The Gray Institute_Rebels' Hell

by Leanne Pearson

  'Take her away.' He barks. The guards grab Draper's biceps and begin to haul her from the room. Her knees give way with the shock and she trembles and dry-sobs. It's a pitiful sight, and Malachy can't look. Not even when Draper begs him to tell the truth. Not even as she screams with fear on her journey to the Confine.

  Finally, when her sobs have died away, Malachy sweeps out of the Throne Room without a glance back.

  'Was there something else, Lucrezia?' Father snaps. I shake my head, backing away from him and following in my brother's footsteps. My mind buzzes noisily as I head back towards my room. It takes a lot to shock me, and what Malachy just did has shocked me to my very core. I desperately want to ask him why. I desperately want to talk to him about what just happened. But as far as Malachy knows, I believe he knew nothing about the escape. I believe that his relationship with Ryder was purely a fabrication on Sir Alec's orders. To reveal that I know about either of those things, would be to reveal that I never told on them to Sir Alec. It would be to reveal that I let Ryder escape, in the hope that she would be Confined.

  Malachy never forgave me after what happened with Anzhela, if he ever found out I'd done the same thing again, I dread to think what would happen.

  I can't say anything to him. I must act like I believe that Draper was lying. Once again, I must put on my mask and lie through my teeth in order to salvage whatever is left of my relationship with my brother.

  But one question plagues me; why did Sir Alec not use Amber Mayfair – and her extraordinary gift as a lie detector – to prove that Draper was telling the truth? A cold shiver runs through me as I realise that Meredith is but one student who knew about Ryder and Malachy. Tia Carey, Richard Miller, possibly others, and they will all be interrogated.

  One word from Mayfair and Malachy's reign will be abolished before it has begun.

  Chapter Nine

  Eve.

  'I'm not wearing that.' Lorna stands resolutely, her arms folded across her chest, her expression twisted into one of disgust.

  'Yes, you are.' I reply firmly, thrusting the cheap, platinum blonde wig at her. She takes it gingerly, pinched between thumb and forefinger.

  'I'll look like a dancer in an 80's music video.' She pretends to gag, tossing the wig onto the bed. 'You can stay there.' She tells it sharply.

  We resolved to stay the night at the hotel after Angelo's departure, and make for Thailand first thing the next morning. Whilst Lorna slept, I crept out of the room and headed down to the high street, determined to do everything in my power to evade capture. Sir Alec, Lucrezia, Ms Fall and some of the Institute Officials know what we look like, and will no doubt pass this information on to the Auctoritas and anyone else hunting us. Whilst disguises won't fool an Immortal for long, they will help to mask us in crowds – such as in the airport.

  'Lorna,' I scoop the wig up and shove it into the backpack. 'It doesn't matter what you look like. What matters is that we don't get caught.' I pack my own wig – a curly, auburn thing – alongside hers, with two boxes of coloured contacts, finally hoisting the bag over my shoulder to follow Lorna out of The Hallows Inn for the last time.

  Auckland International Airport is fairly small as far as International Airports go, an unsettling fact when I think about the Immortals possibly waiting for us inside. Lorna and I are all trussed up in our disguises – much to her disgust – and are trying to scope the place from outside.

  'It looks pretty crowded.' She muses, craning her neck. The airport is glass-clad, displaying throngs of people.

  'Stop itching!' I scold as her hand flies to her wig for the hundredth time.

  'Well it's itchy!' She snaps. 'And hot! Oh, Eve, do we really have to split up? All those crowds are making me nervous. Can't we just stay together?'

  'Lorna, we've been through this a thousand times!' I sigh. 'They're looking for an Immortal and a human travelling together, we'll be an immediate red flag. But separately – '

  'They won't look twice, yeah, you said.' She huffs.

  'Have you remembered your name?' I ask, indicating her passport tucked away in her new bag.

  'Amelia Rice, twenty years old from Kensington, London.' She drones.

