C. Daugherty: Fracture

Then, through the wind and the rain, and the thudding of the rotors, Allie heard Nathaniel shout, ‘What the hell…?’

Twisting in Gabe’s grip, she saw the others hurtling across the stones, Zoe in the lead – always the fastest. The others were right behind her. Sylvain and Carter divided. Sylvain headed for Nathaniel.

Without breaking his stride, Sylvain drew back his fist and punched him in the face. The force of his forward motion added power to his the blow. Nathaniel dropped instantly.

Allie’s heart leaped with excitement, but Gabe’s grip tightened around her throat and he dragged her more quickly towards the helicopter.

Suddenly, though, Carter stood in front of them, blocking their path.

‘Let her go, Gabe.’ His voice was steely, his gaze didn’t waver from Gabe’s.

They’d been friends once, before Gabe had betrayed them all. And Allie could see the loathing in Carter’s eyes.

‘Oh, Carter,’ Gabe sighed pityingly. ‘Still in love with the girl who doesn’t love you back? How pathetic. Wasn’t Jules —’

At that moment, something hit him on the back of his neck and his grip loosened enough for Allie to squirm free.

Whirling, she saw Nicole standing behind him with the same board she’d used earlier in the cellar. The French girl’s eyes met Allie’s.

‘I’m starting to like this thing,’ she said of the weapon.

Then, just as suddenly, she fell with a scream of pain.

Stunned, Allie looked down to see Gabe holding a heavy stone he’d used to hit Nicole in the knee. As she writhed in pain, he knelt above her and lifted the rock over her head.

Carter shot past Allie, throwing himself at Gabe, knocking him off balance. The rock fell to one side and Gabe and Carter rolled into the mud. Allie was scrambling for the stone when she heard a cry from behind her. Turning, she saw Nathaniel pick Zoe up off the ground. Sylvain crouched in front of him looking for any opportunity to pounce.

‘Is this what you want, Allie?’ Nathaniel cried, tightening his grip on Zoe’s slim throat. Her face had begun to turn purple. ‘Do you want her to die so you can live?’

The corners of Allie’s vision darkened.

Propelling herself at him with all her might she screamed, ‘You let her go.’

Before she could reach him, though, Nathaniel hurled Zoe at Sylvain, knocking them both down. By then, though, Allie was moving too quickly to stop. She ran directly into his arms.

Nathaniel wasn’t as strong as Gabe, but he was skilled. He had Allie by the throat in seconds. A knife appeared from nowhere and pressed against her cheek, she could feel the sharpness of the blade.

‘It’s you,’ he said into her ear. ‘Or them. Choose.’

The helicopter was now just a few feet above the ground. The wind from its spinning blades hit them with the force of a hundred fists.

Allie’s gaze skittered around the castle yard. She saw Carter and Gabe still fighting. Nicole lay on the ground clutching her leg. Sylvain and Zoe were on their feet, circling Nathaniel, looking for an opening – a chance.

They could all live if she just went with him. There wasn’t really a choice.

‘Take me.’ She let her body go limp – she stopped fighting him. She pressed her face into the knife, hoping for the bite of the blade. Hoping for all of this to be over. ‘Let them go. Just take me.’

When Nathaniel smiled she saw his teeth were covered in blood. Sylvain’s punch had been accurate.

‘Good girl.’ Still holding her, he stepped towards the helicopter. Numbly, she stumbled with him.

Her heart seemed frozen in her chest. Everything felt unreal. Was she really going to go with the man who killed Jo? Really going to give in? Was there no other way?

In the distance, Gabe hit Carter with a sickening crunch. Allie watched in horror as Carter toppled like a felled tree. For a moment, Gabe stood over him, looking down at him, and she stiffened, fearing he’d try to finish him off. But then Gabe turned and limped towards the helicopter. Behind him, Carter lay still in the mud.

The thump of the rotors seemed to come from a hundred miles away as she stared at Carter’s body.

He isn’t moving. Why isn’t he moving?

She had to know Carter was alive. Suddenly, she lifted her feet, letting her body weight drop like a stone. Caught off guard in mid-stride Nathaniel grunted in surprise. The rain made her skin slippery and he lost his grip. As he fought to hold her the knife sliced through the flesh of her shoulder.

She hit the ground and rolled. Gasping, she rose on to her knees, clutching her bleeding arm. It felt as if someone had set her arm on fire. Hot blood poured over her fingers and she stared down in puzzled dismay, too stunned to flee.

But Sylvain and Zoe were between her and Nathaniel now. Zoe held a heavy stone in one hand. Sylvain didn’t need one.

The wind from the helicopter rotors buffeted them – she saw Zoe’s jacket inflate around her like a balloon, and felt herself being thrown around by the deadly, spinning blades. Fighting the force of it, she threw up a hand to protect her eyes from beads of rain being thrown with such force they struck like stones.

Then, looking past her, Nathaniel cursed.

Following his gaze, Allie saw a mass of black-clad guards climbing over the castle walls. Dozens of them. Moving in silence, with deadly grace, they poured over the stone like black oil.

Raj was here.

Nathaniel turned back to her, his gaze narrow.

‘You made the wrong choice, Allie,’ he shouted above the cacophony. ‘You will pay for this. Tell Lucinda she’s already lost.’

Around them, black-clad guards swarmed the castle yard.

His shoulders high, Nathaniel climbed into the helicopter. Through the rain, she saw him motion to the pilot and it began to climb, swinging dangerously in the wind.

Allie leaned back to watch it go, willing it to crash. But it rose into the storm and disappeared, the rhythmic thud of the rotors gradually fading.

‘Ouch!’ Allie jerked her wounded arm out of Sylvain’s grip, wrapping her hand round it protectively.

‘Allie, I must roll up your sleeve to see the wound,’ he insisted gently. ‘I know it hurts but we have to stop the bleeding.’

‘I know,’ she said. ‘It’s just… ow.’

Around them, guards swarmed like insects, searching the castle grounds for anything Nathaniel might have left behind.

‘Hang on a second,’ Carter said. He turned to one of the guards. ‘Excuse me, mate. Have you got a knife I can borrow?’

The guard stopped and took in the scene. Blood still dripped from Allie’s arm, mixing with mud on the ground. Pulling a dangerous-looking blade from a holster on his hip, he flipped it over expertly, handing it to Carter hilt first.

‘Thanks.’ Carter held the knife out to Sylvain.

‘Come on, Allie.’ Sylvain held out his hand. ‘One more try.’

Biting her lip hard, she held out her arm to him. Very carefully, he lifted the cuff of her sleeve and slit it with the knife. The blade was sharp. The fabric gave easily, all the way to the shoulder. Handing the knife back to Carter, Sylvain peeled the sodden fabric back. The cold air felt good against the wound.

Sylvain’s breath hissed between his teeth as he saw the cut. His grip tightened on her wrist.

All Allie could see was blood. Wincing, she tried not to look at it.

‘It’s a long cut but I don’t think it needs a tourniquet.’ Sylvain glanced at Carter for confirmation.

Peering at the wound, Carter nodded. ‘The bleeding is slowing. Bind it and let’s get her back for stitches.’

As the others watched, Sylvain pulled off his own jacket and cut off one of the arms with the knife. He wrapped that around the wound snugly then used a strip of her shredded sleeve to tie it in place.