An Enforcer dragged her away by the elbow.

19 * Daniel *

The car careened around a dark corner and pulled up alongside an overflowing skip. They'd lost the Enforcers by veering through narrow alleys in the night. Daniel prised his stiff fingers from the hand holds on the cart. He'd gripped on so tight that his knuckles turned white.

"Everyone out," shouted the insurgent. "We need to run from here."

Daniel helped Hiro out of the car and held the small boy to his chest. The man from the Resistance piled dirty cardboard boxes over the car.

"We're a few streets from the church."

Matthew and Jonathon dragged a half-conscious Ali through the dark. Daniel followed with Hiro, moving swiftly. Distant sirens wailed on in the background, and his heart pounded.

"Nearly there, Hiro," he whispered. The words soothed him as much as the boy.

"I know," Hiro said. "I see it in his mind." He meant the insurgent.

Daniel powered on, striding out across the ground. Sweat dripped down his forehead as they rushed through the alleyway, all the time the sirens coming closer.

The street widened to reveal the church; little more than a misshapen shadow in the night. The Resistance guy flew up the steps and rapped on the door while the others caught up. There was a rap back and he knocked three times. The door creaked open as Daniel carried Hiro up the steps, his back beginning to ache from the effort of the boy's extra weight. He set Hiro down on the steps and turned to help the others with Ali. Jonathon handed Ali over to Daniel and staggered up the steps holding his chest. The fast walk and extra weight had taken its toll on the older man. Daniel felt Ali's muscles trembling through his Enforcer's suit. Matthew whispered words of encouragement in a slow voice.

"There's someone hurt," said a girl's voice from inside the church.

Daniel hurried through the wide church door with Ali on his arm and a short, white haired priest shuffled around them to bolt it shut a holding a torch to light the way. Daniel helped Ali onto the floor and propped up his head with Matthew's jacket. A blur of blonde hair knelt down beside him.

"Help me take off his helmet," she instructed.

At first Daniel had expected the blonde haired girl to be Kitty, but as she spoke he realised Kitty was still in her fake Enforcer uniform and standing with Mike a few feet away. As Matthew and the blonde girl removed Ali's helmet, the others followed suit, letting them clatter to the floor.

"We need to get everyone in the basement," said the priest.

"We'll have to carry him," said the blonde girl. "You a help him up," she instructed Matthew.

Ali's head drooped to one side as he lost consciousness. A pale and sickly sheen turned his brown skin to a dirty grey. It was a bad sign. Matthew lifted him from under his arms while the girl took his feet. The priest cleared away the helmets, and Enforcer paraphernalia left by the group.

Daniel's throat tightened as he scanned all the religious artefacts like crucifixes and stained glass windows. They stood in the opening of the church nave, with the pews lined up towards the altar. Flashes of his mother's ornaments came to mind; a plastic Jesus, rosary beads and a wooden nativity scene. He forced himself through the church, hugging his body against the chill. Kitty carried Hiro and walked alongside him.

The priest led them through a lounge, another door, a hidden trap door, and down a steep set of stairs to a dingy basement below the church. A bare light bulb swung overhead like a pendulum a casting fleeting shadows across the faces of the men, women and children living in the gloom. The priest rushed over to a table and pulled it closer for them to put Ali down.

Daniel helped them lift Ali onto the table. It was only just long enough to accommodate his tall frame.

"Is he going to be all right?" Matthew asked. Daniel heard the tears in his voice, even if he didn't see them in the dim light.

"I've not seen the wound yet," she replied. She worked on his clothing, unzipping the jacket with nimble fingers. Blood seeped through the leather onto the table. It dripped down to the stone floor like a leaking tap.

"Medical kit. Now!"

A scruffy young kid rushed towards us with a first aid kit and eyed Daniel warily. It was his first realisation that they'd invaded a home and brought danger with them.

