Chapter Sixteen Noah

Noah closed his eyes and willed himself to stay calm. They were going round in circles, and had been for the past half hour. So far, his ma refused to budge.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Her fingers twisted in the wool of her cardigan. "Flynn and I think it's too dangerous." Her voice softened. "What you did in the tunnels was brave. We acknowledge that. And I know you think you'd be prepared for this, but–"

"I might not be prepared, Ma," he leaned forward, "but I have to do something."

The moment Noah had mentioned the idea of posing as a drudge, he'd known he was going to struggle to bring his parents round to the idea. His ma hadn't quite forbidden him to go yet. But no matter how many times he explained his plan, she was resolutely against it.

"I'm trying to do the mature thing, Ma. Talk to you about it. Get your blessing." Her lips tightened, but he tried again. "I can't just sit here while other people fight for my freedom. I'm not a child anymore."

"I know you're not." She sighed. "And I understand that you want to play your part, believe me."

"Then why can't you–"

"You don't know Bellator the way I do." Pulling away from him, she wrapped the cardigan around her tightly. "You weren't brought up in a world that contained drudges." Her eyes flickered to his, pleading with him to understand. "The way they act, move, serve… it's so different from what you're used to."

"But surely I can learn. I know I'm not like them now, but–"

"You're nothing like them." Fierce pride shone in her eyes. "You've grown up with freedom, independence, the ability to speak your mind. You're rational. Educated, at least as well as I could manage." She gave a faint smile. "I'd even call you confident, these days."

"You admit I've grown up, then." Noah seized on the praise. "So why can't you trust that I'd be–"

"I trust you, Noah." She shuddered. "It's the people in Bellator I don't trust. As a drudge, one tiny slip is all it would take for–"

"Look at what Ruth just did for Eremus." Leaning forward, Noah grasped his ma's hand. "Her visit to Bellator, undercover, has been the start of something new. She's opened up the possibility of Eremus working much more closely with the Resistance. Helping them, the way they've helped us in the past. Acting together, because, in the end, we want the same thing." He paused, making sure she met his gaze. "That's huge. It brings us a step closer to gaining equality for our community. It's what we've always wanted."

Since Ruth's return the previous day, a lot had happened. Furious with the council for demoting him, Jacob had retreated to his own quarters. Nothing had been seen of him since the confrontation. Sarah was keeping him supplied with food and he had so far refused the council's offers to talk. Some claimed he was sulking, nursing his wounds. But others were concerned that he might have more sinister plans in mind.

With everything he knew about Eremus, Jacob was certainly capable of causing trouble. The complete loss of power would not sit well with the man who had spent so long building up the community. The council was keeping a close eye on him. But so far, all he had done was to shun the company of everyone but his inner circle.

More worrying was the conversation that Harden had overheard. Flynn had gone to speak to him about it after Noah had returned to the cave the previous night, but Harden had denied all knowledge. He had returned to collect a sweatshirt he'd left in the tunnel, he'd said, and knew nothing of any conversation between Noah and Ruth.

Flynn hadn't believed him, but unless he admitted it, there was little they could do. They had agreed to keep a close eye on the young man, but with so much going on, they could barely spare the manpower.

In Jacob's absence, Flynn and Anna had taken charge. Their first priority had been to contact Madeleine and arrange the supply raid. But they had also begun to discuss their common goals, putting forth the idea of working more closely with the Resistance to achieve them.

Madeleine had been fairly open to the idea. With a few caveats which would demonstrate Eremus' loyalty, she felt the two groups would be stronger together. Her first request had been that they allow Professor Kemp, an important part of their spy network, to return to Bellator. Anna had spent the previous day discussing a possible cover story with her old friend, and Noah knew she was excited about the prospect of positive change.

But she had dropped her gaze from his. "I know all that. And we're so grateful to Ruth for taking on the mission, but–"

"But what?" Noah took a breath, aware that his tone was growing dangerously close to anger. "Ruth's the same age as me. She just doesn't have a ma around to stop her anymore."