  'Good. And you've got your phone?' I ask. She pulls the little black burner out of her pocket. I bought two of them from a phone shop in town, topping them up with enough credit to last at least some of the departure wait.

  'Right, I think it's time. I'll go first. Keep that bag safe!' I warn her, eyeing it warily. We had to split the money between us so that it doesn't cause issues at customs and I'm all too aware of how incapable Lorna is of defending it.

  I head away from her into the airport, keeping my head down and my pace brisk. The crowds soothe me, so many bodies pressed against mine helping to keep me shrouded from Immortals, at least by sight; they'll sense my presence, as will I theirs, but it can't be unusual for a Graduate to travel.

  There are queues at the desks and I patiently wait my turn, approaching the helpful looking woman when she calls me forward.

  'I'd like a ticket on the first flight to Bangkok, please.' I tell her briskly, still trying to keep my face shielded from others. I only hope she doesn't mistake my shiftiness for something else.

  'I'm afraid the next flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport isn't for another six hours, ma'am.' She says after tapping on her keyboard.

  'That's fine.' I shrug carelessly. It isn't; it's more time for us to get caught, but what choice do I have? I pay for my ticket and head over to departures, trying to ignore the shaking in my knees as the desk clerk checks my passport. It barely warrants a second glance and I feel a rush of gratitude towards Angelo, resolving once again to keep my promise to him.

  After checking my hand luggage in, and asking a few questions about the amount of money I have, the woman gestures me through to security. I pass through the detectors and am redirected to the departures lounge, but I hang back a moment, scanning the crowds for Lorna. She's just bought her ticket and is heading my way so I continue on, choosing a seat by the window, right in front of the flight board. Lorna enters the lounge and spots me, veering in the opposite direction to sit by a restaurant. I pull out my phone to dial her number – memorised earlier on – and turn away from her as it rings. 'Get through okay?' I ask before she speaks.

  'Well, she questioned me about the money. I said I was going to Thailand to buy a wedding dress.' She snorts.

  'Good thinking,' I nod, sighing with relief. 'I know it's a long wait but we just have to – ' I trail off, inhaling deeply but not taking my eyes off of the planes parked outside.

  'Eve? Are you there?'

  'Yes, but don't call me that,' I hiss. 'My name's Alice, remember? And we've got company.'

  'What?' Lorna's voice is a terrified squeak.

  'I can sense one of them,' I tell her, turning casually to catch a glimpse of the Immortal I can smell. It's a man, over by a magazine stand, dark glasses obscuring his eyes. He doesn't seem to be watching me, or Lorna, but that doesn't mean he isn't. 'Don't look now but the guy in the glasses by the magazine stand, stay away from him. Don't draw any attention to yourself.'

  'Is he one of them?' She breathes, panic in her voice.

  'I don't know. I don't think so.' I tell her honestly. My gut tells me this man isn't an Institute Official or an Auctorita employee; I doubt he'd be on his own, but that doesn't mean I'm letting my guard down.

  The first two hours pass uneventfully. Lorna calls me twice more out of sheer boredom and I tell her to go and get a magazine now that the man has moved on. I buy one, too, a few minutes later, just to seem normal. I sit by the window, pretending to read it, all the while scanning the crowds for any sign of trouble. After a while I head over to the Bureau de Change and buy some Baht with Euros.

  Half an hour later, I sense more Immortal presence; a man and a woman enter the departures lounge together, both dressed in dark clothing and carrying briefcases. A jolt of panic shoots through me but I appear calm, reaching for my pho
ne to alert Lorna. I watch them closely, feeling increasingly on edge as they appear to be scanning the crowds.

  Finally, our flight appears on the board but with no gate number. I wait patiently, ignoring the panicked screams inside my head at the sight of the two Immortals. They watch the board, too, but they don't make any signs that they've seen the Thailand one. This sends me mixed signals; if they were sent here to simply hang around the departures lounge waiting, they wouldn't be watching the board at all. But perhaps they know somehow that we're headed to Thailand, and have been asked to follow us there.

