CRY HAVOC (Jack Frey Book 1)

by Mike Morris

  "Do I need a black eye?" he asked. " I don't want to be eaten by the Masters."

  "I think it's just the girls that they take," replied Lin. "You'll probably be a worker or a soldier. You're strong enough."

  "I wonder where we will sleep afterwards? Do you think we can stay together?"

  "I don't know."

  "I'm scared." Pet'r's voice was no more than a whisper.

  "Me too," said Lin. "Me too."

  Lin lay in the darkness, unable to sleep. Her eye throbbed. With every moment, she could feel the life she knew coming to an end. What was waiting for her at nightfall? She held the knife in one hand, turning it over and over between her fingers, feeling the rough edges. She couldn't imagine using it. It’d be useless against a Master. Surely she didn't have to fear a human?

  After First Meal, the new nurse gathered Lin and the other seven year olds together. They formed a half-circle around her.

  "What happened to your eye?" she asked Lin.

  "Fell over," mumbled Lin.

  The nurse stared at her long enough to let Lin know she didn't believe her before turning to the rest of the group.

  "Today will be your last day in the nursery," she said. Surprise rippled through the children except for Lin and Pet'r who exchanged looks. "First of all," continued the nurse, "you will be taken for Sorting. It is here you will be told how you will serve the Masters. From there you will go to your new homes."

  "Can't we stay here?" said Ren, one of the youngest girls. She had bright blue eyes and almost white blonde hair. She was the most beautiful of all the children.

  Nurse ignored the question. "There will be at least one Master at the Sorting. When a Master enters the room, you must get on your knees and bow your head until your forehead touches the floor. You will not speak. You will not make eye contact. You will not do anything except get on your knees and bow. You don't need me to tell you what will happen if you deviate from these instructions." Memories of Cerene and Droonan flooded back to Lin. Judging by everyone else's reactions, she wasn't the only one. "When it is your turn to be sorted, you will be tapped on the shoulder. You will rise. You will be inspected and then you will return to your knees. Do you understand me?"

  "Yes Nurse," they chorused.

  A scruffy-haired elder arrived. "This is Robet. You will follow him. Goodbye children," said the nurse. She didn't look back as she headed back towards the nursery.

  Robet clapped his hands together. "Come on then. Move it." He ushered the children through the doors and into the red tunnels. Pet'r squeezed Lin's hand as they followed him. Robet led them deeper into the rock until they arrived at a great hall. It was already full of nervous children. Their chatter echoed around the cavernous space.

  The children were lined up, ready for inspection and Robet slotted Lin's group into a space towards the rear. "Be good and be quiet," he said before he, too, left them. Lin couldn't even guess at how many children waited in the hall. Some were bigger, some smaller but all wore the same look of bewilderment on their faces. Pet'r stood on one side of her and Ren the other. The rest of her nursery group completed the line.

  A bell rang and two Masters entered the room. They towered above everyone. The tallest human only came to their chests as far as Kara could see and their features looked like they’d been chiseled out of granite. Dark oval eyes stared out across the room, like black holes against their white skin. Their long hair was swept back and tied in a topknot, accentuated their cheekbones and revealing pointed ears. Power radiated off them.

  All the children fell to their knees as instructed and Lin pressed her head against the cold stone.

  The Masters moved to different parts of the room. She could hear the sound of children standing up and kneeling back down. "Black." "Red." "White." "Black." "Black." The Masters’ voices droned on as children shuffled to their feet and knelt again.

  Lin's stomach churned as she waited. She regretted eating First Meal.

  She heard footsteps nearby and the air caught in her throat. A Master had arrived at her row. "Black. Black. White. Black." Lin heard Ren rise to her feet. "Red," grunted the Master and then a stick tapped Lin on the shoulder. She carefully got to her feet, keeping her eyes downcast. The Master grabbed her chin and angled her face toward him. "This one is damaged," he said.

  "Just some minor bruising, my lord. She's perfectly healthy," replied the human with him.

