Chapter Three Faith

The four of them stared at one another. The plan had been to exit the same way they'd entered, bolt across the grass, and get back to headquarters before the sun came up. Now that the window was locked and alarmed, that wasn't an option.

"The cameras!" Robyn's eyes widened in alarm and she pulled the hood of her sweatshirt lower. "Are they back on too?"

Blake was ahead of her and was already slipping the device from her pocket. She frowned as she tapped a button to activate it. "Not according to this. Alarms are back on. But cameras are still offline… for now. Looks like the system's rebooting. We probably have a few more minutes before they start up again."

"What do we do?" Laura hissed.

Robyn turned to Faith. "This is your turf. Where else can we get out?"

"Maybe somewhere that won't be alarmed?" Laura added.

Faith's mind had gone into overdrive. For a few seconds, she turned this way and that, running through the options in a panic. "Not alarmed…" she muttered, her mind going blank, "…surely everywhere's alarmed!"

"Gah!" Blake sounded disgusted. "I told Madeleine she'd be a liability."

"Give her a chance." Robyn shot the tech genius a look. She turned to Faith. "Don't panic. Think. Where is there an exit which might not be alarmed?"

"And don't take too long deciding," Blake tapped a finger to her wristclip.

Her heart pounding, Faith racked her brain. Where could they escape the building, through an exit which wasn't alarmed,without being seen? She considered the school's layout, picturing it in her head. Here among the staff offices, they'd been pretty safe at night. But there was no way on earth the staff office windows weren't alarmed.

"Um… I g-guess…" Faith was aware of the three pairs of eyes fixed on her. "The bedroom windows aren't alarmed. But that would mean entering a room where there are girls sleeping. Too risky."

But she felt calmer now. In her head, she followed the lines of the map which was displayed on the wall in the academy's entrance. Running her eyes down each hallway, she ticked off each one mentally as she discarded it. Beside her, Blake tutted. Laura shifted from foot to foot. Even Robyn's cool expression had begun to look strained.

Heading for the main building, where the girls and staff alike slept, seemed dangerous. But for now, there seemed to be no other option.

"Come with me."

Beckoning to the others, Faith led them out of the office, hoping she looked like she knew what she was doing. As she walked down the hall, her brain continued to race. There had to be an idea she hadn't considered yet, one exit which might not set off an alarm so loud it guaranteed instant capture.

And then it hit her.

They would have to pass through the central atrium. All the main hallways led away from it. That, in itself, was risky. But if they could get by without detection, there was one door that just might work. Head down, she increased her speed, wondering if it was obvious to the others that the idea had only just come to her.

Her hands were shaking. If this worked, if she managed to get them out safely, surely it would improve her reputation among the Resistance members. She wanted to be seen as someone who was cool in a crisis. It was the only way to secure her position on future missions. To make her part of the positive changes in Bellator, rather than just an onlooker.

She just didn't want to imagine the consequences if it went wrong.

For once, none of the others questioned her as she led them along the hallway towards the centre of the building. As they reached the main atrium, she slowed her steps. It was a large, spacious area, with a high, vaulted ceiling. Between classes, it was thronged with Danforth students hurrying from place to place. Faith could almost hear the happy chatter as the girls called to one another, groaning about homework and making plans to get together after school.

Right now, it was empty. Better lit than the other areas they had passed through, it was also easier to see. And, she thought uneasily, to be seen. A grand staircase led upwards to their left, and several hallways ran off it in different directions. Faith knew which one they needed. She was about to dart out into the space when she heard footsteps coming from the corridor leading to the academy's front lobby.

They'd been in the building far longer than anticipated: the security guards must be making their rounds. Motioning to the others to move back, Faith flattened her own body against the wall. If the guard passed this way, they were in trouble. But if she was headed down any one of the other hallways, they might escape without notice.

She closed her eyes as the footsteps came nearer. They paused for a second in what had to be the centre of the atrium, then, one heart-stopping moment later, continued on. Their pace had altered though, it was slower, more measured. Faith knew why. Whoever it was appeared to be going up the stairs to a higher floor. As the sound faded into the distance, she allowed herself to relax.

