The Unleashed Read online

  “Are you okay in there, Mina?” she called.

  “I’m fine,” I lied. I trembled all over.

  “The clothes are on your bed.” I heard her step out of the bedroom and close the door.

  “Okay, thanks.”

  I let out a long breath. Had I imagined it? I shook my head. It couldn’t be possible. Why would my mum be with her? I leaned over the sink and splashed cool water over my face, trying to rid myself of that groggy feeling clouding my every thought. Could I even trust what was real anymore? I felt so alone and frightened. This wasn’t the home I’d imagined. Not with Mrs Murgatroyd here.

  15 ~ Angela ~

  “You a long way from ‘ome little ‘uns?” The man grinned from ear to ear, revealing yellowed and rotting teeth. His straggly black hair fell forward onto his face. He wore soiled clothing, ripped and hanging from him in shreds, with a long piece of wood slipped into his belt hooks. An ugly red scar ran from forehead to cheek, slashed through eyebrow and over nose. He was the ugliest man Angela had ever seen. He reminded her of the kind of men that lived in the slums in Area 14. She shuddered as she thought about the time Mina was attacked. “Yer don’t want t’be hangin’ out alone round ‘ere. Owt could ‘appen t’yer,” continued the man. The wrinkles deepened around his eyes as his smile stretched even wider.

  Cam got to his feet, and reached for his pocket, letting his hand hover over the gun. Angela wanted to reach out and pull him back from that horrible man. Her palms grew clammy despite the cool morning air.

  “Who are ye?” Cam said.

  The man scrutinised him from head to toe. “You Scottish or summat? I ‘ant heard that accent fer a long time. What yer doin’ down ‘ere then?”

  “Travellin’,” Cam answered. His hand remained close to his gun.

  Sebastian nudged Ginge awake, and she reached for her rifle.

  “Woah now… hang on. There’s no need fer guns. I ‘ant come ‘ere fer no shootin’.” He held his hands up in front of him. “Yer’ve no need t’be scared of an old fool like me, ‘ave yer?” He laughed.

  Cam’s hands relaxed. Ginge moved her head up from her rifle, but kept a finger on the trigger. The old man nodded eagerly at the change in atmosphere.

  “Tha’s right. Put yer guns down now. I’m just ‘ere fer a little chat, tha’s all. Nowt t’worry about, is it?”

  “What’s yer name?” said Cam. He stood stock still in front of the man. Angela wished he’d move away. Her eyes flitted between them both – waiting and watching for danger.

  “Me name’s ‘arry.” He took a mocking bow, still grinning. “Please t’make yer acquaintance.”

  His voice was polite enough, but Angela didn’t trust him. You didn’t grow up in the ghettos of Area 14 without learning who not to trust. His smile hid a thousand lies.

  “What is it you want from us, Harry,” Sebastian said.

  “Who says I want owt?” the man said indignantly. “Who says I ain’t just passing through? Eh?”

  “Ye would’ve left us be,” Cam pointed out.

  Harry tilted his head to one side as though considering Cam’s argument. “I s’pose yer might’ve got me there.”

  She held her breath as Cam’s hand moved towards the gun in his pocket. If anything happened to him…

  “Now then, lad. Yer want t’be careful.” His grin faded into a straight line.

  “Why’s that? Ah’ve got the rifle,” Ginge spoke up.

  Harry eyed Ginge. “Aye. But I’ve got me own back-up.”

  Angela’s throat went dry. Her eyes drifted to the trees and rocks around them. A dozen men emerged from behind those stray trees, large rocks, knolls and the forest. Each of them carried a weapon – from rifles to axes to machetes. Her heart sank as she realised they were surrounded. Ginge swore and lowered her rifle.

  “Now there’s a good lass,” said Harry. “Let’s see what else we ‘ave ‘ere shall we?” He frisked Cam and pulled the gun from his pocket. “Up yer get, lass.” He said to Angela.

  Cam’s eyes shone fiercely. “No. Yer not touching her. She’s not carryin’.”

  Harry met Cam’s eyes. “I’ll be the judge of that, lad. An’ I won’t ‘urt ‘er.”

