Chapter Thirty-Four Noah

The conversation in the office was going around in circles. Far from making progress on a rescue plan, all the women seemed to be doing was arguing.

"We have to assume the information Liam gave Noah is correct." Evelyn was tense, her body coiled like a spring. "And get those girls out of the academy as soon as possible."

"But we haven't heard anything more from Kemp since that message." Blake argued. "How do we minimise loss of life if we don't have eyes on the inside? After Robyn, we can't risk–"

"We may have to."

Madeleine slapped a hand down on the desk. "Danforth's more desperate than ever to get a win. With all the unrest in the city, she has to make the fertility tests work… and appear to work safely. What we need is concrete evidence to corroborate Faith's words, to make sure that–"

"Does Danforth think the women of the city will just forget everything they've heard if she can make her experiment work? The miracle of birth without the need for a man." Blake spat out. "Like it will erase all the terrible things she's done?"

"She's an expert manipulator." Madeleine frowned. "If she can get the fertility trials to work, she'll find a way to spin it to her advantage. Proclaim her love for the women of the city. Emphasise how the experiment will allow her to create a safer environment for them all. Anything, to keep the women of the city onside."

"Or she'll lie through her teeth." Evelyn's voice was taut. "Make something up which will frighten most of the citizens into total submission."

"Madeleine's right. If we had proof that she was the one behind the bombing," Anna mused, "we could discredit her for good."

"Not before we get those girls out of harm's way," Evelyn insisted. "I've had operatives all over the city trying to find that kind of evidence for days. There's nothing. Danforth's too clever."

"No doubt she'll lay the blame at the feet of the terrifying males in the forest once again," Anna said bitterly.

"Those fears run deep." Madeleine's gaze was piercing. "You know that more than anyone."

"Sadly, I do." Anna shook her head. "Speaking of dangerous men, we shouldn't forget about Jacob. He's still somewhere close to the city."

Madeleine turned to face her. "You've heard from him?"

"No. But Noah saw Harden. In the hospital."

"It's why I had to run." Noah sighed. "He was captured by Danforth's guards, but–"

"The fact that he was in the hospital means Jacob's still planning something." Madeleine gritted her teeth. "If we knew where he was, maybe we could use him. Bring him back onside."

"He'll be even more desperate now that he's lost Harden." Anna shrugged. "He didn't have many supporters to start with. But he still has Avery. And he won't give up."

"Do you think Danforth cares about Avery? I mean, Jacob's holding her like she gives him power over the chancellor." Blake's eyes flared. "But Danforth's never bothered with her before."

"Perhaps not," Madeleine mused. "But Jacob isn't thinking straight. He doesn't have all the information we do. All he knows is… Avery is Danforth's daughter. He assumes the girl means something to her."

"So, we need to remove the girls from the academy before Danforth can poison them all, rescue Faith, keep an eye out for Jacob…" Blake's tone dripped with sarcasm. "Anything else, while we're at it?"

There was a knock at the door. All eyes turned as it opened to reveal Diane, her face serious.

She didn't waste time on pleasantries. "I've been monitoring the cameras in Faith's room all morning." She was out of breath. Nodding at Blake, she pointed at her datadev. "Can you bring up the feed?"

Blake's fingers were already flying over the keys.

"She's still alive then?" Madeleine's even tone made Noah wince. "And they haven't sedated her?"

Diane shook her head. "She's still feigning weakness. When the medic was in there checking on her, she pretended she was sleeping. But when the woman left the room, she sat up and looked straight at the camera."

"Here we are."

Blake moved away from the datadev, revealing Faith. She was sitting up, as Diane had said, her head bent over her lap.

"What's she doing?" Madeleine squinted at the screen. "Is she… writing?"

"Looks like it to me." Diane gestured at the object in Faith's hand. "That's a pen… right?"

"She's writing a message. For us." Evelyn was nodding excitedly. "Think how many hours she spent staring at Sophia in that bed. She knows where the camera is. She knows we'll be watching."

"And if she's found out something useful…" Madeleine trailed off as Faith sat up again. "Wait… what now?"

With a brief glance at the door, Faith slid out of bed. Noah tried not to think about the risk Faith was taking. Beside him, his ma took his hand again, squeezing it gently.

Moving to the corner of the room where the camera was located, Faith grabbed a chair and pulled herself up onto it. When she was standing close enough, she held up the first piece of paper. Noah squinted, trying to understand the message.

"Is that a picture of a necklace?" Anna peered at the screen.

