Liberation (I Am Margaret Book 3) (25 page)

“Everyone’s off work together,” said Harriet. “Much better than random days off.”

“Everyone used to have a weekend, y’know,” I said, slightly sadly. “The EuroGov did away with it because they didn’t want to admit Sunday is special.”

“In Kanju we have a special long service and a special dinner on Sunday,” said Harriet.

“Yes, it’s special, y’see.”

Couldn’t help picturing me and Bane, in Kanju with the three of them. A similar routine to here, but...
safe
. No question of the EuroGov rocking up... the terror of Full Conscious Dismantlement just a memory...

We could say, ‘sorry, but we should be thinking about starting a family, not trying to get ourselves killed, so we’re going now’. No one would stop us. We’d both agreed – reluctantly – that it would be utterly irresponsible for us to try for a child in our current circumstances – one loose tongue away from a gurney and any child of ours being thrown into a EuroGov orphanage – or taken straight to a Facility.

But in Kanju... everything would be different. An unexpected ache of longing gripped my insides.

“We’re enjoying your blog, y’know, Margo,” Caroline said. “They always put the PrintArounds in the dining hall.”

“Caroline reads it to us every day,” said Harriet.

“Blog, good,” nodded Sarah.

I could still write the blog from Kanju. Did we really need to stay here?

“The security guy said your blog has turned the bloc into a keg of gunpowder,” said Caroline rather proudly. “Says soon all it will need is one spark and Kaboom.”

“
Kaboom
!” said Sarah.

“I think you’re both so brave. I could never sit here and write that stuff, knowing...” Harriet pulled a face and shuddered.

My heart dropped into my stomach. Ah yes. That was why we were here. Because words written from safety had a fraction of the impact of words written by someone who refused to run away. Who was I fooling? I had to stay.

Bane stared at me from the bed, his expression sombre and sympathy in his eyes. Reading my thoughts as they marched across my face?

Caroline checked her watch. “Ooh, it’s an hour until the party. Do you think any of those gorgeous guards will dance with us, Margo?”

“I’m sure they will. But if you’re planning to fall madly in love with one, just bear in mind they can’t marry until they’ve completed their first three years of service and earned promotion and they won’t be interested in anything else.”

“Why can’t they marry?” asked Harriet.

“They’re required to make an absolute commitment while they learn what they’re doing. No distractions. If they sign up for further service, once they move up a rung they’re free to marry.” No married guards on the island, though, and no prizes for guessing why. The cold breath of the EuroGov brushed across the back of my neck again...

“I wish we could stay longer,” sighed Harriet.

But Caroline frowned. “Really?”

Feeling that cold breath too? Harriet looked blank for a moment, then frowned too.

“Well... Perhaps not.”

They were going in a matter of hours. What gift did I have for them, and for the others? My eyes quartered the room. Wardrobe. Containing clothes, and not many of them. Only what I needed and nothing they’d want. Bedside table. A hairbrush and several other devastatingly practical items. An old paperback, starting to gather dust – from the library, not even mine. I had nothing else. Just the plant on the dresser near the window. Didn’t really want to part with that. My first ever successful foray into gardening...

I really hadn’t missed my possessions at all. But... it would’ve been nice to be able to give them something. Wait a minute... Just one other thing that actually belonged to me.

“I’ve got a little gift for you three, actually, and Jane and Rebecca and everyone.”

I opened the drawer where I’d thrown the handkerchief full of seeds. Took it out carefully and unfolded it atop the dresser. They crowded around, peering at the tiny brown things.

“What is, Margy?” asked Sarah.

“Are they seeds?” asked Caroline.

“Yes. Fuschia seeds. They’ll grow into a nice purple flowery plant like that,” I indicated the growing specimen. No one else had got very close to Major Everington’s garden, so there was no danger it would give anyone nightmares. I peered at the little heap. There really weren’t many left. They’d have to take them all.

