Resistance

  Jules would fix everything.

  ‘I’ll figure something out,’ she said, nodding to herself.

  His eyes distant, Carter turned back to the books. ‘I should have known Allie would come to the rescue.’ His voice was cool; enigmatic. He pulled out a thick book and handed it to her, signalling the end of the discussion. ‘This looks like a good one.’

  She flipped it over in her hands. The title was Conquering the World.

  For the rest of the evening Allie couldn’t get that moment with Carter out of her mind. It was impossible to think about the British Empire when she kept hearing him say her name in that way.

  ‘Allie.’ Like a caress.

  She had to have imagined it. She just had to.

  But had she imagined how she felt? The way her heart leapt when she saw him?

  This couldn’t be happening.

  When it was finally time for Night School training she was glad. All her nerves were stretched tight. She wanted to kick things. And hit them hard.

  She was eager to get back to work. After what happened in France – and the things she’d learned from Isabelle – she wanted to know more ways to defend herself. More ways to elude Nathaniel’s guards.

  The next time they came for her she wanted to surprise them with her sheer arse-kicking skills.

  She’d trained while she was away but training on your own wasn’t as effective as the whole Night School group dynamic, which made her push herself harder. She just hoped she hadn’t fallen behind the others. That she was ready for whatever they were working on now.

  Just before nine, she headed down the basement corridor towards Training Room One with Zoe, who was in a much better mood now. After learning what had happened that morning, she’d been researching panic attacks and was telling Allie everything she’d learned in animated detail.

  ‘And when your heart does that thing it’s not dangerous,’ she explained. ‘It just feels like it is.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s a totally un-dangerous heart attack,’ Allie agreed. ‘Like a giant coronary joke.’ Still talking, she opened the door to the girls’ dressing room. ‘I love giant …’

  As she stepped into the room her voice trailed off. She stopped walking so suddenly Zoe ran into her.

  ‘Giant what?’ Zoe asked, looking over her shoulder. Then she stopped, too. ‘Oh.’

  Across the room, Rachel stood next to Nicole. Both were in black leggings and tops, black running shoes. Full Night School gear. Allie’s eyes travelled from Rachel to the empty hook on the wall behind her. Above it, one word had been freshly painted: Patel.

  Nicole and Rachel were both watching her with hopeful smiles. But as Rachel clocked Allie’s expression, her smile turned uncertain and then faded away entirely.

  ‘Surprise?’ Rachel said.

  12

  Twelve

  ‘What the hell is going on?’ Allie had gone cold inside, as if someone had shoved a shard of ice into her heart. ‘Rachel, what have you done?’

  Rachel held up her hands. ‘I wanted to surprise you. I talked about it with my dad this weekend. He worked everything out with Isabelle.’ Her voice was calm but Allie could hear the nervous tremor just beneath the surface of her words.

  ‘Then un-work it. Because this isn’t happening.’

  Allie’s tone was ominous. Inside, she was reeling. How could Rachel do this? She wasn’t athletic. She was a brain. She’d be putting herself in danger, and for what? To fight Nathaniel? To fight Gabe?

  She didn’t stand a chance. They’d kill her.

  ‘Allie.’ Nicole’s voice was quiet but her expressive eyes held a warning. ‘Rachel has the right to make her own decisions.’

  ‘No, she doesn’t,’ Allie snapped. ‘Not when it comes to this. I won’t have her here, Nicole. She could get hurt.’

  ‘I’ve already been hurt, Allie.’ For the first time, Rachel sounded angry. ‘And I couldn’t fight back because I didn’t know what to do. I was just Nathaniel’s victim. His toy. Waiting for someone to come and save me. Waiting for you to save me. Waiting to watch him cut you. And to see Gabe nearly break Nicole’s leg …’

  She shuddered at the memory and an angry tear streaked down her cheek. Dashing it away with the back of her hand, she took a shaky breath.

  Allie was stunned. She’d spent three months with Rachel and she never once mentioned she was considering joining Night School. Had she just been sitting there the whole time keeping secrets? About Lucas? About Night School?

