Blood Ties (36 page)

‘Ten o’clock,’ Mum said briskly. ‘Tuesday morning.’

I frowned. Everything that had happened at the memorial and in the park had been in the morning too. Had I lost a whole day?

I struggled onto my elbows. ‘Is Lewis all right? Where’s Theo? Have they found Daniel?’

Mum and Dad exchanged glances. The man in the suit cleared his throat.

‘Lewis and Theo are both fine,’ he said. ‘We have an APB out on Elijah Lazio and the little boy. They won’t get far.’

He turned to Mum. ‘We can continue with this later.’

She nodded. The man left the room.

‘Continue with what?’ I said. My heart thudded.

‘The relocation plans, sweetie,’ Mum said. ‘But we can go over it later. Right now I think—’

‘I want to know now.’ My voice rose angrily.

Mum’s eyes widened.

Dad patted my arm. ‘There’s nothing definite to know yet,’ he said. ‘Just that the US and UK governments are going to resettle us. They’ll want to keep an eye on you and you’ll have to go in for tests and research every few months, but they’ll help set us up in a new life where you’ll be safe.’

‘Where?’

Will Theo be there?

Dad shrugged. ‘Somewhere far away, where no one knows us. Where there’ll be no connection with Elijah or anyone from the past. They’ll move us to a safe house tomorrow.’

I stared at him.

No Theo. No Theo. Forever.

‘Oh, Ro, what possessed you to go to Elijah’s compound? We’ve talked to Lewis. He should never have—’

‘It wasn’t Lewis’s fault.’ I sat back. ‘It was
my
idea.’

‘We know.’ Mum shook her head. ‘How could you, Rachel? Going behind our backs like that? Provoking Elijah. Don’t you realise how powerful he—’

‘How
could
I know about him, Mum?’ My heart pounded. ‘You never told me anything about him. Remember?’

Stony silence.

Dad cleared his throat. ‘I know it’ll be hard to leave school and all your friends, but we don’t have a choice, Ro.’

‘I don’t want you to call me that.’ I glared at him. ‘I’m not her. I’m not Rebecca.’

Dad looked startled. ‘What d’you mean?’

‘Well that’s why you call me “Ro”, isn’t it?’ I snapped. ‘It’s what you called Rebecca.’

‘No.’ Dad frowned. ‘It’s because you were such a fat, roly-poly little baby.’ He glanced at Mum, then back at me.

I stared at them.

‘Not that you’re fat
now
, Rachel,’ Mum said smoothly. ‘Not if you go easy on the ice cream and biscuits, anyway.’

A nurse poked her head round the door. ‘Theo was wondering if he could visit,’ she said.

Dad shook his head. ‘I don’t think . . .’

I sat upright, my heart beating fast. ‘Tell him ten minutes. Mum, where are my clothes?’

She was sitting at the end of her hospital bed. Alone, thankfully.

My heart pounded.

Oh, man
.

Now I was here I didn’t know what to say. At least, I knew there was a word for how I was feeling – a short word beginning with L. But I had no idea how to say it.

I shut the door and leaned against it.

‘Hi.’

‘Hi.’ Her eyes shone as she smiled at me.

I smiled back. ‘You okay?’

She nodded. ‘You?’

‘Yeah.’ I ran my hand through my hair. ‘I’m just a few doors down,’ I said. ‘There are security guards at the end of our corridor.’

‘Oh?’ Rachel said. ‘Is your mum here?’

‘Yep.’

‘How’s your arm?’

‘Fine.’ I showed her the bandage. ‘I have to keep it dry for a few days.’

‘A few days.’ Rachel’s voice shook slightly. ‘I guess we’ll both be gone by then.’

‘I guess.’

There was a pause. Then Rachel looked down at her T-shirt.

‘These are gross clothes,’ she said. ‘Mum brought all the wrong things with her.’

I nodded, not really paying attention. The clothes looked okay to me – a pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt.

I didn’t want to talk about clothes.

I took a deep breath. ‘Rachel?’

A knock on the door. Lewis poked his head round.

Rachel squealed and ran over to him.

He hugged her and waved at me across the room.

‘You guys hungry?’ he grinned.

We ate lunch with Lewis. Which was fine, except when Rachel said she was really sorry about Mel, and Lewis looked as if he was about to cry.