Peering out into the atrium which was once again empty, Faith moved forward. She took the second hallway on the right and hurried off down it. The passage led to the sports fields. It was on the opposite side of the building to the one where they'd entered, but if the door she had in mind was open and not alarmed, she could make it work.

At night, the door was used by the drudges as they came in and out of the building to complete their outdoor chores. She remembered occasionally thinking how difficult it must have been for them to work in the near-darkness, but somehow, they managed. Every night, the drudges got to work: mowing the extensive lawns, tending to the academy gardens, and removing the rubbish which accumulated in the building.

Her thoughts went to Arden, the kindly drudge that had helped her out once before, when she'd been a student at the school. He, she was sure, would have assisted them tonight. But there was no guarantee she could find him; he was one drudge among many under Anderson's command. Faith would have to act alone, and hope her hunch was a sound one.

Praying they wouldn't bump into anyone, Faith approached the end of the hallway with trepidation. Her hand was trembling as she reached for the handle, hearing the others come to a stop close behind her. When the door yielded to her touch, she heaved a sigh of relief.

Peering outside, she saw no one. With a furtive glance left and right, she hurried through and beckoned for the others to follow. As Robyn eased the door shut behind them, she heard the sound of machinery coming from the other side of the courtyard.

"This way!" she hissed, darting behind one of the storage sheds the school used to keep some of the larger outdoor equipment.

Wordlessly, the others followed her lead. There was only just enough room for the four of them to stand in the space behind it. They waited, breathless, as the noise continued to grow, until the machine was very close. Suddenly, it cut out. The silence that followed was startling. As one, the intruders held their breath.

There was a shuffling of footsteps, followed by a clicking sound, then a faint creak as the door to the storeroom was opened. Whatever machine had been in use was rolled inside. There were additional noises, as though whoever was inside was moving other equipment around.

It seemed to take forever. Faith wondered if the drudge inside might be Arden, but didn't dare risk looking. Finally, the sounds stopped and the door was pulled shut. A lock clicked into place, and the footsteps retreated in the opposite direction.

"Was that a guard?" Laura whispered.

Faith shook her head. "Probably a drudge."

"Perhaps it's–" A frown from Robyn stopped Laura in her tracks. "Sorry," she lowered her voice to whisper-level.

"Come on, we're running out of time." Heaving a sigh, Robyn slipped out from behind their shield. "Which way now?"

They had exited on the opposite side of the building, but Faith knew where they were. Checking for additional drudges or guards on patrol, she broke into a run, leading the rest of her group around the side of the building. Knowing they were less likely to be spotted, she took them into the academy gardens, where she led them through a maze of pathways, marvelling at their familiarity, despite her absence.

They emerged on the same lawn they had crossed to reach the building in the first place. Faith pointed in the direction of the wall where they had entered, but the others had already seen it. They needed no more encouragement. Together, they retraced their steps, scrambling over it before anything else could go wrong.

On the other side, Laura clapped her on the back, panting. "Not bad, for a newbie."

Faith managed to grin, despite her thundering heart.

"Beginner's luck." Blake scowled. "Don't let it go to your head."

"There's no time for this." Robyn pointed at the sky, which was beginning to lighten. "We have to get back."

As they ran back to headquarters, Faith found herself unable to stop grinning.

When she and Diane had first arrived at the library, they had gone straight to the front door. It had been a na?ve move, but they hadn't known any different. The Resistance had to protect their base, or risk Danforth's guards discovering it. There was a side door, which was used infrequently, but most of the time the Resistance women accessed headquarters through a tunnel. Leading straight out of the hub, it led them under the main square and came out in a grocery store on the other side. Lucy, the woman who ran the place, was Resistance, and allowed them access whenever they needed it.

At night, they had to be a little more cautious, but the square was deserted and when Lucy let them in, they were pretty sure they hadn't been spotted. The short walk through the tunnel reminded Faith of Eremus and she pushed away thoughts of Noah.

At the door on the other end of the tunnel, Robyn punched in the passcode and they headed inside. The headquarters was quiet, and the group leader spoke in a whisper. "Good job tonight." She shot a glance at Faith. "All of you. Now go to bed and get some rest. We'll update the others in the morning."

When Faith reached the room she shared with several others, she was exhausted. Tiptoeing inside, she crept past her bunkmates until she reached her own bed. Flopping down onto it, she had just closed her eyes when she felt a hand on her arm. Jerking upright, she found herself face-to-face with a pair of inquisitive eyes.