The girl cut through Ali's clothes to reveal the wound a a large gaping hole of red mess, with the bone visible a that made Daniel's stomach churn. The girl didn't flinch. She poked through the exposed flesh.

"No bullet," she said. "His muscle's been torn open by a laser. I don't think anything's hit the bone and his arm isn't broken. That's good. I need to clean the wound and stop the bleeding. He's going to be okay."

Her eyes met Daniel's and she lost her focus for a moment. She was very pretty but her staring blue eyes made him feel uncomfortable. He blushed and looked away. The girl's cheeks reddened and she got back to work on Ali's wound.

"The most important thing to do is stop the bleeding and let him heal. Someone needs to boil water. I'll wipe the wound with disinfectant and bandage it for now," she said. "I'll wash it properly when I need to change the bandages. I think he passed out from blood loss. I don't know how much blood he's lost, but as long as his pulse stays stable he should be fine. We'll keep an eye on him. I think he just needs rest to let his wound heal."

Matthew leaned across and took hold of the girl's hands. "Thank you."

She nodded and let him hold her for a second before getting back to the job. They stripped Ali to the waist and she bandaged his shoulder. Daniel let out a sigh and moved back to stand away from the others. He felt the eyeballs of the Resistance watching him and slunk back into the shadows. If only he could disappear into them like a ghost.

A dark skinned man crossed the basement. He held out a hand for Daniel to shake. It took Daniel a few moments to realise that this was their insurgent. The man's full lips parted into a friendly greeting.

"I'm Des," he said. Daniel took his hand. "I'm the leader of the St Francis squadron."

"Daniel. Thank you for helping us. We wouldn't have made it into London without the Resistance."

"I'm sorry Ali was injured," said Des. "He's a good man. We communicate on the Plan-Its sometimes." He pointed to a shorter man in a baseball cap and thick glasses. "Dale here arranged the meet up. I've been posing as an Enforcer for some time now. I don't think I'll be back now, though."

"S-sorry about that," Daniel said.

Des shrugged nonchalantly. "No matter. The best laid plans and all that. Besides I'm sure K has another mission for us soon."

"K?" Daniel asked.

"My, you guys really are kept in the dark, aren't you? K runs the Resistance. We are just a tiny fraction of a huge organisation." He passed his arm over the people in the basement. Daniel followed the direction of his hand, noting just a few dozen people, many of whom were families a not soldiers. "I just thank God we are all alive." He kissed his finger and pointed to the ceiling.

Daniel stiffened. The last person he knew who thanked God also prayed for Him to take her son away from her. He tried to ignore his old prejudice, but couldn't help it a he was suspicious of anyone who thanked God for anything, and another scar itched on his arm.

Daniel might have imagined it, but he felt the atmosphere cool with Des, and his expression darkened. Was it Des? Or was it something else?

The man opened his arms. "Where are my manners? You've had a long journey. Let me feed and water you." He clicked his fingers at some of the people around them, and they scurried off towards a tiny kitchen. "We don't have much, but I offer what we have to our guests. There is a bath beyond the screen in the far corner, food and drink in the kitchen, and bunks along the walls." He wrapped an arm around Daniel's shoulder, ushering him away from the others. "Luce will care for your friend. He's in safe hands."

The blonde girl had a name. Luce. Des dropped his arm when they reached the kitchen and he introduced himself to the others. Hiro hung back with Daniel.

"Don't trust him," Hiro said. "And don't tell him what I can do."

20 * Mina *

"There's one more place I want to show you, Mina. And then I think it's time for a break and a cuppa." Mum squeezed my shoulders in excitement.