  Angela pulled herself up and straightened her back – trying to ignore her shaking legs. Her breath came out fast; quickening as he stepped towards her. The thought of him touching her made her stomach churn, but she remained strong for Cam. As Harry placed his hands on her waist, Cam’s face coloured scarlet, and his hands balled into fists. Angela twisted her head away from his rancid breath. His hands roamed freely over her body, and she suppressed a shudder.

  “Lucky one in’t yer?” Harry winked at Cam.

  Cam’s face contorted with rage. His eyes hardened with intent and Angela knew what he was about to do. She threw herself between the two men, and seized Cam’s shirt to keep him away from Harry. The men tensed; raising their weapons.

  “Cam, don’t.”

  Harry laughed as Cam let out a frustrated growl. The Moorlanders pushed Cam back. Harry just shook his head with laughter and moved onto the others. After confiscating their guns, the other men bound everyone’s hands so tightly that they didn’t budge no matter how hard Angela wriggled. A scrawny man with dirty blond hair and no teeth bent down to shackle her legs, and left just enough length to walk. All the time Cam watched the man with furious eyes popping from his skull.

  “What we doin’ with ‘em, ‘Arry,” said a tall man with a rifle. His ice blue eyes stood out – pale and wide – against his filthy skin. He pinched Angela’s cheek. “This ‘uns carryin’ a bit o’weight. Could get a decent price fer ‘er.”

  “An’ it’s all in the right places too!” said another. They all burst out laughing.

  “Get yer hands off her,” Cam exploded.

  The man laughed. “What yer gonna do about it?”

  “As soon as ah’m outta these ropes, ah’ll come fer ye, an’ ah’ll hunt ye down, an’ ah’ll cut yer filthy hands off yer body,” said Cam in a quiet voice filled with venom.

  Every part of Angela’s body chilled as she realised what they could do to her. She had a lot to fear from these men, and not just her life. Bile rose in her throat.

  Cam held eye contact with the scrawny man, and the atmosphere became hostile. It was only Sebastian who broke it.

  “You’re going to take us to Area 14, of course,” he said.

  Harry chuckled. “Hark at this one calling the shots. An’ why are we gonna do that, lad? Are yer gonna be huntin’ us down an’ cuttin’ our ‘ands off an’ all?”

  “No, you’re going to take us to Area 14 because my father is the Commander, and he’ll be extremely pleased to see his only son.”

  Harry picked his rotten teeth before he answered. “An’ I’m s’posed t’believe you am I? A kid I’ve tied up? A kid wi’ nowt t’bargain wi’? Yer’d say owt t’get outta them chains.”

  “Find out for yourself,” Sebastian said. He held his chin high and spoke with confidence. “Take us to Commander Cole and let him decide. Either way, we’re escapees from the Scottish border. He’ll be glad to take us into custody and I’m sure there will be a reward for you and your men.”

  “Or I could sell yer on the slave trade.”

  Angela’s eyes widened. She’d never heard of the slave trade. What would they be sold for? She shuddered at the thought.

  Harry watched their reactions. “Oh, aye, there’s slaves. Us Moorlanders like t’keep us-selves to us-selves, but the ones over the Dales,” he shook his head, “they in’t so kind. An’ sometimes they like t’buy whatever it is we ‘ave on offer. I’m thinkin’ tha’ I’ve got a lot t’offer ‘em now.”

  “An’ ye can trust ‘em can ye?” Ginge said. “They don’t rip ye off an’ run off with ye folk?” Harry’s face remained a mask with a frozen, unfriendly smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Aye, ah thought so. Who would ye rather deal with? An honourable man? Or the kind o’men who own slaves.”

  He ap
proached Ginge, pushing his disgusting face into hers. She didn’t move an inch. Sebastian shuffled forward, tripping over his chains. They slowed him enough to allow a Moorlander to block him with ease. The dirty man held Sebastian away from Ginge, laughing as he tried to break free.

  “I’d rather deal wi’men who can’t arrest me, pretty girl,” Harry said.

  Ginge leaned towards him so that their noses almost touched. “But they can kill ye.”

  Harry didn’t move for what seemed like hours. A trickle of sweat snaked down Angela’s temple as she waited for someone to talk. She kept a cautious eye on Cam, worried he would do something rash if Harry didn’t step away from Ginge.

