The Boy in the Field (23 page)

Your fingers worked on the ropes behind his back. No sooner
had you loosened the strands than he sprang out of the chair, pulling the
fabric from his mouth. You moved behind the other chair, beginning to work on
the new knots, but he shook his head.

“No. Don’t free him,” he gasped. “It’s a set up. He thought you
wouldn’t be able to tell us apart and as soon as you free him, he will kill
us.”

You looked back at the other man. He was shaking his head,
tears in his eyes and muffled screams coming from his mouth.

“I have to go. I’ll bring more soldiers. Just keep him here,
parahi
?”
He hurriedly assembled his armour.

“
Accha
,” you replied.

“Ten minutes,” he said, kissing you on the side of the head. As
you turned towards him, his hand moved across your face. You gasped in surprise
as a damp cloth was pushed against your nose and mouth. Your head felt fuzzy
and you tried to push his hands away.

“What are you…?”

Your knees gave out and he caught you as you fell, lowering you
to the floor. The sickly sweet smell of the damp rag clung to the inside of
your nose, choking you.

“I told you she wouldn’t pick you first, Ethan.”

* * *

You didn’t think you had blacked out, but you didn’t feel
quite right. Your memory was foggy and your head was all swimmy and the lights
were bright and they hurt and – ohh – you didn’t feel too good. You gasped for
air.

Chair legs. It was the first thing you were sure you were
seeing. Then the feet. And people legs. You reached for them, fingers tangling
in ropes and causing you to panic. You couldn’t sit up. It was too much. Too
foggy.

A muffled voice called out to you. You looked up. Ethan? Or
Noah? You couldn’t remember. He tipped his head back, looking down at you with
relief. You reached up, grabbing his knee and heaving yourself up, leaning your
head in his lap for a minute while you recovered.

Clarity. It struck you like one of Ethan’s knees in the back of
your head. You stood, removing the material from his mouth before beginning to
untie his hands.

“We have to stop him,” he said.

“I knew he wasn’t you,” you told him as your hands worked on
the cords. They were far tighter than the ropes Noah had been bound with.

“It doesn’t matter right now. What matters is that we stop
him.”

“He was telling the truth, wasn’t he? This is a set up.”

“Yeah. He’s setting me up for the King’s murder.” He looked
behind at you. “Get a knife. You were out for two minutes. We don’t have a lot
of time.”

You went got a knife and cut the ropes. Ethan took the blade
from your hand and wedged in his belt.

Instruction:
196. Alibi

Almost identical: Ethan’s wedding band had been removed, but a
tan line was left in its wake. You rushed to him, freeing his hands first. You
glanced across at Noah. He shook his hands, freeing himself from the bonds.
Ethan stood, putting his knee into his brother’s crotch and punching him in the
face.

“Ethan!” You pulled him back.

He grunted and picked up the ropes from around the chair he had
been tied to, turning to Noah and wrapping them around his waist and legs.

“Watch him,” he said. “I need to warn the King.”

“What’s going on?”

“They’re going to kill him.” He wiped the blood from his face
onto his sleeve. “Don’t let him move. And don’t stop watching him, even for a
second.”

You nodded and watched as Ethan rushed around, pulling on his
shoes and preparing to leave. The door banged shut behind him and you looked
across at Noah. His eyes were fixed on you, blood dripping from his nose.

Choice:
167. Fix Him Up
or
168. Watch Him

It became unbearable. You kept waking in the night, afraid
someone would break in to kill you. Your home was often vandalised, daubed with
paint and attacked. You knew he wasn’t going to come back. You couldn’t wait
any longer for news. You fled the town, boarding a ship for another continent,
putting as much distance between yourself and Serlora as possible. Starting
life again for a third time.

The End
(Back to start)

Every day, you waited for news on the court case and every
day, you heard nothing. The people grew tired of tormenting you for answers you
couldn’t provide and although the occasional vandal would still smash your
windows in the night, you no longer feared for your life. The months passed and
turned into years.