  The gate number flashes on the screen and I wait for Lorna to rise before I do, following behind her a few paces back. I pass the two Immortals on my way to the gate, turning my head subtly away from them. They haven't risen yet, but maybe they're checking out all the departures before they do.

  I head into another lounge where my passport and ticket are checked, then follow Lorna through a long corridor and into the dark tunnel to board the plane. My seat is three rows behind Lorna's and on the opposite side of the gangway, and I call her one last time before take off.

  'They're not on board yet.' She answers breathlessly, craning her neck over the seat in front.

  'Not yet,' I agree. 'Keep your voice down. If they do board, don't look back at me, not even a glance. When we land, head straight through to arrivals and keep walking. Get into a cab and ask them to take you to the nearest bar. I'll call you from there.' I hang up and stow my phone away in my pocket, casually watching the passengers board the plane. After what feels like forever, the stewardess closes the door and I breathe a long sigh of relief. The two Immortals haven't boarded. Lorna glances over, shooting me a triumphant smile but I scowl at her and she whips back around.

  The flight takes just over fifteen hours with one stop to refuel and I spend most of that time pretending to sleep. It's boring and tedious but eventually the plane begins to descend and we land at Bangkok International at 5:00pm local time.

  As instructed, Lorna gets off the plane first and heads into the airport, through arrivals where our passports hold up again and out into the main airport. It's much larger than Auckland and very impressive with huge traditional Thai sculptures and works of art. There are much larger crowds, too, which help to shield us even more.

  We pass the food court where Lorna lingers to look at something in a shop window. Irritation prickles me for a moment before I realise that it makes her look more authentic and that I should do the same.

  There's lots of Immortal presence here; everywhere I turn there are groups huddled together and I try not to let it alarm me. They all seem harmless enough, chatting and reading, browsing the shops themselves. They don't look at me and I don't look at them.

  I start to relax as I walk through the airport, some of the tension dissipating from my shoulders. Surrounded by so many of my Kind I feel somewhat protected; the Auctoritas would have a hard time distinguishing me amongst us all, especially with my disguise. I stop to watch a middle-aged woman make a pattern with woven thread, surrounded by a large crowd. Lorna lingers next to a perfume counter and I keep a close eye on her as the woman continues to weave.

  It's then that I feel it; the sensation of being closely watched. I try to keep calm, scanning the crowds casually before my gaze comes to rest on a young Immortal leaning up against a column, his dark eyes fixed determinedly on mine.

  I look away, trying not to draw attention to myself, and slip further into the crowd. From the corner of my eye I watch him straighten, craning his neck over the throng to glimpse me. I pull my phone out of my pocket and punch in Lorna's number, waiting impatiently as she fumbles in her bag.

  'Someone's watching me.' I speak quietly, hoping the crowd will drown out my voice.

  'What? Who?!' She's predictably hysterical, frantically trying to spot me.

  'Act casual, you idiot!' I hiss. 'There's an Immortal nearby, he's watching me. I'm going to try to give him the slip. I don't think he's spotted you so head out of the airport, I'll follow.' I hang up and slip through the crowd, deliberately making myself shorter so I'm harder to see. Lorna walks fast towards the exit and it looks a little suspicious after ambling around for so long, but I can't exactly warn her.

  Once free of the crowd I glance over my shoulder quickly, feeling a jolt of panic at the sight of the Immortal following me. He's not trying to be subtle, either; darting through crowds and easing people out of his way, keeping his sight trained on me.

  I realise that the only way to be one hundred percent sure he's following me is to make a rash move. Without warning, I dart in a different direction, heading back towards the arrivals lounge. Sure enough, the moment I turn, so does he.

  For a fraction of time, I stop fleeing and turn to look him dead in the eye. I want him to know that I've spotted him, though this may not be a wise move. My action alarms him and he stops, too, but only for a moment before stepping towards me.