"How'd it go?"

"Diane!" Her heart thundering, she sat up. "You startled me."

The older girl seemed unconcerned. "You didn't think I'd stay awake to find out how your first mission went?"

"Ssh!" Faith held a finger to her lips. "You'll wake them."

Diane cast a doubtful eye over the four other women who shared their room. "Unlikely, but c'mere then." She waited until Faith had slipped into bed beside her. Dropping her voice to a whisper, she went on. "How was the old place?"

"The same." Faith leaned close, keeping her own voice low. "Totally weird to be there."

"Any trouble?"

"Not really. It took longer than planned, because Anderson stayed in her office til way past midnight."

Diane scowled. "Bet she was scheming with Danforth."

"But once she went to bed, we got in okay and planted the bug."

"Did Blake manage to copy what was on the datadev?"

"She did."

"Genius!" Faith frowned. Diane got along with Blake far better than her. Sensing her annoyance, Diane elbowed her gently. "You know she is. Think of what we might find out from that datadev. Information we can really use."

"I s'pose." Faith shifted, uncomfortable in the small space. "There was a bit of an issue on the way out."

Beside her, she felt Diane stiffen. "What happened?"

"It was weird. The window we'd come in through had been unlocked by our contact. But… when we went back, it was locked and the alarm had reactivated."

"No!" Diane gasped. "So how did you–?"

"Had to leave through the door leading to the fields. I figured it'd be open, since–"

"The drudges use it at night!" At an elbow from Faith, Diane lowered her voice again. "Quick thinking!"

In the darkness, Faith smiled. Whilst she was tired, she felt proud of her efforts tonight. And Diane was the only person she had left to share it with. Impressing her made Faith feel good, especially considering how tough Diane was.

Her thoughts returned to the person she really wanted to be telling and the smile died.

"What's up?" Diane was more intuitive than Faith sometimes gave her credit for.

She shrugged, not wanting to dampen the mood. "Nothing."

"Nothing my foot!" Diane nudged her sharply. "Spill."

"In the office…" Faith tapped on her wristclip, accessing the photographs she had taken earlier, "there were lists of student names, tests they were undergoing, drug doses they'd been given or whatever."

Diane bent close, peering at the images. "That sounds like useful information."

"Yeah. But…"

"Sophia's name was there?" Diane guessed. Despite her gruff exterior, she understood how much Faith missed her best friend. "They're doing tests on her?" Faith didn't respond. "Wait!" She gripped Faith's hand tightly. "She failed them?"

"No. Her name… it wasn't there at all."

"Really?" Faith shook her head. "You must've just missed it." Diane squinted at the tiny writing. "Let's look again."

They looked over the various photographs, scrolling through the lists over and over. There were many familiar names, but no matter how many times they checked, Sophia's was worryingly absent.

Diane was silent for so long that Faith wondered if she'd fallen asleep. Eventually, she sighed. "I'm sorry. I know how much you were hoping…"

Diane had never been great at comforting people. Her best friend, Serene had been the one with the empathy. But she had been the first victim of Danforth's experimentation. Faith reminded herself that Diane understood what she was going through. She just didn't know how to show it.

Giving in to her tiredness, Faith sagged against the older girl, allowing the tears to fall. Sophia would have hugged her, but instead, Diane awkwardly patted her arm.

"Let's try and talk to Madeleine tomorrow. You don't know what Blake got from the datadev. There could be lots of helpful information."

"I know. It's just…"

"You were really hoping to find her tonight." There was another long pause, and Diane shifted away from her. "Why don't you get some rest? I'm sure you must need it."

It was an invitation to leave. Diane liked her space. The conversation was over. Reluctantly, Faith got back into her own bed. As she settled down beneath the covers, she finally allowed her thoughts to go to the boy she had left behind in Eremus. She'd chosen Sophia over him, made her way back to the city to save her friend. Noah was, undoubtedly, angry with her for abandoning him.

And what had it all been for? Three weeks, and no sign of Sophia. Faith punched a fist into her pillow. But as she settled down to sleep, Diane's voice drifted across the distance between the beds.

"I promise we'll find her. Even if we have to go out alone and look."