  Ginge had presented a good argument, and one the Moorlanders should consider. If they really did keep themselves to themselves, they wouldn’t want to deal with these people from the Dales if they didn’t have to. She scanned the men; they were thin, their clothes hanging from their bodies. It had been a hot, dry summer and at the farm in the Compound they’d struggled with the crops. These men were hungry – starving. They needed food. One way or another they would use Angela and the others as a means to get that food. Her legs felt like jelly at the thought.

  Harry finally moved away from Ginge. He gestured to the scrawny men. “We’re movin’ off. Mek sure them lot follow close an’ don’t try owt stupid.”

  “Which way we headin’ boss?” asked the scrawny man. He prodded Cam with his rifle; forcing him onwards. Angela hated to see him touch Cam like that.

  “Area 14. That’s where we’re headin’.” He spun on his heel and started towards the road.

  16 ~ Daniel

  The van travelled over rough terrain and through sparse woods towards the London border. Each moment closer frayed Daniel’s nerves. Adrenaline surged through his body, waiting to be released. He couldn’t sit still. He tapped his fingers against his knees, and he shuffled against the wall of the van, all the time wishing for Mina to be there beside him. She made him still.

  Mike chattered in a rushed and worried stream of words as everyone else sat silently. He told them about why the Resistance hid out in church basements. After the Fracture, many religious organisations remained the only powerful allies to the Resistance. They provided a ruse of support to the GEM; often piling money into their cause. But at the same time, they abhorred the Ministry and everything it stood for.

  According to Mike, the Resistance was made up of many different kinds of people, all with their own agenda for hating the GEM. The words filtered through Daniel’s fear – distant and vague.

  The truck crept on through the trees – which Ali swerved around using his quick reflexes – and slowed down as the trees thinned into a clearing. The headlights of the van bounced up and down over the forest floor; lighting their way in the dead of night. Ali had arranged for them to meet at the checkpoint on the border at midnight to give them the darkness as cover.

  He flicked off the headlights and let the truck roll forward a few more feet before stopping and pulling up the handbrake.

  “We should walk it from here,” he said. “Take handguns only, an’ conceal them. We dunnae want te be arrested within five minutes.”

  Daniel took a small pistol and placed it in the belt of his jeans. When he pulled his shirt over the unfamiliar bulge, his hands shook, and he had to take a deep breath. Escaping from Area 14 was one thing… but breaking into London? That was serious. He helped Hiro out of the van and held his hand, keeping the boy close.

  “Stay by my side, okay?”

  Hiro nodded. Mina would want him to look after Hiro. It was a weight off his mind to know the boy was safe.

  Ali took them to the edge of the woods. “We’re after a loose panel on the wall,” he said. “The Resistance bombed this section a few months ago, an’ the GEM have boarded it up wi’ steel sheets instead o’bricks. We have te get te the panel an’ stay there ‘til the clock strikes midnight. Then we knock on that panel an’ a Resistance member disguised as an Enforcer is gonnae let us through. It’s risky, all right? Ye got te do everythin’ I say.”

  Daniel nodded firmly. He watched the others follow suit.

  “What if we get split up?” asked the Professor.

  “Make a run fer it,” he replied. “There’s a church three miles away from the panel in the wall, or so Dale tells me. It’s called St Francis, an’ that’s where we’ll be goin’ with the Resistance. If ye get split up head fer there. Stick te shadows, an’ don’t get caught.”

  More nods. Daniel’s palms sweated.

  Ali led them through the darkness of the forest, and as the trees cleared, Daniel saw the great wall looming down. Painted murals of the Blemished stared down at him from the side of the structure – just like in Area 14. Long necked floodlights craned up from the tops of the wall. These should have lit up the area, but many were either turned off, or pointed inwards towards the city. It made it easier to move through the shadows. He wondered why there were so few lights, perhaps the GEM were losing money, or choosing to spend it elsewhere. Perhaps they weren’t as powerful as they used to be. He wanted those rumours to be true.

  They stayed close to the wall. Daniel’s shoulder brushed the rough brick, and he smelled the earthy scent of the moss and vines growing up the wall. Hiro’s hand felt tiny and warm inside his. Their sides bumped together when they walked – each step brought them closer to enemy land. Ali led the group, his finger trailing along the wall. He checked for the change in surface that signified the weak spot in the border. Every now and then, Daniel touched the wall with his fingertips, and felt the damp cool of brick. Ahead of him, Kitty’s head darted in different directions before whispering information in Ali’s ear. Kitty tasted the trails of Enforcers over the other side of the wall. Hiro stared up at him and nodded. Daniel’s pulse raced. A few years ago he would have loved the adrenaline rush of breaking the law; now he just felt sick at the thought of being arrested and not being able to help Mina.

