Chapter Twenty-One Faith

Walking through the city was a surreal experience. After such a long time spent in the library, the fresh air and the freedom should have been invigorating. But Faith felt only a grim determination to get to the square and make sure Sophia's efforts had not been for nothing.

On her way, several of the posters declaring her a person of interest to the chancellor had taunted her. They were faded now, weathered by rain, but still there. A reminder of her precarious situation.

The first one she'd spotted had stopped her in her tracks. Her old academy photograph was front and centre. The girl staring back at her was a stranger now. A slight twist to the lips betrayed how she felt about having her picture taken. Remembering Sophia laughing at her discomfort, she fought to control her tears.

She kept her head low as she hurried through the streets. She couldn't risk being recognised. The posture was uncomfortable, and she understood for the first time the difficulty Noah had experienced adopting the drudge posture.

As she neared the square, Faith felt a trickle of sweat roll down her back. The streets were packed, and there were guards on duty at every entrance. Ducking into a doorway, she watched closely as every woman who passed through was searched. Her heart contracted painfully as she considered her options.

If she couldn't get in, her plan wouldn't work.

But a closer observation of the process revealed that the guards were doing little other than looking for weapons. There were so many women entering the area, they didn't have time to look closely at faces. And some guards were more thorough than others.

Hoping her disguise did enough to hide her identity, Faith approached with caution, choosing a youthful-looking guard who appeared to be quite distracted. Faith opened her bag ready for inspection and held her breath.

The guard gave her backpack a cursory search, keeping her eyes focused on the ever-growing crowd of women further down the street.

"Hope there's no trouble," she said to her partner as Faith had passed by. "I mean… I know Danforth wants a good crowd, but this seems a little–"

"Shut up and get on with it." The second guard had shot her a dark look. "We won't be popular if we can't check them all through before the ceremony starts."

Relieved, Faith had joined the growing crowd in the square, edging her way forward as more people arrived and the throng of people grew. The guards' concern was a good sign, she told herself, a sign that Danforth's protectors were wary of the Resistance. It gave her confidence as she picked her way towards the stage.

Faith spotted several members of Madeleine's army among the crowd: Robyn, Diane, Evelyn, and several others she recognised. The women were stationed at intervals around the square, blending in well with the other citizens but ready to move toward the stage when the signal was given.

How much of a difference could they make if their weapons had been taken from them, though?

Faith kept moving, dipping her head and changing direction every time she saw someone who might recognise her. Though she took care to avoid the Resistance operatives, she was comforted by their presence. She had to admit she hadn't been paying much attention to the final stages of the mission plan, but it seemed like the Resistance was throwing a lot of resources behind Flynn's rescue.

All around her, the crowd whispered. Bellator was more divided than ever. There were worries about further explosions, caused by the villainous men from the forest. Clamours for Flynn's execution, which Faith found hard to ignore. Intrigue created by rumours that Faith had created a second video. The last one gave her a small surge of pride.

Knowing that there was another video, one which would leave no doubt in their minds as to Danforth's true nature, kept her trembling legs moving. She would bear witness to Sophia's words along with the rest of Bellator. Make them count. Be there – celebrate – as the women finally saw Danforth for the monster she was.

Faith crept onwards, easing into the gaps between the women as the crowd shifted restlessly. Eventually, she emerged right at the front. The stage loomed ahead, the enormous screen at the back dominating the space. Shuffling across to one side, Faith positioned herself close to a set of steps leading up to the platform from which Danforth would speak.

Used for the annual Bellator Awards ceremony, the stage often had to be accessed from the crowd as members of the public were called forth to receive various honours. The steps would not be in use today, but the rope which discouraged the crowd from using them was flimsy and the entrance only had a single guard.

Sliding her hand into her pocket, Faith's fingers closed around her failsafe.

She was valuable to Danforth. The wanted posters proved that. Faith couldn't fight the chancellor with a traditional weapon. But she could damn well threaten to ruin her precious experiment. The handful of orange pills she had taken from Sophia's room were a last resort, but she had enough to terrify Danforth. To stop her in her tracks.

Especially if she took them all at once.

Glancing around, Faith decided her position was as good as it was going to get. Close enough to the stage, but far enough away for any of the Resistance to stop her from taking action. Pulling down her hood, she readied herself. If they recognised her now, it was too late to send her home.

Just when Faith was beginning to sway on her feet, Danforth appeared at the rear of the platform. She made her way forward, a suitably grief-stricken expression on her face. An immediate hush fell over the crowd as she gazed out at them expectantly. As the chancellor opened her mouth to greet them, a brief flash of light on the opposite side of the square caught Faith's eye.

It disappeared before she had the chance to react, but her eyes remained on the open window for several more minutes. It was a skylight in the roof of one of the restaurants which fringed the square. Someone was up on the top floor of the building, listening to Danforth's speech.

Perhaps it was one of the Resistance. It was a good viewpoint with little to no risk. She turned her attention to the stage as Danforth began.

"Six days ago," the chancellor's voice rang out across the square, "our beloved city suffered a terrible loss."

The crowd murmured in response. On the stage, Danforth bowed her head in reverence.

"We can never replace the citizens we lost. Our community still shudders with the impact of those vicious males, but we must not let fear of these men prevent us from moving forward. Today, we gather to remember the fallen, and also," she paused for dramatic effect, "to punish those responsible."

Faith shuddered at the chancellor's deceit. Glancing up at the screen, she glared at the magnified image of Danforth's face, twisted with false emotion. How could she try to comfort her people for a loss which she herself had created?

Faith clenched her fists as Danforth continued to mourn the city's devastating loss, beginning with a moment of silence. She then began reading a list of the fallen citizens' names.

There was no sign of Flynn so far, though the mention of punishment implied he would be brought out soon. But why he wasn't already on display, awaiting his fate with terror on his face? Surely that would provide maximum impact for the women in the crowd. It wasn't like Danforth to ignore an opportunity to crow about her victory.

But a glance at the crowd told her why. Danforth wasn't stupid. She had deliberately concealed Flynn's location since his arrest, knowing there would be those who wanted to liberate him. She was still keeping him hidden, knowing there would be resistors in the crowd. Every moment the Eremus man was on display was a risk. When the execution happened, it needed to be completed with swift and ruthless efficiency.

Until he appeared, the Resistance was powerless to act.

Faith thought of Blake. Back at headquarters she, too, would be waiting. Until Flynn was in sight, there was little point in her interrupting the proceedings with Sophia's video. The distraction might only have moments to take effect, and once the element of surprise was lost, it would be gone for good.

Faith braced herself. If the first distraction didn't work, she had to be ready.