Underground (9 page)

‘Luke!' And then I heard her grunt, like she'd just been punched in the gut.

I headed for the room at the end of the hall, a lump in my throat. A figure stepped into the doorway, blocking my path. Not a security guard. A wiry, dark-haired boy with one arm in a sling. Mike.

He smirked at the look on my face. ‘Come on, man. Did you really think the overseers would let you off that easy?'

Chapter 11

T
UESDAY
, J
UNE
30
44
DAYS

‘Let her go,' I said, brandishing the fruit tin at him.

Mike whipped out his uninjured hand. ‘Drop it.'

He was clutching a nasty-looking kitchen knife.

‘Whoa – Mike – Come on –'

‘
Now,'
said Mike, hand twitching. He was shaking a bit, but I could see that he meant business.

‘Okay.
Okay!'
I stepped back, dropping the tin.

He glanced over his shoulder. ‘Cat!'

Urgent whispers from the next room, and then Cathryn walked out with a reel of fishing line. Jordan stumbled after her, wrists tied together, Tank shoving her along with both hands. She started to say something, but he punched her in the back. ‘Shut up.'

‘Arms out in front of you,' Mike ordered.

‘Mike, seriously, just –'

‘This is not a freaking negotiation, Luke!' He swung the knife around again, aiming it at Jordan. ‘Just shut up and do what you're told or I'll cut her open.'

I put out my arms. Cathryn came over and looped my wrists together with the fishing line. She was shaking even worse than Mike. Refusing to make eye contact.

Cathryn pulled the line tight between my wrists, knotting it together. Mike bent down to inspect her work, then cut it from the reel.

‘All right,' said Mike, gesturing down the stairs with his knife. ‘Time to go.'

‘Where are you taking us?' I asked.

Mike slammed a foot into my shin. ‘Move.'

Cathryn shoved me forward. We stumbled down the stairs, her and me in front, then Mike, Jordan and Tank.

Mike overtook us as we reached the front door. He walked out and scanned the street. ‘Okay,' he said, turning around. ‘Down to the front gate, and then we run.
No stopping
until we hit the bush.'

‘I'm not running anywhere,' said Jordan.

‘Really?' Mike raised the knife again, pointing it at her chest. ‘You sure about that?'

‘Do it, then,' said Jordan. ‘How happy do you think your
overseers
are going to be if you don't bring us back to them in one piece?'

‘You know what?' said Mike, obviously working hard to keep his voice steady. ‘They didn't actually specify the number of pieces they wanted.'

I flinched as he switched targets, stabbing the knife back in my direction.

‘So how about you just keep moving before somebody gets hurt?'

They marched us down the steps to the front gate.

‘Ready?' said Mike, checking the street again. ‘Okay.
Now!'

We ran, straight up the middle of the road, not even bothering to avoid the streetlights. Jordan pulled ahead, dragging Tank along behind her, until she was level with Cathryn and me. She caught my eye, shot me a
get ready
look –

And dropped to the ground.

Tank swore as he lost his grip and went flying into the path. Cathryn stopped running and spun around. I threw myself forward, twisting my shoulders. She let go of me and I doubled back for Jordan, who was already halfway to her feet.

But then Mike swooped in behind her, bringing his good arm up around her neck, blade hovering at her ear. Jordan gritted her teeth. ‘You don't want to try that again,' growled Mike, yanking her the rest of the way to her feet.
‘Tank.
Get over here.'

Tank got up and took hold of Jordan again.

‘Seriously man,' said Mike, using his knife arm to untangle his sling, ‘I give you one job to do …'

‘Sorry,' Tank grunted. ‘She was –'

His mouth slammed shut as a porch light flashed on across the street.

‘Crap!' hissed Mike. ‘Go, go, go!'

Cathryn shoved me up the road and we bolted. Through the streets and into the bush, not stopping until the lights of the town were completely blocked out by the trees.

Mike slowed down, panting, and we fell into line behind him. He stabbed his knife off to our left. ‘This way.'

‘The lake?' Jordan asked.

‘Shut up,' said Tank.

But she was probably right. If past experience was anything to go by, these guys had been ordered to dump us somewhere for Kara and Soren to come and pick up. Somewhere familiar, I was guessing, and I doubted they'd go for the crater again.

We pushed on, eyes slowly adjusting to the dim moonlight. I shivered, regretting the shower I'd had, cold damp hair sticking to the back of my neck.

Cathryn sniffled behind me. Jordan glanced over.

‘I'm sorry,' Cathryn whispered, and I could tell from her voice that she was on the verge of tears. ‘I'm sorry. It's the only way.'

‘
Cat
,' Mike warned.

‘The only way to do
what?'
said Jordan.

Tank hit her again. ‘I said shut up.'

But then Jordan made a noise like she'd figured it out on her own. ‘Peter,' she said. ‘A trade? Is that what they offered you?'

‘The overseers don't make
offers
,' Mike snarled. ‘They tell us what to do, and we do it.'

‘They won't give him to you,' said Jordan.

Cathryn faltered, pulling me to a stop. ‘They will.'

‘Cathryn, we've
met
them. They're not what you think they are.'

Mike whirled around, knife in the air again. ‘You are going to close your freaking mouth
right now
, or I'll cut you a new one.'

But now Tank had stopped too. He turned Jordan around, holding her out at arm's length. ‘What are you talking about?'

