A Silence Heard

by Nicola McDonagh

  “Here, swallow these. Not much, but if they stave of the cramps that I get each moon pull, then they may in some way ease your great pain too.” He gulped them down and I said, “I must go to Kendra. Will you rest until I return?”

  “Yes. Return swiftly.”

  I smiled at him and he managed to turn one corner of his mouth up in response. He lay back and closed his eyes. What a sad sight he was. My big heroic Clonie pal, all gashed and weak was more than I could bear. Still, no time for inner angst and self-pity. Others needed my help.

  I stood, searched the room for Kendra and saw her lying on the floor by Deogol’s cubicle. No more than an arms length away from Alfred’s unconscious form. I saw the Meeks inside strain their necks to gaze at the scene of carnage before them. My bro-bro’s mouth was pulled tight over his teeth and I saw his chest rise and fall with heavy breaths.

  But all had stopped their wide-mouthed screaming.

  I stepped over a crumbled Agro bod and another before I reached my friends. Eadgard stood pawing around inside Kendra’s Synthbag, and Wirt sat all stretch-legged on the ground, cradling her head in his lap.

  “Adara, good you are here,” Eadgard said and pulled out a small grey bottle. He showed it to me.

  “Anaesthetic-spray,” I said.

  He stooped and applied it liberally to Kendra’s face. She grimaced then relaxed. I squatted beside her and produced tweezers from my bag.

  “I will be as gentle as a kittle with its newborn,” I said and pulled out shard after shard of serrated metal. Kendra winced now and then, but braved all my tuggings until the pieces were gone. When I had finished, she let out a grand sigh and patted my arm.

  “Many thanks, my dear. Your Santy trained you well. Eadgard told me of Marcellus. Goodly news indeed. Now, there is a small box containing a med that will help revive both Marcellus and myself,” she said and with Wirt’s help, sat upright.

  He stood and rubbed his stiff knees, whilst Eadgard searched her bag, found the box and handed it to her. She opened it and placed a large blue pill into my hand.

  “For Marcellus. It is a powerful drug and should abide within his system long enough for us to escape. I hope.”

  Eadgard stepped back and turned towards the opening. “No more guards as yet. Be quick Adara.”

  I took the tab, jumped over the prone Agro bods and went back to my dear one, who lay as I had left him. At my approach, he gave a thin smile.

  “Not gone long, good.”

  Ah, how gaunt of face he was. How much I wished for his injury to be gone. With a sigh more for me than him, I knelt by his side, making sure that in said position, I could see the doorway, and gave him the pill.

  “Take this. Kendra says it will right you for a time.”

  His hands trembled but he managed to hold onto the tab and push it into his mouth. He swallowed hard and in a matter of secs, I saw colour return to his pallid cheeks. He coughed, blinked once then gave me a goodly grin.

  “Pill mighty. Help me to stand?”

  I held out my arm and he took it. Then carefully pulled himself into a sitting position. “Nearly there,” I said and put my other hand out for him to grasp.

  He gripped it tight and with one mighty “Umph!” Marcellus was upright. He wobbled briefly, and then leant against my shoulder. I turned my face to his and as natural as breathing in and out, our lips joined.

  No words can describe the thrill of that moment and I would have stayed forever mouth pressed against his like this. The tingle-pleasure spread throughout my loins and skin and I longed to nestle in his arms far away from all this danger. But our plight and that of the Meeks ended our kiss and we slowly parted.

  Marcellus took my hand. Thusly finger clenched together we inched our way through the as-dead Agro guards to where Kendra, and Eadgard stood in front of Deogol’s lab room.

  Wirt had most of his upper body pressed against the glass and stared at the kiddles that stood facing him, all quiet and still. Kendra was upright and leant against Eadgard’s arm. He held her close and had such a look of concern and fondness upon his face that I wondered if he and she were somewhat destined to be as one. I was pleased to see that she looked all-better, except for the tiny gashes in her cheeks, forehead and chin. I could not help but say, “Kendra, what a recovery. It is as if nowt injured you.”

