by Leyton, Bisi
“I’m going to kill you. I’m going to kill you,” Poppy shouted back.
“I was looking for you and she was the only one who’d tell me where you were having this dumb party,” Wisteria flared at David.
“Well, you’ve found the party, so get her and leave,” her brother ordered.
“Let’s talk outside.”
“No, Wisty…. Just go,” he pleaded.
“I’m here to take you home,” Wisteria stated quietly, not wanting to add to his embarrassment.
“What?” David finally pulled Amanda off Poppy, but as his ex-girlfriend continued to struggle and attack her rival, he finally let go and let the girls go at each other. Taking Wisteria by the hand, he led her into the hallway. “Wisteria, what are you thinking?”
“Can’t you see how stupid you’re being? It’s dangerous to be out here at night. Do you even have protection?”
He released a scoffing grunt as he rolled his eyes.
“I mean, are you armed?” She smacked him across the head.
“I’ve got a gun.” Lifting his shirt, he revealed a handgun tucked into his jeans. “I’m not an idiot, Wisteria.”
Taking the gun with a swift yank, she removed the clip before he had a chance to react.
“Stop,” he protested as he grabbed for the gun.
“You want it back? You leave with me now.” She waved the clip at him. “Let’s go, David.”
“Let’s go, David,” one of his friends mimicked. “Man, your sister is such a bitch.”
“Whatever, Wisteria.” David shrugged.
“David…”
“Enough!” David shouted. “I’m not a kid and I don’t need you coming here trying to act like you’re our mum.” He turned away.
“Come on, David…”
David stopped and turned back to her. “You think I don’t see you sneaking off to meet with that Danish guy? Bach, right? Even after mum told you to stay away. That’s called being a hypocrite.”
He knew? The Danish guy David was referring to was Bach, of the Third Pillar. He wasn’t Danish; he was from a race called the Family who lived on a different plane of existence. She’d met him almost five months ago when she got stranded in Norton. Bach had saved her life and she’d saved his, too. A lot had happened between them, but the bottom line was that her mother didn’t want her seeing him. And Wisteria’s mother got a little crazy about things like that.
Wisteria hadn’t realized she was being so obvious. “That’s different. I’ve never left Smythe and gone someplace where biters can attack me.”
“No, you just bring killers into the island,” he fumed.
“I didn’t know about—” How did he find out about that?
In April, Red Phoenix had entered the island, posing as refugees. Red Phoenix was a group of highly trained assassins and mercenaries. They’d tried to kidnap her and murder one of her teachers. Wisteria still didn’t know who’d sent them or why they were after her. Her mother, who turned out to be an ex-Red Phoenix agent, wouldn’t talk about it.
Red Phoenix had almost succeeded and their mother was almost killed in the process, but Bach saved her life. Wisteria had tried to keep this from David because she’d unintentionally led them to Smythe.
Her mother had been terrified about almost losing Wisteria and had effectively kept her locked on the island. It was only after her stepfather interceded that she was allowed to resume her duties as a tracker.
“You know we haven’t seen any biters at our parties. You know why? Coles and the soldiers have cured them all.” Returning to the room, David slammed the door behind him.
“David!” Wisteria was about to go after him, but someone grabbed her waist. Looking up, she saw Steven Hindle holding her arm.
“You should go before you hurt yourself or someone else,” Steven whispered. “Why don’t we find somewhere—?”
She elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to let go of her.
Steven chuckled. “I know you want to.”
“Don’t ever touch me, Steven, or I’ll cause you more pain than Coles will, when he finds out about your party.”
“What? Wisteria, you wouldn’t do that to me.” He advanced toward her.
“Steven.” Hailey Davenport, Steven’s girlfriend, emerged from one of the rooms while buttoning her top. “What’s going on?” The lanky brunette’s eyes widened angrily when she saw Wisteria.
