The Killables (30 page)

‘Yes,’ replied the Brother. ‘We have a community. Mouths to feed, children to raise, products to supply, a City to protect. My people are inside. Let me go to them.’

‘Your people?’ Linus looked at him incredulously. ‘You really think that lying to everyone, telling them that the System can see into their souls and give them the right label, is the best way to look after people?’ Threateningly, he moved closer still, but the Brother didn’t flinch.

‘The System works,’ he said. ‘My System. Not yours.’

‘Works in that most people are miserable and hate themselves? Works in that people think the scar on the side of their head is where the evil bit of their brain was removed, when really it’s where a chip has been inserted to keep track of where they are and what they’re doing? Interesting.’ Linus smiled again, but this time his face barely crinkled and his eyes were cold. ‘You’re a cheat and a liar. You took my dreams and you turned them into a nightmare. But now it’s over, Brother. Your System has been disabled. And now I’m going to disable you.’

He reached into his coat pocket, then froze, trying his other pocket, his trouser pockets, patting himself furiously.

‘Lost something?’ asked the Brother, a little smile of his own creeping onto his face. ‘Oh dear. You never were very good at practicalities, Linus. And now, if you’ll look behind you, you’ll see that my police guard are here.’

Everyone swung round to see a man approaching with ten police guards, all carrying batons. Lucas’s stomach lurched with fear and anger.

‘Linus!’ he shouted. ‘Linus, what have you done? We should have left. We should have—’

‘My gun,’ Linus said, apparently not hearing Lucas. ‘Where’s my gun? Where’s—’

A police guard lunged forward and grabbed him; another grabbed Raffy and Martha.

‘Let them go.’ Lucas’s eyes widened as he saw Evie step forward, arms outstretched, and he saw a glint at the edge of her hands and for a moment he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t understand. Then she swung around and he saw the hate in her eyes, and he flinched. ‘Let them go,’ she barked again; the police guards immediately backed away.

There was a scream; people had begun to file out of the Meeting House behind the police guards; word had evidently spread that the Brother was outside, that there was something going on. They came tentatively, cautiously, surrounding Linus, the Brother, the police guards, Lucas, Martha, Raffy and Evie, but several feet back, strength in numbers as they huddled together. They cried out in fear as they recognised Lucas, Raffy and Evie, screaming every time Evie turned to look at them. But Lucas barely saw them, barely noticed that there was nowhere to run now and no way of escape. All he could see was Evie, holding a gun in her hands, her face serene, cold and angry. Like his, he thought with a start. Satisfied that her friends were free, she turned the gun on the Brother. His eyes were fixed on Evie, too. ‘Evie, put the gun down,’ he said. ‘That is an implement of evil, of torture. It has no place in your hands. Put it down.’

‘I don’t want to put it down,’ Evie said, her voice not wavering, not showing any fear at all. ‘I am evil, remember. I helped a Killable escape. That makes me a K too, right? Right?’ She swung round, her gun pointing briefly at the police guards, at the crowd; there were more screams as everyone stepped back, cowering fearfully. She turned the gun back on the Brother, who forced a smile.

‘Evie,’ he said carefully. ‘Evie, you are young. You don’t understand. You are not a K. You need help, Evie, that’s all.’

‘Like the help I needed for my dreams?’ Evie asked.

The Brother blanched. ‘Evie, we resolved your dreams. We realised that—’

‘That it was the City I was dreaming about?’ Evie asked, her tone biting. ‘So not my real parents, then? The parents that you let the Great Leader mutilate before kicking them out of the City again? The parents that you allowed to be brain-damaged, to be turned into Evils?’

There was a gasp from the crowd; the Brother’s face drained of blood. ‘I don’t know where you heard such a thing, Evie, but it’s lies. Lies. It’s—’

‘I remember them,’ Evie said, walking towards him. ‘I remember coming here. I remember the hope they had. And you . . .’

‘I always knew she was no good!’ A shout came suddenly from the crowd, a woman rushing forward. Lucas recognised her as Evie’s mother. ‘We took you in, gave you a home, treated you as our own daughter, and look at you. You’re just like your real parents. Evil. Worthless.’

‘No!’ Evie yelled, turning the gun on her. ‘No, they’re not worthless. You are. You stole me. You lied to me.’

Her mother stared at her for a moment, then ran back into the crowd, leaving Evie to turn back to the Brother. ‘My real parents were never worthless. They loved me for who I was. They loved me. And you . . . you lied to me,’ she said.