“I suggest you plant the lot, with the advice of someone who knows about plants, and then split them up once they’re a bit older. It’s one for each of you three, one each for Jane and Rebecca, then any extras you can put in the communal areas for everyone, how’s that?”

Sarah clapped her hands in delight, looking admiringly at the young plant in its pot, and Caroline and Harriet looked pleased enough. I’d literally nothing else, anyway.

Gathering up the corners of the handkerchief, I tied a leftover piece of blue ribbon securely around it, then entrusted it to Sarah. Bane was still watching. He didn’t have anything to give away either – but what was his was now mine and what was mine was now his...

“They’re from Bane too, of course.”

Bane pulled a slight face. Because of the original source of the seeds, no doubt, but fortunately no one else noticed.

“Margy come back Kanju?” asked Sarah hopefully.

I looked away from her eager face, giving Angel Margaret a moment to rugby tackle the demon of temptation menacing me.

“Sorry, Sarah. Margy has to stay here.”

Bane and I slipped away from the party at nine and drove down to the harbour with Caroline, Harriet and Sarah, though Eduardo insisted I stayed out of sight in the vehicle when we got there.

“I’ll see you soon, Sarah, I’ll see you soon, don’t cry,” I whispered, as she leant into the jeep to hug me.

From the way she looked at me, even she could tell this was a bit of a fib. The last time I’d told her that, I’d not seen her for six months, had I? No real hope this time would be any different.

Eduardo finally pried them gently – but firmly – off me and walked them to the speedboat.

“Have you got everything?” I called after them.

They held up their bouquets and the bags full of wedding cake for the others in Kanju, and Sarah called tearfully, “Sarah got seeds,” and then they were climbing on board. Bane waved from the end of the dock as the boat pulled away, and I waved from the jeep, though they wouldn’t be able to see me in the dark. After a while a speck appeared briefly on the moonlit horizon, then it was gone.

Bane did his best to cuddle my gloom away as we drove back to the Citadel – and largely succeeded.

“It’s ten.” Faint sounds of music still came from the Old Chapterhouse as I slid out of the jeep after Bane. “How about we... er... slip off now?”

A grin spread across Bane’s face.

“Sounds good to me. Um, you going back to the party, Eduardo?”

“No, I’m off to check the watch, then the news. And so on.”

“Oh. Well, I’m sure they’ll figure out where we’ve gone!”

“Thanks for bringing them over here, Eduardo, it was really nice of you,” I said.

Eduardo shrugged this off and headed for the wall, so we went into the building, creeping past the canteen door and scampering up the stairs like we were cutting lessons. Our new room was on the second floor – kind of hurt that Jon was being left a floor below. The Siamese Triplet thing hadn’t completely worn off yet.

Bane pushed the door open, then stuck an arm in front of me to stop me entering.

“Ah-ah. You can slap me for being macho and sexist, but I want to do it...” and he scooped me up in his arms.

“
Careful of your back
...” But he stepped over the threshold, apparently unphased by my weight, and I couldn’t help a giggle, half nervous anticipation, half charmed by the – admittedly dubious if you looked into it too hard – tradition.

He walked to the bed, pushing the door shut with his heel, and set me carefully down on the edge. Then stood there, staring down at me, breathing a little hard – and not from carrying me.

“Get ready for bed straight away?” My mouth was dry.

“How much getting ready do you have in mind?” His voice was very low.

“Brush teeth. Curtains...” I pointed. His expression was making me lose the ability to form full sentences.

“Let’s get to it...” Crossing the room in three strides, he swished the curtains closed, then disappeared into the en-suite – the only one in the building; as the sole married couple, we were highly honoured. Leaping off the bed, I turned on the bedside lamp, switched off the main light, then followed him.

In the bathroom waited a set of – new! – towels with an entwined B and M embroidered on them, wedding gifts! And a beautiful nightdress for me and a pair of light cotton pyjamas for Bane. Everyone must’ve got together to buy them.

My teeth also brushed, I noticed Bane eyeing the gifts with a slightly anxious air.

“Why don’t we try those out tomorrow? I’ve no objection to you undoing all these fiddly buttons for me...”

