Chapter Forty-Two Noah

He stood on the porch outside the drudge quarters. The rain was pouring down, and the sky grew darker by the second. All day he'd been considering the best way to prove his words to the drudge, and he'd finally admitted that the only way to make the man stand down was to show him Rowan was alive.

The day shift was over, and that meant a lot of movement in and out of the hospital building. The drudge dorms were cramped and crowded. This was the only place he could guarantee an audience with the man alone.

He hopped from one foot to the other, willing the drudge to arrive. Every second that he didn't return could be a second he was standing in the guard's office reporting Noah. The drudges on the night shift had already left, and most of those who had finished work had already returned. Noah had endured several mistrustful glances from the men as they filed past him. But no one had exited the hospital for the past two or three minutes.

Where was he?

A creaking sound alerted him to the hospital exit door opening. Noah tensed, as a single set of footsteps moved across the courtyard. The steps were slow, dragging almost. Noah was curious, but knew he couldn't look up to greet the new arrival. He had to rely on the man realising that the person in the doorway was him.

A pair of feet stopped beside him. Recognising the teardrop stain, Noah opened his mouth to speak.

"Not here. We'll be seen." The drudge's tone was rough and urgent. "Follow me."

The man surprised him by circumnavigating the drudge quarters. The rain was cold on Noah's head as he trailed behind him. He wondered if he was being a fool, trusting the drudge. Who knew what the man might be leading him into?

They rounded a corner. The drudge slid into an alcove in the wall, beckoning Noah to follow. Once they were both squeezed into the gap, the drudge looked up.

"Relax. No cameras here." He gestured upwards. "There are only a few places in the building without them. We should be safe from prying eyes for a few minutes."

Noah raised his eyes slowly. He was about to launch into an explanation when he noticed the drudge's face. "What…" he gasped. "What happened to you?"

There was a cut along the side of the drudge's eye, running down his face and under his mask. Noah knew the wound had not been there earlier in the day. The blood had been stemmed, but glistened, as though the injury had happened very recently. The area around the eye was swollen and red, and Noah suspected the drudge would have significant bruising by the following morning.

"It's nothing." The drudge glanced away.

"Doesn't look like nothing." Noah waited. "Honestly, how did it happen?

The man shrugged. "I was late finishing my last job. The medic wasn't happy."

"So she… what? Hit you?"

The drudge met his gaze with defiance. "Why do you think I'm so late out?"

"To be honest, I thought you might be reporting me."

The man gave a humourless chuckle. "Not yet." He gestured to his eye. "But you can see why we're all so concerned about you getting us into trouble because you have no idea what you're doing."

Noah shifted uncomfortably under the man's gaze.

"Where's this proof then?" Taking the hint that the subject was closed, Noah considered his next action. Blake's warning was ringing in his ears. He was about to go directly against his instructions.

But one look in the man's eyes told him he had to do something convincing.

"It's here." His fingers moved to the sleeve of his drudge tunic and the man stiffened. Noah held his hand out flat in front of him. "I'm just…" he gestured to his clothing. "I need to get something out of my sleeve. To show you I'm telling the truth."

The man followed his gaze, as though he was assessing whether what Noah had concealed could be dangerous. "Do it slowly, then."

Nodding, Noah repeated his earlier motion. Rolling up his right sleeve, he slid a finger into the seam, locating the tiny hole which Robyn had made for him. He removed the device from inside and held it up.

"I'm not supposed to show you this." He shrugged. "It's for emergencies only. But if you're determined to report me unless I can prove Row– I mean, your friend's, alive…"

"What is that?"

"It's a very small version of a wristclip. You know… like the women wear?" Noah watched the drudge nod before he continued. "It allows me to contact the Resistance. That's where your friend is."

"Okay." The drudge agreed. "Just keep your hands where I can see them."