"She's trying to use code," Blake explained. "In case she's caught with the notes. It's sensible. Look – she's written DA. And something else…" Blake leaned closer, trying to decipher the next word. "Does that say… knows?"

"Danforth Academy knows!" Evelyn gasped. "They've worked it out."

"Worked what out?" Anna sat bolt upright. "What do they know?"

"Faith worked out the importance of the pendants the girls wear." Madeleine huffed out a breath. "There was always a risk that the medics at the academy would make the same connection."

"The pendants?" Noah sat up straighter. Faith's was still in his pocket. He carried it with him wherever he went. "They're important?"

"Turns out they're not simply given to the students as a symbol of their affinity to the academy. They're somehow infused with an intense hormone treatment. We think it's meant to enhance the girls' fertility." Madeleine's gaze was sharp. "But neither Sophia nor Faith were wearing them when they were given the femgazipane."

"So they hindered the drugs?" Anna narrowed her eyes. "Instead of working with them?"

"They did." Blake said. "It's why the femgazipane hasn't worked properly on any of the girls… until now."

"So once they've worked this out…" Anna let the thought dangle.

"There'll be a lot more unpredictable pregnancies." Madeleine shook her head. "And with no more placebos, there'll be no way to protect the girls from the drug's effects."

Noah felt sick. On the screen, Faith had replaced the first message with a second sheet of paper.

"What's this one about?" Blake stared at the screen. "Is that… a list?"

"Can't you zoom in?" Madeleine tutted.

As Blake adjusted the image, the Resistance leader leaned forward. "Looks like… another acronym at the top. Then maybe a set of locations?" She turned to Evelyn. "Do those mean anything to you?"

The older woman frowned. "Is that a letter B? And a C, maybe?"

"I think you're right." Blake continued to work on sharpening the images. "What's the middle letter?"

Noah leaned in. "It's an L." He was more adept at deciphering handwritten letters, since he was more familiar with them. It was one of the few advantages to the lack of technology that Eremus had. "B-L-C. Do those letters mean anything to anyone?"

"BellaLab Corp!" Evelyn slapped a hand on the desk. "Of course."

Noah recalled the name. Faith had told him about the laboratory, which was notorious for its links to Danforth. It was also the company Madeleine had been fired from for asking too many questions about their research. And Faith had been involved with a mission to investigate the company. It had culminated in a confrontation with security which had left Faith with several injuries.

"The labs must be linked to the experiments in some way," he mused.

But Evelyn was well ahead of him. "We've always had our suspicions about BellaLab, but we've never managed to get inside their headquarters." She glanced at Blake. "Those cloned keycards you were developing. Perhaps it's time to see if they work."

"What about these other locations, though?" Blake gestured to the remainder of Faith's message. "They must be important, or Faith wouldn't have included them." She squinted at the datadev. "Eliot Street. Acton Street. That's nowhere near the BLC headquarters."

"You're right." Evelyn frowned. "They're both in industrial districts on the outskirts of the city. I'm not sure–"

"Look! There's a syringe drawn next to both the addresses." Noah pointed to the image. "Maybe…"

A slow grin spread across Diane's face. "She's linking the drugs with the warehouses where they're stored. Perhaps in large numbers."

"That makes sense…" Blake's forehead was furrowed. "I've overheard Anderson talking about new drug deliveries at the academy several times." She punched the air. "Now we know where it's coming from!"

"If we can destroy her supply, we'll set the experiment back a long way." Madeleine clasped her hands together. "Long enough to–"

Suddenly, everyone was talking at once.

"Get the girls out, before…" "Rescue Faith." "Discredit Danforth for good."

After the cacophony of excitement died away, the silence was charged with electricity. For the first time since Noah had entered the office, he could sense real purpose. Hope. Determination.

He glanced at the monitor. Faith was still staring into the camera, her eyes hopeful. She was looking right at him. He held her gaze, trying to reassure her.

They could do this. Fight Danforth. Stop her terrible plan from moving forward.

"We have to act quickly." Madeleine's eyes gleamed. "Get the girls out. Destroy the warehouses. Then work on bringing Danforth down. For good."

Beside him, his ma leaned forward. "What can we do?"

But before Madeleine could continue, there was another knock at the door. "Come!"

Ella peered in. "Sorry to interrupt, but there's a woman at the side entrance. Says she has to speak to whoever's in charge."

Madeleine stiffened. "Who is it? Do I know her?"

Ella shrugged. "Says she's a technician from the hospital. Her name's Carol."