When his ma pulled her hand away, he knew he had gone too far. Ruth's ma, Dawn, had died a few months ago, leaving Ella and Ruth to fend for themselves. It had brought the sisters closer, in many ways, but meant they didn't have an authority figure to make their decisions for them.

Anna had been close to Dawn, and still missed her. It had been a low blow to mention her now.

"I'm sorry." He hung his head. "That wasn't fair."

For a second, she didn't reply. He raised his eyes to hers, expecting the worst. But instead of looking angry, she was wiping away tears.

"You're right." Her voice was a whisper. "I'm being overprotective. I just can't stand the thought of losing you."

This time, she reached for his hand. But before she could say anything more, there were hurried footsteps in the tunnel. As they turned towards the noise, Flynn burst into the cave, his eyes wild.

"He's gone."

Anna's eyes widened. "Who's gone?"

Tugging the privacy curtain across the cave entrance, Flynn moved inside. "Jacob. We've searched the caves. There's no sign of him."

Anna got to her feet. "You're sure?"

Flynn threw himself into a chair. "I checked his cave. A lot of his personal stuff is missing. And not only that. Sarah and Harden's living space has been cleared out. Carl too. And Denton."

"You think they all went together?" But Noah knew they had. The missing people were all Jacob's supporters. "Where would they go?" His mind reeled as he considered the consequences. "What did they take with them?"

Flynn rubbed a tired hand across his forehead. They had known the loss of Jacob's leadership position would infuriate him and suspected they hadn't heard the end of it. But to leave the settlement altogether seemed extreme.

"My guess is they're camping in the woods somewhere." Flynn threw up his hands. "For now, at least. I don't think they have enough provisions to get anywhere else."

"You think he'll come back?" Anna began pacing the cave. "Break in and steal from us?"

"Well, he's not going to come crawling back with his tail between his legs." Flynn stared at her. "Not after the way he was ousted."

"Do you think he might head for Bellator?" Noah asked. "Go for Danforth again?"

"It's definitely a possibility." Flynn had paled. "With what he knows about Avery, he might not be able to resist."

"Let's hope he manages to. He could ruin everything we're trying to build with the Resistance!" Anna continued to pace. "What are his other options?"

"Maybe he'll head away from here altogether." Noah suggested. "Start again somewhere else."

It was rumoured that other communities like Eremus still existed, but nothing had been heard of them for years. Even if they were real, they had to be quite some distance away.

"Maybe." Flynn shrugged. "But he can't do anything unless he has more weapons. Additional food stores."

"So we're back to him threatening Eremus. When we barely have enough supplies to care for the people who aren't rebelling." Anna whirled to face them. "Like we don't have enough to worry about with planning the raid."

"We'll have to revise the schedule. Move some of the supplies so he can't find them. Post extra guards on the entrances." Flynn counted off the measures on his fingers. "Let everyone know to keep a look out for Jacob's group."

Noah frowned. "Can we spare people to do all that?"

"Not really." Flynn's tone was terse. "But we can't risk losing any more supplies to him. Damn his stubborn pride! Why wouldn't he listen?"

The council's plan had been to remove Jacob from his leadership role as peacefully as possible. While no one had expected him to take it well, they had hoped to avoid coming to blows over it. The intention had been to ask him to step down to a less central role in the community for a little while, until things calmed down. Or, if he wished to leave, they were prepared to provide him with supplies once the raid to Bellator had gone ahead.

But he hadn't given anyone the chance to explain. And now he was gone.

"Jacob knows the tunnels better than anyone." Anna resumed her pacing. "He knows we're planning a raid. What if he just waits til we're under-defended and barges right in? What's to stop him from taking whatever he wants?"

"We'll have to do the best we can with the manpower we have." Flynn stood up. "We should call a council meeting."

"I'll gather people together." Anna headed for the door. She turned to Noah. "Can you fetch Ella for me, please? She'll be with the prisoners."

"Yeah." He stood up. "You want me to–"

"Send her to the canteen. Thanks. And Noah?" She shot him an apologetic look. "We can discuss the other matter later, okay?"