‘We protected you,’ the Brother answered forcefully. ‘Your parents weren’t able to join the City. They were beyond the New Baptism. They were—’

‘The New Baptism doesn’t work!’ Evie screamed. ‘No one here has had it. Admit it! Tell everyone.’ She turned, her eyes shining in the moonlight, looking around at the crowd of people in front of her. ‘The New Baptism doesn’t work. It never did. It just damages people. That’s who the Evils are. They’re the only ones who’ve had the New Baptism. That’s why they’re like they are. It’s not their fault. They’re not evil. They’re just damaged. Like my parents were. Damaged and then kicked out of the City, used to make us all afraid. But I’m not afraid, Brother. You’re the one who should be afraid. Because I’m going to kill you, just like you killed my parents.’

‘And then everyone will know just how evil you are. They will know that everything you’ve said is untrue,’ the Brother said levelly.

She walked towards him again, her hands beginning to tremble just slightly. ‘No,’ she said. ‘You are the evil one. You are the one who has ruined so many lives, taken so much life away. You are the one who must be stopped. And I’m going to stop you.’

The Brother stared at her, and as she approached, his round face lost its steel, its arrogant stance and he started to tremble. ‘No,’ he snivelled. ‘No, Evie, don’t kill me. I’m sorry.’

‘You’re sorry?’ Evie asked icily. ‘Not good enough. Not nearly good enough.’

‘Please,’ the Brother begged her. ‘Please don’t do this. Let’s talk. I can change your label. Change Raffy’s label. I can make things better. I can . . .’

‘There are no labels,’ Evie said. ‘Not any more. The City doesn’t need you. Doesn’t want you.’

‘Noooooooo,’ the Brother cried out, a guttural sound that seemed to come from the depths of his round belly. ‘Someone, do something!’ He stared at the police guards, standing a few feet back. ‘Take out your guns,’ he shouted. ‘Kill them. Kill them all!’

A murmur went up from the crowd. ‘There are no guns in the City. Guns are evil. Guns represent violence and corruption and . . .’

‘Guns are only evil in the hands of evil,’ the Brother said breathlessly, before turning back to the police guards. ‘Stop being so pathetic and take out your guns!’ he screamed. ‘I don’t care if everyone sees them. You have to shoot these people otherwise they’re going to kill me.’

But no one moved. No one except Linus, who stepped forward. ‘Everything you’ve told these people is a lie, isn’t it, Brother? You have one rule for them and one for you. No one else is allowed riches, but you live in splendour. Guns are evil, yet you furnish your own police guard with them secretly. The City is a safe place, yet its citizens are continually under threat from you and your corrupt System. The Evils are violent criminals, yet in reality they are innocents, violated by you, by this place. You deserve to die. The City deserves better. But not by Evie’s hand.’ He touched her gently on the shoulder. ‘Evie,’ he said quietly, ‘you’ve got your whole life ahead of you and if you kill someone it will haunt you for ever, even if that someone is a lowly worthless man like the Brother.’

‘I have to kill him,’ Evie said, her eyes not leaving the Brother. ‘I owe it to my parents.’ She looked around the crowd. ‘My real parents.’

‘Let me do it,’ Linus said. ‘Give me the gun. Let me do it.’

Evie shook her head.

Lucas watched her, watched Linus, watched the Brother, his hand poised.

Evie stood in front of the Brother, her hands shaking as she moved her finger to the trigger. Then suddenly a shot rang out and people were screaming and the police guard rushed forward and Evie stood, motionless, her mouth open, the gun still in her hands.

‘But . . .’ she said. ‘But I didn’t . . . I didn’t . . .’

Raffy ran towards her and pulled her to him and the gun dropped out of her hands. Linus picked it up.

‘I didn’t . . .’ she said again.

‘I know,’ Linus replied as they both looked behind him to where Lucas stood, holding the gun he’d just grabbed from one of the police guards. He held it up, pointing it at the guards, at the crowd. The Brother was moaning on the floor; Lucas looked down at him in disgust.

‘It’s only your leg. You’ll survive,’ he sneered.

‘You should have let me kill him,’ Evie said bitterly. ‘You should have let me.’

‘No,’ replied Lucas, as Linus took Evie’s gun and between them they held back the guards, the crowd. ‘I couldn’t let you throw your life away,’ he said. ‘Don’t be bitter. Don’t hide your emotions and hide behind a mask. Let it go, Evie. The alternative is too painful. It hurts even more. It takes your life away from you.’ He looked over at Linus. ‘You go,’ he told him. ‘I’ll hold the guards back until you’ve got time to get out.’