  The Master's pale hand was cold against her skin. Lin kept her eyes downcast, as she tried to stop herself from shaking. Her legs grew weak and she thought she’d fall at any moment.

  The Master sniffed and let go of her face. "I don't like my stock being damaged. If it happens again, you'll spend the last few days of your life in the hole."

  "Yes Master. Many apologies Master," groveled the man.

  "Mark the girl as a black," said the Master and moved on. The elder made a black dot on her tunic with a small brush. She fell back onto her knees before her legs gave way on her. Her body shook as she pressed her forehead back against the stone floor.

  Lin had no idea how much time passed. The fear swept through her in waves as she pondered her fate.

  "On your feet!"

  The room stood as one. An elder stood at the front of the room. Next to him were three others, a brute of a man and two women.

  "You have all been Sorted. If you have a green mark, go to Janis. You will be trained to be soldiers." The large man walked forward. One by one, boys fell out of line and made their way to him. No girls had been selected.

  Two elders walked the lines ensuring no one attempted to stay behind.

  Everyone was trying to see who had what marks. Pet'r had the same black mark as Lin but Ren was marked with a red dot. Joshua was black. Ean was black. Skra was white.

  "Those with red marks, go to Hani. “The man indicated the taller of the women. She gave the room a warm smile. "You will be serving the Masters."

  Ren turned to Lin. "I don't want to go."

  "I don't know what to do," said Lin. She felt totally helpless. How could she help Ren when there was no way out for herself?

  Girls and a few boys were filing past to join Hani at the front. Ren scrubbed at the mark on her tunic but she only succeeded in making the red spread further. The elder walking the lines saw her and pushed through the children towards them. He grabbed her by the arm. "Come on girl. There's no avoiding it."

  Ren dug her heels in. "I don't want to go!"

  The men stepped in and slapped her hard across the face. The sound silenced the room. His hand left a vivid mark across her cheek. "Stop your nonsense," the man hissed. "And don't worry — you're going to be well looked after." He dragged her over to the other reds. The only sound in the room was Ren's sobs.

  Pet'r grasped Lin's hand. "Whatever happens, we'll at least be together," he said.

  There were only black and white dots left in the room but the majority were black like Lin and Pet'r. Only Skra from her nursery had been marked with white. Lin closed her eyes. Winced as pain from the bruises shot through her. Let black mean workers and not food for the Masters. Please let it be that.

  "All with black marks," called out the elder.

  Lin's eyes snapped open. Her heart raced as her mouth went dry.

  "Go with Ansto. You will be trained as workers. If you have a white mark, stay where you are. You will be leaving with me." The man stepped back and the remaining woman lifted her arm to indicate that the blacks should follow her.

  Lin was to be a worker. She nearly cried out with joy. Mas's plan had worked. Whatever happened next, she and her friends would be safe. She weaved her way through the remaining children to join Ansto. She smiled at Pet'r. "Everything's going to be okay," she told him. Then she noticed one of the whites watching her. It was a small girl with wild curly black hair. Her lip trembled and a tear ran down her cheek. Behind her, Skra stood alone, watching them leave.

  Lin found she couldn't smile anymore. The girls had been selected to be meat
for the Masters. There must have been fifty whites still waiting in that room. All of them would end like Droonan. Fifty dead children waited to learn their fate.

  6

  702 PN

  Lin, Pet'r, Jaar, Krin and five children from other nurseries stood in the middle of a large room. A sea of hard faces surrounded them. A kitchen was set up in the far corner where a cook banged some pots and pans around but he was the only one not interested in the new arrivals.

  "They don't look like much," someone called out. The gruff voice made Lin shudder.

  "She don't look like she can lift her feet, let alone anything else," another shouted. Were they talking about her? Lin wanted to stand taller but instead she felt herself shrinking under the scrutiny.

  "Leave 'em alone," said an elder, stepping out of the crowd. The years were etched deep into his face, battered by life and his hair was long gone. Lin had never seen anyone as old as him before. His clothes were as dirt stained as the rest of them but they seemed in better repair and he was the only one with a pair of boots on his feet.

