Split Second (15 page)

Impress Charlie indeed. After the panic I’d nearly given in to when we broke into that League of Iron house, I’d probably be lucky if I got through the training weekend without
throwing up.

Nat was sitting beside me, tapping along to music on his headphones; Taylor and our driver were up front, listening to the radio. I peered through the darkened glass of the
4×4 car. The road ahead was dark and desolate. We’d been driving for over two hours, first along the M1, then on the M6 and now through smaller, slower roads. I didn’t recognise
the names of any of the places we were passing. It had just started to rain, the light glistening off the deserted pavements.

I glanced at Nat again, wishing he would take off his headphones and talk to me. I was uneasy. For a start, I felt bad about lying to Gail and Brian – they thought I was visiting Aunt
Karen for the weekend and I’d been sending both Gail and Karen texts through the evening, reassuring them I was fine. But what bothered me far more was the fact that I was putting so much
trust in the EFA.

Nat and I hadn’t said much as we’d waited, earlier, for Taylor and his driver – to whom we hadn’t been introduced – to arrive at our pick-up point. Neither of us
really had any idea what to expect. Taylor had told us to wear loose, comfortable clothing but that was about it. As we drove on, into the dark evening, questions flooded through my head: where
would we sleep? What would we eat? How many other people would be there? What would we be expected to do?

The radio programme finished and the news came on. More job and welfare cuts had been announced. The Future Party leader, Roman Riley, was protesting against the changes. Unlike Mayor Latimer
who I’d heard the other day, Riley sounded properly sympathetic to what ordinary people were going through.

‘I have been hungry,’
he said.
‘I know what it’s like to be scared when you don’t know how to feed your family. This latest round of cuts is an
outrageous—’

Taylor leaned forward and switched the radio off.

I closed my eyes. Maybe the question I should really be asking was: when there were established political parties to act through, what the hell was I doing in the middle of nowhere with a bunch
of strangers who called themselves ‘soldiers’ and belonged to a self-styled ‘army’?

I kept my headphones in for most of the long drive. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk, more that I was worried someone might see how scared I was. We were
travelling across open countryside; there were no street lamps and the road ahead was dark and lined with low stone walls. Only a few, distant pinpricks of light indicated the existence of other
buildings. For a few minutes it felt like we were on another planet, out of time. And then Taylor turned from the front passenger seat and I tugged off my headphones.

‘We’re nearly there,’ he growled. ‘We’ll walk the last bit of the way, then there’s the introduction meeting, then bed.’

Beside me Charlie fidgeted uneasily.

‘What happens at the introduction meeting?’ I asked.

Taylor frowned. ‘Well, the first thing it involves is you remembering to call me sir.’

‘Okay,
sir.
What does—?’

‘We’re here.’ The driver of the car spoke for the first time. He parked the car in a lay-by beside a wood.

‘Out,’ Taylor ordered.

I grabbed my rucksack, then scrambled out of the car. The trees alongside us were dark, swaying in the breeze. It wasn’t raining right now, but the smell of damp was in the air and a chill
wind whipped across our faces. I followed Taylor and Charlie into the trees. Behind me, I heard the car drive off. I shivered. It was stupid but that car felt like our last link with civilisation.
I focused on Charlie, striding ahead of me. She gave no sign of being anxious.

We trudged on for about fifteen minutes. A light rain started, pattering softly through the bare branches and onto our heads. It stopped as we emerged from the trees into a field. The moon cast
a soft glow through the clouds overhead. A single light shone from a stone farmhouse across the field. There was no sign of any farm equipment. In fact, as we got closer to the house it was obvious
that the building was derelict. Remembering the broken-down place we’d met Taylor in before, I drew level with Charlie, then whispered:

‘Do you think the EFA has a thing for houses no-one else wants?’

She turned and smiled. For the first time, I caught a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. For some reason this made me feel stronger myself.

‘It’ll be okay,’ I whispered.

Charlie nodded. A moment later we reached the cobbled yard of the farmhouse. Taylor strode over to the large wooden door. A man dressed in black from head to toe, his face obscured with a ski
mask, stepped out of the shadow. My heart skipped a beat. The man saluted. As he raised his arm, I caught sight of the gun strapped to his side. I stared, transfixed. Was the English Freedom Army
going to train us to shoot? That would be illegal, wouldn’t it? A shiver snaked down my spine: part fear, part excitement.

