Chapter Twenty Noah

Walking through the city was a different experience, now that Noah knew his visit was more than a fleeting one. The streets seemed more dangerous, yet at the same time full of promise. Here, perhaps, he could actually make a difference. To the people of Eremus, to the citizens of Bellator, to the students at the academy.

And, of course, to Faith. She was here, somewhere. He might see her soon. He couldn't decide whether he was excited or worried by the prospect. Slipping a hand inside his pocket, he brushed his thumb along the delicate chain of Faith's pendant. The one he had once taken without her knowledge. By the time he had confessed to stealing it, they had grown close. She had told him to keep it as a token of her affection. It had become his good luck talisman.

After Jacob's devastating visit to the caves, Flynn had decided there was little point in delaying the dual mission into Bellator. A thorough examination of their resources had revealed a well-executed raid by the ex-leader which had left them missing numerous guns and explosives, some of the batteries they had just received from Madeleine, and one very important Danforth student.

Jacob had always been a meticulous planner. Even with a limited force behind him, he had managed to manipulate the community into doing exactly what he wanted. Dividing his followers, he had sent them in three different directions while the Eremus citizens were dealing with the fire. Sarah, Harden, Jacob, and a couple of others had gotten in and out with their various prizes before anyone had known what was really happening.

Most citizens had been completely unaware of Jacob's actions until he was long gone. Those who had come face-to-face with them had been threatened with weapons but left unhurt as long as they didn't try to stop him. Flynn didn't think they would return. The only person at risk now was Avery, who Sarah had forced out at gunpoint.

According to Professor Kemp, she'd been truly frightened, and clung to Farrah for several minutes while Sarah had threatened them all. When she had left, she'd been quiet, shaking and quite unlike her usual self. As Danforth's daughter, she was an important hostage to Jacob. Noah's ma seemed certain she wouldn't be hurt. Whether Avery knew that was a different matter entirely.

The council was frustrated by Jacob's actions, but at the same time Noah knew they were grateful that the problems caused by the raid were minimal. No one had been hurt or killed. The cave system had been mostly empty because of the fire, which had been purposefully minor. The damage to their foraging space had not been serious, because Jacob had not intended the blaze to be a destructive one.

He didn't want to reveal the tunnel entrances to Danforth. He didn't want the Eremus people to starve. He just wanted to continue his vendetta against the Bellator chancellor. And to do that, he needed weapons. And a hostage.

Now that he had them, there was no telling what he would do. But Flynn and Paulo had felt it important to continue with the original mission as planned. Noah and Ella had been instructed to fill the Resistance in on recent happenings in Eremus, and hope that they didn't regard Jacob's absence as a stumbling block in the planned alliance.

After leaving the rest of the raiders at the tunnel exits, Noah, Professor Kemp, and Ella had made their way to a safe house on the outskirts of Bellator. They'd been met by Evelyn, a member of the Resistance the community had prior involvement with. Greeting Kemp with a brief hug, she had confirmed their prior instructions: the professor was to remain in the house until later, when Evelyn would return.

They planned to use a cover story about how Kemp had been captured by rogue men while searching for the missing Danforth girls in the forest, but for this to work she would have to act as though she had staged an escape. Evelyn would assist her with this, but right now her job was to guide Noah and Ella safely to the Resistance headquarters at the library.

"Busy night." Evelyn had frowned. "There's a lot going on. Stay quiet and do what I tell you at all times."

The Resistance's presence on the streets, she had told them, was riskier of late. There had been issues with a recent mission and they were keen to avoid more clashes. They would stay out of sight as far as possible, keeping to the less-travelled routes. Noah was not yet acting the part of a drudge, so it was vitally important he acted with caution, as though he was on an ordinary raid.

Noah had tried to keep his expression neutral at Evelyn's words, though Ella stiffened beside him. They needed to stay calm, no matter what. As Evelyn had set off with a gritty determination, he had reached for Ella's hand, hoping his reassuring squeeze would be enough to carry her through the journey.

Since then, they had been following their guide for more than an hour. She knew the city well, leading them along narrow side roads and darkened alleyways with assurance. At every junction, she paused to check that the route ahead was clear. When forced to cross a major street, she did so swiftly, darting from the shadows at one side of the road to the other.

As they headed into the heart of Bellator, the buildings around them grew taller and taller, until they seemed to scrape the sky above. Built with concrete, steel, and glass, the solid structures were symbols of everything Eremus was not. They screamed of wealth, of modernity, of permanence. The lantern-lit tunnels of their own community seemed a world away.

Noah had to force himself to keep his eyes at street-level. He had a responsibility to be aware of his surroundings, to use what raiding experience he had to keep Ella safe. Back in Eremus, he'd made promises to Ruth that he intended to keep. But the glamour of Bellator at night fascinated him. Brief glimpses of partially-lit store windows and office reception areas, the highly-decorated front of what his reading had taught him was a theatre, and a stylish-looking food-provision place the citizens called a restaurant taunted him, fighting to pull his attention away from their goal.

Beside him, Ella shivered. She wasn't a raider, and this was her first visit to the city. She had shown courage in volunteering for the mission, but he could see the reality made her nervous. Unlike him, she kept her gaze lowered, her eyes darting from side to side only when they moved across open areas where they were more vulnerable.

"Look out for her, would you?" Ruth had asked, her face tense. "As best you can. I know she wants to go. For the Danforth girls, for Helen, to change things… but she's frightened too." In an uncharacteristic show of emotion, she had grasped his hand tightly. "It won't be easy. Try to help her adapt."

Noah had promised that he would. And now, with the usually vivacious young woman mute beside him, he could see why Ruth had been worried. He took Ella's hand, pulling her closer to him. She glanced up at him, her eyes wide.

"It'll be okay," he murmured, wishing he had more knowledge of their final destination. "Not much longer now, I'm sure."

She opened her mouth to reply but was silenced by a harsh "Sshh!" from the woman who strode ahead. Glaring back at them, Evelyn held up a hand as they reached the end of yet another alleyway. Leaning her back against the wall, she motioned for them to do the same.

Noah squeezed Ella's hand as they obeyed. He watched the Resistance member edge forward, until she could peer out into the street ahead. For a moment, she was still. When she turned back to them, her face was white. She mouthed a single word.

"Guards!"