  "My name's Old Jahn. I'm in charge of this motley bunch o' no 'opers and that means I'm in charge of you lot too." The man folded his arms across his chest. "The Masters, in their great wisdom, gave you the black mark so that means you're a Sweat now. Like the rest o' us. We're called Sweats cause we work. We work bloody 'ard. If I don't see water dripping off you by the end of day, you ain't getting nothing to eat. Simple as that. I don't care how old you are.

  "In this room we eat. Through that doorway there is where we sleep and outside we work. Understand?"

  Lin nodded her head, afraid to speak.

  "Good. I'm sure you'll fit in well as long as you behave yourself," said Old Jahn. "Now I'll show you where you're sleeping. Follow me."

  The crowd parted and Old Jahn led them through to the other room. Someone grabbed Lin's arm as she passed. She was pulled face to face with a red haired man.

  "Hello my darlin'." he said. "That's a nasty bump you got on your eye. Bet you’re a pretty thing behind that. What's your name?"

  Lin stared at him, unable to speak. The sparkle in his eyes unnerved her. It reminded her of how the Master had looked at her – something to be eaten.

  He leaned in closer until their noses were almost touching. His rotten breath turned Lin's stomach.

  "Oi Scrounger." Old Jahn was by her side, pushing the man away. "Leave the girl be. She's only seven. She don't need the likes of you bothering her."

  The Scrounger stepped back, holding his hands up in the air. "No harm boss. Just sayin' 'ello."

  "You see it stays that way," said Old Jahn. "Come on, girl."

  Lin glanced back at the Scrounger as she followed Old Jahn. The man kissed his hand and blew it to her. She scurried after the others, eager to get away from the man.

  The other room was filled with wooden racks, each just wide enough for someone to lie down on. They climbed five beds high with small ladders at the foot of each one. Some were flush against the wall where as others were free standing, creating a narrow alley to walk between them.

  "The longer you been 'ere, the higher your bed is," said Jahn. "Since you've only been 'ere ten minutes, you all are stuck in slots at the bottom. None of 'em have got your name on 'em so find an empty one and that's yours." He paused for a moment, looked them all over. "Unless of course, someone else wants it and then you can work it out amongst yourselves anyway you want.

  "I don't care who fights and who don't but you better be ready to work when that bell rings or it's off to the Hole for you. The one rule for everyone."

  "What's the Hole?" asked Pet'r.

  "You ever have a nightmare, boy?" Jahn scrunched down so he was at eye level with Pet'r. "The Hole is much worse than that. It's a place of pain and death and dark things that'll make you scream. It's where you don't wanna go because no one never comes back."

  The color drained from Pet'r's face.

  Jahn stood up. "Now find some empty beds and stay there 'till the night bell rings. I don't wanna hear a peep out of you. After First Meal, I'll shows you where you’re working."

  Some of the beds didn't have blankets but Lin was lucky enough to find one that did. It was dirty and rough on her skin but it was something to keep her warm. She heard Krin demand one of the other kids to give up their spot and blanket. He'd always been the biggest kid in the nursery and happy to make the most of that. The boy saw sense and gave up his bunk without a fight.

  Lin fingered the stone knife in her pocket. She understood now why Mas had given it to her. She'd been a fool to think everything was going to be all right just because she'd avoided the Masters. There was danger everywhere.

  She crawled to the far end of her bed and curled up in the shadows against the wall. The mattress was thinly stuffed with straw. She could still feel the wooden base of the rack through it. It was so different from her bed in the nursery.

  Lin listened to the elders come in. Listened to the chatter about their shifts and their lives. Listened to the creaks and groans as they settled down in their bunks. They had all been like her once — a little kid, scared and alone. If they’d survived, so could she. She'd find the courage somewhere.

  The hand clamped across her face, startling her. She must have dropped off because it was quiet apart from the sound of snoring. She tried to move but another arm pressed down across her chest.

  The hand was rough and she could taste the dirt ingrained in the skin. She tried to scream but it just squeezed tighter. Someone, a man, wriggled into the bunk with her.