The girls had a history. Hailey had attacked Wisteria and shaved her hair because of a rumor that Wisteria had slept with Steven.
“Steven, you need to sort out your girl so you can get to your other one,” jeered a short, stubby boy.
By now, there were seven or eight other kids in the corridor, watching what was happening.
“Steven, leave the cow and get back here!” Hailey demanded. It was normal for Hailey to get whatever she wanted because her father was the head of the leadership council.
“Okay, Wisteria,” Steven pleaded quietly. “I’ll get David to leave and shut down the party. I promise, but no one needs to know about this.”
By 'no one,' he probably meant Coles.
“Whatever, Steven.” Wisteria had learned the price of trusting Steven the hard way.
Once upon a time, Steven had been the one thing in the world she wanted, but now a part of her felt sick when she was around him. The reason could be the cowardice he showed when the biters had overrun the island, that or his smug, conceited personality.
“Listen.” He rested one hand on her shoulder. “No one’s been hurt. We’ll just all go back and that will be the end of it. Dillon and I will get your brother out of here. Just wait downstairs.”
“Fine.” Wisteria figured she might be able to drag David out kicking and screaming, but she wasn’t sure she’d get him all the way back to Smythe. She’d hoped to reason with him, but that wasn’t happening. So, Steven throwing him out was the best option.
“Wisteria, we all know you’re doing this because you want to see Steven,” Hailey called out as Wisteria passed on her way to the stairs. “When are you going to let it go?”
Wisteria glowered at Hailey and the girl darted back into the room, shutting the door. Trying to contain her growing anger, she descended the stairs.
At the bottom of the stairs, Garfield was comforting Amanda, who was a mess from her fight with Poppy.
“How can he do that to me?” Amanda wailed. “Wisteria, what’s wrong with your brother?”
Again, Wisteria didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry.” She hoped that worked. She wasn’t really that close to Amanda, so she felt uncomfortable saying any more. “Steven said he’ll get David out.”
“Wisteria.” Amanda grabbed Wisteria’s shoulder when the three got outside. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you about the party sooner.”
“Forget about it.” She was glad Amanda had at least said something, even if she did have an ulterior motive in doing so.
“Listen, the guy’s a jerk,” Garfield chipped in.
“Excuse me?” Wisteria snapped.
“What I mean t was---”
The backdoor to the pub opened. David and Poppy appeared. Without a word, David stomped past Wisteria toward Norton High Street where he’d chained his bicycle.
As he untangled the chains, Wisteria heard the music in the pub stop, followed by a chorus of groans and swearing from the kids. Steven had actually done what he’d promised and this did surprise her.
After unchaining their bikes, Wisteria, Garfield and Amanda rode after David and Poppy. The five kids headed back to the dock and to the boats, the kids had used to sail to Norton.
Angrily and silent, David got on-board.
Wisteria, Poppy and Amanda followed.
Untying the boat from the dock, Wisteria and the group rowed through the North Sea toward the Isle of Smythe and home.
CHAPTER TWO
Wisteria and David staggered tiredly up the gravel road to the gate leading to Coles’s farmhouse at three o’clock th
at morning. They’d moved from Cooper Road to the bungalow, which was on the outskirts of the island, after their mother married Major Coles five months ago. Coles said he picked this place because no one could stop by and visit him, but it didn’t stop David or Wisteria from sneaking out.
“Where were you?” Their very grumpy mother, Lara Kuti, appeared at the gate.
“Um, we…” Wisteria tried to explain.
“I’m freezing, and I’m going to bed.” David brushed past his mother and stormed into the bungalow.
Wisteria tried to move past, but her mother blocked her.
“I’m waiting.” Glaring at her with her arms crossed, Lara waited for an answer.
“What about David?” Wisteria couldn’t understand why her mother always let David do whatever he wanted, but expected Wisteria to behave.
“I’m not talking to David. I’m talking to a girl who’s itching to take on three more tracking shifts each week for the next three months.”
