Storm and Stone (36 page)

‘Can I have your attention for a moment, please, guys?’

Raven tugged his trouser leg. ‘Seriously, you don’t need to do this.’

‘I do. Everyone, you all heard the accusations against Raven. I was one of those who made them. I want to state here before we all go our separate ways that she was innocent—set up by these maniacs who brainwashed our fellow students. In fact, from what I heard, she was a big reason why their scheme was exposed. Without her, the rest of us might have been put through the same thing.’ He paused.

Raven squirmed with embarrassment.

‘So, that’s it. That’s what I wanted to say.’ As he leapt down, applause started at the far side of the hall—Mairi and Liza from her dance class. It quickly spread and soon everyone was clapping Raven, or drumming on the table top. Johnny and Siobhan looked delighted.

‘See, they love you now!’ Siobhan squeezed Raven’s wrist.

It had only been a few hours ago when sitting in this same room might have meant she was attacked. Raven was not so quick to take it on trust.

She got up and held up her hand. ‘Thanks, Adewale. Thanks, everyone. I’m not one to bear a grudge and I know how it looked, so good luck with … well, with wherever you go next.’

Adewale waited for her to sit down again. ‘Not enough, I realize that,’ he said sadly. ‘I don’t know what came over me. Madness, the way we behaved towards you.’

She shrugged. That about summed it up. ‘It did look bad—the watch and everything.’

‘There are no excuses. Will you be OK, you know, now?’

Would she? She had no idea. ‘I hope so. You?’

‘Mum is trying to get me into Eton or Rugby. She has contacts. I think they’ll take me next year.’

Of course he would come out of this better than her, money making for a soft landing.

‘I hope you enjoy it there.’

‘Yes, me too.’

‘Just don’t pick on the scholarship kids, OK?’

He winced. ‘I think I’ve learnt that lesson. And Raven, remember, if you need anything in the future, anything at all that I can help with, just call me. I owe you a big favour.’

‘Thanks.’ But somehow she knew she had no stomach for calling in such debts. This place had put her off that for life.

‘How’s your friend, Gina?’ Siobhan asked as Adewale walked away.

‘I don’t know. We aren’t friends any longer.’ Raven took a bite of sandwich but it tasted like sawdust.

‘You used to be, you know, like inseparable.’

‘I suppose we were. She got re-educated out of that.’

Siobhan grimaced. ‘I remember—she was on the same course as me for a time. They really piled on the pressure. She was in pieces for weeks before they glued her back together.’

Johnny stole a crisp from Raven’s packet. ‘From what Ade said, she might be back in pieces again. You should go see her.’

‘You think? I’m not sure it would help.’ Raven felt sick at the thought.

‘I don’t think it would do any harm though.’

Taking Johnny’s advice, after supper Raven went in search of Gina. The worse-affected students were in the medical wing being monitored by psychiatrists. They still had drugs in their system, thanks to the top-up doses distributed each day at their reinforcement morning meetings. The longer Raven thought about it, the more she realized she had missed the signs: the clothes, dawn meetings, the weird language, the strange expressions and vicious mood swings—Gina had been showing the symptoms of someone in a cult. The fact that it had been a social rather than religious cult didn’t make it any less powerful.

Gina was sitting up in the same bed Kieran had occupied, knees drawn up to her chin.

‘Hey,’ said Raven, coming to stand by the foot.

Gina turned tired eyes on her. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here.’

Not exactly an enthusiastic welcome. ‘I didn’t expect to come but a friend suggested I give it a go. How are you?’

‘Confused. Adewale tells me I owe you an apology.’

‘You got mixed up. They did some bad stuff to you—made you something you’re not.’

‘My dad liked me like that.’ Gina sniffed.

‘Yeah, well, between you and me, he’s a moron.’

A flicker of a smile curved Gina’s lips. ‘That’s what Mom told him. She’s moved out.’

‘Can’t say I blame her.’

‘She’s coming to fetch me tomorrow. Take me back to the States.’

‘I’m glad. You need to get away from here.’

Gina bumped her forehead on her knees. ‘I’m sorry, Raven, for what I did to you.’