  His lips touched her ear. "Hello my little sweetie," whispered the Scrounger in her ear. Lin thrashed in her bed, kicking the bottom of the bunk above her. The thud was amplified by the silence in the room. The Scrounger pressed down harder on her and his other hand dug into her ribs. "Stop that. We don't want anyone botherin' us now. You'll only make it worse for you."

  Lin panicked. She breathed in as much air as she could through her nose, dragging with it the Scrounger's stench, but she couldn't get enough to fill her lungs. She wanted to scream more than anything. Her whole body went stiff with anxiety as he clambered on top of her. She stared into his eyes, black pools of despair. He kissed her cheek. His whiskers scratched her face. He panted with excitement as he moved his hand down her.

  Lin's hands were trapped but, as the Scrounger shifted his body, she managed to slip her hand inside her pocket. She wrapped her hand around the stone knife.

  The Scrounger smiled, showing off his yellow teeth.

  Lin plunged the knife into his thigh and twisted as hard as she could.

  There was nothing to stop the Scrounger screaming. He jerked off her, banging his head against the base of the next bunk. "You fuckin' bitch," he hollered as he fell out of the rack. He tried to stand but the wounded leg gave way on him and he tumbled to the floor. "I'm going to kill you!"

  Lin pointed the knife at him. The blade was warm with his blood.

  The commotion woke the dormitory and Lin could hear people jump down from their racks.

  "What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On," roared Old Jahn.

  Lin slipped out of her rack still clutching the knife. Once more she found herself as the center of attraction.

  Jahn pushed through the crowd. "Might 'ave known it was you Scrounger."

  "That fuckin' bitch stabbed me," moaned the Scrounger.

  "That bitch is a seven year old girl," replied Jahn. "And she's made a fool out of you."

  Someone behind Jahn laughed. Others joined in.

  The Scrounger glared up at all of them but said nothing. Blood ran through his fingers over the floor.

  "Get him to Mags to stitch that up," said Jahn to the man next to him. He turned back to Scrounger. "You know what happens if you miss work. Maybe you can buy some time off the rock but, if you can't, then I expect you ready to work your shift with the rest of us. The one rule for everyone.

  "Now everyone get back to bed." He looked down at Lin and smiled. "Y
ou're learnin' fast, young 'un. But I'd keep that knife close by if I were you. You’re makin' enemies and its only your first day here."

  Everyone slipped back to their bunks leaving Lin alone in the darkness. Her sobs were the only sound in the room.

  7

  702 PN

  The cart trundled its way south. Aidan led the way and Jones, riding a chestnut mare, took up the rear. Jack had never left Arbour before, had never really ventured anywhere other than Brixteth and Grayston, so he watched the changing landscape with wide-eyed wonder.

  Autumn had washed the land with ochre but it was the countryside's expanse that surprised Jack the most. He was used to buildings towering all around, the odd patch of blue sky appearing amongst the grey clouds and black smoke from chimneys. On the road, the sky stretched as far as he could see, interrupted only by the odd tree or distant mountain. It scared and amazed him and he doubted he’d ever get used to so much space around him. It made him glad of the cage at times, protecting him from it all.

  What worried him most though was how he was going to get home. He tried to memorize landmarks as they traveled; the shape of a certain tree or cluster of stones, a group of bushes or a small pond and how far between each. Anything he could use to find Arbour again when he and his brother managed to escape.

  "When they feed us," he whispered to his brother, "save some of it. We'll need it for when we escape."

  "Grow up, Jack," replied Brendan. "We're never going home again. How far do you think we'll make it before they catch us again? Ten yards? Twenty?"

  Smythe whacked the bars with his whip. "I said no talking. Don't make me stop and come in there to tell you in person." He slipped the whip back down beside him and cracked the reins. The horses snorted in protest but picked up their pace none the less. Jack slumped back, glaring at the driver's back. Brendan turned his head to continue to gaze out the rear of the cage, infuriating his brother even more. Brendan may have given up all hope but Jack wasn't going to.