Grateful that she was still willing to discuss it, he managed a smile. "Okay."

"See you later." And she was gone.

Along with contacting the Resistance, Anna and Flynn had also freed Ella the moment that Jacob was out of the picture. She had been punished enough, they had told the community, for a crime she was innocent of. At the same time, they had moved Charlie, the guard who'd surrendered in the tunnel attack, into the same cave as the other prisoners. Both decisions had been accepted by most citizens without complaint.

It was no surprise that Ella's first request had been to see Helen, but she had also approached Anna the next morning and asked about joining the council. She wanted to help them with their efforts to fight against Danforth's control, she'd said. Her imprisonment had made her angrier, more determined to fight injustice, wherever it occurred. Anna had tentatively given permission for her to attend meetings, with a view to her supporting the upcoming mission. Noah only wished his ma would show the same level of belief in him.

Bidding a hasty goodbye to Flynn, Noah hurried to the cave where the girls were being kept. During the conversation with his ma, he'd had an idea. To bring Flynn and Anna on board with him going to Bellator, he had to have a solid plan. To arm himself with as much information as possible about the drudges.

As someone who was close to his ma, Professor Kemp was the ideal person to help him. If she was also travelling back to the city, he'd have her support on the journey back. Perhaps that would go some way towards persuading his ma that he could do this. Knowing he would find her in the same place as Ella, he picked up the pace.

When he reached the cave, the barricade was already leaning against the tunnel wall. Cautiously, he poked his head inside, relieved to see Ella sitting just inside the doorway talking to Helen.

"Hey, Noah." Helen was beaming. "How are you?"

It struck him how much happier she looked in Ella's presence. He glanced across to find Ella's face similarly content. Ignoring the wave of jealousy which swept over him at their reunion, he forced a smile.

"Okay thanks." He turned to Ella. "My ma asked me to fetch you. Council meeting in the canteen. Right away."

She frowned. "Something wrong?"

He cast a glance over the others, knowing he shouldn't let them know. "She can fill you in when you get there."

"Alright." Giving Helen's hand a squeeze, she stood up. "I'll come back and see you all later, okay? I promise I'll talk to the council about our discussion."

She beckoned to Noah. Curious, he followed her to the exit.

"I was wondering, since…" she bent closer, dropping her voice, "things have changed… whether we might permit them to be let out of here a little? Get some exercise, and so on. I was going to talk to your ma about it."

"Today might not be the right time." He felt bad as her face fell. "But I agree with you. Just… go speak to Ma. You'll understand."

Nodding, she turned to go. "Alright. See you later."

Wondering how he might approach Kemp with his request, Noah ducked back inside. Six pairs of eyes turned to him and he felt instantly embarrassed.

"How are you all?" he tried. "Okay? Aside from being cooped up in here. I know it's not ideal."

There were various nods and murmurs from around the space. All the girls seemed to accept they'd suffered worse treatment. Apart from one.

"We'd certainly be better if you'd allow us out of here for a little exercise every once in a while." Avery's tone was strident, but for once she was making a valid point.

Turning to her, Noah wondered how much to say. "Yes, I'm sorry about that. We've felt it was a necessary step, since–"

"We know," Avery rolled her eyes. "Since our fellow captives managed to escape you."

"Yes." Noah hesitated, not wanting to mention the extra protection she might need now that Jacob knew of her origins. "You can understand why, can't you?"

The older girl opened her mouth to reply, but an elbow from Farrah stopped her. She dropped her gaze. "I guess so. But we're…"

"I know. You must be." Noah watched as Avery's gaze snapped up to meet his, startled by his empathy. "Listen, I'll see what I can do about you being let out soon. Maybe we could manage it, for a little while, at least."

Her eyes wide, Avery seemed to have lost the use of her tongue. Beside her, Farrah leaned across. "That would be wonderful, if you could. Thank you."

A movement on the other side of the cave caught his eye. With agility which demonstrated her guard training, Charlie pushed herself to her feet and crossed the space until she reached him.