Then all the parents turned up and wanted to see us. It was weird meeting Rachel’s dad again. He told me he’d known I existed and about my code name, Apollo, but no details about my life. He said how scared he’d been when I’d turned up at his house with Rachel. How I’d seemed weirdly familiar. How he’d realised who I must be when I ran my hand through my hair – just like Elijah does, apparently.

After a few hours I was interviewed again – this time by the FBI in a little room at the end of the corridor. I asked them about Daniel and Elijah, who still hadn’t been found. I hoped Daniel was all right. It was weird – I hardly knew him, yet he was my younger brother. Sort of.

Mum and I talked for a bit about what was going to happen next. She’d got permission for me to call Jake and Max on some safe line. So I did, even though it was really late at home.

Jake was all overexcited about everything that had happened.

‘So there were guns and a shoot-out, dude?’ he said breathlessly. ‘That is way cool.’

It was impossible to explain to him how totally not cool everything that had happened yesterday had been. So I changed the subject.

‘Seen anything of Max?’ I asked innocently.

Jake snorted. ‘Some. Between you and me I don’t think she’s into boys.’

I laughed. ‘You mean she’s not into you.’

Jake sighed. ‘Maybe I should try Rachel again.’

‘She’s not coming back,’ I said quickly.

I explained about the relocation stuff. That I didn’t know yet where I was going, but it wouldn’t be back to London. Jake fell silent. Then we talked a bit more about school and football and stuff. Then we said goodbye.

It was weird thinking I might never see him again. Or at least, not for a long time.

I suddenly realised what it was going to be like, going to a new town and a new school. Starting all over again making friends. Never being able to really say who I was.

Never letting people in
.

I called Max.

Perl and Java were barking in the background. She asked a few questions about what had happened, then launched into a long and complicated explanation of how she had hacked into some bunch of government records to create the new identities which Lewis and Mel had given up to RAGE.

‘The police were here all yesterday afternoon. I was nearly arrested,’ she said.

Yeah? I was nearly killed
.

I thanked her for everything she’d tried to do.

‘How’s Rachel?’ she said.

‘Good,’ I said.

I checked my watch. Nine-thirty p.m. At this rate Rachel would be asleep again before I could see her. I started trying to say goodbye, but for some reason Max didn’t want to end the call.

‘Jake keeps coming round,’ she said eventually.

‘And?’ I said, checking my watch again. 9:38.

‘He’s a jerk,’ she said flatly.

‘Mmmn.’

‘Still,’ she said. ‘I guess he’s quite a cute jerk.’

I grinned. ‘You should tell him,’ I said.

‘Mmmn,’ she said.

We said goodbye.

I put down the phone and stood up.

No more delays. I was going to see Rachel. Now.

I cleaned my teeth and strode to the door.

As I reached for the handle, it opened.

She was there. In front of me.

With Lewis.

‘I’ve come to say goodbye,’ Lewis said.

‘Right now?’ I said. But one look at Rachel’s face told me it was right now. She was miserable about Lewis going. My stomach twisted into a knot.

Lewis nodded. ‘Tomorrow I have to talk to the FBI. Tell them about Elijah’s work. What I know of it. And about RAGE. If I cooperate fully they’re going to relocate me under their witness protection programme too.’

He shook my hand and kissed Rachel on the cheek. I couldn’t bear watching how fiercely she hugged him.

I walked over to the window.

The door shut with a click.

‘I have to go too,’ Rachel said.

I turned round. Her eyes glistened with tears.

‘Tonight?’ My voice sounded hoarse, like there was no breath holding it up. Like all the life was being sucked out of my body.

She nodded.

We stared at each other. ‘You saved my life yesterday,’ she said softly.

‘You saved mine by coming to the compound,’ I said. ‘You and Lewis.’

Rachel sighed. ‘I’m going to miss him
so
much.’ She walked towards me. She stood beside me at the window. Right beside me.

‘I love how much he loved Mel. Did she ever mention him?’

‘Er . . . no. Not that I remember.’ My mind raced.

If she loves him loving someone else, then surely she can’t
. . .

Rachel looked up at me. ‘I don’t want to go tonight.’

My heart hammered. My mind was flailing around for something to say.

‘I just spoke to Jake,’ I said.

‘Yeah?’

