Chapter Sixteen Noah

He was crouching behind the reception desk in the main lobby when the news report caught his attention. The hospital was quiet, and the technicians on duty had stepped away for a minute so he could clean up and restock the cupboards at the rear of the station. The television in the waiting area was always on, but one of the technicians had turned up the volume while they waited for him to finish.

"…our special report on Helen Matthews," the reporter was saying, "who recently returned to Bellator after a terrifying ordeal at the hands of rogue males in the forest surrounding the city. Despite the long-awaited memorial service happening tomorrow, Chancellor Danforth herself took time out of her busy schedule to welcome the young woman back to the academy."

Noah had been racked with guilt since Helen's disappearance, though he wasn't sure how he could have prevented her transfer. His only hope now was that Helen could avoid the testing programme. If Danforth was using her publicly to rebuild trust in the academy and its aims, surely she wouldn't be subjected to the experimental drugs?

After pondering who the perpetrator of the bombing could be for most of the previous day, he had come to the only logical conclusion: Danforth herself.

She was the only one who benefitted from the explosion. Her campaign to keep the Bellator citizens in the dark depended on them continuing to hate and fear the men from the forest. Staging a devastating incident which could be blamed on Eremus was a surefire way to make sure the city's women continued to believe her. To trust her.

Even if it meant sacrificing a few of their lives.

Noah shifted his position, craning his neck so he could see a portion of the screen without attracting the attention of the technicians. Onscreen, the reporter stood in front of the school, her face serious.

"It's certainly nice to report something positive for a change, especially with all the distressing news the city has had to bear recently." She paused before continuing, bowing her head in respect for the fallen Bellator citizens.

When she spoke again, her tone was far more positive. "The chancellor is eager to dispel recent rumours about the school's true purpose. Citizens claiming they belong to a rebel Resistance group cast doubt on its methodology and have tried to bring the academy's name into disrepute. But today," the reporter gestured to the gates behind her, "our chancellor invites you inside the gates of this prestigious institution to see what really goes on."

On the other side of the desk, one of the technicians cleared her throat. "Think she's for real?"

"I guess we'll see."

A faint creak suggested the pair were settling into chairs. Noah turned his attention back to the desk, refilling the box of patient ID bracelets in the drawer and wiping down the surfaces with a cloth spritzed with disinfectant.

In the background, a new voice boomed from the screen.

"Welcome to Danforth Academy. I'm the principal, Joanna Anderson." He imagined her beaming at the camera. "Today is a very special day."

Classical music played faintly in the background, and when Noah sneaked another glance at the screen, a tall, dark-haired woman was walking into the academy's main reception. When she was standing in the centre, surrounded by shining marble pillars and expensive-looking paintings, she turned to face the camera.

"A few weeks ago," her voice had taken a sombre tone, "several of our students were taken from us. Kidnapped by men from outside the city limits. This incident was horrific, and…"

"Building's beautiful, isn't it?"

The technician's voice jolted Noah from his reverie. Startled, he refocused his attention, pushing a broom across the floor behind the desk. If one of the women decided to check on him, he had to make sure he was doing the job he was here to do. But as the technicians' conversation continued, he relaxed. Clearly, the news report was far more interesting than he was.

"I'd have given anything to be selected for the academy." The woman's tone was wistful.

"You really think it's as good as it seems?" The other technician was less convinced. "Even after the rumours?"

"I don't know. I mean, it looks good. They get to live in a gorgeous building, their education is second-to-none, they're guaranteed a great job when they graduate." The woman hesitated. "But I guess, I mean if the rumours are true…"

On the screen, Anderson was still speaking, her voice sugary-sweet. It set Noah's teeth on edge. "Today however, we get to bring one of those students back. And who better to welcome her than our namesake, Chancellor Danforth!"

One of the technicians snorted a laugh. "It's like a game show."

"Shh!" She yelped as the other technician elbowed her. "I want to hear it. They've never allowed cameras inside before."

Noah moved around the desk, using the task of emptying the bin into a large disposal bag on his cleaning trolley as an excuse. A sideways glance at the technicians told him they both had their backs to him. Otherwise, the waiting room was empty and the desk blocked him from the view of the camera on the wall. Pushing his luck, Noah glanced up at the screen again.

He was just in time to catch sight of Danforth, gracefully ushering a shaky-looking Helen into the reception. The chancellor had hold of her hand and appeared to be pulling her forward, closer to the camera.

"She doesn't look like she wants to be there," the more sceptical technician commented.

Noah had to agree. But Danforth more than made up for Helen's hesitance, the wide smile on her face giving her the impression of an alligator waiting to attack.

"Good morning, Chancellor!" Anderson trilled. Noah tried hard not to react to the falseness of her tone. "And Helen," she swept the girl into an awkward embrace, "welcome home. I'm sure you're eager to be back in the fold once again after your distressing experience with the beasts who took you from us."

