Free Every Second Counts by Sophie McKenzie Page B

feel my face draining of colour. This man was surely too old to be my dad.
    ‘A good question,’ the man said. ‘One of the big three, in fact.’
    I stared at him blankly.
    ‘I am known to revolutionary groups around the world as Uchi, which is derived from the Czech for “teacher”.’
    ‘What?’
    Uchi cleared his throat. ‘Perhaps I should start again. I was born Michael Barnes, the only son of a cleaner and a council worker. I was brought up in London, went to grammar school, and
found my way to Oxford University then the British Army.’ He paused. ‘And I am, for better or worse, your father.’

Part two
    Examination
    n.
(1) test; (2) act of inspection, inquiry, investigation; (3) interrogation

Nat
    I opened my eyes. I was on my side, staring at a patch of wall. Above the wall was a window. My head felt full of fog as I registered the sun outside, high and bright in a
clear blue sky.
    Where was I? What was happening?
    A second later the memory of my attempt to rescue Jas flooded back.
    I groaned. It had been a trap. Riley had shot me . . . except – I mentally examined my body – I wasn’t in any pain. It didn’t make sense. Had he just knocked me out?
Drugged me?
    I blinked, trying to clear my mind. How long had I been unconscious? And where was Jas? Was she alright?
    ‘Hello, Nat.’ Riley loomed into view. He squatted next to me.
    ‘Is my brother okay?’ That was Jas. She must be on the other side of the room. I tried to turn my head to see, but it felt too heavy to move.
    ‘Nat’s fine,’ Riley said, beckoning Jas over. ‘See for yourself.’
    A second later I heard footsteps and Jas appeared beside him. She looked thin and fragile, her eyes red and sore from crying. Anger rose inside me – and guilt. If I hadn’t got
involved with Riley’s secret English Freedom Army in the first place, trying to be like our older brother Lucas, Jas wouldn’t be in this situation. I was furious with Riley for taking
her and for trapping me – and I was even more furious with myself, for being so easily fooled.
    I tried to reach out and touch Jas’s trembling fingers, but the muscles in my hand barely moved.
    ‘Take it easy, Nat,’ Riley said. ‘You’ve been out for hours, but you’ll be fine in another ten minutes or so; I only shot you with a tranquiliser.’
    I lay still, trying to collect my thoughts. What had Riley said before he drugged me? That he’d been
expecting
me? Did that mean this whole operation to rescue Jas had been a
trap?
    ‘Where’s Aaron?’ I whispered, my throat dry.
    ‘Also coming round from his tranquiliser,’ Riley said briskly. ‘My soldiers spotted him in the woods; he’ll be here soon. I’m very grateful to him for bringing you
here.’
    I frowned. Was he saying Aaron had set me up?
    ‘Aaron wouldn’t have led Nat into a trap,’ Jas said defiantly.
    ‘Not knowingly, no.’ Riley smiled. ‘But he did act in a very predictable way once we told him Jas was taken. I’m impressed that he found you so quickly.
    ‘Me?’ I stared at him.
    ‘Of course,’ Riley went on. ‘I guessed, correctly as it turned out, that Jas wouldn’t know where you were, but also that you wouldn’t have left your family with
absolutely no way to reach you. All I had to do was lure you here.’
    My head spun. Was Riley saying that he’d planned this whole thing using Jas and Aaron in order to get hold of
me
? As the fog in my brain cleared it struck me Riley’s only
possible motive for entrapping me like this was to kill me – something he had already tried to do twice. So what was I doing still alive?
    ‘Why did you drug us?’ I gasped.
    Riley ignored my question. He glanced from me to Jas, tilting his face to one side as if considering something. ‘You know, I see a certain resemblance in your face shape, especially your
mouths, but considering you’re twins you two don’t look much alike.’
    I glared at him, flexing my hands. It was easier to move now, though I