“We went out.” She sighed.
“After curfew. Wisteria? You know better than anyone why you should keep to the curfew.”
Wisteria nodded.
“So, are you going to tell me where you were?” her mother repeated. “I know you weren’t at Garfield’s because Thomas Clarkson has been looking for him, too.”
“I am not going to lie you.” That was all Wisteria felt she could say.
“What did you just say?” Her mother glared at her apparent disrespect.
“Nothing.” She bit her bottom lip.
Her mother placed her hands on Wisteria’s shoulders. “I just hope you’re staying away from that boy. While I accept your stepfather’s decision to allow him to remain, I expect you to steer clear of him.”
That boy was Bach. Wisteria’s—well, not her boyfriend. Actually, she didn’t know what they were to each other. He had a thing about not giving things personal names or even definitions. “Mum, I wasn’t with him.”
“So, where?”
She didn’t respond. Telling her mother about the party would be the same as telling Coles. She wasn’t ready to face the rain of fire from the other kids on the island when that happened. After all, she had to live in the town.
“Fine. Since you want to be out at all hours, you can take the early shift tomorrow,” her mother informed her. “You better get some sleep; it starts in two hours.”
*****
Wisteria didn’t get much sleep before she had to leave for work less than two hours later. Dragging out her bike, she laboriously cycled toward the tracker station near the main gates of the town. There were seven soldiers positioned at the gates or on the walls around the gate.
Since the Red Phoenix attack, the Isle of Smythe practically shut its doors to new refugees. No one new had been allowed in since the attack. The soldiers were determined to wait out the Nero plague in isolation, much to the chagrin of Hailey’s father and the vicar, Jason Webb. Both men wanted more people in the town.
This pleased her mother at first, until she learned Coles had allowed Bach to remain on the island three to four days a week. Because he didn’t draw on the resources, he didn’t need to earn his keep and wasn’t assigned a job; however he did help Coles acquire ammunition and medical equipment from biter infested regions of England.
She guessed he was trying to bribe the Major into letting him see her, but it wasn’t working. Coles was just as against Bach and Wisteria being together as her mother.
Passing by the gate, she saw Captain Bruno Morel, who scowled at her.
Most of the adults in the town saw the kids of Smythe as being a waste of space. Bruno Morel was no exception.
“You’re late.” Bruno stepped in front of her bike, causing her to skid on the ice in an attempt not to hit him.
“It’s three minutes to five. I wasn’t going to be late until you made me stop.”
“You shouldn’t have stopped,” he mocked. “And by all means, run and tell your daddy. I’m looking for a reason to deal with him.”
“He’s not my dad.”
Unlike the most of the soldiers on the island, Bruno was not part of Coles’s company. He’d been on Smythe with his family when Coles arrived, but since he was a Captain, that made him the second most senior soldier on Smythe and some of the other soldiers still deferred to him.
“Thanks for the tip,” she retorted.
“Someone needs to teach you a lesson,” Bruno remarked as he grabbed her bike.
“I’ll let Coles know.”
Scowling, he let her go.
She cycled to the tracker station. She saw her patrol team, Lieutenant Andrew McDowell, the group leader, and Garfield, the newest member of the group, getting into their vehicles. Riding to Andrew’s beat up SUV, she was stopped by her stepfather.
He was a tall, raven-haired man, with dark brown eyes, dressed in a faded green jacket and tattered khakis. “Where were you?” Coles grimaced as Wisteria reached the SUV. “I heard you didn’t come home last night.”
She wondered if her mother radioed him or if she came out herself and told him. “Good morning, Pops,” she teased.
Crossing his arms, he glared at her. The guy was mean and always serious. The only person who could make him smile was her mother. Unless he was grinning at someone else’s expense. “Where were you last night?”
“I had to go out and visit some friends.”
“Him?” Coles nodded in Garfield’s direction. “Hey, Simon, were you the one who kept Wisteria out all night?”
