Chapter Eighteen Noah

Ruth stared at him. "You're certain you want to do this? That it's a good idea?"

"I'm sure." Noah didn't hesitate.

They were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the den. It had been difficult to get a minute alone together since his friend had returned from the city. With the constant threat of Jacob hanging over them, and all the planning for the supply raid, there had been a lot to do. Plus, Noah had been spending every moment he could spare with Kemp, who was putting him through his paces training him to be a drudge. The professor couldn't be sure when she would be sent back to Bellator. Noah needed to make his time with her count.

It was the reason for his friend's question. Like his ma, Ruth was not very enthusiastic about his plan to go undercover in Bellator. It seemed like every conversation he'd had over the past few days had been linked to this decision.

Having had longer to get used to the idea, his ma seemed to have come round to it. She had admitted that, if she put her feelings aside, he was perfect for the role. Noah knew the incident in the tunnel with the Bellator guards had gone a long way towards demonstrating how capable he was and he appreciated the newfound trust she had in him.

Ruth was another matter.

She shifted her position. "And Kemp thinks you'll be convincing enough?"

"You're doubting me?" Noah tried to make light of the situation. "You know she's been drilling me non-stop in the mysterious ways of the drudge."

It was true. Over the past few days, Noah had spent what felt like hours training with Charlotte Kemp. Flynn had permitted them to use one of the smaller training caves, so they had space to practice and were away from Avery's prying eyes. The professor had explained the way the drudge system worked, suggested the kinds of jobs he would be expected to do and the clothing he would wear. She thought the best idea would be for him to start off at Resistance headquarters, until they could work out a plausible placement for him.

Kemp was hoping it might be somewhere vital, where he could really be of some use. A laboratory, a government office, even the academy. Many drudges were required to work in small teams, so they would need to look carefully to make sure he was assigned to a position where there were few drudges, or where the drudges were sympathetic to the Resistance movement. After that, he'd have to find a way to report back to the headquarters without being caught.

It was vital that he fit in. Kemp had made him walk with his head bowed low, not making eye contact, never speaking. It was harder than he'd expected, but that morning she had proclaimed herself happy with his progress.

"Not perfect," she'd said, "but you're getting there."

He had resisted the urge to look up at her and remained silent. Laughing loudly, she'd clapped him on the back and declared their session over, moving across to work with the other citizen who had volunteered for the mission: Ella.

Her suggestion that she enter the city had come as a shock to most. But it made sense when Noah considered her recent experience at Jacob's hands, her relationship with Helen, and her recent interest in joining the council. She was tired of Eremus being forced to live in the shadows.

She'd done a good job of persuading Flynn and the others, stressing how personable she was, how well she knew the Danforth girls, and how her recent imprisonment had given her a newfound desire to move out of her comfort zone. Paulo, who she'd grown up with, had been reluctant, arguing that she wasn't a raider and had never been to the city before. She'd responded by reciting the raider rules to him, which she knew by heart from Dawn's teachings growing up.

In the end, even Paulo had to admit that Ella had a way of getting people to confide in her which would make her the perfect spy. It had been decided: Noah and Ella would travel to the city the following night with Professor Kemp. Together, they would be the first to attempt to infiltrate the city and live amongst its citizens. If they were successful, more might follow.

One or two of the Eremus citizens had expressed concern over Ella's inclusion in the mission. Most had seen the light after Jacob's recent betrayal, but a few still didn't quite trust her. For a while, Ella had been concerned that she might not be able to go. In the end, Flynn and Anna had vouched for her personally. Their opinion carried a lot of weight in the community, and eventually everyone had agreed to give her a chance.

She had embraced the mission wholeheartedly. Her only regret was leaving Helen, but since she saw the mission as something which would eventually allow them to be together, she had come to terms with it. Noah had never seen her so determined. But working towards a Bellator which welcomed Eremus citizens as equals, she'd told Noah, was the best way to secure the kind of future she wanted. She was excited to be a part of it.