  Had she told her the truth about anything?

  ‘If I’m staying at Cimmeria, I have to learn how to defend myself. And I’m going to,’ Rachel continued defiantly. ‘You can’t stop me.’

  The rush of anger and fear made it hard to think clearly and Allie pressed her fingers against her eyelids. There was no way this could be happening.

  ‘Maybe not,’ she said, dropping her hands. ‘But I’m bloody well going to try.’

  Whirling, she ran from the room, hurtling down the dim corridor almost unaware of the tears pouring down her cheeks. Her steps were sure but inside she was reeling. How could Rachel do this? How could she betray her like this? Nathaniel would … he would …

  She rounded the corner, so blinded by anger and fear she couldn’t see where she was going. She’d made it to the foot of the stairs when someone grabbed her arms, pulling her back. She struggled wildly to free herself but the hands held on to her.

  ‘Allie, stop.’

  It was Carter.

  Still she fought back, hitting his shoulders with her fists.

  ‘Let me go, Carter. Let me go. Let me go.’ But he didn’t. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and she collapsed against his chest, sobbing, repeating over and over again, ‘Let me go.’

  He held her until her tears finally quietened. Then he guided her up the stairs to a darkened alcove where they could talk in private.

  ‘Now,’ he said when they were settled, ‘what the hell is going on?’

  They sat side by side on a stone bench. Allie felt sore from weeping – as if she’d cried with her whole body. In one hand she clutched a tissue he’d handed her.

  Her voice shaking, she told him everything. The hook on the wall. The look on Rachel’s face.

  When she finished, he swore under his breath. ‘I can’t believe she’d do something so bloody stupid. And what the hell is Isabelle thinking?’

  Somehow, the fact that he agreed with her made things worse. It meant she was right about how dangerous this was for Rachel.

  ‘We can’t let her do this, Carter,’ she said, fighting back a fresh flood of tears. ‘Gabe will kill her. I know he will. I’ve got to go and talk to Isabelle. And tell her … tell her …’

  He took her hand, folding it in his. Allie couldn’t remember the last time they’d been this close without tension between them. It felt natural to be here.

  But his next words took her by surprise.

  ‘Or not,’ he said.

  Dropping his hand, she blinked up at him. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Look, I love Rachel as much as you do,’ he said. ‘But think about it. She’s not the most physically fit student at Cimmeria, right?’

  Still puzzled, Allie nodded. ‘She hates exercise.’

  ‘So …’ He looked down at her, his dark eyes fathomless in the shadows. ‘How’s that going to work out for her in Night School?’

  Allie considered this.

  ‘It’ll be hard,’ she said, still not getting it. ‘It’s hard for everyone.’

  ‘Raj is our lead trainer. You know he’s not going to go easy on her just because she’s his daughter, right?’

  Finally realising what he was getting at, Allie sat up straighter, her gaze fixed on his. ‘No. He’ll be harder on her. Much harder.’

  ‘Precisely. And Rachel will not handle that well.’

  ‘She’ll hate it.’ Allie’s heart lifted at the thought. ‘She’ll quit.’

  For the first time she felt hopeful.

/>   ‘OK,’ she said mostly to herself. ‘That could work. But in the meantime … she’s in danger the whole time.’

  ‘We’ll all keep an eye on her,’ Carter said. ‘Seriously, these days we almost never leave the building to train, anyway.’

  He had a point. And even though she didn’t want to see it – she didn’t want Rachel in Night School for five minutes – Allie knew he was right. They could get through this.

  Wiping away the last of her tears, she looked up at him. ‘When did you get so smart?’

  His lips quirked up. ‘I’ve always been smart. You just weren’t paying attention.’

  She had to smile at that. Despite everything.

  It struck her that this was the third time in one day she’d ended up in Carter’s arms. Fate kept throwing them together.

  She cleared her throat. ‘Thanks, Carter. I was totally losing it. I don’t know what I would have done …’

  ‘No worries,’ he said, as if it meant nothing at all that twice today he’d picked up the pieces and put her back together. ‘I was just there. That’s all.’