I followed at her heels; tripping over myself; unable to concentrate on what I was doing. Elena Darcey. What was she doing here? Why had she silenced me? The image popped up in my head as bizarre and wrong a Elena holding a toddler. It just didn't fit with her. Elena wasn't the kind of girl to get a career in the GEM; she was the kind of girl to go to modelling competitions and beauty pageants. Elena always did surprise you when you least expected it. When you thought she was a bully she'd help you, when you thought she was dim and shallow, she'd tell you how she wanted to be a vet, and when you thought she was away in the GEM district, she emerged in the ghettos and risked everything to save you. I had to suppress a snigger, despite how messed up everything seemed. First Mrs Murgatroyd and then Elena a who else would I find lurking around the corner of the GEM hallways?

"Are you listening, Mina?" asked Mum. "This is a very important aspect of the new career I have lined up for you."

"Career?" I frowned. A cool feeling spread over my skin, and my legs trembled. Perhaps the flu still hadn't left my body. "What do you mean by career?"

Mum didn't answer. Instead, she swung open another set of double doors and led me into a huge room spanning the length of the entire floor. We'd moved up to the fourteenth floor now, and as far as I'd noticed on the way to the strange room, it was unoccupied. Light streamed through the large windows, and the landscape of the city caught my eye. My first real glimpse of London. My first view of the sky-scraping, neck-craning buildings of glass and brick. I walked forwards and placed my hands on the window pane. It stretched from floor to ceiling a making me feel as though I stood on the edge of the GEM building itself. My heart fluttered with fear as I stared down at the terrifying drop below. Tiny cars, people and bikes travelled up and down the roads, winding around the pavements, or standing by traffic lights.

Mum cleared her throat. "Sweetheart, I didn't bring you here for the view."

I faced her and followed her gesture to the rest of the room, including the strange objects I'd been too distracted to notice.

"Why is there a boulder?" I mumbled, moving away from the window. "And cars? This is weird. What's going on?"

Aside from the boulder and old, beat-up cars there was a gym fitted out with punching bags, dummies, and weapons. It was a training ground. No, it was more than that. It was a training ground especially designed for me.

"Oh," I said.

"The floors and walls are steel reinforced and the window is bullet proof, although I think if you throw the boulder at it with enough force you might break it. So be careful."

I moved further into the room, and my shoes sank into the soft floor. It'd been covered with squidgy material like the mats they put down for the GEM kids doing PE in the sports hall. "When did you make this?" I wrapped my arms around my body, holding myself together. It was a cold room and yet I felt a film of sweat form over my forehead.

"When you were born, sweetheart."

"So it wasn't just Dad who wanted me to train? You did too?" I clenched my fists. Why did my parents want to control my future? What was it they wanted from me?

"You were born for this, Mina. You're the strongest human being on the planet, and it's time you started realising that." She spoke with a forceful tone. Much louder than her natural voice. "I'm not playing games and I'm not going to keep you in the dark like a little girl who needs protecting. That is your father. Not me. I'm telling you straight a this is your destiny and you need to train for it."

"But train for what? I don't understand what's coming."

Mum sighed and relaxed her shoulders. The easy smile returned, and the tight feeling in my chest slowly dissipated. "Let's have some tea and then talk about it."

She disappeared into an open plan kitchen in the corner. While the cupboard doors banged and the kettle hissed, I settled into an expensive leather sofa, feeling as though the wind had been knocked out of me. Both Mum and Dad wanted me to use my gift a what for? I felt like a warm piece of clay being passed around, each person trying to mould me one way, and then the other stretching me in the opposite direction. I glanced down at my fingers to see they were shaking again. What was wrong with me?

The tea tray rattled as she placed it on the table. "I'm not sure you understand me, Mina," she said, her words flowing as slowly as the tea from the pot to my cup, "when I tell you about your destiny. It's something that is inevitable and unstoppable. I'm going to be right here for you a all the way. Drink your tea." She held it in front of me.

I took the cup. "Okay, but you have to tell me what my destiny is."

"Drink your tea." She nodded to me. "You look pale. I don't think you're over the flu just yet. I think you need more medicine."

I sipped the sweet liquid. It was warm rather than hot so I drank it quickly. Mum watched in silence.