Whilst sympathising with Ella's regret at leaving Helen, Noah had to admit he was happy to be moving closer to Faith. When Ruth had told him she was alive and well and living at Resistance headquarters, he'd been so relieved. It had been even better hearing that she'd asked after him and told Ruth she'd regretted the way she'd left.

"Honestly," he sat up, turning to reassure his friend, "I'm ready for this. If I could stand up right now and show you my drudge walk, I would." He winked. "It's very convincing."

Ruth scowled at him. "Don't joke about this."

"I'm not!" He lowered his voice as she gestured at the cave entrance. It was unlikely they'd be overheard, but the outer tunnel was used on occasion and they always tried to keep it down to ensure their sanctuary remained a secret. "Listen, if there was ever a role Noah Madden was born to play, it's this one. A skinny little runt who's not up to the difficult jobs?" He slapped a hand on his chest. "That's me."

"That's Harden talking." Ruth elbowed him. "Those drudges might be slight, but they do difficult jobs. They're not weaklings. And neither are you." She gazed at him, her face softening. "It's not going to be easy."

"I know that."

"It's not just a raid… in and out and get back here as fast as you can." She jabbed a finger at him. "We're talking about staying there, living there, among women who'll report you the second they discover who you are. You'll have to keep up the act all the time. Twenty-four seven."

"I know." Noah was beginning to tire of her warnings. "Give me some credit. I mean, you did it."

"Did what?"

"Infiltrated the city in disguise."

"That was different," she snapped. "I'm not a man."

"I'll be fine. I'm–"

But his friend cut him off. "I was scared, you know. Wandering through the city, in full view of Bellator citizens. I mean… I've only ever been there at night before. Apart from that time Paulo and I were delayed." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Every time I passed a citizen, my stomach was churning. I was just waiting for one of them to call me out as a fraud."

Noah didn't interrupt. Ruth hadn't told him much about her visit to the city, aside from the details of her conversations with Madeleine and Faith. She didn't like to appear vulnerable, so her admission was quite a shock. He fought the urge to reach out and take her hand.

"When I bumped into Faith, she stopped dead." Ruth twisted her hands in her lap. "Right next to me. Honestly, I thought that was it. Thank goodness it was her and not someone else."

"We'll have to hope I'm as lucky as you then," Noah hedged. The talk of getting caught was alarming. He didn't want to lose his nerve before he'd even left Eremus.

"And if wandering around was difficult, when I had to try and talk to people, it was downright terrifying." Her entire body tensed. "Blending in with the other guards like I was one of them. I was lucky they just assumed I was a new recruit. Meant most of them just ignored me or sneered. But the ones who did speak to me… well, my hands were shaking the entire time." She turned her head to face him. "It was so stressful. And I only had to do it for a couple of hours."

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Noah threw up his hands. "It won't be a picnic, I'll be petrified the entire time, I won't–"

"Noah." Ruth's tone stopped him dead. "I know you're going to do it, whatever I say. I'm not trying to talk you out of it. But I need you to understand how difficult it's going to be. I don't want you going in there trying to be a hero."

"Me? A hero?" Noah went for humour, which fell flat. "Unlikely."

His friend narrowed her eyes. "A lot of this is about Faith. Isn't it?" She didn't wait for a response. "You might not see her at all, you know. It's a big city. Once you're established as a drudge, you won't have regular access to any of the Resistance members. You'll be stuck in whatever role they give you, day after day. You'll be extremely vulnerable."

"Don't you think I can do it?" Noah snapped.

"It's not that." She wrapped the drawstring of her hoodie around her finger, pulling it tight. "I have faith that you're prepared. That this isn't just a spur of the moment decision. I'm just… worried for you. And for Ella." She dropped her gaze. "I can't believe I'm losing you both at once."

Noah felt a stab of guilt. Ruth was going to the city but would be returning to Eremus with the raiders involved in the supply mission. Alongside Paulo and several other raiders, she would take much-needed resources from an assigned location and head back to the community with them. Flynn was staying behind with a second party of raiders, still mindful of the threat from Jacob. This meant more pressure on the raiders who were travelling to the city, as there were fewer of them than the council would have liked.