Linus shook his head. ‘I’m having fun here,’ he said, his eyes crinkling softly. ‘You go. Take the others. Angel will meet you outside, take you safely to Base Camp. I’ll catch up. Just get out and keep running.’

‘Linus!’Martha rushed towards him. ‘What are you saying? You have to come with us. We need you.’ She grabbed at him, but he gently pushed her away.

‘Someone has to stay,’ he said gently. ‘I can hold them here, buy you enough time to escape.’

‘And what about you?’ Martha asked, tears in her eyes. ‘How will you get out?’

‘I’ll think of something,’ Linus said, smiling at her. ‘Go. Go now and start your lives again. Know that the System that ruined your life is gone, that the veil has been lifted. What we did was worth it. And don’t worry about me.’

‘I’ll stay with you,’ Martha insisted, her lip trembling, but Linus shook his head. ‘Lucas, take her. Look after her. Look after everyone. I’m counting on you.’

Lucas nodded. ‘It’s been good . . . almost knowing you,’ he said.

Linus grinned. ‘Likewise,’ he said, swinging round to point the gun back at the Brother. ‘Come near and the Brother dies,’ he shouted, then winked at his departing friends. ‘One of you follows my friends, and the Brother dies. Anyone moves and the Brother dies. Got it?’

‘Come on. Let’s go,’ Lucas declared, looking at Martha who nodded reluctantly. He turned to the others. ‘Raffy? Evie?’

Raffy nodded and took Evie’s hand, then they started to run, back the way they had run that first time, disappearing behind houses, along hidden paths, heading east. No one said a word, no one was ready to talk about what had happened, what would happen in the future, what they had achieved, what they hadn’t. They just moved forward, past the cottage, across the muddy swamps.

And then they were at the gate. But when Lucas went to open it, it stayed shut. ‘Angel,’ Martha called. ‘Angel?’

‘He can’t hear you,’ Raffy said bitterly. ‘Ten inches, remember.’ He ran towards it, pulling back every bolt. Still the gate wouldn’t open. They heard shots in the distance and looked at each other in alarm.

‘We’ll have to go over,’ Lucas said.

‘Over? How?’ Raffy looked at him incredulously.

‘Like this.’ Lucas clambered up the gate, grabbing hold of the top and swinging his feet up, twisting so that they stood awkwardly between the large metal spikes. ‘You climb up on me and assume the same position on the other side. Then the others can climb up me and and climb down you.’

Raffy hesitated.

‘Or we can wait here for the police guard,’ Lucas said, his voice low.

‘Fine,’ Raffy relented. He jumped up, following Lucas’s lead and in spite of losing his grip several times, he managed to get to the top. Evie started to shake – it looked treacherous, fifteen feet high with spikes covering the top. They’d never get over it alive. If Raffy fell, if he missed his footing . . .

‘Watch out for the barbed wire on the way down,’ Lucas said, handing Raffy some pliers. He took them, his eyebrows raised.

‘Think of everything, don’t you?’ he said under his breath.

‘I’ve learnt to,’ Lucas replied lightly. ‘It’s something Dad taught me. Something I wish I’d been able to teach you.’ He met Raffy’s eyes for a moment and Evie saw something on Raffy’s face, but it passed so quickly she couldn’t be sure what it was, and already he had started to climb again. Evie watched, feeling like her heart was barely beating as Raffy disappeared over the top.

‘Are you okay?’ she called out, and got a muffled reply that told her nothing but at least reassured her that he was alive.

‘You next?’ Lucas asked.

Evie shook her head. ‘Martha,’ she said.

Martha nodded reluctantly and started to climb. She was more athletic than Evie had expected, ably shinning up over bolts and locks to where Lucas was perched. He lifted her up to where Raffy had clipped back the barbed wire and held her feet as she scrambled to reach the top. Evie couldn’t look, couldn’t contemplate the climb herself. She would falter. She would fall. She would ruin everything.

And then Martha was over, and Lucas looked down at her. ‘Ready?’ he enquired, his eyes suddenly so full of kindness it made Evie feel strong, like she could do anything. Wiping her hands on her clothes, she started to climb, not looking down, not thinking about what would happen if she lost her grip. And then Lucas’s hand was reaching out to her and she took it, and he pulled her up, and she was resting on him, next to him, so close she could feel his breath on her cheek.

‘Give this to Raffy,’ he said, taking the watch off his wrist, the gold watch that he had been so proud of.