Free The Fall by Claire Merle Page B

woken.
    Lila arrived with Cole’s camping rucksack and a second smaller one strapped to her front. Blaize allowed her into the cabin with Rachel in tow. ‘Ana!’ Cole’s sister hoisted the rucksacks off and ran to Ana’s side. ‘They told me what happened. Are you OK?’
    ‘I’m fine.’ Not really the truth, but physically speaking it was accurate.
    Lila’s eyes widened as she took in the sedated Warden, and then she froze. ‘Cole!’
    Cole angled the blood-soaked arm of his sweater away from his sister. ‘It’s a scratch,’ he said. Lila’s eyes shot to Rachel, as though Cole’s ex was the only one honest enough to provide her with the truth.
    ‘He’s an idiot,’ Rachel said. ‘His IQ goes down fifty points around the blonde.’ Rachel was looking svelte and sexy in combat trousers, tight T-shirt and a waist-cropped jacket. She must have been working the night shift on the wall, but she was well-groomed enough to be going out on a date. Ana studied her impassively, trying not to feel intimidated.
    ‘Cole thought he could take on a Special Ops military guy and rescue his damsel in distress.’
    ‘It’s getting old, Rach,’ Cole said, barely glancing up.
    Assured by Rachel’s cavalier attitude, Lila relaxed a little. ‘I’ve given you all the tinned food and some fresh vegetables,’ she said. ‘Some of my clothes for Ana are in the smaller rucksack, and I stuffed your clothes as well as the camping stove into the big one.’
    Cole nodded. ‘Thanks.’
    ‘How are you going to get out of here? Can you even walk?’
    ‘We’ll be all right,’ he said. ‘Seton’s taking us to a safehouse, and a couple of people have volunteered to help.’
    Rachel caught Ana’s eye, looking pleased with herself. Ana’s heart sank. Rachel was one of the volunteers.
    *
    It was past midnight when seven of them headed out across London. The Tubes were closed, which left them with several miles to cover on foot. Ed, who hadn’t volunteered but had been sent by Tobias, had Cole’s interface. Even with the Warden’s pirated programs giving them infrared body-heat readouts, and information about the nearby activity of all on-duty Wardens and Psych Watch, moving through the City at night was dangerous.
    Cole was on crutches. So far he’d managed to keep up, but after an hour of hard walking and little conversation, Ana noticed he was constantly grimacing. He wouldn’t make it much further.
    She stopped. Nate and Rachel, who after several unpleasantries had been sent off by Seton to scout ahead. But Seton, Blaize and Ed slowed down to see what was happening. Cole stood beside Ana, balancing on his good leg, one hand gripping the swollen knee.
    ‘How much further?’ she asked.
    ‘Another four or five miles,’ Seton answered. Ana pushed up Cole’s trouser leg. His knee was twice the size it should have been. She took off the small black rucksack Lila had given her, rummaged past the clothes and Dombrant’s Stinger and took out a bottle of arnica. She quickly uncapped it and rubbed ointment into the swelling.
    ‘It’ll be fine,’ Cole said. She raised an eyebrow at Seton. Up ahead Nate and Rachel stopped. Seeing Cole hunched over, they ran back to the group.
    ‘We can’t stop,’ Nate said. Rachel rubbed Cole’s back as they started walking, one on each side, waiting to catch him if he dropped his crutches. Ana did her best to ignore Rachel. She forced herself to concentrate on transport options – a rickshaw or bicycle with a side-cart would be ideal. But people didn’t tend to leave their livelihood lying around. The only things scattered all over the place were rusty cars. A thought struck her and she felt a rush of adrenalin.
    ‘Lila packed the camping stove,’ she told Seton. ‘What sort of fuel would she have put in it?’
    ‘Ethanol,’ he said. ‘The stuff we make in the Project . . . I imagine there’d be at least half a litre,’ he continued, catching on fast. ‘We’d need a flex-fuel