He grinned, drew me gently into his arms and kissed me. And I kissed him back. Really, really kissed him, holding back nothing, because he was my husband and it was okay, more than okay, good and right and pure... When we finally drew apart Bane’s breathing was ragged and his voice shook.

“Whoa. Liking marriage already!”

I stretched up to kiss him again and the kiss lasted all the way across the bedroom until we landed in a heap on the bed. Bane set to work rather frantically with all the buttons as I untucked his shirt and slipped my hands underneath...

A knock at the door.

Bane froze. Did I look as astonished as he did?

Another knock.

“Go away!” shouted Bane. Yes, I seconded that.

“It’s Jon.”

“It’s got to be bad luck for the groom to kill the best man on the wedding day, so clear off, quick!”

“I’m
sorry
...” said Jon, “I’m
really
sorry, but I think you’re going to want to know about this...”

“I don’t think there’s anything on earth we want to know about right now that’s not in the Song of Songs!” snapped Bane at the door.

“Bane...
Margo
?” Jon sounded grim. “It’s Juwan and Doms.”

***+***

23

COME BACK

My stomach turned over. I stared up at Bane and Bane stared down at me – I wanted nothing more than for Jon to go away and leave us to the eagerly awaited consummation of our union. But going away wouldn’t unsay his words.

“We’re coming,” snarled Bane, after a long, pregnant pause. Climbing off the bed, he shoved his shirt back into his trousers as I hurried to fasten my buttons again. Once I was decent he yanked the door open. Jon stood in the corridor, looking extremely apologetic.

“Don’t hit the messenger.”

“Well, this had better be good,” said Bane.

“They’re executing them tomorrow morning, good enough for you?”

The annoyance left Bane’s face just like that.

“
What?
They haven’t even tried them yet!”

“Turns out they have. Open Access Closed Session trial. Which means a secret trial but anyone can request the recordings afterwards. In other words they’re confident no one will find fault with the trial – but wanted to blind side us.”

“
Hell!
” Bane kicked the wall. “I’ve had a rescue in the back of my mind for... for
weeks
... but I thought we’d have
time
...” He dropped his voice, “And bloody Maj... Our Mysterious Benefactor didn’t see fit to send us info on Detention Facilities, did he?”

“He couldn’t send what he didn’t have,” I said absently, my mouth dry as I thought about a raid on a Detention Facility. Incomplete information, different security, and even more than that...

“This is a trap, isn’t it?’

“Stinks like one,” said Jon grimly, as we headed off along the passage.

Sister Krayj waited in Eduardo’s office, along with Kyle and Alligator. Eduardo was circling the room with his bug sweeper.

“Eduardo, how much information do you have on security at Detention Facilities?” demanded Bane, the moment Eduardo returned the device to his pocket.

“More than on standard ones. But not much.”

In rural areas Underground prisoners – all prisoners, in fact – would be held in police cells until trial and only driven to the local Facility on the day of execution, but cities and more populous areas had specialised Detention Facilities. Rescues – even attempted rescues – were extremely rare, even with Resistance prisoners.

“Hang on, back up...” I’d a horrible sinking feeling. “Jon said they’re going to be executed in the morning. Surely we can’t even
get
to Reims by then?”

Eduardo shook his head.

“They’ve been moved to Nice.”

“Convenient,” murmured Jon sarcastically.

“Far too convenient!” I said, the sinking feeling continuing unabated. “They’ve moved them from
Reims
to
Nice
? From one thousand kilometres from the Mediterranean to right on the coast? Bait! Hello! Am I the only one who’s bothered this is clearly a trap?”

“Yes, it’s a trap,” said Bane grimly, “but what will they do, Margo, if we don’t turn up and try to rescue them?”

My heart sank still further.

“They’ll just execute them anyway.”

“Exactly. We’re not going to get a second shot at this. This is our only chance to save them.”

Eduardo was doing some sort of route calculations from the map.