Noah fumbled with the identical pocket in his opposite sleeve, until he had freed the tiny earcoms. Sliding them into his ears, he pressed the power button to turn the clip on. A tiny green light glowed on the device. As he activated the call button, he said a prayer that Madeleine would forgive his disobedience.

After a few seconds of silence, a tiny bleeping sound emitted from the clip. He waited, his heart pounding. It didn't take long for someone to pick up the call.

"Noah?" It was Blake. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he reassured her.

"Then why are you calling?" Her tone became hostile. "You're risking–"

"I know. Believe me, this is important." Noah took a deep breath. "Do you know where Rowan is?"

"What?" Blake's voice was clipped. "Why?"

"Because there's a drudge who's threatening to expose me unless I prove his friend is still alive."

There was a silence.

"Blake?" he hissed. "Are you there?"

"Sorry." She didn't sound sorry. "I see your predicament. I've sent Faith to fetch Rowan. She shouldn't be long."

At the mention of Faith's name, Noah's heart lurched.

"Your position, is it secure?" Blake asked. "The last thing we want is for you to–"

"It is." Noah glanced up at the drudge. "For now. But hurry."

"Hang on." Blake paused. "Is he with you right now?"

"He is."

"Give him one of the coms."

Noah slipped one of the tiny buds out of his ears and proffered it to the drudge. The man looked at it like it might explode.

"Put it in." Noah gestured to his ear. "They've gone to get him. You should be able to speak to him in a moment."

"Really?" The man's eyes widened. "You're not… This isn't some kind of trick?"

"There's no trick." Noah pointed to his ear again. "Go ahead."

With shaky hands, the drudge put the earcom in. "What do we do now?"

"We wait."

Noah almost smiled. The antagonist who had threatened him in the store room was gone. This was a man concerned for the life of a friend.

"It shouldn't be too long." Remembering the warning not to reveal details about headquarters, Noah kept his reassurance vague. "He can't be far away. In fact–"

"Noah?" Blake's voice cut across his. "He's here."

Relief flooded through him. "Great."

"You both listening?"

"We are."

"The next person you hear speaking will be a man we have named Rowan." Blake's voice took on a businesslike tone. "He's a drudge we took from outside the hospital three nights ago. I've asked him to keep this brief. He will say enough to reassure you that he is alive and well. You are not permitted to ask him any specific questions about our location. Are you in agreement?"

"I am." The drudge's response was eager.

"Alright. Here we go."

There was a slight shuffling, and the sound of a throat being cleared. "Hello?" As Noah watched, the man in front of him drained of colour. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Thought you were dead." The drudge's voice was heavy with emotion.

There was a pause, as though Rowan was just as startled.

"You're okay, then?"

"I am. Yes. Fine, in fact." Rowan sounded breathless. "Are you?"

"I am n-now." The drudge coughed, covering up the catch in his voice. "You'll be coming back?"

"So they say. After…" Rowan paused. "They haven't told me everything, but… the man who replaced me… he's there for a reason. A good one."

"So he says."

"Trust me." Rowan urged his friend to understand. "I think… once he's done what he came for… we'll see each other again. And… things might even be… better."

"You really believe that?" The drudge glanced at Noah, his eyes a tornado of mistrust and desperate hope. "You believe them?"

"I do." There was a short pause. "Don't do anything stupid, will you?"

"Me?" The drudge attempted humour. "Stupid?"

"Yes. You." Noah could picture Rowan rolling his eyes. "Just hang tight. I'll be back before you know it. And don't give this guy a hard time. Okay?"

The drudge eyed Noah, his expression softening. "Okay."

"Noah?" Blake's sharp voice cut across the air. "We good now?"

Noah met the other man's gaze. "Okay?" he mouthed the same question Rowan had asked.

The man nodded.

Noah sagged against the wall. "We're good. Thanks."

"Alright." Blake was straight back-to-business. "Hide the devices again. Carefully. See you on the other side."

The line went dead. Noah turned off the clip. Slipping the com from his ear, he held his hand out for the other. Once he had it, he began to fumble with his sleeve again.

