The Clearing Read online

  My heart sped up. Was he about to tell me something good? Or something I didn’t want to hear. I searched his face to see if his expression held any clues.

  ‘Who’s that?’ he said staring past me.

  Turning and squinting into the distance, I saw a figure coming towards us. A man. In uniform - a guard.

  ‘Looks like Liam,’ Luc said, getting to his feet. ‘Must be something to do with work.’

  ‘What were you going to say?’ I asked. ‘Before.’

  ‘Oh. Nothing. Doesn’t matter.’

  I desperately wanted to know what he was going to talk to me about before Liam showed up, but it looked like I was going to have to wait.

  ‘He’s running,’ I said. ‘Maybe something’s happened.’ I began stuffing everything back into our bags as Luc went to meet him.

  ‘What’s up?’ I heard Luc say.

  ‘Hey, Luc.’ Liam slowed down and they walked towards me.

  ‘What is it?’ Luc asked again.

  ‘You’re needed back home,’ Liam said. ‘You too, Riley.’

  ‘Both of us?’ I replied, attempting to fold the picnic rug, but the corners kept slipping out of my clumsy fingers.

  ‘Yeah. You’ve got some visitors. Just don’t do anything stupid when you find out who it is.’

  ‘What? Why? Who is it?’ Luc said. ‘Why would we do anything stupid?’

  ‘You’ll see.’

  ‘You’re freaking me out, Liam,’ I said. ‘Who is it?’

  ‘You won’t like it,’ Liam replied, shaking his head.

  ‘Tell us, mate. Who is it?’ Luc’s voice was sharp.

  ‘Be cool, Luc. You’ll find out back at the house. Come on,’ he said, taking the rucksack from me. ‘Your folks are waiting. We’re gonna have to run.’

  Chapter Three

  Nine Years Earlier

  *

  It was a hot and dusty day and the two children weren’t anywhere near finishing their chores.

  ‘You're such a chicken.’ The boy made clucking noises and bent his elbows to imitate the plump birds which scratched around the yard.

  ‘Shut up! I am not. I’m just trying to get this done before mum comes back. She’ll kill us if we haven’t finished. Come on, FJ, help me. Please.’

  He screwed up his face. ‘Urghh, it’s so boring. And hot. Do this with me and then I’ll help you finish really quick. I promise.’

  The girl looked at her older brother, weighing up whether he was to be believed or not. She usually went along with his plans and nine times out of ten they backfired getting them both into trouble; which is why she always began by disagreeing with him. But she knew no matter how much she argued, she would always back down in the end. She loved FJ and he was good fun. Even if mum was going to have their guts when she came back from the milking and found the yard still in a mess.

  ‘Okay,’ she agreed. ‘But you’ll have to work double hard afterwards to get this lot finished.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah,’ he replied. ‘Come on, before mum gets back.’

  Liss followed her brother down the path. The air smelt sweet and fresh, even with the field’s underlying scent of damp cow. It was nice to do something fun and interesting for a change. Living on a farm was hard work. One job after another, day in, day out. Most days she didn’t mind, but when the sun shone and the air shimmered like it did today, it felt like she was missing out on something, like something magical should be happening. . .

  Maybe it was.

  They walked over to the small stand of trees in front of their fence. This area had been left to grow wild and the fence was bordered by dense undergrowth. FJ grinned at her, bent down over the bushes and heaved up the large wooden board by its handle. Liss felt a shiver of fear. If dad caught them they would be in so much trouble she didn’t even want to think about it.

  FJ groped around inside the hole and pulled out a torch. He clicked on the beam and shone it right up close into Liss’s eyes.

  ‘Hey!’ she cried, closing her eyes against the sudden glare.

  He laughed and turned away, pointing the beam down at the ground into the tunnel he had just uncovered. Then he disappeared down the hole.

  ‘Wait for me,’ Liss called to the top of FJ’s head.

  Their parents had told them that under no circumstances were they to go into the tunnel without them. In fact, they weren’t even supposed to be over near this part of the farm. The whole property was surrounded by a high electric fence and a deep ditch. This secret tunnel was the only easy way in and out of the place. Their parents had cleverly constructed it to take them from one side of the fence to the other. It had taken ages to build, but it was well done – their dad only had to stoop slightly, to avoid hitting his head.