"Good girl," she said.

"I didn't realise how thirsty I was," I said, replacing the cup into its saucer. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and leaned back into the sofa.

"Do you feel better?"

"Yeah, I do." I glanced at my hands. "My fingers have stopped shaking."

"You felt weak today?" she asked.

"It was weird. My legs and hands kept shaking. Do you think there's something really wrong with me?" My voice sounded far away and a sense of peace spread through my body.

"No, sweetheart. It's just the flu." She stood and circled my sofa, talking slowly. "Do you feel strong now?"

"I feel floaty." I giggled. "Light as air."

"Pull yourself together," she snapped. "Channel your energy."

I sat up straight and concentrated hard. The room sharpened. I heard blood pumping a like a rush of waves a in my ears. With a blink and a shake of my head, I composed myself, and took a long, cleansing breath, using Dad's meditation skills. "Okay."

"Now I want you to think of your father," she said.

"Why?"

"Don't ask a think. Think of everything he's done to you, and all the secrets he's kept from you." Mum continued to step around me, her shoes sinking into the soft mats. "He betrayed you, Mina. He kept you from me. He lied to you, told you I was dead."

I clenched my fists and pulled my knees up to my chest, burying my head in my legs, wanting to forget all about my dad. "I know."

"Feel it," she hissed. "Feel the anger he's caused you." She spoke in a harsh, sneering voice. "Feel the rage from deep within. No parent who loves his daughter would ever leave her to chase after other people's kids. Remember how he left you fighting your way out of Area 14 on your own? You had to watch as the Enforcers dragged your uncle away. Someone else he kept from you."

"Stop it," I whispered. Tears pricked at the back of my eyes.

"No, I won't stop," she mimicked. "Are you going to cry little girl? Are you going to whine about your mean Daddy and your boyfriend being so far away? I've not seen either of them coming to your rescue, chasing us down the motorway a have you? Well maybe they're not coming. They've probably moved on. Who wouldn't want to move on when it's you? A Freak."

"Why are you saying these things?"

"Do you hate me now? Because you've been nothing but a little suck-up, trying to get Mummy's attention." She raised her voice to a near shout. "Maybe if I'd known I had a whiney little mummy's girl for a daughter I wouldn't have bothered trying to find you."

"NO!" I yelled.

The boulder lifted and swayed in the air. The cars bounced up and down, dancing as though they were on strings. Mum laughed.

"That's better. That's my girl."

"Is this funny to you?" I shouted. Tears streamed down my face.

"Maybe," she said, her eyes flashing. "If I have a joke for a daughter."

The boulder smashed up against the ceiling, denting the plaster. Debris sprinkled down, coating the floor in dust. Mum watched me with a smirk on her face.

"So, now do you want to know what your destiny is?" she said.

I nodded, wiping away my tears. I'd lifted my chin so I could meet her eyes.

"You're my weapon," she said. "You fight for me in the war."

21 * Angela *

The stink of urine and dirt roiled Angela's stomach. She leaned back against the cold, damp walls and wondered what to do next. Vincent Cole had always seemed a cruel and unethical man, but she had never imagined that he would lock up his own son. Not after the way he sacrificed himself to save Sebastian at the farm. She didn't understand why he'd asked for Sebastian to come to Area 14 if only to capture him. Was it part of a game? Did Vincent want to trick the GEM somehow?

Sebastian sprang up from the floor and banged his fists against the bars. "I want to see my father! Bring him to me!" He shouted, his voice verging on arrogance. After a brief silence he spoke in a more defeated, unsure tone. "This is all just a mistake. It has to be. What about my mum? She must be here somewhere. Please find her."

Angela knew the guards were around the corner from the cells. She sometimes heard them shuffling around with jangling keys. This time they stayed silent. She climbed to her feet and put her hand on Sebastian's shoulder.

"They aren't coming," she said. "I'm sorry."