  I turn and run, not at my full speed but as fast as a human could possibly run, through the crowds and towards Lorna. I grab her arm, pulling her along with me, ignoring her terrified shrieks before she realises who I am.

  'Change of plan!' I yell, sprinting as fast as Lorna will allow towards the exit. The Immortal is still following, running equally fast, a determined look in his eyes. I have no idea what we're going to do when we reach the end of the airport, all I know is that I must keep running until I can run no more.

  Chapter Ten

  Eve.

  Lorna grips my hand hard as we sprint through the airport, racing past confused and occasionally concerned travellers. The Immortal isn't far behind us; I can hear his feet pounding on the lino, growing ever closer even as we speed up until I'm practically dragging Lorna with me. I don't chance a peek back at him as we burst through the main doors, skidding onto rough concrete. I stop for a second to get my bearings and figure out a plan.

  'Over there!' I yell, pointing to a blue and red taxi parked a few feet away. Lorna lets go of my hand, turning in the direction of the cab, but as I step forward to follow her, strong fingers close around my bicep.

  'Don't make a scene,' An unfamiliar voice murmurs in my ear. Lorna is already halfway across the road before she realises I'm not following. Her green eyes widen when she finally spots me, pinned by the man's grasp. He chuckles in my ear, his breath tickling my cheek. 'Well, any more of a scene than you already have.'

  I turn to face him, realising how tall he is for the first time. He towers above me, his head blocking out the strong sun so I can't see his features clearly. 'Let's go back inside.' He says, pulling me towards the entrance.

  Lorna dithers in the middle of the road, her eyes darting. I can see the cogs of her mind turning, trying to decide whether to make a break for it alone. She eventually traipses back, her shoulders slumped in defeat. She doesn't say anything as we head inside, the man's fingers still firmly wrapped around my arm, Lorna lumbering along beside us.

  As we walk, my phantom adrenaline brought on by the chase begins to ebb and I realise with stark clarity the situation we're in. If the man works for Sir Alec, his primary concern will be to return Lorna to the Institute and then deal with me. But he doesn't seem to be particularly interested in my human companion, which leads me to believe that he's probably an Auctorita Official, more concerned with bringing me to justice than anything else.

  I wonder briefly where he'll take me. Straight to the Confine? Perhaps to the Auctoritas so that they can sentence me? I'm not sure exactly how the Immortal criminal justice system works having had very little time to study it.

  The man hauls me over to one of the many coffee shops dotted around the airport, selecting a table set apart from the crowds. He guides me into one of the seats, waiting until Lorna has joined us before sitting down himself. He turns to her, his eyes betraying nothing, a small smile playing on his lips. 'Why don't you go and get us some coffee?' He suggests, handing her a crisp bank note. Lorna's gaze flickers to mine with a spark of indi
gnation before she snatches the note, reluctantly heading to the bar. The man doesn't seem concerned that she might run – he saw her decision moments ago in the middle of the road – and he turns to me, looking vaguely amused. It irritates me.

  'Congratulations.' I spit, folding my arms and scowling.

  'On what?' He asks, cocking a dark eyebrow. His eyes are very blue; not like Malachy's – icy and pale – but deep and rich, like sapphires.

  'Catching me,' I sigh, tired of games. 'Or do you chase people through airports for fun?'

  'Not recently.' He smiles, deep lines appearing in the outer corners of his eyes. Lorna returns with three tall coffees in cardboard cups, slamming the man's down on the table in front of him. He doesn't touch it, nor do I mine, but Lorna sips hers angrily.

  'So, what now?' I snap, the tension wearing my patience thin. If I'm to be punished, I'd rather get it over with. 'Do we go straight to the Auctoritas? The Confine? Or does Sir Alec want a word with me first?'

  'None of the above.' The man smiles, running a long finger around the rim of his coffee cup. I frown, eyeing his curly dark hair, the casual clothes he wears.

  'Well then, who do you work for?'

  'No one,' He shrugs, that irritating half-smile playing on his lips. 'I'm here as a favour to a friend.'