“If you’re going to go, you need to go pretty much within the next half hour to have any chance of effecting a rescue. It will take you most of the time left just to get there.”

Bane put his hands on the table and stared down at the map for several long moments. Finally he straightened up again. Didn’t look at me.

“We’ve got to try...”

“Bane...” My voice was thin.

He turned and gripped my shoulders firmly.

“Margo, I happen to know for a fact that when you sit down and think all this through, you’ll be the one telling
me
we
have to try
. I’m just saving time by saying it for you, okay? We’ll get over there, take a careful look. If we can’t spot the trap, we’ll pull out – getting ourselves killed as well isn’t going to help them. So we’re going to be careful, okay?”

“I’m coming with you.”

“No. You promised.”

“This is different...”

“I don’t remember any exceptions.”

“Bane, this is
different
. You have to let me come.”

“
No
. I am
not
letting you out of that promise – and breaking your word to me wouldn’t be a great way to start our marriage, would it?”

From the expression on Kyle’s face – and Jon’s, and Eduardo’s – I might have trouble getting out of the gates on this occasion, anyway.

“We’ll just take one lorry.” Bane looked at the others again. “Nice and fast. All the original Animal team members, except you,” he pointed at me, “and you...” he pointed at Sister Krayj. “You’re staying behind too.”

Fury covered Sister Krayj’s normally calm face.

“You sexist...”

“It’s
not
‘cause you’re a girl! It’s ‘cause... it’s ‘cause if this goes pear-shaped
you
need to be here to carry things on.”

Sister Krayj’s face went rather expressionless.

“I think
I
should be leading this thing and you should be staying here to carry on in the event of pears.”

Bane didn’t dignify this suggestion with a reply, to my more selfish side’s disappointment. Sister Krayj didn’t waste precious time arguing.

“What about a plan?” she asked.

“We’ll have to sort it out en route and when we get there. We don’t know what’s what and we’ve hardly time to get everyone and everything rounded up and loaded – damn, what about the next satellite, is it still clear?”

Eduardo didn’t bother to consult the chart.

“Coming overhead in twenty minutes, now, so make it fast.”

“Sister Krayj, round up the guys, send them to the armoury,” ordered Bane. “Alligator, get to the armoury, get it open. First few to arrive, get them to load up the most reliable truck – they’ll have to ask the drivers about that. Jon, go with him and help make sure they pack anything we might need. Take the nonLethal grenades and launchers, we may want them. Send Grass Snake to get a laptop, not that we’ve got a working code, now. Kyle, alert the boatmen. Eduardo, we need everything you’ve got on the Facility security... And someone make sure the truck’s hydrogen tank is full.”

“I’ll do it.” Kyle half turned to follow Sister Krayj and Jack, then stepped back to give me a quick hug. “Don’t think we’re going to have time for long goodbyes this time,” he said lightly, so much sympathy in his eyes it made me feel even worse. His eyes strayed to my blouse – he looked away, his cheeks going slightly red. “Uh... you’re our prayer support, Margo.” He hurried from the room.

What...? Oh. My buttons were done up the wrong way. Embarrassing, but fair enough in the circumstances – clearly too much for a big brother, though.

Jon gave me a quick, wordless hug of comfort and followed Kyle.

Attaching myself to Bane’s hand as he stood over the map with Eduardo, I struggled to listen to what they were saying, because an extra mind never went amiss. But all I could think about was Bane lying there, covered in blood, life hanging by a thread... I’d known he was going out again, but not yet, not like this...

Bane didn’t let go of my hand as he walked with rapid strides down to the courtyard to check on progress. A truck sat there; from the way the original members of Animal team were milling around, most things were taken care of. Kyle was just hurrying up, still in his cassock, a wad of camo clothing under his arm.

Sister Krayj stood overseeing everything, looking about as cheerful as an iceberg. Catching Bane’s arm, she pulled him into a corner of the square.

“Bane, seriously, let
me
take this one.” She looked pointedly at me.

“Did they risk their lives to help
you
?” demanded Bane.

“No, but...”