Ruth's was a vital role, and one she was proud to fulfil. At the same time, when she returned to Eremus, she would be leaving behind the two people who meant the most to her.

"You're not losing us." He leaned closer to his friend, nudging her. "And we'll be just fine. Back before you know it."

"You think so?" She shifted away, turning to stare at him again. "Because this feels like the start of something huge. Something that's likely to change things forever."

There was a ring of truth in her words that couldn't be denied. Noah lay back and looked up at the stars which twinkled high above them, visible through the slender gap in the rocks above. The den had always been here for him, a place of comfort to run to when things got too much. Would he have an escape like this in Bellator? He had to admit the prospect was unlikely.

"Noah?" Ruth's voice had taken on a tone of appeal. "Be careful, won't you?"

"I will." He rolled on his side, and this time he did take her hand. Squeezing it, he hoped his words had comforted her at least a little. "You know me. I'm not reckless. I'll make sure I–"

But her grip on his hand had tightened, and her face was pale. Outside in the tunnel, there was the sound of urgent voices, followed by the thunder of footsteps galloping past.

"Disturbance… south side…" "Flynn called…" "…need support…"

The jumble of voices mingled with the hissing of a walkie-talkie.

"What–?" Noah whispered.

"Jacob?" Ruth frowned.

"We'd better go and see."

Once the sound of footsteps had retreated, they shuffled through the gap in the rock and out into the tunnel. For a moment it was eerily silent, the panicked passersby long gone. They peered in the direction of the exit, then back towards the central tunnels.

"Which way should we go?" Noah glanced at his friend.

"No idea." She shrugged. "Pick one."

With a final glance towards home, Noah turned towards the exit and hurried off in the wake of the people who had just raced past. If they were answering a distress call, he and Ruth might be of assistance. His hands shook as he ran, his fingers closing around the knife in his belt. Yet again, it was his only weapon. But he would fight with his hands if need be.

As they neared the end of the tunnel, the problem became clear. Thick smoke was billowing into the tunnel, and the visibility was reducing quickly. Noah slowed down, mindful of the possibility of running headlong into something. An injury was not what he needed right now. Nearing the exit, he hoisted his t-shirt up to cover his mouth and put his head down.

As he reached back to grasp Ruth's hand, he was reminded of a fire in the forest which he'd been trapped by with Faith. That one, they'd been able to avoid by seeking refuge in Swallow Lake. This time, there was no large water source nearby. His heart pounding, he slipped through a narrow crack in the rocks and pushed away the foliage which hid the entrance, pulling Ruth behind him.

They emerged together into a dense fog. The trees around them were barely visible and the cries of the citizens already outside were eerie and muffled.

"Which direction's the fire?" Ruth called, her mouth close to his ear. "We have to protect the bushes around the entrance."

She was right. Noah's gaze circled the space. The foliage which concealed the passage into Eremus was not yet burning, but if they caught fire, the entire community would be vulnerable. They forged ahead until they found a group of Eremus citizens already forming a circle in a clearing between some trees. Noah and Ruth hurried to join them.

The first person they came across was Beth. At the rear of the group, she was handing out blankets which they would use to beat out the fire. Seeing them, she pressed one into each of their hands.

"It's mostly smoke. Fire's not that bad, actually." She jabbed a finger up ahead. "Should be able to contain it without too much difficulty. There are more people on the way."

Grabbing the blanket, Noah sped past, unfolding it as he went. He joined the rest of the citizens, who had already spread out and begun to smother the flames. Remembering his training, he held the section of material aloft, wrapping its edges around his arms and hands to protect them. Moving into place beside Harriet, he bent low and stretched the blanket over as large an area as he could manage. On his other side, Ruth did the same.

They had prepared for this. Fire was a huge threat to their community, and they couldn't afford to let one spread. Not only would it consume sections of valuable foraging land, it could expose the very cave system which protected them. But they were always so careful. Every Eremus child had the dangers of fire drilled into them from birth. It was threaded through many of the stories passed down through the generations, which most of the children were able to recite by the time they were six.