  Liss followed after her brother, carefully placing her feet one after the other on the narrow steps. As she left the daylight behind, she shivered inside the gloomy damp tunnel.

  ‘FJ, wait. It’s dark. I can’t see down here without the torch.’ Her voice sounded odd and muffled. Then Liss gave a shriek as FJ roared at her. He had the torch pointed up at his own face which was screwed into a scary monster impression.

  ‘Freddie Junior!’ She shoved him, but he kept his balance and doubled up, laughing.

  ‘Your face, Lissy! That was well funny.’

  ‘It’s not funny at all.’ She almost felt like crying. ‘I’m going back to the . . .’

  ‘No, no, no. I’m sorry, Liss. I’m really sorry.’ He put his arm around her and squeezed her into a bear hug. ‘I was only messing. Come on, hold my hand.’

  She wanted to strop off back to the yard, but instead, she took his outstretched hand and let him lead her through the short narrow tunnel. The walls were lined and secure with built-in shelves, the contents of which couldn’t clearly be seen in the dim torchlight. But she knew there were cans of food and tools and stuff.

  They climbed up the steps on the other side and FJ shoved open another wooden hatch. The children climbed out of the tunnel into a clump of dense undergrowth buried under a thick stand of trees. Parting the foliage, they took a few more steps and found themselves standing on the grass verge. It was nice to be back in the warm sunshine, but the unsettling difference was that this time they were outside the fence.

  Freddie Junior walked a little way along the verge, next to the crumbly road. Liss bent down and touched the pitted tarmac. It felt warm. The chances of seeing a vehicle out here were almost non-existent and even if they did, it would probably be Army. But nevertheless, she felt quite breathless with fear in case someone should choose to come along now, while they were out here alone.

  ‘FJ, we’d better go back now,’ she called, trying not to be too loud.

  But he didn’t reply. He seemed to have vanished.

  ‘FJ?’ She looked up and down the road again, trying to spot her brother, feeling her scalp prickle with worry. Where was he? She cast anxious glances over her shoulder, checking there was no one else around.

  Suddenly she felt a hand come over her mouth from behind and another grip her arm. She thought she might faint with terror.

  ‘Sssshhh,’ a voice whispered in her ear.

  She struggled and tried to squeal.

  ‘Liss, sshhhh. It’s only me.’ The hand let her go.

  ‘FJ?’ She spun around to see her brother, but he wasn’t smiling. ‘FJ, you scared me really badly. . .’

  ‘Shut up, Liss!’ he hissed. ‘There’s something over there, further up the road.’

  She clamped her mouth shut and opened her eyes wide.

  ‘I think it’s an armoured vehicle.’

  ‘Army?’ she mouthed.

  ‘Don’t think so. Looks civilian. Heavy duty though.’

  ‘We should go back,’ she whispered. ‘Tell mum and dad . . .’

  ‘Are you joking? They’d kill us for coming out here.’

  ‘Okay, we won’t tell them, but we’d better go back. It’s too dangerous to stay.’

  ‘I’m going to have
a closer look,’ FJ said. ‘You stay here. Keep an eye out.’

  ‘What! Are you mad? No way.’

  ‘It doesn’t look like there’s anyone inside it,’ he said, a tinge of excitement creeping into his voice. ‘It could be abandoned. There might be some really useful stuff in there.’

  ‘Why would anyone abandon an AV?’

  ‘Maybe they ran out of fuel or got sick and died. Maybe they’re lying dead in there.’

  ‘That’s it, I’m going back.’ Liss turned back towards the tunnel.

  FJ grabbed her arm. ‘Please, Liss. Just for a minute. I just want to see, that’s all. There’s no one in it. It’s not dangerous.’ He smiled at her, a pleading sweet smile.

  ‘How do you know there’s no one in it? No. I’m going back.’

  His smile melted into disappointment. His shoulders sagged and he gave a cross frown of acceptance.

  ‘Oh okay then.’ She relented. ‘Just for a minute and then we’ll go back. Promise?’

  ‘Course.’ He grinned. ‘Come on then. You can keep watch while I check it out.’