‘Evening, sir.’ The man stared straight ahead, not looking at either me or Charlie.

‘Evening, soldier,’ Taylor growled. He pushed open the door.

With a final glance at the man with the pistol, I stepped inside and followed Taylor and Charlie along a bare, stone corridor to an empty kitchen. There was no table. No chairs. Just a row of
cupboards along one wall, a hob and a sink beneath an uncurtained window. Water dripped from the tap, leaving a yellow stain on the chipped, white china beneath. The room was so cold we could see
our breath misting in front of our faces.

‘Wait here.’ Taylor turned and left.

Charlie and I looked at each other.

‘What do you think?’ I asked.

She shook her head. ‘It’s all—’

But before she could finish, the door swung open again. Taylor was back. Two men followed him into the room. They both wore black ski masks, just like the soldier outside. They stood on either
side of the door as four boys and two girls – all in their late teens – came in. The newcomers stared at us, unsmiling. I stared back, taking in each face in turn, as Taylor stepped
into the middle of the group.

‘You are recruits,’ he said in a low growl. ‘Which means you have potential. Each one of you has a special skill, some kind of intelligence, some ability the Commander wants to
nurture. The next twenty-four hours will prove – to us and to each of you – whether those abilities can be channelled into something useful. The most important thing is that you do
exactly what you’re told at all times. Operating as a defence force is often dangerous. Solid training and absolute discipline is what will save your life.’ He paused. ‘Get some
sleep. You’ll be up again as soon as it’s light.’

I checked the time. It was barely ten p.m. Was Taylor serious about us going to bed so early? It was Friday night, for goodness sake.

‘What will we be doing tomorrow?’ Charlie asked.

Taylor threw her a savage look. ‘I didn’t ask for questions. You’ll find out when you need to. And this is the last warning to you all about calling me and the other soldiers
“sir” or “ma’am”. It may seem odd, even stupid, to you, but it’s part of the discipline of being a soldier. Now get some sleep. We start training at
daybreak.’

He marched out of the room. One of the masked soldiers raised a hand. ‘Girls over here.’ She was female.

‘Boys with me,’ the other, male, soldier said.

Charlie and I exchanged a glance, then joined our groups and followed the soldiers out of the room.

I looked around as I reached the door but Nat was already walking along the corridor with the other boys. I followed the masked female soldier and the other two girl recruits
up the stairs. The soldier was about my height and stockily built. I hadn’t realised that she was female until she’d spoken. I wondered if she would take off her ski mask at all. She
led me and the other girls up a short flight of stairs. Paint was peeling on the walls and the only light came from a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling of the landing above us. It was cold as
well – chillier inside than it had been outside – and we could all see our breath in front of our faces.

The soldier ushered us into the first room on the left. It was as bare as everywhere else, with four thin mattresses laid on the floor and a sleeping bag rolled up on the top of each one. The
soldier pointed across the room to another door.

‘Bathroom through there,’ she said. ‘I’ll be back in ten minutes for lights out.’

She left the room. The two girl recruits both looked about seventeen, just a little older than me. One was tall and skinny, with straggly blonde hair. The other had mocha-coloured skin, a sleek
bob and fierce, dark eyes.

‘Hi,’ she said, with a quick smile and a London accent. ‘I’m Parveen.’

The skinny blonde girl gasped. ‘Is it okay to give our names?’ She sounded northern, a reminder of those girls in my Leeds school who’d teased me about my accent.

‘Course it is.’ Parveen rolled her eyes. ‘Taylor’s not God, you know.’

The blonde girl looked crushed.

‘I think it’s okay,’ I said. ‘I’m Charlie by the way. How do you know Taylor?’

Parveen tilted her head to one side. Her chin, slightly pointy like the rest of her sharp little face, stuck out as she considered my question. I kept eye contact, guessing she was assessing me,
wondering how much to say.

‘He recruited me from the stupid youth club my foster parents made me go to.’

‘You’re in foster care?’ the blonde girl asked.

‘Yeah, why?’

