Chapter Thirteen Faith

Faith was miserable. Whilst she and Evelyn had made it back to headquarters safely the previous night, things were bad.

Thankfully, the pain from the twisted ankle had eased. But the wound on her cheek was painful. Evelyn had brought Lily, a Resistance member who acted as their unofficial medic, to look at it.

"Sheesh!" the willowy woman had exclaimed when she saw Faith. "That looks painful."

It had taken her half an hour to clean Faith up. When she showed Faith her reflection in the mirror, it had been all she could do not to cry. Her face was swollen and bruised, and the bleeding had come from several cuts which she had sustained as her face collided with the concrete. The deepest of these was more than an inch long and had taken several stitches to seal. She knew it was going to scar.

But there had been worse to come.

Upon hearing Evelyn's mission report, Madeleine had summoned Faith to the office. Dragging her feet all the way, Faith had gritted her teeth through a ten-minute lecture on how she had proved she wasn't ready for undercover ops. At the end of the speech, Madeleine had gestured to her face.

"I thought you were considering acting as a spokesperson for us. How do you think you'll come across now?" She had grasped Faith's chin, making her wince. "With a face that looks like you've gone ten rounds with a prizefighter? Danforth will be very quick to use your injuries as further proof of the Eremus' men's brutality. You know how she twists things."

Faith left the office with her head down. Far from impressing the leader, her inability to act naturally and to flee when the necessity had arisen had ruined the mission. It would now be impossible for Evelyn or Faith to go anywhere near BellaLab Corp.

The hands-on mission had not been what Faith had expected, and the job of spokesperson had started to sound like a far more suitable option. But she'd ruined her chance to play the role. The way Madeleine had glared at her, she'd be lucky to be assigned anything above cleaning duty from now on.

Avoiding company, Faith had headed for bed. She had a killer headache, and Lily had urged her to rest properly after her ordeal. She hadn't thought she would be able to sleep, but the minute her head had hit the pillow, she'd passed out.

When she woke up, Diane was sitting on the bottom of her bed. "Mission didn't go as planned, I take it?" She gestured at Faith's face. "What happened?"

"We had to run." Faith put a hand to her cheek. It hurt to talk. "It appears I wasn't fast enough."

"Ouch." Diane peered closer. "Are those stitches?"

"They are, yes." Desperate to change the subject, Faith sat up. Her head spun, but she forced herself to speak. "Any news on Sophia?"

"Nothing new. She's still unconscious." Diane sat back a little, her eyes narrowing. "You tell Madeleine about Avery yet?"

"I forgot." Noting Diane's sceptical look, Faith turned defensive. "I did!" She gestured to her cheek again. "I've kind of had other things on my mind." She slumped down again. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not really her favourite person right now."

Diane smirked. "That's an understatement."

"Alright. Alright." Faith held out a hand. "I'll tell her today. Right now, if you want me to."

"Now might not be the best time." Diane pushed herself off the bed. "I think you'll want to come with me."

Faith stared at her suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because," Diane rummaged under the bed and pulled out a sweatshirt. "There are other things going on."

"Like what?"

"Like Ruth just arrived."

Faith sat bolt upright. Noah's best friend had not appeared by the time she and Evelyn had gotten back the previous night, and she hadn't had the energy to wonder why. But if she was here now…

"I want to speak to her." Grabbing the sweatshirt from Diane's hand, she pulled it on. "Why didn't you tell me!"

"I just did." Diane rolled her eyes. "And the Resistance leaders took her straight into the office to grill her, so you won't be speaking to her just yet. But if you wanted to grab a shower and come with me to the hub, we can catch her as she comes out."

Faith headed for the door with renewed energy. "See you downstairs in ten minutes."

The Resistance leaders did not finish talking to Ruth for several hours. By the time they emerged from the office, the majority of the library's inhabitants had gathered in the hub, curious to learn more about the visitor. Madeleine emerged from the office with Ruth, now dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. The room fell silent.

"Ah," she began. "I was going to call everyone together, but I see it's not necessary. We wanted to update you on a few… new developments." She gestured to Ruth. "I'm sure you're all well aware that this young woman arrived here earlier today."

As Madeleine continued, the attention in the room shifted, every eye zeroing in on the newcomer.

"Ruth was sent by the Eremus council. As you know, we lost touch with them a little while ago. A lack of batteries has meant they've been unable to use their walkie talkies of late, so Ruth came here to update us on their status and to ask us if we might provide them with some much-needed resources." Madeleine glanced at Ruth with an unreadable expression. "She also came to present us with… an offer, of sorts."