‘He asked how you were,’ I said. ‘I think he and Max might hook up, actually.’

Why are you talking to her about Jake, you moron?

‘Oh,’ Rachel said.

She half turned and looked out of the window. She was standing so close to me now we were almost touching.

Say something. Say something.

And then she glanced sideways up at me. Gave me this totally beautiful, sexy look.

And I realised I didn’t need to say anything at all.

The door shut behind Lewis. I took a deep breath.

‘I have to go too,’ I said.

Theo turned round from where he was standing at the window. His eyes were so sad and serious. ‘Tonight?’

‘You saved my life yesterday.’ I could feel my cheeks reddening. What was I trying to say:
thank you
?

‘You saved mine by coming to the compound.’ He made this little face. ‘You and Lewis.’

I didn’t want to think about Lewis going away. It just reminded me that in a minute I would have to say goodbye to Theo. My insides crumpled up.

‘I’m going to miss him
so
much.’

Theo looked at the floor.

I stared at him, wondering what he was thinking.

I walked over to stand beside him at the window.

‘I love how much he loved Mel. Did she ever mention him?’

‘Er . . . no. Not that I remember.’ Theo was looking awkward. I suddenly felt embarrassed, but I made myself look right up into his eyes.

‘I don’t want to go tonight,’ I said.

I want to be here with you
.

Now Theo looked panic-stricken. ‘I just spoke to Jake,’ he said quickly.

‘Yeah?’

Why are you changing the subject?

‘He asked how you were. I think he and Max might hook up, actually.’

Why are you talking to me about Jake?

‘Oh,’ I said. I turned away.

Maybe he isn’t interested. Maybe I’m being too obvious.

I looked out of the window. The stars were out high in a clear sky and the city was a million lights. It was beautiful. And it suddenly struck me. Even if Theo didn’t feel like I did, the important thing was that I loved him. And loving him was the most amazing feeling I’d ever had in my whole life.

We might never see each other again. But nobody could ever take that feeling away from me.

I glanced sideways up at him.

God, your face is beautiful
.

He stared at me for a second. Then this slow grin spread across his face and he bent his head and kissed me.

It felt like we’d only been kissing for a few minutes. But it was almost midnight when Rachel’s parents came looking for her.

Her dad gave me a massively dirty look. Like he knew exactly what we’d been doing. Rachel didn’t help the situation by blushing the deepest shade of red I’d ever seen in my life.

She walked over to her mum and dad at the door.

This was it. I couldn’t believe it. She was going away to a new life and I was never going to see her again.

She looked back at me. Then she turned away. She put her hand on the door handle.

I was never going to see her face again.

‘Can’t we even email each other?’ I said.

Her dad folded his arms. ‘It’s not advisable,’ he said. ‘The less contact between you, the less opportunity for RAGE to track either of you down.’

He turned and put his hand over Rachel’s, pressing down on the handle. The door opened.

‘Just two more minutes,’ I said. ‘There’s something I forgot to tell Rachel.’

She looked up at her dad. He glanced at her mum, who pursed her lips.

‘Well,’ she said. ‘I guess two minutes won’t make any difference.’

‘Please, Dad?’ Rachel pleaded.

Her dad sighed. ‘All right, but the car’s waiting.’

I waited until they’d shut the door behind them.

‘Listen,’ I said. Then I put my arms around her and I told her.

It was the end of my first day at my new school. A week since I’d seen Theo.

I went everywhere in a daze. I had barely registered our new town, our new house, our new car. I lived in my memories, dreaming of seeing him again. Going over what he’d told me.

Today was when he’d said I should do it.

Five p.m. GMT. That’s when he’d said.

I walked down the corridor to the main school exit. It was a more modern school than my old one. Smaller but less crowded and cramped. The teachers seemed nice and some of the other kids had been friendly. At least there were boys here. Not that I was interested in any of them.

Out onto the tarmac. A light drizzle had just started falling. It was the very last week of term. I was only in for an orientation day. I’d start properly in January.

I lifted my face to the rain. It was getting stronger, the raindrops like tiny needles in my face.

‘Hey, rain-girl.’ The sneering voice stopped me in my tracks. I looked round. A girl – bigger than me – was standing right next to me with her hands on her hips. She had long, dark hair and a hard, thin face. Two mousier-looking girls stood on either side of her.