‘I know.’

‘I should never have believed them—but they kinda got inside my head.’ Gina twisted the sheet in her fingers.

‘I understand. You were drugged too, you know?’

‘Is that really an excuse for me? What’s tormenting me was that I think I must have despised your background somewhere inside me for it to work.’

So much honesty was hard to hear. ‘We all have bad stuff inside us—I’ve never been too impressed by all you rich kids.’

‘But you never hit out at me for it.’

‘But if it had been me on that programme, with a message playing to my prejudices, maybe I’d be the one apologizing to you right now. I’m still guilty of stereotyping you all and I know that’s dumb. People are people. But they were clever, those brainwashers—clever because what they did made you feel guilty for succumbing to the pressure. It is a form of child abuse you know—not a normal kind but still very sick. It’s very common to make the victim feel they were to blame.’

Gina’s expression lightened a little. ‘Child abuse? Yes, it was, wasn’t it? Put it like that and I think I can live with myself.’

‘Good.’ Raven was pleased she’d found something helpful to say, though it was sad to stand at Gina’s bedside; it felt like attending a wake for their friendship. ‘Have a good rest of your life, won’t you?’

‘I’ll try. You too. Let me know how you get on.’

‘OK. And if you want to prove you’re sorry for what happened, do me a favour and don’t listen to what that dumbass of a father of yours says.’

Gina laughed a little desperately and shook her head. ‘I won’t.’ But Raven feared she would. Things were never simple with family.

Raven walked out of the medical room, nodding to Hedda as she passed and receiving a stony look back. OK, you couldn’t win over everyone. She had to remind herself she and Hedda had never liked each other even before the manor had got hold of the other girl. She couldn’t blame brainwashing for every bump in the road at school.

Isaac’s injuries were much worse than they had first thought. He had held on by sheer willpower and only let go when he knew his boys were safe. Kieran sat by his bed in the Intensive Care Unit of St Thomas’ Hospital watching the monitors with a hawk’s intensity. Internal bleeding. Swelling on the brain. Busted ribs. Fractured fingers. The only good thing about the list was that it gave them charges to slap on Kolnikov and Burnham without having to prove the more tenuous case of corruption. This was their Al Capone charge. No arguing their way out on bail with grievous bodily harm charges pressed and them both being flight risks.

Isaac’s fingers stirred. Kieran sat up from his slump in the chair. Eyelids flickered.

‘Sir?’

Blue eyes shifted to Kieran.

‘You still here?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘How long?’

‘You’ve been here twenty-four hours. Are you thirsty?’ The nurse had left him with strict instructions to encourage fluids when he woke.

‘Like the Sahara.’

Kieran held the straw to his lips. ‘I don’t suppose this is the right moment to mention that the Sahara has some of the largest aquifers of fresh water under its surface.’

Isaac smiled. ‘No. It isn’t.’

‘Good to know.’ He put the cup back on the side.

Isaac held his gaze for a while, content just to lie in silence. ‘I’m proud of you, Kieran,’ he said at last.

Emotions whirled in Kieran’s stomach, mostly pleasant but with a generous pinch of embarrassment. ‘Thanks.’

‘You’ve grown up a lot during this mission.’

‘Yes. Yes, I have.’

‘You know I look on you differently from the others.’

Kieran had sensed that. Isaac had always mentioned when he felt proud of him. ‘I know that you think I’m bright.’

Isaac closed his eyes as a twinge of pain ran through him. ‘It’s not just about you doing the job but … ’ he coughed. ‘I look on you like a son because that’s how I think of you.’

‘Just how many drugs have they put you on, sir?’

‘Not enough.’ Isaac smiled. ‘I’m serious. Ever since I recruited you, I thought, that’s one fine boy whom no one has cared for. I decided I’d step up to the plate.’

‘I … I … ’ How did you respond to that kind of admission? ‘Thank you. You’ve done a great job. Always been there.’

Isaac frowned. ‘It doesn’t mean I’m going to let you off easy—no favouritism. You follow the same rules as everyone else.’