Once again, every eye in the room travelled to Ruth, who dropped her gaze and shifted from one foot to the other. For a moment, Faith thought Madeleine was going to have the Eremus raider address them, but after a few seconds, she continued to speak.

"Eremus is as tired of Danforth's treatment as we are. For very different reasons, obviously. There are hundreds of people, decent people, living in those woods. Hiding from the Bellator guards. Terrified for their lives, should they be discovered. I'm sure our other recent arrivals can attest to that." Her eyes searched the room. "Faith? Diane?"

Startled, Faith sat up straighter. Beside her, Diane had tensed. A look of pure panic flashed over her face as she glanced at all the people in the room.

Feeling Madeleine's eyes on them, Faith searched for the right words. "It's true." As everyone turned to look at her, there were several gasps at the state of her face. Ignoring them, Faith ploughed on. "There are more citizens in Eremus than we could count. And their network of underground tunnels is impressive." Her eyes met Ruth's and she felt a surge of loyalty towards Noah's people. "Danforth wants us to think they're all monsters, but they're not. These people's lives are basic, but they survive. Not only survive… they live. There are women and children down there, families… They've… adapted well to their underground home." She shrugged. "And I can't say they were all kind, but some of them went out of their way to help us."

It was more words than she'd spoken all day. Her cheek ached from the movement, but the fascination on the surrounding faces made her push on. "The Eremus people are forced to hide because if they don't, Danforth has her guards hunt them down and execute them. Most Bellator citizens believe they'd be in mortal danger if they came across an Eremus citizen, but it's simply not true. The people of Eremus have acted with violence in the past, but only as a reaction to the violence they have experienced all their lives at the hands of our city's so-called defenders. Fear is all they know." She stared around at the Resistance members. "It's Bellator's fault. And it's not fair."

As Faith sank back in her seat, she felt faintly embarrassed. She hadn't meant the speech to become so impassioned. To her surprise though, most of the women in the room were nodding, their expressions sympathetic. Watching Madeleine hide a smile as she moved forward to speak again, Faith realised why the leader had requested she speak up. She'd wanted to prove that Faith's words could have an impact. The reactions of the other Resistance members showed that they could. That she could.

Madeleine was right. The role of spokesperson was important. And it was something she could do well.

"Everything Faith says is true. The people in Eremus are mostly decent. It's why we've helped them in the past. Any aggression they have shown is a result of their frustration. Or self defence." Madeleine gestured to the Eremus citizen who stood by her side. "But Ruth tells me the citizens feel things are coming to a head. Recent events have frightened them. If that patrol had radioed back their location, Danforth would have sent her guards in to destroy the entire community. This has strengthened their resolve to fight back. To be accepted. Which they cannot do with Danforth still in power."

Robyn stepped forward. "And so, it seems that we have a common goal. Ruth came here to offer Eremus' support to the Resistance. To see whether we can work together. The people of Eremus want to change the way men are perceived in the city. Prove they're not monsters… and that they belong here just as much as women do."

Her final comment provoked a flurry of conversation.

"What?" "They want to live here?" "You mean–" "In the city? With us?"

"Perhaps," Madeleine held up a hand for silence, "we could ask Ruth herself."

Ruth stepped forward, her hands clenched in front of her. "Some of us would like to have the option to live here, yes. To work here, forge relationships with the women of the city." There were murmurs from the Resistance members, but she forged ahead bravely. "Others would be happy to stay where they are, in the community we've worked so hard to build… but mostly we're tired of hiding. We want Danforth to acknowledge our existence… and if she won't, then we want someone in power who will."

"In short," Madeleine spread her hands wide, "Eremus is prepared to take the next steps against Danforth. They sent Ruth to ask if we'd be prepared to work together, to align ourselves, to fight for a fair and independent society which is accepting of all genders.

"Of course, it's too soon to assume an alliance between the two communities would work." She smiled. "For now, Robyn and I have agreed to listen to what the Eremus council has to say in return for Eremus giving us certain assurances. Ruth will be heading back there later today with our message."

Robyn stepped forward. "We want to reassure you that we won't dive into this without ensuring both groups have similar objectives. No one from Eremus will be permitted to walk in here and start making demands. To secure our trust, the community will have to prove their loyalty. Ruth understands, and will convey this to the Eremus leaders when she returns."

"That's pretty much it for now," Robyn finished. "We promise to keep you informed."