‘Nothing, I was just . . . I’m Nancy. I’m adopted.’

‘Good for you.’ Parveen’s voice took on a sarcastic edge. ‘What about you, Charlie? What’s your dysfunctional family background?’

‘Both my parents are dead,’ I said. ‘My mum was killed last year. I live with my aunt and uncle.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry . . . I mean, about your mum,’ Nancy said, twisting her fingers through her hair.

‘Thanks.’ I smiled at her.

Across the room, Parveen rolled her eyes again and disappeared into the bathroom. She took ages, leaving Nancy and me only a minute each to wash before our masked soldier returned. She ordered
us to get into our sleeping bags and warned us not to talk.

I lay down. There was surely no way I would be able to sleep tonight. My pulse was racing, thoughts about what Taylor had said earlier flooding through my brain. The next thing I knew someone
was shaking my arm, a harsh whisper in my ear.

‘Charlie, wake up.’

I opened my eyes, staring blearily into the gloom. It was even colder than when we’d gone to bed but, apart from my cheeks and nose, I was warm and snug inside my sleeping bag. The masked
soldier – had she
slept
in that mask? – was beside me. Seeing I was awake, she turned to Parveen lying on the ground across the room. I raised my head. It was still dark
outside. I blinked, trying to shake the sleep out of my eyes.

The soldier strode to the light switch by the door. She flicked it on. The harsh overhead light nearly blinded me.

‘Hey,’ Parveen complained.

‘You have five minutes to get dressed. Your trousers and boots are by the door.’ The soldier vanished.

I scrambled out of my sleeping bag and hurried to the bathroom. As I came out again, I could see Nancy and Parveen, both in black combats, struggling to lace up a pair of heavy army boots. I
took the remaining trousers and boots and put them on. I’d just tugged a jumper on over my T-shirt when the soldier returned. She led us downstairs and outside into the back yard of the
house. It had obviously rained during the night as the yard was squelchy with mud. Taylor strode towards us, the boys at his side. I caught Nat’s eye straight away. He smiled at me and in
spite of everything, my stomach did that strange little skip again.

‘Rations.’ Taylor dug into a bag and handed each of us a roll and a bottle of water. ‘This is all you get for the next three hours, so make it last.’

I pocketed the roll, not feeling hungry, and took a small sip of water. Parveen pointed to the loop on the belt of our combats and showed me how to fasten my bottle to it. Before I could even
say thank you, Taylor spoke.

‘Five k run, then combat training.’ He motioned to the two soldiers. ‘Get into your teams.’

A few moments later I was picked by the male soldier, along with Parveen, Nat and two other boys. We each gave our name then we started running, following the brisk pace set by the soldier. I
glanced at Nat as we ran. His face was set in a determined grimace. The other boys we were with looked fit and muscular. They both moved with power and grace. So, I noticed, did Parveen. I focused
on keeping my breathing steady, determined not to get left behind.

We did two laps around a muddy field, then followed our soldier into the trees. He took us on a long run through the woods, only stopping once for a drink break. At last we came to a halt in a
clearing. It was still dark, though a silvery light was creeping across the sky. Everyone stood panting, trying to get their breath back.

‘In pairs,’ the soldier ordered. ‘You. With me.’ He spun Nat around to face him. This left me with little choice but to partner up with Parveen. We eyed each other warily
as the soldier showed us how to attack – and block attacks – by keeping our balance and tipping our opponent off theirs.

‘You might be smaller than the enemy,’ he barked, ‘but if you put the entire weight of your body behind each strike, that’s a fearsome weapon in itself.’

Parveen and I dodged and hit at each other for ten minutes as the soldier circled us, watching carefully. We were fairly evenly matched. I was stronger and more precise but Parveen was
undeniably faster than me, whipping her arm up to stop my blows before I was even aware of her moving. I redoubled my efforts, concentrating hard. Despite my suspicion of the EFA – not to
mention my growing hunger – it felt good to be alive in the crisp morning air. The sun was edging over the horizon now, casting a soft orange glow through the branches of the trees above our
heads. And I liked being taught how to fight properly. It made me feel strong, like I was getting ready to avenge Mum’s death properly, not just dream about it.