‘None of it is real!' said Jordan. ‘All of that destiny stuff. The tattoos and the candles and – They're just
people.
They're
using
you. There's nothing –'

Jordan broke off, screaming, as Mike stabbed the knife into her arm. She doubled over, trying to bring her bound hands up to put pressure on the wound, but it was too close to her elbow.

Cathryn reeled back, horrified. ‘What is your
problem?'

‘I warned her,' said Mike, staring down at his hands. ‘I warned her …'

I lunged at him.

He thrust the knife at me. ‘You want one too?'

‘Mike,
stop!'
Cathryn shrieked, trying to push between us.

Jordan was hunched over against a tree, gasping in pain. There was a ragged hole in her sleeve, but it was too dark to see how bad the cut was.

‘All of you – KEEP MOVING!' roared Mike. He turned to Tank, looking slightly insane now. ‘If they're not at the lake by ten –'

‘Mate, hang on a second,' said Tank. He turned back to Jordan. ‘Using us for
what?'

Mike's eyes bulged. ‘TANK! We don't have time for a bloody Q and A here! Hurry up and –'

A light shot out from the bushes, straight into Mike's face.

‘Whoa! Hey! No!' I shouted, panic sweeping over me. ‘Don't shoot!'

The light darted away from Mike, hitting me square in the chest.

Jordan pushed off from her tree. ‘Run!'

‘Wait!' croaked a man's voice.

There was a crash of leaves and he staggered out. Just a silhouette at first. Ragged beard, unbrushed hair. He stopped a few paces away. His torch hovered over me for a second longer. Then he swung it around, lighting up his own face.

And I stared back at him.

And I stared.

And the whole world fell out from under me.

‘Dad?'

Chapter 12

T
UESDAY
, J
UNE
30
44
DAYS

‘Luke …' Dad smiled, tears in his eyes, looking like he didn't believe it any more than I did, and I realised just how big a part of me had actually believed he was dead.

I was still too stunned to move when Mike sprang forward. ‘Back into the bushes, old man,' he warned, aiming the knife up at Dad's face. ‘Just turn around.'

Dad flinched the slightest bit, then brought his hands up. ‘Put it down, kid.'

‘Yeah, Mike,' said Tank. ‘This isn't what we came here for.'

‘You think I won't do it?' said Mike, becoming more and more unhinged as he lost control of the situation. ‘You think I won't –?'

Dad's hand shot out at Mike.

Mike jumped back, slashing the knife through the air. Dad reeled back, swung out his other hand, and caught Mike around the wrist. The knife jerked to a stop, centimetres from Dad's chest.

I was shaking. It was all creeping past me in slow motion, but my brain wasn't absorbing any of it.

He was
right there.

Mike shouted, twisting the blade around, trying to cut Dad anywhere he could reach. Dad dropped his torch and used his other hand to pry the knife away.

I fumbled for the torch, my hands still stuck together. By the time I'd straightened up again, Dad had the knife at his side and Mike was edging away, looking murderous.

Dad dropped the knife and stood on it. ‘You need to go now.'

‘Tank!' yelled Mike, almost hysterical now. ‘Get the fishing line!'

Tank shook his head. ‘Mate, it's over.'

‘It
will
be over if we don't –!'

‘Listen, kid,' Dad stepped forward and grabbed Mike by the shirt. ‘You just threatened my boy with a kitchen knife, which makes you
extremely
fortunate to still only have one broken arm. Believe me when I tell you that walking away is your
best
option right now.'

Mike glared at Dad. ‘Screw you.' But he pulled out of Dad's grip and turned away, rejoining Cathryn and Tank.

They disappeared into the bush.

Dad picked the knife up and started cutting my hands free. ‘Who was that?' he asked.

I didn't answer. I'd heard him, but not the words.

Just his voice.

His
voice.

He was alive.

The last thread of fishing line snapped apart and my hands came loose. I looked up into his dirty, unshaven face, and he was still there, still
real
, and I reached out, pulling him into a crushing hug.

His arms came down around my back and I just fell apart. I clung onto him like a little kid, terrified that this time was going to be the same as all the others, that I'd wake up and realise it was all just in my head.

‘My boy …' he sniffed, pulling me in even tighter. ‘It's okay … It's okay …'

A pained grunt from the darkness snapped me out of it.

‘Jordan!' I let go of Dad. ‘Sorry. Sorry, I was …'

She smiled. ‘No worries.'

‘She's hurt,' I said. ‘Her arm. Do you have anything?'

‘Wait. Not yet,' said Jordan. ‘We're making too much noise. We need to get away from here.'

I glanced at the dark blotch on the arm of her jumper.

‘We'll get worse than this if security find us,' she said, catching me looking at her. ‘C'mon.'

We pushed on for a few minutes, deeper into the bush. Eventually, Jordan stopped at a massive fallen tree, sat down, and stretched out her arms so Dad could cut her free.

Dad shrugged off a worn-out old backpack and handed it to me. ‘There should be a couple of bandages in there somewhere.'

I zipped open the bag and shone the torch inside. Dirty clothes, a couple of half-empty water bottles …

‘How did you
get
here?' asked Jordan, her arms unbound now, taking off her jumper for a better look at the wound. ‘The night we called you, Shackleton – the guy in charge here – he was going to trace our call and send some of his guys out to, you know,
deal
with you.'