  He glanced at his watch then stood, and turned back to face her. ‘Now. Let’s get down there. And start making Rachel hate Night School.’

  After throwing on her Night School gear, Allie rushed into Training Room One. She was late and the dimly lit room was already a buzz of activity.

  Working in pairs, black-clad Night School students practised complex means of attack and self-defence. As she entered the dim, cube-shaped room, they were in the middle of a manoeuvre she hadn’t seen before. The training pairs were punching, kicking and twisting in and out of each other’s grip.

  The move was more intricate than anything she’d ever tried. The windowless room was already too warm and smelled of sweat. She scanned the fighters for familiar faces.

  Carter and Sylvain were both talking to Zelazny at the back of the room. As if he’d felt her gaze, Sylvain looked up. She saw him observe her puffy eyes, the tracks of her tears. His brow knitted.

  Allie shook her head and mouthed, ‘I’m fine’ at him. Then turned to find Rachel.

  She was across the room with Nicole.

  She looked so odd in Night School gear. So wrong. It was like she was in a play, pretending to be an athlete. She stood, red-faced and awkward, as Nicole showed her the basics of the move. Already sweating, Rachel appeared perplexed by the instructions.

  Good, Allie thought. But her heart felt hollow. She hated seeing Rachel suffer.

  Nothing about this was good.

  When she couldn’t stand to watch any more, she turned to look behind her. Jerry Cole and Zoe were practising nearby, and Allie headed towards them. The instructor wasn’t tall but he was strong. His moves were pure power, but Zoe was more agile. Her birdlike quickness meant she easily eluded his kicks, but she couldn’t knock him down either.

  ‘OK,’ Jerry said, holding up his hands and laughing. ‘I’m defeated. You have destroyed me, Zoe.’

  ‘Awesome.’ She air-punched happily.

  ‘Uh … hi,’ Allie said, walking up to them.

  ‘You’re late.’ Zoe’s tone was accusing.

  ‘Yeah … sorry.’ Allie cast an apologetic look at Jerry. ‘I got held up. It won’t happen again.’

  She saw him take in her red nose and puffy eyes.

  ‘Everything OK?’ he asked.

  Feeling stupid, Allie nodded. ‘Yeah. It’s just a … thing.’

  For a second she thought he might challenge that, make her explain more. Then he seemed to decide against it.

  ‘As long as you’re OK.’ He stepped back. ‘You’ll be training with Zoe.’ He gave the smaller girl a jovial shoulder pat and she grinned up at him. ‘So you’ll need to be one hundred per cent. She’s ruthless.’

  His laidback attitude was not at all what she’d expected. In the past, being late to Night School would earn you a week’s detention and a public chiding. At least.

  Things really had changed around here.

  The other students were still practising around them. Raising his voice to be heard over the rumble of conversation and the thudding of bodies against the floor, Jerry said, ‘I understand your strength is back to normal now.’

  ‘Yeah.’ She held up a fist half-heartedly. ‘I’m ready to rumble.’

  He shot Zoe a warning look. ‘And you are not allowed to hurt, kill or maim, remember?’

  Zoe nodded so hard her ponytail bounced. ‘No actual damage.’

  Jerry walked Allie through the technique the other students were practising. It wasn’t quite as complicated as it looked, but it wasn’t easy either. Hand to wrist. Foot to shoulder. Bend back. Twist. Hand to wrist. Repeat. Try not to fall down.

  After they’d tried it a couple of times at half speed, he seemed satisfied. ‘Zoe can show you the other things we’ve been working on lately. Wave me over if you need help.’ He gave her a smile. ‘We’re all glad to have you back in training, Allie.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she said shyly.

  When he’d gone, Zoe turned to her, cocking her head to one side. ‘Want to fight?’

  Allie grinned at her. ‘Absolutely.’

  They were working through the third manoeuvre when Sylvain and Carter walked up to them. Sylvain looked solemn.

  ‘Carter told me about Rachel,’ he said. ‘I can’t believe it.’

  Allie made a helpless gesture.