  They trod cautiously along the grass verge.

  ‘I can’t see any vehicle,’ she said.

  ‘That’s because it’s parked up behind the bushes. Here.’

  Liss almost walked into it. The AV had been camouflaged with greenery, but she could now glimpse its black paintwork beneath the leaves.

  ‘Someone’s hidden it here,’ she said in surprise.

  ‘I know.’

  FJ began pulling branches away from the huge vehicle. It was badly beaten up, the paintwork flaking with patches of rust.

  ‘Do you think it’s been here long?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘How do you know?’ Liss looked up. She realised she could see part of the yard from here. She had thought their house was supposed to be hidden from the road. ‘Do you think they were spying on us?’ she said.

  ‘Could be,’ FJ replied.

  Something suddenly dawned on Liss.

  ‘You knew!’ she said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘That’s why you wanted to come out here today. You saw the AV from the yard.’

  FJ smiled and Liss tried to punch him on the arm, but he caught her fist in his hand.

  ‘So?’ he said.

  ‘So you could’ve told me.’

  ‘You would’ve blabbed to mum.’

  ‘It’s dangerous out here, FJ.’

  ‘Oh stop being such a baby. We’ll check it out and then we’ll go back.’ He peered in through the window. ‘See, I told you. There’s no one even in here. Whoever was here is gone now.’ He tugged on the passenger door handle. ‘Locked. Maybe we can force it with something.’

  Liss shivered. ‘Please can we go now. I don’t care if you think I’m a baby. I want to go. I’m really scared.’

  ‘Don’t be scared,’ came an amused voice from behind her. A man’s voice.

  Liss froze, not daring to turn around. In all her seven years she didn’t think she’d ever been as terrified as she was right now.

  FJ instantly looked up at the man with a challenge in his eyes. ‘Who are you?’ he said.

  ‘I was about to ask you the same thing,’ the man replied.

  Liss had a feeling of spiralling doom. The man’s voice was not aggressive, but she didn’t like it nonetheless. It was posh and a bit mean sounding and she had the feeling he was making fun of them.

  ‘I asked first,’ FJ said to him without a trace of fear in his voice. ‘Who are you?’

  The man laughed.

  Liss was shocked at FJ’s insolence. He wouldn’t dare have talked to mum and dad like that. But she was glad FJ was brave because she felt like jelly. She backed up towards her brother and turned around to face the man. He was quite short and totally bald. But his clothes were smart and he didn’t look too scary.

  ‘Very well, my name is Mr Carter,’ the man said. ‘Your turn.’

  ‘I’m FJ. I mean Frederick.’

  Liss looked at her brother. She would have burst out laughing if she wasn’t so scared. He never used his long name, it always sounded far too grand.

  ‘Hello, Frederick,’ said Mr Carter. Then he turned his gaze to Liss. ‘And who might you be?’

  ‘This is my sister, Melissa,’ FJ said. ‘What are you doing here? Outside our farm.’

  ‘Your farm? Well that’s a stroke of luck,’ Mr Carter said. ‘We were just coming to talk to you. Well, to warn you actually.’

  ‘Warn us?’

  ‘Yes. There are raiders on their way here. I’m afraid they want to take your farm away from you.’

  ‘No!’ Liss cried.

  ‘They can try,’ FJ said, ‘but they won’t be able to get in. Our fence is electrified.’

  ‘Alas, that will not stop them,’ Mr Carter said.

  ‘FJ.’ Liss tugged on her brother’s t shirt. ‘We’d better go back and warn mum and dad.’

  ‘So it’s only you and your parents here is it?’

  ‘That’s none of your business,’ FJ said.

  ‘Now, now. No need to get testy. I’m just being friendly.’

  ‘We’ll be going back now,’ FJ said, ‘to tell our parents. Thanks for the warning.’ He took Liss’s hand and they began to edge past Mr Carter.

  Liss turned back to the man as something had occurred to her. ‘You said ‘we’.’

  ‘Sorry?’ Mr Carter replied.

  ‘You said ‘we were coming to talk to you’. Before.’

  ‘So I did. You’re a sharp one.’

  ‘Does that mean someone else is with you?’