You awoke one night to someone pounding on the door. It was
late – well past midnight. You waited, but it didn’t stop. Wrapping your robe
around yourself, you moved to the front of the house, taking a knife from the
kitchen counter as you did. The banging caused vibrations through your hand as
you turned the key in the door. You pulled it open, lunging at the visitor and
pressing the knife against his throat.

“If you think I’m—” You stopped, staring into a pair of tired,
yellow-brown eyes. “You bastard.”

“I was afraid you would not still live here,” he said. “May I
come inside?”

Choice:
169. Yes, Come In
or
170. No, Go
Away

“Fine.” You shook your head, staring at the floor. “Okay.”

He slipped a piece of paper through the bars followed by a
charcoal pencil. “Every name.”

You began to write, listing every person you could think of as
being associated with the group. When you were done, you handed the pencil and
paper back to him.

“You really are pathetic,” he said, scanning the list. “If
that’s all it took to make you turn on your own people, I’m glad you left me.
What chance does your country stand when you’re the best it has to offer?”

* * *

You had to move house again, had to move to a different town
where no one from the Liberation would recognise you. When you went back to the
Kinta house after being released, half your stuff was missing, taken as
evidence. You never saw Romir or Luke again and Ethan was gone too, even though
you hadn’t put his name on the list; there would have been enough evidence in
the house to incriminate him and Noah would never have let him walk free.

You took a job in a shop selling fabric and balls of wool to
women whose idea of combat support involved a pair of socks and a warm hat. You
stopped listening for news of the war. You stopped thinking about the twins.
Noah had changed too much and Ethan was probably dead or in jail. Occasionally,
you would wonder if there was anything you could have done to save them.
Usually you wished that the Taatars had found you before you could run. That
way, it wouldn’t have been your fault.

The End
(Back to start)

You shook your head. “No. I won’t tell you anything.”

“You’d rather rot in jail than simply tell me a few names?”

“I won’t turn on my family,” you said. “Not for you. Not for
anyone.”

He snorted. “Enjoy your night in Verata,” he said, turning his
back. “It’s likely to be your last.”

Instruction:
178. Verata

You put your hands on his chest and gently pushed him away,
leaning your forehead against his.

“I’m sorry, Noah. I’m not ready for this.”

“You’re with Ethan now, aren’t you?”

“No.” You shook your head. “No. But this… It can’t work. We’re
enemies in this war.”

“We don’t have to be. You could work for me. I can keep you
safe.”

“You can’t. I’m still going to fight against you. It could be
years before it’s over. And the more time we spend together, the more dangerous
we make it. Your side will think you are a traitor. My side will think I’m a
rat.”

He took a step back, his eyes on his feet. “Then I have to
arrest you.” He looked up and took your hand, slipping metal cuffs onto your
wrists. “On suspicion of treason.”

He helped you to a chair while he continued his search and once
he was done, he took you to the station. You spent the next few hours in a
holding cell no bigger than a cupboard with only a wooden shelf on which to sit
and a bucket for your business. Noah wasn’t smiling when he returned to speak
to you.

“I know what your answer is going to be,” he began. “But I’m
going to make you the deal anyway. I can save you, but in return I need the
names of everyone you know to be associated with the Liberation. If you do, I
can keep you safe. If you don’t, you’re going to prison in Verata.” He sniffed.
“People don’t live long there.”

You nodded. Verata had a reputation for being the worst prison
in the Empire. There were few guards to supervise the inmates, only to ensure
they were kept inside. It had been there for hundreds of years and in that time
just two people had managed to escape. One had been killed on the road back to
town and the other had simply disappeared.

“What do you say? Freedom or Verata?”

Choice:
177. Freedom
or
178. Verata

You wrapped your arms around his neck and let him pull you
away from the wall. He was stronger than he had been when you had last seen
him, able to easily lift you from your feet, but everything else was the same,
as if you were teenagers again, falling in love for the first time. The edges
of his armour dug into your flesh as he held you, but you didn’t care. It was
Noah. You weren’t going to let him go this time.