  “Temporary, however,” she said and took Marcellus’s hands in hers. “We thought you quite dead, my dear. It is good to see you restored.”

  She stared at his bandage and he pulled his hands away from hers. Wirt turned to us and said, “What is to become of the young ‘uns?” I stood over Alfred and prodded him with my foot. He did not move.

  “Not sure. But I do know how and who is responsible for their pain.” I pointed at Alfred. “He controlled their implants with the brocade on his sleeve. Something must be sewn into that emblem, for when he touched it they were stricken one and all. Now that he is immobilised, they are without pain.”

  Eadgard went over to Alfred’s broken body. He knelt down and put his cheek next to his mouth then pressed two fingers against his neck to check for signs of life.

  “Alive. Just. He will be in need of urgent medical attention. Along with the others trapped underneath that net.”

  We turned our attention to the writhing guards. Some had managed to cut through the mesh and were ripping it open.

  “Quickly, we must try and save the little ‘uns. We must find a way,” Wirt said and slapped the window. The kiddles backed away.

  “The emblem on Alfred’s sleeve. Maybe we can use it? Can you remove it with your knife, Eadgard.”

  “It is done, Adara.” He down and pulled out his Leatherman and selected a small pointy blade. Then he lifted Alfred’s limp arm and set about un-picking the stitches that held it in place. I heard sounds of ripping and turned my head. Despite their hideous wounds, the guards were emerging from their prison.

  “Quickly Eadgard,” I said.

  He pulled off the brocade and handed it to Kendra. She took it between her fingers, pushed out a small metal disc and held it close to her eyes.

  “There are two indents that I assume are meant to be pressed. I presume that when they are, electrical impulses are activated inside the implants the young ‘uns have. I do not know for sure. I would have to press the thing to find out. I have little desire to further hurt these mites.”

  “If this gadget is the key to their fear, then we may save them yet. If we have it then no one can use it against them and they can leave with us,” I said and took the thing from Kendra. I turned to the window where Deogol and the other captives stood and held it up.

  They backed away and I walked nearer. I placed the device against the pane and beckoned my bro to come over. He did so with careful steps, and I gestured for him to press his ear against the glass. I put my mouth close and said, “Deogol, can you hear me?”

  He nodded, put his thumb and forefinger together and held them up. Suggesting my voice was small. I breathed in and bellowed, “We may be able to free one and all. We have Alfred’s control thingy, but we need to know what will happen when the indents are pressed.”

  Deogol ran to his console, he tapped and tapped then turned the screen to face me. I read his words out loud. “We know nowt of its power. We just know that when he puts a finger to his sleeve, we hurt. We hurt from the inside out. He uses it with much frequency. Headaches linger, as does a sickly feel that spreads like fungus on a rotted log. You must press and see what occurs. I will communicate this news to one and all. We will be prepared. If there is a chance for us to leave then we must take it, Sis.”

  I gulped at him calling me sis again, and then turned with a questioning face to the others, whilst Deogol tip-tapped the info to the other trapped kiddles.

  “He brave,” Marcellus said. I sighed and nodded my head then stared in wonder as window after window became full of small faces. All touched their red splodges and gave the thumbs up sign.

  A guard emerged fro
m the net. Then another.

  “Do it, Adara,” Kendra said and squeezed my elbow gently.

  I raised the device so all could see and pressed my index finger onto one of the indents. To all our surprises, the insensible guards that lay around us gave out a pitiful moan and began to move. I quickly pressed the other and the kiddles held their heads in their hands and let out a mighty yell. I stopped and they fell silent.

  Eadgard grabbed my arm and yanked me towards the lab room. Wirt took Kendra, and Marcellus by the hand and pulled them to the glass. We stood, our backs to the window. Trapped as the once-netted, now free guards, ambled towards us as though unhurt.

  I took Marcellus’s hand. It was moist. I felt Wirt squeeze my other hand and he whispered, “We’ll do what we can.”

  Pushing Kendra behind him, Eadgard took out his Leatherman and held it out, ready to strike.