"Let me."

The drudge leaned close, taking the clip from Noah's fingers. Deftly, he slid the device back into its hiding place, smoothing the surface so the hole was invisible and rolling the sleeve back down again. After repeating the process with the earcoms on the opposite side, he stepped back.

"You won't be causing me any more trouble from now on, then?" Noah raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow's an important day for me. For all of us. I don't need any unexpected interruptions."

"You won't get any from me." The drudge's face had transformed since the conversation with Rowan. He looked almost kind. "And don't worry about the others." He gestured towards the drudge quarters. "I'll pass the message round that you're okay."

"Thank you." Noah smiled his appreciation before realising that the man couldn't see it behind his mask. "I'd appreciate that." He gestured to the painful-looking cut. "Can you get someone to look at that? I mean… do drudges get medical treatment?"

The man shrugged. "Someone inside will have a needle and thread if it needs stitching. I doused it with some antiseptic before I left the hospital. I'll be fine."

"If you're sure." Noah made move to leave, longing for his bed now that the situation had been resolved. But a hand on his arm stopped him. He turned back to the drudge.

"I'll go one better than warning the others to keep away." The drudge leaned closer, his eyes earnest. "I get that you might not be allowed to tell me what you're doing. But if you're able to let me in on any of your plans, please do. I'll do what I can to help you with them."

"Really?" Noah felt a surge of hope at the man's offer. Having some internal support would make things so much easier. "Thank you."

The man shrugged. "You called him Rowan, huh?"

"Well I didn't, but…"

"Must be nice to have a name." The drudge's gaze was wistful.

"Shall we think of one for you?" Noah considered. He remembered the main character from the last book he'd read. "How about Liam? It means strong."

"Liam." Noah suspected the drudge was smiling behind his mask. "I like it."

The next morning, Noah headed for the fertility wards. Following his new drudge friend's advice, he was carrying a mop and bucket. They would give him a plausible task to complete, Liam had said, should he run into any of the hospital staff while he was down there.

Madeleine had been right about the Liberation Day celebrations distracting people. The hallways he walked down were decorated with banners in the colours of the Women's Independence Party. Large screens had been set up in the wards, waiting rooms, and other common areas. There was a sense of expectation in the air.

At eleven a.m., every woman in the city would be listening to Danforth's speech. It meant, if all went to plan, Faith's words would reach a huge audience. Noah felt a surge of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could do this.

Sophia was being kept a long way from the rest of the hospital, for obvious reasons. Danforth didn't want strangers stumbling on her dangerous experiment. As Noah reached the hallway leading to the fertility wards, he resisted the automatic urge to glance both ways. Stealth was almost impossible, when he had such limited vision.

He had one more task to complete before the rescue could take place. And the only place he was going to complete it was here. Taking in a deep breath, he followed the hallway until he reached its end.

Placing the wet floor sign, he doused the mop in the soapy water before squeezing it out. As he began to clean the floor, keeping his movements slow and even, he listened. Aside from the rhythmic swishing of the mop on the floor, the hallway was silent. From what Liam had told him, the area outside the door to the fertility wards was covered by a single camera.

Silently thanking Arden for his advice, Noah faked a sneeze, risking a glance upwards as he did. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as he spotted the camera, perched high in the corner. Now all he had to do was avoid its silent gaze.

Noah worked his way across the floor gradually. He could feel a ribbon of sweat trail down his spine as he crept closer and closer to the camera. He forced himself to maintain the same speed, making achingly slow progress towards the space underneath it. From there, he knew, he would be invisible.

When he reached his goal, he kept the mop moving but lifted his gaze slightly, noting the position of the chairs lined up at the edge of the space, the window in the wall to his right, and the position of the fire exit door on the other side of the hallway. The one he was supposed to open for the Resistance group when the time came. He swallowed hard.

