Chapter Twenty-Six Noah
He hadn't slept well. Despite Robyn providing him with perfectly adequate blankets, bed roll, and a pillow, a combination of nerves and excitement had proved difficult to ignore, and Noah had tossed and turned all night. When he had managed to sleep, he'd been haunted by dreams filled with faces: Faith's, Ella's, his ma's, the mysterious masked drudges. Eventually, he'd woken up with his heart pounding and a sheen of sweat on his face.
Robyn had returned not long afterwards, taking him to a small private bathroom on the other side of the building. He'd managed to work out the shower, revelling in the constant flow of warm water which was a far cry from the chilly waters of the bathing cave. He had just finished dressing himself when Robyn arrived and took him back to Madeleine's office.
The woman herself was absent, but Robyn directed him to a chair and left the room. A moment later, she returned with the sour-faced woman Blake. Robyn provided him with a hot cup of coffee, a circular bread product she called a bagel, and some fruit, before holding a hissed conversation with the other woman in the doorway. It sounded like they were arguing about something, but before Noah could begin to work it out, Robyn was gone.
Scowling, Blake moved around the desk to the far side. Sitting down in front of the device he'd heard called a datadev, she began jabbing away at the keys as though she had a score to settle with them. Noah assumed she hadn't wanted to be left babysitting, and didn't try to engage her in conversation. Clearly, the Resistance didn't want to leave him in the office alone with potentially sensitive documents. He decided he couldn't blame them.
On the opposite side of the door, he could hear the women gathering for breakfast. Slowly, at first, just a couple of voices, but as the moments ticked on, the clattering of dishes and chattering conversation grew in volume. He ate his bagel, marvelling at the way mealtimes here were at the same time both similar to and different from those he shared with his fellow citizens in Eremus. The element of companionship was much the same, but the food was a world away.
As he finished eating, his thoughts went to Ella. Was she stuck out there alone, as nervous as she had been the previous night? Concerned he couldn't fulfil his promise to protect her when he wasn't with her, he stood up and moved towards the door.
"What are you doing?" Blake's gaze snapped up from the screen.
"I just…" he gestured at the door. "I wondered when I might be able to go…"
"Not yet." Blake continued to tap away at the keys, despite the fact that she wasn't looking at them.
"When, then?" Noah took a step towards her, hoping she might be less hostile if he didn't appear to be disobeying orders. "I mean… I understand that I might be… unnerving… to some of them, but I thought the idea was to tell them about me so they were… prepared."
"Don't think we're all frightened of you." Blake looked him up and down. "I mean… don't underestimate us, will you? Us women... we're not all terrified little rabbits, you know."
"I'm sure you're not." Noah held up his hands. "Look, I came here with a friend… Honestly, she was a little nervous. I was hoping I could–"
"You'll do what you're told." Blake stood up. "Madeleine requested we wait for her to tell the rest of the women who you are and what you're doing here."
"And where is Madeleine?"
Blake frowned. "Taking care of some business. She'll be here soon."
"But until she's back…?"
"You stay here." Blake eyed him for a moment, sighing. "It shouldn't be much longer."
Noah moved back to the chair and sat down again. "Alright."
The other woman relaxed slightly and looked back at the screen. The speed with which her fingers moved over the keys increased.
"What are you doing?" Noah enquired.
Blake glared at the second interruption. "Sorry?"
"What is it you're doing?" Noah cocked his head to one side. "Apart from babysitting me, of course."
She didn't smile. "Research."
"Seems like you're pretty good at what you do there." She frowned, as though she thought he might be mocking her. "I mean, all that time you were looking at me, you never took your fingers off the keys."
She glanced down at her hands, then up again. "I touch type. I know where all the keys are… don't need to look."
"We don't have…" Noah waved a hand, "devices like that in Eremus."
She sat back in her chair, appraising him. "I don't suppose you do."
"Seems like they're very… useful."
She allowed herself a small smile. "I don't know how you can live without them. I know I couldn't."
Noah shrugged. "You could if you'd never known they existed."
Before Blake had a chance to respond, the door burst open and Madeleine strode in.
"Any sightings?" Blake's face clouded with worry.
"'Fraid not." The leader ran a hand through her hair. She seems to have disappeared into thin air."
Blake hissed a curse under her breath. "So Evelyn"s fears were grounded."
"It's looking like it." Madeleine grimaced. "Of course, we'll keep searching."
"Do you think the guards caught her, then?" Noah asked, without thinking. He was rewarded by a withering look from Madeleine. "Sorry. It's just… I was with Evelyn when we heard–"
"I'm aware. And yes, we think that Danforth's guards probably have her, which is not good news. Still, we carry on." Madeleine returned her attention to Blake. "He's not here yet. Can you keep an eye out for him while I bring everyone up to date?"
Noah wondered at the male pronoun. But he didn't dare ask who Madeleine was referring to.
"Sure." Blake was already on her feet, anxious to leave. "You'll come up when you're done?"
"We will."
Noah wondered whether the we included him. As the door closed behind Blake, a buzz of chatter flooded in from the hub.
Madeleine stood looking at him expectantly. "They're waiting. Shall we introduce you?"