  Ali stopped, and the group froze behind him. Hiro’s quick breaths broke the eerie quiet. An owl hooted deep in the forest, and Daniel clutched Hiro’s hand tighter. Ali’s palm moved along the wall and stopped – they were close.

  Daniel moved forward so he could see more clearly. It seemed as though the bottom panel was a different material to the rest. It didn’t have the same wear and tear, or mottled rust as the others. This panel had been replaced recently. Ali gently pushed the metal sheet and it moved under his touch. As it fell back in place it squeaked and shuddered against the metal behind. Daniel held his breath, waiting for the Enforcers on the other side of the wall. He glanced at Kitty and Mike, but they shook their heads. There was no one there. For now. Ali lifted his wrist so that the others could see the digital numbers lit up in green through the dark. It was two minutes to midnight.

  Daniel stared at Ali’s watch. The seconds ticked away as quickly as his heartbeat. He felt the tension in every muscle in his body. They only had this one chance. He’d never thought it possible. How could a Blemished get into London? They were crazy for doing this – crazy.

  At ten seconds he held his breath. Ali glanced around at everyone. Daniel gestured for him to go for it, but his stomach and guts told a different story. Ali knelt down to examine the wall, and time seemed to stand still. He rapped on the loose panel. They waited. Kitty stared anxiously at the wall. She tasted something. Hiro pulled on Daniel’s hand and he saw Hiro smiling. That was a good sign. Hiro would be able to tell if there was anyone who wished the group harm.

  When the panel lifted up, Daniel’s heart leapt into his mouth. He’d become so accustomed to the silence, that the slight scrape of metal turned his insides into jelly. Hiro chuckled lightly, and Daniel blushed into the dark. When did he become a nervous wreck?

  Ali ducked through the panel first. The others followed until Daniel and Jonathon remained. Daniel moved to the older man to let him through, but Jonathon shook his head; gesturing for Daniel to go. He ducked through the small gap in the wal
l to join the others. Something about Mina’s father’s sunken face haunted him.

  At first, Daniel almost hurled himself at the Enforcer standing on the other side, ready to battle him to the ground and win his laser gun. Then he remembered that the Resistance member would be greeting them in disguise. He gestured his thanks and greeting, before taking in the surroundings. They’d come to a wide road between the walls – a little like a courtyard. The second wall stood tall, like a colossal shadow. He couldn’t imagine there being any weak spots or holes.

  Jonathon climbed through, and the man in the Enforcer suit carefully dropped the panel back into place. Then he silently moved towards a small electric car, opened the boot and tossed Enforcer suits to each member of the group.

  “What about the kid?” Ali asked, pointing to Hiro.

  The man in the suit gestured to the car boot, and Hiro’s eyes widened in the dark.

  “No,” Daniel said. “He can’t go in there.”

  Ali gave a dramatic shrug in annoyance. “What choice de we have?”

  “It’s okay, I’ll be fine,” Hiro said.

  “If you hear anything suspicious,” Daniel said low enough for just Hiro to hear. “If you’re scared or hurt or anything, I want you to knock three times. I’ll sit near so I can hear you, okay?”

  “Okay,” he replied.

  Daniel helped Hiro into the boot then pulled on the Enforcer clothes. The leather warmed his body, and gave him a sense of claustrophobia. They were tight but flexible. He pulled the helmet over his head, and realised with surprise, that you could see clearly through the glass, despite its dark colouring. A retractable visor fitted over his eyes, and a filter allowed him to breathe easily. It was lightweight and very comfortable; not at all what he’d imagined. When the man in the Enforcer suit handed him a laser gun, he realised things were serious.

  He climbed into the back seat and positioned himself close to the boot. Kitty and Mike sat with him. Jonathon took the front with Matthew. Ali gripped a hand hold on top of the boot, sitting on the shelf at the back. It was more like a big cart then a car. A larger version of those things GEM people used on golf courses. It trundled along the road making little noise, its headlights two tiny lamps in the shadows. Daniel pressed his hand against the back of his seat so he could feel – if not hear – Hiro knocking.