"Could we…?" She gestured to the cave mouth.

Ignoring Avery's glare, Noah led her towards the doorway.

"Wanted to say thank you," Charlie said, once they were out of the others' earshot. "For whatever part you played in getting me moved in here."

"Wasn't really me. Not just me, anyway." He shrugged. "We just thought it would be nicer for you if you had a little company. The isolation didn't seem to be doing you any good."

"It wasn't." She grimaced. "This is so much better than being on my own. You've no idea."

"I'm glad." Noah smiled. "How are you…" he gestured inside the cave, "finding the company?"

"Not sure I'm quite fitting in just yet," Charlie glanced over at Kemp, who was sitting just inside the cave door. "But I'm working on it."

Noah wondered if Kemp was nervous around the guard. Charlie's first loyalty, on the surface, at least, was to Danforth. The very woman Kemp was working against as part of the Resistance. But from what Noah had seen, Charlie hadn't been the most devoted of the chancellor's followers, and the discoveries she had made since arriving in Eremus had definitely made her question the Bellator teachings. They were, very possibly, on the same side. But Kemp didn't know that.

"Helen's been quite friendly," Charlie mused. "And Avery."

"Really?"

Noah wondered if Avery's pleasantness had more to do with her belief that Charlie might fight to protect them, rather than being a genuine offer of friendship. Of course, someone so devoted to the Bellator ways would favour those who were in charge of protecting its leader.

Since they'd received the news of Avery's unusual parentage, Noah had seen her through different eyes. Now that he knew she was related to the chancellor, her entitled attitude made sense.

His ma had asked Kemp about the connection between Avery and Danforth. Staff at the school were aware that Avery was treated differently, Kemp said, but not the reason why. Whenever a member of staff had cause to discipline her, Anderson would take over, and more often than not, Avery appeared to be let off lightly. Kemp thought it made sense that Avery was related to Danforth, but the reason for her presence at the school remained a mystery.

They had decided, for the time being, not to speak to Avery about her background. If she already knew and was keeping the information a secret, they might jolt her into action by letting her know that her cover was blown. If she didn't know, then discovering her connection to the chancellor might make her behaviour even more volatile. So for now, with Madeleine's agreement, they had decided they would keep the news to themselves. But her friendliness towards the guard made Noah suspicious.

"Yes." Charlie glanced at him, curious. "That surprises you?"

"Helen, no. Avery, however–" Noah forced himself to shrug carelessly. "A little. Just… be careful what you tell her."

"You don't trust her?"

"Let's just say her past behaviour hasn't given me a lot of confidence."

"Alright. I will." Charlie turned to go back in. "Thanks."

She ducked back inside and he followed her. Conscious of time, he turned to Kemp.

"Professor? I have a message for you," he almost stumbled over the words, "from my ma. Would you step outside for a moment?"

The older woman looked a little surprised but got up and followed him. Behind them, the other girls resumed their conversations without suspicion. Once he and Charlotte stood in the tunnel out of earshot, Noah didn't waste time.

"Sorry – that was an excuse. I just needed to speak to you alone."

The professor's eyes sparked with interest, but she said nothing.

"I wanted to ask you more about the drudges. You mentioned them the last time we spoke?" He paused, trying to gauge her reaction, but her face remained expressionless. "With only having been to the city a couple of times, I've never seen one. You said they wear a specific uniform… with a face covering?"

"They do."

"How many are there in the city?"

"I don't know, maybe four hundred or so?" If Kemp was surprised by his questions, she didn't show it. "They're mostly used in the larger establishments… schools, hospitals, labs, laundries… not many of them work in individual homes. A few of the wealthier citizens in the city have one, I suppose, but on the whole they're used in wider public service." She cocked her head to one side. "Why the sudden interest?"

"You spoke to my ma yesterday, right?"

"I did. I hear I'm to go back into the city soon."

"Yeah." Noah paused, holding the professor's gaze. "How do you feel about that?"