“Um—” Garfield stuttered, terrified of the man.
“Really? Because, I was at your house last night and you weren’t home either,” Coles added. “So, I’m going to ask you again and I want you both to think very carefully before you answer.”
“Don’t tell me you and Wisteria?” Andrew bent over laughing. “That would be too good. Coles, maybe you should just welcome him to the family.”
Angrily, the Major glanced over at his friend.
The lieutenant immediately stopped laughing, but kept a huge grin on his face.
“And I know your other friend hasn’t been on the island for a few weeks, so I decided to stop by a few of the homes in town and check on the other kids. Do you know what I found?”
“I was looking for David. Why don’t you ask David where he was?” Wisteria said, knowing she was caught.
“Oh, I’ve spoken to your brother, so I know you snuck off to Norton and went to that party. Your brother doesn’t have the same resolve you have to be stupid.”
“Coles, I---”
“I also know you brought your brother back and he was upset. The next time you try and do something so stupid, you come to me. Tell Lara where you went, okay?”
“Why? She always lies to me and loves keeping secrets. How can you expect me to be open with her?” Wisteria questioned.
The Red Phoenix who attacked her knew her mother quite well. For some reason, her mother still wouldn’t tell Wisteria the truth about how she was involved with them or why they wanted her. She’d refused even talk to her about the attempted kidnapping.
“I expect you to follow the rules. If Sir Charles found out you left, there’d be no way for me to protect you.”
Yeah, right. “His daughter was out there, too.”
“But you aren’t the daughter of the head of the leadership council. Those people are looking for a reason to teach me a lesson. You and your brother have got to stay out of trouble.”
Bruno had said something similar about Coles. “I’ll do everything in my power not to cause you any trouble,” she muttered.
Coles looked disgusted. “Just go.”
Stepping back, she hurried and got into the driver’s side of Andrew’s SUV. Andrew handed her the car keys and she drove out, leaving her stepfather standing on the side of the road, yelling at one of his soldiers.
Soon, they were past the inner and outer gate and driving through the deserted town of Norton. This part of the patrol was like it had be
en for the last few weeks. David was right, they didn’t see any biters in the town and there hadn’t been many since Bach had sent them away, but you could never be totally sure.
Today, Wisteria’s team was patrolling the houses in Woolmer, a small town five miles from Norton. Woolmer was considered to be in the red zone, which meant it had been patrolled by actual soldiers. Now it was classified as an orange zone town, so civilian trackers like Wisteria could patrol it. The hope was to push the biters further into the mainland and away from Norton and Smythe
While they drove through a residential area, she noticed one or two houses were marked with black or red paint. This signified they were safe houses with secure mini bunkers called pits. The soldiers and trackers built them with the hope that if anyone was stranded they could hide out in one until a tracker checked while on patrol. Unlike bunkers, the pits only held two people, three at most.
Since no one was missing, Andrew saw no need to check the pits. He seemed to notice her interest in the safe houses. “The last thing we want to do is stop at any of them; it could draw biters to them.” He directed Wisteria down another street. “Stop here.”
She parked in front of an old private grammar school.
Getting out, he strode toward the iron gate.
“What’s wrong?” Garfield asked.
“Crap.” Andrew marched back. Opening the truck, he took out a pair of binoculars. Returning to the gate, he peered at the school compound.
“What’s he doing?” Garfield opened the car door
“Don’t go. Garfield, you need to watch the back and the left side until Andrew gets back.” She scanned the right side of the car before glancing at Andrew through the rearview mirror.
After five minutes, Andrew returned to the car and got in next to her.
Even without looking at him, she could tell he was unsettled. “What did you see?”
“Get on the car roof and take a look.” He handed her the binoculars.
Getting out, she climbed onto the roof of the SUV. Looking through the binoculars at the school, she could see nothing out of the ordinary, except there were no children.
