes wide in surprise. Mum visibly bristles, as if she is a hedgehog and her spines are sticking out everywhere. Dad, on my side? And Mum, her face a picture of suspicion. She doesn’t trust me.

I venture in. ‘Honestly, no. I just went along to the Hall and back. On the road.’ I’d calculated in my mind how far that was and the time I was gone, and it was about right.

‘I thought you said you had homework, and just needed a short walk to clear your head?’

‘I wasn’t going to go that far. But it is such a nice day…’ And my voice trails away. Even to me that doesn’t sound convincing.

‘Don’t neglect your homework,’ Dad says. Something else lurks behind his eyes.

‘I should go up now,’ I say, and start getting to my feet.

The set of Mum’s face says this isn’t over.

‘Wait a moment,’ Dad says. ‘Now we’re all here we can have a family meeting about AMD.’ I look at him blankly. ‘Armstrong Memorial Day,’ he says.

‘It’s up to both of you,’ Mum says. ‘If you want to come.’

Dad snorts. ‘Of course they’re coming.’ He turns to Amy and me. ‘It’s a huge celebration this year: twenty-five years since the assassinations, and thirty years of the Central Coalition in power. It’s at Chequers. The Prime Minister’s country house,’ he adds, looking at me.

‘What is happening?’ I ask.

Mum answers. ‘First up, the usual ceremony inside Chequers, live on telly like every year. That is family only, so just all of us and a film crew. Sympathy of the nation, speech from grieving daughter, blah blah blah.’

Dad raises an eyebrow at her tone.

She continues. ‘And then, as a special celebration this year, the Prime Minister will be there for a second televised ceremony in the grounds of Chequers, to be held at the exact time the treaty was signed to form the Central Coalition thirty years ago. Government officials and the rich and famous will all be there to celebrate. After that there will be a long and boring dinner.’

Government officials…Lorders.

‘You need to come for the ceremonies, really,’ Mum says, regret in her voice.

‘It’s an honour!’ Dad adds.

‘But you can skip the dinner if you want to,’ Mum says. A look on her face suggests that would be wise. She still holds me in her gaze, some uncertainty hiding behind her bland look.

‘Can I be excused? Homework,’ I say.

‘Go on, then,’ Dad says.

I start up the stairs. What is up with these two? Mum is full of suspicion, Dad is chilled. Have they had a body swap?

And further joy: Lorder ceremonies, ones I have to go to.

Lorder ceremonies. Ones very hard to get into, unless you are in the family. This family. I stop at the top of the stairs, frozen in place by the clink of puzzle pieces clicking together in my brain.

Nico said I must stay in my life for a while longer; that I have a vital role to play. Is this it? Something to do with Armstrong Memorial Day?

Concerted attacks, Nico said. What better day to choose? The Lorders will be on high alert, but I can get in. I’ll be there!

I force my feet to take the last few steps, go into my room. Pull the door shut.

Before any of this goes down, I have to warn Ben. Get him away safe so Coulson can’t take any anger at me out on him. I hold Ben’s face, inside, as I saw him today. He is alive. My tears earlier were misplaced. Okay, so I didn’t get to talk to him, touch him, feel he still breathes, that blood pumps from his heart through his body. But I saw him. He lives. For now, that is enough.

I am grateful to Aiden for finding him, but he couldn’t be more wrong than to think I will get involved with MIA. He thinks I’m torn between reporting myself found on MIA, and doing nothing. If he only knew I am in a much more dangerous place: caught between Lorders and Free UK.

What next?

It is a waiting game, Aiden said. Wait until he finds out more about Ben and his situation, how to get me to him safely.

But I can’t wait long. Coulson hinted Ben is alive, so that much of what he said is true. He also hinted he won’t stay that way unless I do as he wants. But he doesn’t know I know where he is.

In the meantime…Nico must think I’m on his side. Coulson must think I’m on his. Neither can find out what I do for the other.

It is like two high-speed trains, hurtling towards each other, getting closer and closer to disaster.

Late that night, Nico’s com buzzes from its hiding place under my Levo. Awake in an instant, I fumble for the button in the dark.

‘Yes?’ I whisper.

‘Okay to talk?’

‘Quietly.’

‘The RTC attack will be tomorrow. But there is one condition if you go.’

‘What is that?’

‘Rain, you must do exactly what Katran says. Do you promise?’

He’ll love that. But what choice do I have? I promise, then listen to Nico’s precise instructions.

Train number one leaves the station.