That there had been two fires in as many weeks was shocking. The first had begun when Jacob had set off the explosives in the forest which had killed so many of Danforth's guards. It had been a reckless action on their leader's part, but luckily, they'd had rain soon afterwards which had helped to extinguish the flames and reduce the damage.

To suffer a second fire so soon after the last one was coincidental, to say the least. Noah glanced around at the Eremus citizens who were fighting the flames on all sides. A threat like this brought everyone to help, and the number of people flooding out of the tunnel exits was growing by the second. Under normal circumstances, this would have made Noah proud.

But something nagged at the back of his brain. If every available Eremus citizen was out here, fighting the fire which threatened them, who was guarding the rest of the community?

"Ruth!" he yelled.

Hearing the panic in his tone, his friend looked up, frowning. He gestured to the area around him. Everywhere he looked multiple citizens beat the flames. The fire was almost out, the smoke already beginning to dissipate.

"Think they have this?" He jerked his head back towards the tunnels. "Could we go?" For a moment, she scowled, perhaps assuming he was attempting to dodge the work. He stepped closer, leaning in so only she could hear him. "Trust me?"

She hesitated for a second. "Alright. Let's go."

Leaving the others to finish the job, they raced back to the entrance and hurried inside. As they jogged down the tunnel together, she turned to him.

"I hope you have a good reason for making me abandon my community."

"I do." He huffed. "Or at least, I think I do. Though I hope I'm wrong."

They gave up on speech as they hurried onwards, through the tunnels. Noah had one destination in mind. As they reached the canteen Noah swerved down the right-hand tunnel and barrelled straight into his ma.

"Noah!" She staggered backwards, her hand going to her forehead where there was a gash. "I need– I have to get to Flynn."

"Woah. You're hurt." He steadied her. "Is it Jacob?"

She nodded frantically, fear in her eyes. "The fire. It's a distraction."

Noah's heart sank. He'd guessed at the ex-leader's plot too late. Tearing the edge from his t-shirt, he folded it over and pressed it gently to his ma's wound.

"Did he attack you?" Noah's blood boiled.

"Not really. He shoved me aside, that's all. Hurting us wasn't his aim."

Ruth's eyes widened. "Jacob's here? Inside the tunnels."

"He was. So was Harden and a couple of others." Anna sounded out of breath. "I think they took weapons. Maybe some explosives. Not sure how many. I was rounding up the rest of the raiders to send them out to the fire when I stumbled across them by accident." She tried to move forward. "I need to find Flynn."

Ruth placed an arm around her. "We'll do that. You need to sit down. The fire's almost out. It wasn't all that big, to be honest."

"His aim wasn't to destroy the forest. Just to get enough of us out there that the settlement was vulnerable." Noah fought to keep the bitterness out of his tone. "Let's get you back to the canteen ma, where you can sit down."

They turned to go back along the tunnel when another set of footsteps came pounding towards them. Tensing, they turned to face the new arrival. It was Paulo. His face was taut and he was breathing hard.

"I was down in the cave with Charl-" He checked himself. "I was looking in on the girls." He paused, his entire body shaking with rage. "Sarah came charging in."

Anna's hand flew to her mouth. "What did she want?"

"The girls were terrified." Paulo shook his head in bewilderment. "Sarah was swinging a rifle around… shouting at us all. I didn't…" He steeled himself to continue. "I didn't have a weapon with me."

Noah knew how much his brother would regret this lapse. "What happened?"

"I tried to take her down, but…" Paulo looked shamefaced. "The weapon was loaded… I mean, she definitely meant business. I tried to stand in front of the girls… protect them…. but there are so many. Anyway," he paused, resting his hands on his knees while he gasped in a breath, "in the end, she shoved me out of the way, grabbed her and took off."

"Took off with who?" Noah demanded, dreading the response.

"Avery." Paulo's eyes were desperate. "She knew exactly who she was after."

"No." Anna stumbled forward and Noah shot out his hand to catch her. "They weren't just here for the weapons then. They've…" her voice cracked, "they've taken Danforth's daughter."