He made sure he met her gaze head on. "Before we do, I need to speak to you. I should've told you last night, really, but…"
A faint annoyance crossed the older woman's face, but she circled the desk and sat down in the seat Blake had just vacated. "Go ahead. We don't have a lot of time."
"Flynn asked me to let you know that," he glanced down at his hands before taking a deep breath, "there have been some changes in Eremus, recently. Ones you're not aware of yet."
Madeleine raised an eyebrow. Noah felt the chatter of the room outside fade as he steeled himself to tell the Resistance leader about Jacob. He had no idea what her reaction would be. His ma had insisted they couldn't lie. Honesty was the only way, she'd said, of securing an alliance between the two sides. But he had no idea whether she would be prepared to work alongside them now that Jacob was no longer part of the equation.
"You're aware, I believe," he began, "that there have been some… disagreements between the various council members."
"I was." Madeleine's gaze was shrewd. "Jacob's recent actions had upset some people, right?"
"That's right." Noah bit his lip. "In fact, Jacob is no longer in Eremus."
Madeleine frowned. "Where is he?"
"We're not sure." Noah hurried on before Madeleine could interject. "When it became clear how many of the Eremus citizens were unhappy with what he'd done, the council tried to speak to him about it. He didn't react well."
"I can imagine." Madeleine raised an eyebrow. "What did he do?"
"He left."
"He left?" Madeleine echoed his words. "Where could he possibly go?"
"Well, at first he must have stayed close by. Not in the caves, but…" Noah's hands trembled, but he folded them together and forced himself to continue. "He returned a few days ago without warning. Took things from the community, then disappeared again. Flynn doesn't think we'll see any more of him for a while. Not now that he has what he needs… what he wants…" Noah trailed off.
"And what's that? Food? Batteries? Weapons?"
"Yes. Items which will ensure the survival of the people he took with him."
"How many people?"
"Five. All his allies."
"And you don't know where they've gone?"
Noah steeled himself to tell her the worst. "We suspect they're headed here, into the city." Madeleine narrowed her eyes as he continued. "When he came back to raid the tunnels, Jacob didn't just take supplies. He took Avery."
The Resistance leader scowled. "With full knowledge of who she was, I assume?"
"He knows she's Danforth's daughter."
"We can expect him to take action in the near future, then." Madeleine tapped a finger rapidly against the desktop. "Another threat. That's all we need."
Noah stared down at his lap. Was this the moment where she called off the alliance?
After a moment, she inhaled deeply. "Alright. I'll instruct my associates to keep their eyes peeled for Jacob and his associates entering the city. Can you give me a list of the people he's with? Describe them for me?"
"Of course. Whatever you need."
"We'll watch for him. Attempt to stop him if he tries anything." She shrugged. "Who knows – maybe his actions might work for us. If Danforth's distracted by an attack from Jacob, it might take the heat off the Resistance."
"You're okay to go ahead with the alliance, then?" Noah tried to keep his voice neutral.
"It's not what I'd have wanted." Madeleine leaned closer. "But the way things are at the moment… we're close to a breakthrough." Her eyes lit up. "Really close. But we're putting our people in danger every day. This alliance with your community gives us new opportunities, a larger force with which to act against Danforth.
"I've known Flynn almost as long as I've known Jacob. I trust him. The fact that he's sent you and Ella and Charlotte back to us is evidence of his commitment. I won't throw this opportunity away because of one rogue agent."
"That's great!" Noah flushed at the eagerness in his voice. Embarrassed, he changed the subject. "Did the professor make it back to the academy safely?"
"I'm waiting to hear." The older woman twisted a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Evelyn accompanied her most of the way, but she had to do the last part alone. To keep up the backstory," Madeleine explained. "It was vital that she arrive at the academy doors looking as though she'd escaped from an Eremus capture. Evelyn made sure she looked a little dishevelled. Gave her a few bruises."
"What? But–"
Madeleine gave him a stern look. "We had to sell the idea that she'd been mistreated." Abruptly, she stood up. "Now, as I said a while ago now, time is of the essence. Are you ready?"
Noah's heartrate quickened. But Madeleine had been more than fair. He owed her this. It was what he had come here for.
"Sure." He stood up. "I'm ready."
Motioning for him to wait, she disappeared through the door, leaving it ajar. He heard her rap her knuckles on what sounded like a table to get everyone's attention.
"Morning," she began. "I'll start with the matter I am sure is uppermost in your minds. Despite a thorough search of the city, Laura has not been located. We do suspect that Danforth has her." Noah heard a muttering run through the crowd of women. "I'm sorry we don't have better news. For now, though, we carry on as usual. I know there have been rumours of some arrivals last night, so I won't pretend this is news to you all. Two Eremus citizens will be staying with us for a few days as we prepare them to join us, taking on undercover roles in the city."
Noah tensed. It was almost time. How would these women react to his presence?
"Most of you will have seen, if not met, Ella over there." Madeleine paused, and Noah imagined his friend's embarrassment as all eyes focused on her. "But her companion has not been placed in the dorms with any of you because he is male." She waited again, as there was a murmur of a different kind. Once it had died away, she continued. "They arrived in the middle of the night, and we did not wish to startle anyone, so we kept him out of sight. However, I'd like to introduce him to you now."