"What do you think they did to her?" One of the technicians asked, her voice hushed.

"I dread to think what she's been through." The other one shuddered. "Those men… who knows what they're capable of."

"No wonder she looks so distressed."

Noah had to bite his lip. The reason for Helen's reluctance was nothing to do with the men from Eremus, and everything to do with the place she was being forced to return to. And the women who were forcing her to return.

On the screen, Danforth faced the camera, a satisfied smile on her face. "Eremus has proved to us, over and over, how vicious they are. With the kidnapping, and with the recent bombing of our beloved city." She paused, shaking her head slowly. "But I assure you, bringing Helen home is the first victory of many for Bellator. We fully intend to make sure that these brutes are punished for their actions, and that you, my citizens, can feel safe again in your homes."

Noah inhaled sharply. The chancellor had always been capable of justifying the method, no matter how brutal, as long as it helped to achieve her goal. But the fact that she had engineered this… publicity stunt… was pretending to care about a single female citizen mere days after her actions had murdered more than forty of them… it beggared belief.

The woman was despicable. As Danforth finished her speech, Noah fought to control his feelings. Never had he hated her more.

As the trio walked out of the reception area, the camera zoomed out. It followed them into a large, circular vestibule, out of which led a wide staircase. The grandeur of the space elicited a gasp of wonder from the technicians. The two women sat up, straining closer to the screen.

Aside from Danforth, Anderson, and Helen, the area was completely empty, despite it being nine a.m., a busy time of day for any academic establishment. Obviously, it had been kept clear on purpose. But where were they hiding the other girls?

"As Helen rejoins the school community," the news reporter had taken over the narrative again, "we've been offered the chance to take a tour of some of the school's grounds. This is an unprecedented opportunity, and one we're sure you'll find fascinating."

Classical music swelled as the reporter finished speaking. Shaking his head, Noah moved behind the desk again. He was willing to bet that they would only show the public certain areas of the academy. Those which would give the Bellator citizens the impression that the building provided well for its students, and the staff there had the girls' best interests at heart.

He moved to the side of the desk, refilling a bottle of sanitiser which was fixed to the wall for universal use. On screen, the camera was panning up the staircase. As Anderson led her guests to the floor above, the image faded, replaced by a montage of shots from around the school: the enormous sports' fields and running track; the state-of-the-art gym; the art and graphic design studio, filled with the latest technology; the canteen, also curiously empty.

As the montage ended, the music decreased in volume and the camera returned to Helen and the two older women. Now they were sitting in a bedroom, a pleasant, airy space with a sunny view into a courtyard below.

Danforth stood by the window looking out, while Anderson handed Helen a package.

"A little welcome home gift from your friends here at the academy."

Anderson smiled widely, hovering by Helen's side as she unpacked it.

"Ahh, how lovely." One of the technicians said. "Bet they've missed her."

"You'd think they'd have brought some of her friends to greet her though, wouldn't you?" The other one was less convinced.

"Would've made for good television, that's for sure." The first technician exclaimed. "I mean, they must be dying to see her."

Noah rolled his eyes, certain that the last thing Danforth wanted was to show the state of the other girls at the academy. What a way to ruin the perfect picture they had just created. Moving to refill another sanitiser bottle on the wall just inside the entrance, he lowered his head as he passed the two technicians.

Noticing him, one of them stood up. "You almost done?"

"Yeah, we need to get back to work now." The other one stiffened, as though Noah might report them for slacking on the job.

Inclining his head, Noah filled the bottle of sanitiser as quickly as he could, then returned to the desk to collect his equipment. Restacking them on the cleaning trolley quickly, he wheeled it out of the way, indicating to the pair of technicians that he was finished.

As they moved back behind the desk, the reporter began winding up. "A place of learning and luxury. I know I've enjoyed this peek into the hallowed halls of Danforth Academy. Next up, a little preview of the plans for the memorial ceremony, which takes place tomorrow in…"

Noah bent his head low and hurried away. The ceremony had been looming over him all week; fears about Flynn's execution never far from his mind. That it would take place the next day was more than he could bear. Heeding Diane's words that the Resistance was implementing a plan to save his father, he'd tried to be patient. But speaking to Ella had not put his mind at ease.

There seemed to be no clear plan in place and, if he was honest, he wasn't at all confident that Madeleine would put Flynn's wellbeing ahead of that of her own goals. Now that Helen was gone, there seemed little point in him remaining undercover at the hospital. The few attempts he'd made to get close to the Fertility Wards had been thwarted by the huge security presence now guarding that wing of the hospital. There was no way he could get inside to find evidence of Danforth's experiments at the moment. But he'd received no further instructions from the Resistance.

Sighing, he hurried back to the supply building. The task board was blank. Large numbers of patients had been discharged over the past few days, and the emergency had been declared over. It was time to return to normal duties. But it didn't feel normal to Noah any more.

Nothing felt normal.