"I'm glad, I suppose." The professor rubbed a hand against her forehead. "It's killing me right now that I can't be part of it. I mean… coming here to find Faith was important, but now she's gone and I'm stuck here, totally out of action. I was in a great position at the academy… it took me years to work my way up… to gain Anderson's trust. I'm useless, stuck here." She blew out a breath. "But I'll admit, I'm nervous about returning. I just hope this cover story we're cooking up holds."

"I hope so too." Noah hesitated. "Ma told you Faith's safe, right? You know she's not back at the academy?"

"That was one piece of good news." Kemp's face darkened. "Sophia, however… that's a different story."

"You're hoping to help her?"

"If I can." Her face fell. "She's not at the academy though."

"Ruth said there are lots of others there, though. And many of them are being dosed with this drug."

"Sadly, yes. If I'm able to get back to my original position at the academy, I'll do what I can for them." She paused, staring at Noah. "Sounds like you have enough of your own issues here in Eremus. Your ma filled me in on what happened with Jacob." The professor grimaced. "I never had much respect for him. I'm sure Flynn and your ma are already doing a better job of liaising with Madeleine."

"They are." Noah seized on the change of topic eagerly. "We have lots of plans. One thing we've offered is to send some Eremus citizens into Bellator—additional eyes on what Danforth is doing. We feel the more eyes we have in the city, the better."

"So Anna said. Sounds sensible."

"And, well, at the moment the only citizens we could realistically send into the city are female. Unless…"

Kemp's eyes lit up. "I think I see where you're going."

"I thought…" Noah hesitated, "I wondered if I talked to you about the drudges… the way they work, where they live, the roles they fulfil… how they move and talk and – oh, anything you think is important…" he paused before voicing the idea, afraid that she might laugh. "I wondered whether I could get away with posing as a one… to enter the city, undercover."

Kemp looked impressed. "It's a daring idea. And not without danger." She leaned back, running an eye over him from head to toe. "Most Eremus men wouldn't manage with it. But with you… it might work. You're slim. With the mask, in uniform… taught how to walk, how to behave… you might get away with it." She paused, a look of amusement crossing her face. "Your ma didn't mention this. She's alright with it?"

Remembering the earlier conversation with his ma, Noah dropped his gaze. "No. Neither's Flynn. But I was hoping if we talked, if you taught me what I needed to know, I could show them how convincing I could be. And maybe they'd come around to the idea."

"Well I can't promise to convince your ma," Kemp shrugged, "but I'd be happy to help you."

"Thanks. I've been wondering… if the first few citizens we send in manage to blend in, whether there might be the possibility of a larger number of our citizens going undercover too…" He hurried on. "I mean… Ruth managed it. If myself and a couple of others pull it off, then perhaps going forward we could…"

"You've thought about this a lot." The professor looked amused.

"I have, I suppose." He could feel himself blushing. "It's important."

"Yes, it is." Kemp turned serious. "Listen, if Eremus can pull this off, it will really help them to align with the Resistance. I mean… offering citizens to go undercover… to actively work against Danforth from the inside… it's clever. It will be useful. And very much appreciated." She paused, leaning closer to him. "I can understand why your ma is reluctant to let you go, though. Have you really thought what you'd be getting yourself into?"

Noah gritted his teeth. "I have, yes."

Kemp chewed on her lip. "Drudges who have disobeyed orders in the past have been executed."

"As have innocent Eremus citizens who did nothing but try to live their lives." Noah paused, finding himself breathless. "Honestly? I'd rather die trying to do this than stay here and let others fight for me."

Kemp stared at him for a long time before continuing. "Alright, if you're sure, I'll help you. It's not going to be easy, though. You'll have to be constantly aware. Not let your guard down for a moment."

"I know. But I have to do something."

"It's very commendable." Kemp patted his arm. "And I do believe you might do this quite well. Do you want to start right away?"

"I can't." Reluctantly, he turned to go. "I have a shift."

"Alright. But come back as soon as you can." She raised an eyebrow. "I may not be here for much longer."