C. Daugherty: Fracture

Pale and terrified, Rachel trembled in his grip. One eye was swollen shut. Blood had dried under her nose. Her arms were wrapped in bloody bandages.

They’d beaten her.

Despite all her efforts to stay calm, anger coursed through Allie’s blood like flames.

‘Gabe!’ she screamed, her voice breaking into a sob. ‘You psycho bastard, you let her go .’

But he only grinned and brought the knife closer to Rachel’s fragile neck, pressing the tip into her skin.

Something about his smile caught Allie’s attention and she focused her torch beam on his face. Gabe had always been Cimmeria’s golden boy – handsome and athletic, with perfect features. In those days, he only had to smile for a girl to fall for him.

His thick, dark blond hair had been shaved close to the scalp. An angry, red scar crossed his face from the outer corner of his left eye to his upper lip.

Realising he must have received that scar in the kidnapping attempt last year, Allie felt a rush of bitter pleasure.

Then Nathaniel flipped his hand back in a dismissive gesture and Gabe stepped back into the shadows. Rachel gave a terrified, animal cry.

‘Rachel!’ Allie shouted desperately.

But she was gone.

‘Oh God.’ Allie trembled with such violence the torch beam shook.

She had to stay calm or she wasn’t going to be any help to anyone, so she took a deep breath and, although it turned her stomach, she walked closer to Nathaniel, stopping about fifteen feet away from him.

‘I did what you wanted.’ She was surprised by how calm her voice was. ‘I came to you. Now let her go.’

His smile was easy, as if they were having a pleasant chat about the weather. ‘I will let her go when I know for certain I can trust you, Allie. And I will know that when I hear your response to my offer.’

Allie held her gaze steady. ‘What offer?’

‘As I said in my note, I want you to come with me, willingly, as Christopher did. I want you as part of my team. I will bring you back to Cimmeria once I take over running the school – you will complete your education here, I promise. Christopher wants his sister back and I want to see your family reunited. With me you will have all that you deserve based on your impressive bloodline – your life will have purpose. You will be an important part of Orion and I will make certain you get the training you need to prepare you for the role you will some day have in the organisation. You will have wealth and power you can only dream of now.’ He held out his hands, palms facing upward. ‘So that is my offer, Allie. Give me your answer and Rachel can walk out of here alive.’

The rain fell hard now, pattering off the ancient stones around them with a million tiny thuds. She dropped her head, watching the water run from her hair to the dirt at her feet. There was bound to be a trick. He’d never let Rachel go. She needed to be ready.

Finally, she straightened, looking at Nathaniel through the falling water. ‘Fine,’ she said. ‘Yes, I’ll go with you.’

Clearly delighted, he held out his arms as if he expected a hug. She stared at him, her expression incredulous.

Grinning, he dropped his arms. ‘For the first time you’ve surprised me, Allie. I was certain you’d say no.’

‘But –’ she held up her hand – ‘I’m not going anywhere until Rachel is safe. I will go with you, only if she walks out of here right now. This second.’

‘Now, Allie…’ he began, his tone placating.

She shook her head so hard drops of water flew around her in a circle. ‘ Don’t , Nathaniel. You have your rules, and I have mine. I came alone. I did as you said. Let Rachel go now and you can have me. Otherwise the deal is off.’

He shot her a sour look.

‘I should have expected something like this.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Still, I think we can make this work. In the interest of our new relationship and to prove my sincerity.’ Turning, he called back into the darkness. ‘Gabe. Release her.’

A voice from the shadows said something Allie couldn’t make out. Whatever it was it infuriated Nathaniel, who spun with the speed of a cobra strike. ‘I did not ask for your opinion. Release her.’

For a long moment nothing happened – Allie could see only darkness. Hear only the rain and her own ragged breathing.

Then something moved in the shadows.

A second later, Rachel stumbled out into the light of Allie’s torch. As she passed Nathaniel she ducked fearfully as if anticipating a blow. She looked so weak, Allie feared she’d fall.

‘Rachel!’

Allie ran to her side and slid an arm under her shoulders, pulling her away from Nathaniel. Ripping the tiny microphone from her jacket, she whispered rapid-fire instructions, hoping Rachel was strong enough to absorb the information.

‘The others are in the woods. Your dad is coming. Run to the trees and hide until this is over. Don’t get caught.’ But Rachel seemed to be in shock; she stared at Allie blankly.

‘Rachel, do you understand?’ Fear burned Allie’s stomach like acid. If Rachel couldn’t get out on her own, the whole plan failed. ‘Can you do it?’

‘I won’t… leave you with them.’ Rachel’s voice was weak.

I will not cry, Allie told herself. I will not.

‘I’ll be fine,’ she said, loud enough for Nathaniel to hear.

‘This is so touching.’ Nathaniel sounded bored. ‘But I really don’t have time.’

‘Please, Rach,’ Allie whispered, squeezing her shoulder. ‘Trust me. There’s a plan.’

She held her breath as Rachel studied her for a long moment. Then she nodded and let go of Allie reluctantly. ‘I’ll go.’

With a sigh of relief, Allie released her, watching with worried eyes as she began to walk away – she was unsteady but upright. She’d make it.

Turning, she walked back to where Nathaniel watched her with clinical interest, as if she were an experiment in a lab that had done something unexpected.

Stopping just out of reach, she stood with her hands on her hips. ‘What now, Nathaniel? Does Gabe stick a knife to my throat now? Is that your big, clever plan?’

Above the sound of rainfall, a deep rumble caught Allie’s attention and she frowned, looking up at the turbulent sky. Was that thunder?

‘No.’ Nathaniel gave a delighted grin. ‘That is not my plan at all.’

The noise, which, now that Allie thought about it, had been there for some time, grew louder.

The wind picked up, whipping her wet hair into her face so hard it stung.

A bright light appeared above them, illuminating the castle ruins and highlighting the rain so it looked like tiny diamonds falling around them.

Blinded, Allie shielded her eyes as she looked up for the source.

The noise had changed into a repetitive thudding. It was louder now, and familiar. The air whipped around her like a mini-tornado. She knew what it was before she could see it.

A helicopter.

‘No knife,’ Nathaniel shouted at her above the steady thump thump thump of the rotors. ‘I have a more sophisticated method.’

Raj was shouting something through Allie’s earpiece but the noise of the helicopter was deafening. She cupped her hand over her ear, trying to make out what he was saying as the helicopter began to lower itself on to the castle grounds.

At that moment, a hand grabbed her arm roughly, twisting it behind her back sending a stabbing pain through her. She looked up to see Gabe’s scarred face. He was smiling at her.

She screamed.

Holding her in a bruising grip, Gabe dragged her roughly towards the helicopter, which now hovered ten feet above them. Struggling with all her might, Allie tried to swing at him with the torch but she couldn’t hold on to it, and it flew from her hand.