“No. They didn’t. So I cannot let you do this instead of me.”

“
I’m
apparently expected to let
you
do this instead of me,” I muttered.

“That’s different.” He tried to head back to the truck, but I held onto his hand. No hope of persuading him to let Sister Krayj go
instead
, but...

“Bane, seriously, will you at least let Sister Krayj go along? There’s... no way to
replace
experience, y’know...”

Bane scowled for several long moments.

“Fine, it’s up to her. There’s space if she wants to come.”

“Good job I fetched my camo from my room.” Sister Krayj headed for the truck, habit flapping around her legs. “This is your second in command speaking. Mount up, all of you.”

Bane followed, still scowling, but there was a mutter of approval from the guys as they started scrambling up into the back.

Jon had appeared in the square now, and Bane stopped near him, cupping my face between his hands.

“We’re going to be really careful, Margo, I promise.” His face was earnest in the square’s flood lights. “I don’t want to get anyone killed, I really don’t, we wouldn’t gain anything, would we?”

“Just...” I drew in a shuddering breath, my hand flat on his chest. His heart thumped beneath my fingers... “Just... be
careful
. Please, please
be careful
.”

“I just promised, didn’t I?”

“Yes...” I stared up at his beloved face, the wave of his hair, the strong line of his jaw. How could I let him go? How could I let him go
alone
? “
Bane
...”

“
No!
I will
chain you to Eduardo’s radiator
, do you understand me? I mean it!”

He did. And I’d definitely missed any chance to try and stow away in the truck. I really was going to be stuck here. Waiting. Not knowing if he’d come back. I bit my lip – no good, I was crying. He put his arms around me and held me tightly, and I clung to him as though drowning, my face buried in his hair.
Déjà-vu
.

“Come back,” I sobbed, “
please, please
come back...”

“I’ll come back.” His voice was ragged. “I’ll come back.
I promise
...”

You can’t promise that.
.. But it made my less rational side feel better.

“All aboard, then? Come on, let’s go,” called Sister Krayj, and the engine started.

“
You
...
!
” Bane kissed me for one long, lingering moment, pushed me back into Jon’s arms, twisted out of my limpet-like grip, and sprinted after the truck, leaping up into the cab just before it began to ease through the arch.

Then it’d disappeared into the darkness, and I began to get the front of Jon’s suit very wet. Not how I’d expected to spend my wedding night. The thought made me cry even harder.

“Bastards!” I just managed not to beat on Jon’s innocent chest in frustration. “EuroGov bastards. They planned this deliberately!”

“It has spoiled the perfect wedding day rather.”

“I don’t care about the perfect wedding day,” I choked, “just so long as he comes back.”

“He’s quite good at coming back.” Jon spoke with determined optimism.

“I’m just worried... when he’s actually there... when it comes to it... he’ll get carried away trying to save them...”

My voice trailed off into silence and this time Jon didn’t reply.

They’d decided to maintain absolute radio silence, not even the usual periodic updates. ‘Cause there was no real doubt this was a trap, and the EuroGov would be scouring the airwaves for all they were worth. Eduardo’s probably-not-actually-a-radio was supposed to be uncrackable, but this time, we weren’t going to risk it.

It was quite possibly my worst night ever, first curled up alone in that double bed, ‘cause I wasn’t going back to my single room like Bane wasn’t coming back or something, then kneeling in the cathedral when I could stand it no longer. Jon joined me eventually, trying to act unconcerned and failing dismally. Whether or not they managed a raid at dawn, or pulled out without attempting one, they wouldn’t be back until mid-afternoon, and if they missed the safe slot then, they wouldn’t be back until late at night.

Juwan and Doms were in that place waiting to die, and all the other members of the team were in danger, but all I could think about was Bane. So selfish... I struggled to pray for them all equally.

Eventually, when the likely time of the raid had come and gone, Jon dragged me off to catch the tail end of breakfast. I wasn’t the slightest bit hungry, and drifted on autopilot to the newspaper table. Stopped dead.