Finally, he turned his eyes to the door which led off the waiting area and into the wards. His heart beat faster. His next task was a tricky one. He had to get his hands on a keycard which would allow the team access to the restricted ward. The replacement card Blake had given him was burning a hole in his pocket. But until a medic emerged from the ward, he couldn't hope to make the switch. All he could do was wait.

Taking advantage of the empty space and the camera's blind spot, he looked up for the first time in hours. He had to suppress a groan as a jolt of pain shot through him. Sighing, he massaged his neck with one hand, attempting to ease the discomfort. He would never get used to the unnatural posture.

Trying to get his bearings, Noah peered out the window. A few streets away, he could see the carved stone tigers mounted on the roof of Matriarch House. Another outward display of Danforth's power. Another fragment of the fa?ade.

Was Ella in the building right now? Noah found himself hoping she was, digging up more dirt to use against the chancellor when the time came. For the second time in as many minutes, he felt guilty. Yes, he wanted Ella's work to help bring Danforth down, but he hoped she wasn't putting herself at risk.

Ella had always been the cautious sibling, but Jacob's treatment had changed her. In the old days, Ruth had been the sibling far more likely to rush in without thought. These days, he wasn't so sure. The thought of his best friend brought a pang of homesickness. He'd never gone this long without seeing her before. And while speaking to his ma and Paulo had been amazing, it had made him yearn to spend an hour lying in the den with Ruth teasing him.

A shrill bleep indicated a keycard was being used to open a door. Snapping his head down, Noah resumed his mopping. As a medic emerged from the ward, he prayed that she wouldn't notice the section he was working on was already wet.

Spotting the wet floor, the medic slowed her pace. She wore sensible black loafers, but you couldn't be too careful. The mismatched laces caught his eye. One was black, the other brown, as though she had lost the original. As she passed him, Noah watched her slip a keycard into the side pocket of her scrubs. Before she could get much further, the ward door was flung open and an authoritative voice boomed down the hallway.

"Susie, wait!"

"Yes, Doctor Sanders?"

Noah continued to mop, creeping a little further along the hallway as he listened. Neither woman seemed to register his presence. He marvelled again at the amount of information drudges were privy to simply because the women of Bellator didn't notice them.

"While you're fetching the scans, can you collect Sophia's blood results?" The woman was definitely more senior. "Don't let them fob you off. Wait until they're ready. I don't care how long it takes. We need them as soon as possible."

"They're pretty backed up." The medic sounded hesitant. "The wait was more than an hour first thing this morning. It'll be worse now. They're on a skeleton staff because of the celebrations."

"Just get down there and wait." The doctor tapped an impatient foot. "Don't come back without them."

"Will do."

"I'm a little concerned about her hormone levels. Make sure you check them again later, okay?" The doctor didn't wait for a response. "I'll be leaving in about ten minutes. Danforth has me down as a guest speaker in the Liberation Day presentation. She wants me to provide a voiceover for the citizens when they show the footage of Sophia. Explain the progress we've made with her, and what it means for the future of Bellator."

"Of course." Susie sounded more animated at the prospect. "How do you think they'll react?"

"A pregnancy created without male seed?" The doctor sniffed dismissively. "They'll be impressed, of course. Shame we don't have any other pregnancies to show off yet. We just can't seem to get it right with those academy girls."

Noah thought of the students who had died as a result of the experimentation. Realising he was clutching the handle of the mop too tightly, he forced himself to relax. This was good information. He just had to keep his cool.

"The footage we took of Sophia yesterday is great, though. She's starting to show already." The doctor clapped her hands gleefully. "There'll be plenty for our citizens to marvel at."

"There certainly will."

"Alright. I'll be back around four."

"What about–"

"Sophia will be alright without us for the next hour or so." The doctor tutted. "It's not as if she can get out without a keycard. Now hurry along. The faster you're in the queue, the faster you'll get back."

The door to the ward swung closed behind the doctor and Susie turned and walked away. Waiting a few seconds, Noah collected the bucket and followed in her wake.