‘I wouldn’t dream of it, sir.’

‘You broke them, resuming your relationship with Raven.’

‘Ah. Yeah, about that … ’

‘She told me.’

‘I see. I can’t say I’m sorry.’

‘We have rules for a purpose. The YDA demands sacrifices. You were told that when you joined.’

‘Yes. Yes I was.’ Now wasn’t the time for long explanations or pleading. For now he was just relieved Isaac was conscious. ‘Do you need anything, sir? Shall I call a nurse? I’ll see if I can find a pretty one to tuck you in.’

‘Bugger off, Kieran. Get some rest.’ Isaac’s lips stayed curved in a smile as he drifted off to sleep, as Kieran had intended.

Kieran got up and stretched, conscious he had been wearing the same clothes for days and not eaten or drunk properly. He went to the window, taking in the view of the Houses of Parliament on the other side of the river. Joe had been left with Mrs Bain’s phone, so now he had nothing on which to contact anyone and was reliant on the next visitor from the YDA to bring him some money and a change of kit. He wondered what Raven was doing. She was probably catching up on her sleep and trying to figure out what exactly had been happening in her school. He wished he had a way of messaging her. He still didn’t know what he was going to do about her. It looked like it was going to come down to a choice after all: the YDA or her.

‘How is he?’ Nat stood at the door with a holdall and a take-away cup.

‘Much better than twelve hours ago. There were a scary few hours when it looked like he was dipping into a coma, but he’s conscious. He’s just sleeping now.’

‘I’m taking over from you. Your orders are to go to HQ and rest.’

‘Is Joe back?’

‘Yes, arrived yesterday. Hardly seen him, though, as he’s been in meetings with the mentors. I think they’re sorting through the international network those people had put in place. He says it’s likely they’ll miss a few of the guilty but you’ve made a great start rounding them up.’

Kieran drank the tea Nat had brought him. ‘Did he say how the students at the school were?’

‘Said they were being looked after by social services.’

‘Did he mention a girl—a friend of ours, called Raven?’

Nat shook his head. ‘No. In fact, he was very quiet about what happened to him—not his usual life-and-soul self. I think the drugs and the near-death experience has shaken him up more than he lets on. Anyway, who’s Raven?’

‘She’s the one who helped save Isaac.’

Nat settled in the chair to take over the vigil. ‘There seem to be quite a few gaps in what he’s said then. You’d best go talk to him.’

Kieran found Joe in the meeting room with the mentors in charge of the four groups of the YDA. Rivers was there, leading the session with the usual cut-to-the-chase energy expected of the head of the Wolves; Jan, the mentor for Cats, was making notes, doing a great job of blending into the background, assessing what was said. Taylor Flint, the leader of the Cobras, never seen less than sharply dressed, was flipping through a file of photos on his tablet computer, looking for matches on the international wanted list to the men the trustees had employed. Dr Waterburn was tapping away at her laptop as usual, probably doing most of the actual work thanks to her analysis of the links between the main players.

‘Key, I’m glad you’ve come,’ Joe said. ‘I’m hazy on some of the details about the manor. I think I may have missed a couple of the guys they had working security.’

Kieran sat down. ‘I’ll see what I can add.’

Jan Hardy checked her watch. ‘To be frank, Kieran, you look like death warmed up. Maybe this should wait until tomorrow?’

‘Yes, let’s call time, ladies and gentleman.’ Rivers rose, closing his file. ‘Good work everyone. I take it that Isaac is doing better if you are here?’

‘Yes, yes he is, enough to tell me to bugger off.’

The mentors laughed.

‘Good to hear.’ Rivers took a step towards the door.

‘Sir, just a moment, if you don’t mind.’

‘What is it?’

‘The girl who helped us—Raven Stone. I asked Isaac a few weeks ago if we can bring her on board.’

Joe’s face broke into a huge smile. ‘Great idea! You should’ve told me!’

He hadn’t because Isaac’s response had not been encouraging.

‘What did he say?’ asked Rivers.

‘He was thinking about it, but … ’

‘Then let’s wait for his decision. She certainly showed potential.’