As the Resistance members began to disperse, Faith and Diane stayed where they were.

"Thanks." Diane muttered. "I'm a terrible public speaker. Always have been."

"It's fine." Faith kept her gaze on Ruth, who was still deep in conversation with Robyn. "Anyone could have done it."

"Not anyone. And definitely not me." Diane cringed. Then her tone became one of admiration. "Where did that speech come from? It was pretty powerful."

Faith flushed. "I only told the truth."

"Well, you did better than I could have." Diane punched Faith's arm gently. "You're very believable."

"I am?" Faith turned to face her friend.

"Didn't you see people's faces? You had them hanging on your every word." She grinned. "Even Madeleine."

Faith's eyes searched the room for the Resistance leader. It took a while to find her. Instead of being in the thick of things, she was standing to one side. And her eyes were fixed on Faith's. Slowly, she raised an eyebrow. Faith knew what she was asking.

Despite her beat-up face, Faith's words had been powerful, convincing. The women had believed her, been willing to trust her words. Madeleine and Robyn had seen something in Faith that she hadn't seen in herself. She thought back to the failed mission the previous day. If she was honest with herself, the front-line fighting had terrified her.

But telling her story, honestly, eloquently, had been easier than she'd thought. It was a powerful way to contribute. And Madeleine had known it all along.

She held the leader's gaze for a second. Inclined her head twice. Yes. She would accept the role Madeleine had in mind for her. A welcome smile broke out over the older woman's face. Returning the nod, she turned and strode back to her office.

The room was almost empty now. Ruth finished speaking to Robyn and headed to Faith and Diane's table. There was an awkward silence.

Eventually, Ruth raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's good to see that the two of you are safe." Her voice was cool. "And that you found your way to Madeleine rather than the academy."

"You really thought that's where we'd go?" Diane burst out.

"We weren't sure where you'd go." Ruth said pointedly, her expression accusing. "Since you disappeared in the middle of the night without a word."

Diane rolled her eyes. "It's not like you'd have let us leave if we'd asked nicely."

Ruth's eyes flashed with a sudden anger. "Jacob's blaming Ella for what you did."

"What? No!" Faith's hand flew to her mouth. "But we… we made sure that we knocked her out."

"With Sleepsol. Which is harmless." Ruth emphasised the word. "Not like Carl, who you clobbered over the head with a pretty sturdy branch."

"Is he alright?" Faith asked tentatively.

"I didn't–" Diane looked horror-struck. "He's not dead, is he?"

Ruth's eyes came to rest on her. "No, thankfully. But his injury was pretty severe. And once he told Jacob how Ella was nice to you all…"

"We're sorry." Diane leaned forward. "Really we are. We only wanted…" she glanced at Faith.

"We came back to help Sophia," Faith finished for her. "We never meant for–"

"I know." Ruth sat down with a heavy sigh. "I told them. I knew that was why you'd gone." She shrugged helplessly. "But it didn't help. Jacob has her locked up like your academy friends."

Faith felt a stab of guilt. "Can I ask how the rest of the Danforth girls are?"

"He didn't blame them too, did he?" Diane scowled.

Ruth shook her head. "He presumed they'd have gone with you if they'd known." She shifted position on the bench. "I haven't seen all that much of them to be honest. Jacob's being very picky who he allows to see them. But they're not being mistreated. He values them more, since…"

"…since he lost us," Faith finished.

There was an awkward silence. Diane drummed a finger against the table. Eventually, she jumped to her feet.

"Are you hungry?" She glanced at Ruth, her expression eager. "I could make you something. Toast and coffee, maybe?"

"Yes, please." Ruth's instant acceptance made Faith wonder when she'd last eaten.

"How come you didn't make it here til this morning?" Faith asked as Diane moved away.

"As well as making contact with the Resistance, I was supposed to infiltrate the Bellator guard." She shuddered. "Hence the uniform you saw me wearing. After I saw you yesterday, I spent the day trying to talk to some of Danforth's protectors."

Faith suppressed a shudder. "Weren't you afraid you'd be discovered?"

"I was terrified." Ruth admitted. "But since the explosion in the forest, Danforth's been doing a lot of recruiting. I guess there've been a lot of new faces."

"You discover anything useful?"

"The new guards are incredibly inexperienced." Diane returned with a cup of coffee, which Ruth accepted with a grateful smile.

"Toast's on its way." Diane wandered back towards the kitchen.