Pushing the office door fully open, she beckoned to him.
"Come on out." Noah obeyed, feeling very much like an exhibit at some strange museum. His eyes roamed the room, where the women's gazes conveyed every emotion, from outright fury to fear to curiosity.
"This is Noah."
As Madeleine named him, he searched the crowd for Faith, spotting her in the far corner. Her eyes were fixed on him, steady and kind. Beside her sat Diane, and on the bench opposite, to his great relief, was Ella, who looked a lot more comfortable than she had the night before. With a sigh of relief, Noah smiled and tuned back in to what Madeleine was saying.
"…worrying unnecessarily about his presence here. I know we have varied opinions about the male of our species, but Noah will be kept close to a trusted Resistance member at all times and not permitted to roam headquarters at will. Your contact with him should be limited, and he will not have an opportunity to be alone with any of you unless you're happy with it."
Remembering Kemp's drudge training, Noah bowed his head and tried to look as unthreatening as possible.
"You don't have to speak to him at all, if you don't want to. For those of you who are very uncomfortable with the idea of men, bear in mind that he won't be here for long and, so far," something in Madeleine's voice made him look up, "he seems to be a long way from the violent male specimen we've all been told horror stories about."
Noah smiled at the praise. Catching Faith's eye again, he felt a surge of hope. They were together again. They could play their part in making things better. The future could be very different for them both now. He focused on what Madeleine was saying.
"…we're hoping he will be able to masquerade as one of the Bellator drudges, and infiltrate a key location in the city."
As Noah watched, all the colour drained from Faith's face.
Noah understood why. Last night, he had purposely avoided explaining the role he'd be assuming within the city. Faith had seemed exhausted, and he'd been so happy to see her that he hadn't wanted to risk ruining things between them. Because he'd known, the moment Faith knew he was intending to masquerade as a drudge, she'd be frightened for him.
Posing as a citizen of Bellator would be difficult enough for Ella, who was female. But if she were discovered, the city would probably try and help her. But as a man?
If Noah was discovered, he wouldn't stand a chance. He had always known this, but the terror on Faith's face brought home the danger he'd be in. Laura's disappearance was a stark reminder of the risks taken by the Resistance members. And if Danforth discovered the alliance between Eremus and the rebel group within her own city, anyone supporting them would be in grave danger.
As Madeleine finished her speech, he held Faith's gaze, determined not to flinch. He would do this. He could do this. He willed her to believe in him.
"For the time being, get on with things as best you can. Until we find out Laura's location, there is little we can do for her. I know it's difficult, but try to put her from your mind and do your work as usual. We all know the risks." She paused, her sombre expression morphing into something more businesslike. "Also, please keep out of the library this morning. Noah will be completing some training in there." She waved a hand at the door to the rear of the room, signalling the meeting was over. "That's all."
As he followed Madeleine through the hub, Noah felt a stab of guilt. He should have told Faith the truth when he had seen her the previous night. He tried to catch her eye when he passed her table, but she dropped her gaze, hiding her face beneath her hair.
Once Noah entered the library itself though, all thoughts of Faith were forgotten. Filled with row upon row of books, all housed in gorgeously-carved wooden shelving which stretched from floor to ceiling, the room was magnificent. Fervently wishing his ma was here to share the moment, he wandered to the first shelf, stroking his hand across the spines reverently.
Behind him, Madeleine cleared her throat. "Come on, no time for delay."
"I'm sorry." He hurried to join her. "I've just never seen so many books. It's… heaven."
Rolling her eyes, she sped ahead, leading him to an area at the rear of the space. Blake stood there, next to a figure Noah didn't recognise. Head bowed low and dressed in the uniform Kemp had described in such detail, he could only be one of the Bellator drudges.
"You're here." Madeleine turned to Noah without giving the man a chance to respond. "Noah, this is Arden."
The man slipped off his mask, revealing a thin face which was knotted with worry. He was older than Noah had anticipated, perhaps thirty.
"He works at the academy," Madeleine continued. "But he also works for us."
She glanced at the drudge and seemed to notice his expression for the first time. "Something wrong?"
Blake stepped forward. "There definitely is."
"What is it?" Madeleine glanced between Blake and Arden then back again.
Arden kept his head lowered, as though he were uncomfortable speaking in front of so many people. With more understanding than she had shown Noah earlier, Blake turned to Madeleine, speaking for the drudge.
"It's Kemp." Her face darkened. "She made it back to the academy alright, but they didn't buy her story. Not fully, anyway."
Noah's heart began to beat faster again. Beside him, Madeleine tensed.
"What happened?"
This time, when Blake paused to judge Arden's reaction, he opened his mouth to speak.
"She returned late last night. I was on garden duty… saw her come in." He paused, raising his eyes for the first time. "Anderson herself came out to meet her. Only she was pretty suspicious."
"Where is Charlotte now?"
"They have her locked up." Arden dropped his head again. "And I heard Anderson speaking to the gate guard. Danforth's heading to the academy this morning. To question her."