  ‘She shouldn’t be here.’ Zoe’s tone was condemning. As if Rachel had broken some fundamental rule.

  ‘She seems to be struggling,’ Carter said, and they all turned to look just as Rachel tried to kick Nicole but ended up in a heap on the floor.

  ‘She’s terrible,’ Zoe said. She glanced at Allie. ‘She’s even worse than you were when you started.’

  Allie didn’t reply. She kept her eyes on the pair as Nicole helped Rachel up.

  ‘We thought we’d practise with you.’ Sylvain said, drawing her attention back. ‘Is that OK?’

  ‘Sure,’ Allie replied without thinking. Then she realised what he was saying and looked up in stunned surprise. ‘Wait. You two are training partners?’

  ‘I told you we’ve been training together,’ Sylvain said mildly.

  ‘Yeah,’ Allie looked back and forth between them, ‘but you didn’t tell me you’d made it official.’

  ‘What can I say?’ Carter said with a cynical smile. ‘Opposites attract.’

  Allie didn’t know how she felt about this new development. There was something unseemly about her former and current boyfriends becoming partners.

  As they resumed training, she found it hard to focus with them so close. Whenever they talked, or one of them laughed, she looked up to see what was happening and Zoe would kick her in the face.

  ‘You’re dead,’ the young girl explained helpfully each time this happened.

  After a while, though, she got into the rhythm of training – distractions fell by the wayside. She’d always liked the sheer physical effort of it, the knowledge that she could fight back. Or get away if she needed to.

  While she’d been away from Cimmeria she’d followed a strict training regime provided by Raj. She was very strong.

  Still, working with Zoe wasn’t easy. The younger girl’s moves were accurate and lightning quick. When she swung her foot towards Allie’s throat, her leg was a blur.

  Periodically, she and Zoe took a break to watch Carter and Sylvain practise. Their methods were the same but their sheer physical strength made it look more brutal. Carter swung his foot up with the strength of a tank. Had he wanted it to, that move could have thrown Sylvain across the room. Or broken his neck.

  When it was Sylvain’s turn he was as graceful and lethal as an armed dancer. Instead of a simple swing move, he leapt from the ground in a spinning circle, his foot ending up perfectly positioned in the middle of Carter’s throat.

  ‘Great moves.’ Raj Patel walked up to them with a smile and held out his hands to Allie. ‘Welcome back. We’ve all missed y
ou.’

  He pulled her into a warm hug, patting her on the shoulder. ‘Looks like you’ve been keeping up with your training while you were gone.’

  Allie flushed with pride. ‘Every day.’

  ‘It shows,’ Raj said approvingly. He gestured at the room, where the other students were still working through the move. ‘You’ll see we’re trying new things now. These are moves designed to disable a fighting opponent long enough to give you time to get away.’ He added ominously, ‘Or longer.’

  ‘Longer?’ Allie asked.

  ‘You could kill someone with these moves, Allie,’ Raj explained simply. ‘We teach you both the kill moves and the disable alternatives.’

  Allie tried to hide her dismay. They’d always focused on self-defence and evasion techniques – ways to avoid being kidnapped or hurt. That sort of training was priceless for the children of billionaires who, as Allie had learned, were always soft targets compared to their well-protected parents.

  But they’d never learned methods of killing their assailants.

  ‘Wow,’ she whispered. ‘That’s intense.’

  It was Sylvain who answered. ‘We haven’t got any choice,’ he said. ‘It’s kill or be killed with Nathaniel, you know that.’

  ‘And I’m here to make sure none of you gets killed,’ Raj said. ‘Now,’ he looked around the small circle of students, ‘I think you should switch.’

  They stared back at him blankly.

  ‘Zoe’s a great training partner but Allie needs to know how to kick someone taller than her,’ he explained. ‘She needs to know how to fight a man. So –’ he made a swirling motion with his hand as he walked away – ‘switch it up.’

  Allie avoided Carter’s gaze. There was no question who she should train with.

  It was clear he knew this, too, because he waved Zoe over. ‘Come on, Shortie. Show me what you’ve got.’