  Out from amongst the slow stepping guards, a taller than the rest Agro, with high skeletal cheekbones, stepped forward and halted the approaching males by a wave of his hand. He walked to us, stood and peered into my face.

  “We must not harm the girl,” he said and turned to his wounded pals. I was dumbfounded at how those that were so injured, could stand there bold and solid despite bleeding from their punctured and torn flesh. The tall, skinny Agro pointed at a wounded guard. “Algernon, attend to master Alfred.”

  “With swiftness, captain Aldin,” he said and went all glass-of-eye-like to where he lay. He bent down blood dripping from his lacerated face, and lifted said Agro, as though he were no more than a bub. Aldin stared at Alfred’s bashed bod and wagged his forefinger at us.

  “You’ve done it now, you have. Alfred’s one of them. Very high up. Nice try with the gun and all, nearly had us. Nearly.” He looked behind him and we followed his gaze.

  Guards.

  At least fifty or more advanced like a swarm of ants. He turned back and let a lob sided sneer grow upon his sunken-cheeked face.

  “You’ll not escape this time.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Agros Play Roughly

  The new guards filed into the room all stomp-heavy and snarl of mouth. They stood opposite us and gave out lowbrow looks of menace. I felt Wirt pull me close and I did the same to Marcellus, whilst Kendra held onto Eadgard’s arm.

  The injured Agros, ignoring their obvious wounds, turned on their heels and marched out and through the corridor without a limp or sound to indicate the severity of their hurt. Algernon followed carrying Alfred in his arms. Despite the blood loss from his gashes, the Agro walked briskly and seemed to be unaware of his condition.

  My attention was diverted by the sound of pounding on glass. I turned my head and saw the young ‘uns slap their hands against the windows, mouths open and eyes narrowed with hate. I tried to follow their gaze but a heavy thud to my jaw forced my head to the opposite side.

  I shook it to clear my vision, but all went black.

  My hands were ripped from Wirt’s and Marcellus’s. I felt cloth being pressed against my face. It smelled of someone else’s sweat and blood. I tried to move, but my arms were wrenched behind my back. A tight cord was slipped around my wrists and I could faintly hear muffled shouts of protestations from my friends.

  As I was pulled and pushed and shoved to who knows where, the guard kept digging me in the ribs and muttering things under his breath. Nasty things. Things he was going to do to me. Things other Agros were going to do to me. Flesh peeling. Nail splitting. Tongue severing. Things like that. I wished the head covering could have blocked out sound as well as vision, so vile were the words he used to frighten me. When we had walked for a few secs, he yanked my tethers and I stopped.

  “When they have finished with you, you will desire only death,” he said and ground his fist into my side. I let out a cry, he gave me a punch in the face and I dropped to my knees coughing as blood from my snout poured into my mouth. I took in rapid breaths, but instead of air, inhaled hood. I thought I would surely choke.

  My head was yanked back all ‘bruptly and the sodden material pulled away. I snorted out blood and mucus, and sucked in air. “Can’t have you dying on us before we get there.” I saw said Agro shake the cloth that had been upon my noggin and stuff it into his trouser pocket. “Get up.”

  Shakily I stood and tried to look behind me to see how my companions fared. But the guard stood in my way. From his other pocket, he produced a filthy rag and stuffed it into my gob. It tasted of vom and I gagged. He swivelled me round and pushed me forward.

  “Move and keep moving until I say stop.”

  I stutter-stepped down the dark corridor. It was narrow and low of ceiling and my thoughts went to Marcellus and how if he were also being manhandled down this tunnel, he would have to bend his knees. I thought of his wound and I thought of Wirt, and Eadgard, and Kendra and…

  “Stop,” the guard said and grabbed my shoulder.

  His fingers dug in deep and I wriggled until he took his hand away. Free of pain I straightened my back and noticed a faint light appear in the distance. It illuminated a small recess in what looked to be a dead end. The guard tugged at my hands and pushed me towards the glow. He yanked again and we came to a halt by the indented wall. He took out a communications pod with a green screen, tapped upon it and a sec later the green glow turned orange and the niche opened.