“Stay with me,” you whispered, as you feet touched the floor
once again. You kept your arms around his neck and didn’t look up at him.
“Please. Stay.”

* * *

Every week, you would sneak out of the house to meet Noah in a
room in an inn at the other side of the town. Ethan thought you had found a new
team to work with, upset that they had gone to Itarsi without you. You played
up to it, acting smug that they had failed to find their target and narrowly
avoided arrest.

Whenever you got to Noah’s room, he would spend five minutes
trying to convince you to give him information about your team or missions you
had been asked to complete. Mostly, you told him nothing, giving him only
information that he already knew or else that wouldn’t help him much. After
that, the subject would change and you’d find yourself back in his arms as if you
had never been apart. Every time, it got more difficult to leave.

You had been meeting for two months when he told you he had to
leave. His superiors wanted him to work in Ethigos. You lay on the bed beside
him while he told you what they had said.

“They think I’m too close to this country. They said it was
affecting my judgement. My informants aren’t altogether cooperative and my
skills would be better used to defend the capital. Besides, it’s about time I
went home.”

“Oh.” You sighed. “I thought…” You shrugged. “I thought we had
something.”

He smiled and kissed the side of your head. “It couldn’t last.
We’re enemies. If they knew you’d been seeing me, they would think you were an
informant. If my lot knew I’d been seeing you, they’d think the same about me.”

Choice:
172. Let Him Go Home
or
173. Ask
Him Not to Leave

You followed him, calling after him as he walked away. He
didn't stop, so you jogged to catch up with him.

“Noah, please. I've left my son on his own.”

“So go back to him.”

“Not until I know what you're doing. I can't let you hurt
Ethan.”

He stayed silent as you turned the corner onto the main road
through the centre of the town, heading towards the council chambers. Then as
you passed a narrow alleyway, he pulled you by the wrist, clamping his hand
over your mouth and pushing you against the wall, out of sight.

“Turn back, please,” he said, removing his hand. “I can't
guarantee your safety if you don't go back.”

“Noah, what are you doing?”

He stared at the sky. “If you really want to know, come with
me.” He looked back. “If you value your son's life, go home.”

“Why? What are you going to do to him?”

“I'm not going to do anything, but if you follow me, he will be
on his own and I don't know when or even if you'll leave. Do you understand?”

Choice:
157. Let Him Walk Away
or
158.
Continue to Follow Noah

“Don't hurt him,” you said, as he pulled away. “You might not
love him anymore, but we do.”

Noah fixed his eyes on yours for a second before he looked
away. “I won't hurt him.”

You turned back, returning to the house. Little Noah was crying
when you got back, huddled behind the door. He clamped onto your leg as soon as
you were inside. You picked him up and held him close to you, apologising for
leaving him alone.

That night, you slept with him curled against your chest. Every
noise he made woke you, your heart thumping as if you were expecting him to be
gone again. By the morning, you were still exhausted and you’d heard nothing
from either of the twins. When you picked up the paper, you realised why.

KING
KILLED BY LIBERATIONIST REBEL FIGHTERS

A lone assassin has been arrested
for the murder of King Sadin yesterday during peace talks with Serloran
officials, say palace sources. The man, who has not yet been named, is said to
have been one of the royal guards. Medics attended the scene but were unable to
save the King’s life. A state of emergency has been declared and a provisional
government has been put in place. Investigators are appealing for anyone with
knowledge relating to this attack to come forward…

You put your hand over your mouth, knowing in your heart that
it was Ethan, that Noah had framed him. And worse, there was nothing that you
could do. It didn’t matter who you spoke to, your accusations would get you
into trouble; Noah could have been working for anyone. That was why he had
looked so much like Ethan. It was deliberate.

When you asked at the military offices, the few people who were
willing to speak to you said they had heard of Noah Wicker. They didn’t know
where Ethan was being held either. Little Noah asked after him all the time,
but you didn’t know what to tell him.

Choice:
159. He’s Not Coming Back
or
160.
He’s on a Secret Mission