"The older guards don't feel safe fighting alongside the newbies. They haven't had more than a couple of month's training. And," Ruth took a sip of her coffee, "there are a lot of rumours going round about guards disappearing."

"Understandably so." Faith thought about the missing patrol. "Are the guards who stumbled on the tunnel dead?"

Ruth grimaced. "Most of them. One surrendered. She's now a prisoner with the others." Ruth grimaced. "Not that we can spare the extra food. Jacob insists they're all important, though I can't think a single guard with minimal experience will be valued as highly as Helen, Mary, Farrah, or Avery."

At the mention of her old enemy's name, Faith's heart lurched. Speaking of Avery, there's something you should know."

Ruth raised an eyebrow but waited for Faith to continue.

"I was in the library a couple of days ago, looking at old documents. I found some birth records going back years. There was a lot of info there, but one which I feel the Eremus council should know about specifically."

"About Avery?"

Faith nodded. "She's… well, she's Danforth's daughter."

Ruth's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"No." Faith watched the steam rise from Ruth's coffee. "It makes sense, though. She's always been a stalwart believer in Danforth's philosophy about the male of the species. Unswerving. Even when the evidence in Eremus was to the contrary."

Ruth glanced at the door to the office. "How did Madeleine react?"

"Haven't had the chance to tell her yet." Nerves shot through Faith as she considered how the leader might react. "I'm going to do it today."

"And you're okay with me letting people in Eremus know?"

"I think the council should be aware of all the information. If Avery comes back to the city, knowing what she does about Eremus, she'd pose an extremely dangerous threat." Faith shuddered.

Diane reappeared with a plate of toast. "Here you are." She peered into Ruth's face. "You look exhausted. Faith can show you to the dorm once you're done eating. Grab a couple of hours sleep before you head back, okay?"

"Thanks." Ruth spoke through a mouthful of toast. "I will."

"Make sure you say goodbye before you leave." She turned to Faith. "I have to go and help Blake with something."

The Eremus girl's eyes followed her. "Who's Blake?"

Faith watched her devour the food, wondering again how hungry she had been when she'd arrived. "Blake's our resident tech genius. Has a whole room crammed with devices that do who-knows-what. Diane finds them fascinating." She rolled her eyes and was grateful when Ruth smiled.

"It's odd that you said our," Ruth said, without malice. "You really feel like you belong here?"

Faith considered her words. "I didn't. Not at first. But maybe I'm adjusting." She shrugged. "Seriously though, Blake's brilliant. Scary," Faith mock-shivered, "but brilliant. She can access cameras in key locations all over the city. It's how we found Sophia."

Ruth's eyes widened above the steaming cup of coffee. "I've been meaning to ask. You got her to safety, then?" She cast a gaze around the room. "Where is she?"

"We didn't rescue her. Not yet." Faith took a breath to quell the tears that pricked her eyes at the thought of her friend. "She's in the hospital, hooked up to a ton of machines. Security's pretty tough. But we're working on it." I hope, she added silently.

"At least you know where she is. That's the first step." Finishing the last bite of toast, she yawned. "Could you find me that bed now, please? I'm shattered, but I should set off back to Eremus as soon as it gets dark."

"Of course." Faith stood up and motioned to the door. "It's this way."

As they walked along the hallway towards the dorm, Ruth nudged Faith. "I told him she was the reason you left."

Faith's heart beat a little faster. "What do you mean?"

"Noah. I told him you came back here because of Sophia." She glanced sideways at Faith. "Was kind of hoping you'd rescued her already. He might feel less…"

Faith's eyes filled with tears. "He's angry, isn't he?"

"He misses you."

They reached the dorm and Faith gestured for Ruth to follow her inside. "This is my bed. You're welcome to use it for as long as you like." She turned to face the other girl. "He really misses me?"

"Of course, he does." She sat down on the bed and began pulling off her boots. "He's just… angry… because it felt like you abandoned him. I tried to tell him you hadn't left him, you'd gone to your best friend."

Faith choked back tears at the other girls' understanding. "Did he get it?"

"Not at first. Not until I put it in terms he couldn't argue with."

"How did you manage that?"

She grinned wickedly. "I just asked what he'd do if I'd been kidnapped."

"And it worked?"

"Oh yes."

"Thanks… for convincing him." Faith swallowed hard. "I couldn't bear the thought of him hating me."

Ruth laughed. "I don't think he could ever hate you. See, as I said, he cares about me. A lot." She lay back on the bed, giving Faith an appraising look. "But the way he feels about you? That's something totally different."