  I heard heavy footsteps approach. I managed to twist my bod around just enough to see Kendra and the others, being shoved down the corridor. They were trussed up like me, their heads bent, and they moved sluggishly as though wading through thick mud. I strained my neck to look behind them and saw Marcellus flanked by two burly guards. They held him under the arms and I choked back a yell at the sight of blood dripping from his soiled bandage. At the rear came Eadgard, all bashed of face, hobbling along like a sickly oldie.

  The guard smacked me across the jaw. “In. Move it!”

  He thrust me forward and I staggered through the opening into a brightly lit room. I stood to the side of the entrance and stared around at the sterile place before me. It had a look of home, in that it was clean and devoid of ornament. I dare say if I had closed my eyes and sniffed, I would have smelt the same nostril-twitching antiseptic pong that greeted me each time I entered my own apartment. But unlike my hygiene home, this place smelt of menace rather than soap. I gulped in the heavy air, stared at the blank white walls and ceiling, and noticed that there were no cams.

  The room intrigued me. At once terrifying and appealing. Lack of clutter was a pet like of mine, but this sparseness was not meant to please.

  For some reason, my attention was drawn to the floor. It was made up of matt grey slabs that had rivulets of white streaking down each tile like tears. I swear amongst the grain of the well-washed blocks, I saw smudges of dried blood.

  A grating noise of metal on stone caused me to lift my gaze to the source of such a teeth-edging sound. A tall, thin, black-haired ‘dult, shifted back a white metal chair from underneath a white metal table and stood. There came the same jarring chair scrape noise and three more Agros rose to their feet. They pushed in their seats and all four stood in front of the table.

  They were dressed in black coats and pants, except for the fem. She wore a long-sleeved purple shirt and knee length skirt to match. It fitted her large frame snuggly, pushing out small rolls of excess fat around her waist. I noticed that on the cuffs of each Agro was the same emblem as the one that was torn from Alfred’s sleeve. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I prickled inside and out.

  I was nudged in the ribs and turned around. Wirt, Kendra and the others were shoved into the room and led to where I was standing. When we all stood in a line, the guards took the opportunity to give each one of us a parting thwack across the head before departing the same way we came in.

  The ‘dults in front of us leant their butts against the table and folded their arms. I felt Wirt press himself against my shoulder and longed to put my hand in his. The fem raised her chin and
looked down her thin, long nose. She half closed her eyes and let her lipless mouth widen into a sneer. “So, this is the Adara we have been hearing so much about,” she said and walked towards us.

  Her pointy chin jutted forward as she progressed, and I wondered if she were prone to headaches, given how tight her black hair was tied behind her head. The severe hair-do forced her even blacker eyes to slant unnaturally upwards. She had the look of wasp about her that I did not care for.

  She stopped and stared hard into my face, then spat into it. I had no choice but to let the spittle slip-slide down my cheek, bound as I was. She grinned and did the same to Wirt and the rest. I marvelled at how much saliva the old’n had in her gob, and vowed at the first opportunity to dry it out with my fist.

  “Now, now Edwena, what kind of a welcome is that?” a large nosed male said. His face was flabby and jowl heavy like Alfred and Oswald and I guessed they came from the same batch of kin. He wiped his sweaty brow with bloated bub fingers, and I noticed that his sparse hair was a garish shade of red. Shiny and cropped short, it stuck to his head like the bristles on a spider’s leg. He pulled his bulkiness away from the table and stood beside the fem he called, Edwena. He pointed at the tall, thin Agro that remained lounging against the table. “Best to let Pratt deal with these renegades as only he knows how.”

  “You are right, Hacket. But it can’t hurt to warm them up for him,” Edwena said and gave Kendra a backhand slap across her face. My friend scrunched up her eyes but did not wobble.

  “I agree. These thugs deserve to be treated no better than a Clonie half-wit, or a Woodsfolk dunce,” a big fire headed bull of a male said. I guessed he too was related closely to Hacket and Alfred. He clipped Wirt around the ear, and my friend winced. I wished with every skin cell on my body that my hands were free so that I could wallop them all.