  ‘Yes, my brothers are here with me. They will return momentarily. Aah, talk of the devil.’ Mr Carter looked beyond FJ and Liss. He smiled and nodded. ‘Meet Cassius and Mark, my brothers.’

  Before Liss had a chance to turn around, she felt a hand come around her waist and another hand tape something across her mouth. She was then lifted into the air before she could even scream.

  The same thing was happening to FJ and she locked eyes with him for a fleeting second. In that brief moment, he gave her a look of panic, defiance, apology and . . . something else . . . something which seemed very much like excitement or . . . triumph.

  Liss would remember that look in the months which followed, as it was to be years before she laid eyes on her brother again.

  Chapter Four

  Riley

  *

  When Luc and I arrived home, we were out of breath. Ma and Pa were waiting for us wearing serious expressions. Liam didn’t tell us anything more on the jog back home and left as soon as we reached the house. We’d pressed him for information but he wouldn’t say.

  I had that lurching feeling in my stomach, a feeling I’d come to know too well.

  ‘What is it?’ I asked my parents. ‘Just tell me.’

  ‘It's okay, Riley,’ Pa said. ‘No one's hurt.’

  I immediately relaxed. For one horrific moment, I’d been transported back to the day when they told me my sister had been killed. They’d had similar expressions on their faces that morning.

  ‘You’ve got some visitors,’ Pa said. ‘From outside.’

  ‘Liam told us that already. Who is it?’ I asked.

  ‘They’re at the guards' house,’ Pa continued.

  ‘I don't think they should see them at all,’ Ma interrupted. ‘We should let Eddie and the guards deal with them. After what they did . . . Who knows what could have happened.’

  ‘Who is it?’ Luc and I said at the same time, desperate to know.

  ‘It’s that couple - Fred and Jessie,’ Pa said grimly.

  ‘What!’ I cried. ‘What the hell are they doing here?’

  Luc shook his head in disbelief. ‘What a nerve. They must be crazy coming here after all the crap they pulled. Sorry for the language, Mrs C.’

  I couldn’t understand why Fred and Jessie would come here. They betrayed us. Why would they want to see us again? It didn’t make any sense.

  ‘Come on
,’ Pa said. ‘Let’s go and sort this out.’

  My heart was hammering, but whether from the run back home or the news I’d just received, I couldn’t tell. I grabbed a sweatshirt off the end of the bannister and caught sight of myself in the hall mirror. My eyes were wide and scared-looking and my hair was a mess, curly strands escaping from my pony tail. I pulled the sweatshirt over my head and joined Luc and Pa who were already halfway out the door.

  Ma squeezed my arm and watched us leave.

  Pa threw his arm around my shoulders and Luc walked on the other side of him. It only took ten minutes to get to the guards’ house but it felt like forever. Why were Fred and Jessie here? It made no sense. I realised I didn’t want to see them. I’d rather forget they ever existed.

  ‘I’m coming inside with you,’ Pa said in a tone that no one would argue with.

  We entered the two storey red brick building and Pa nodded to several of the guards. Roger Brennan came out of his office.

  ‘Hello, Sir,’ he said. ‘Luc, Riley.’

  We nodded.

  ‘Hello, Roger,’ Pa said. ‘Have they told you anything else? Said why they’re here?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Roger replied. ‘Keep insisting they want to talk to Luc and Riley.’

  ‘Let’s go and find out what it’s all about then,’ Pa said.

  ‘Follow me,’ Roger said. ‘I’ve got them in one of the cells. After what they did to these two, I’m not taking any chances.’

  We followed Roger along a corridor and waited when he stopped outside a metal door. He unclipped a bunch of keys from his belt loop and fitted one into the lock. The door groaned as it opened and the sound echoed down the corridor. We entered the room and Roger closed the door behind us with a clang.

  Fred and Jessie were sitting on a narrow bed, but they rose to their feet when we walked in. Fred was wearing his usual tweed jacket with a checked shirt underneath. He’d aged a bit since we last saw him and looked a little thinner, but the main difference was with Jessie. The previous month she had seemed youthful and fit, but the person sitting across from us was a completely changed woman; all skin and bones with sunken cheeks and hollowed out eyes. She’d grown old. How could she have changed so much in such a short space of time?