Chapter 31

Bill, Laura and Jenny each removed their masks just as Stephen popped an air filtration device into his nose and throat. They had reached the surface of Exilon 5 and the air tasted sweet. It was eleven at night. Bill clicked on the flashlight and dimmed its bright glow using his palm.

‘I’m sorry, it was the closest I could get you. The city is two miles that way.’ Stephen pointed his finger to the left. ‘Use this’—he handed Bill a whistle—‘and the animals will keep their distance.’

Laura and Jenny each took turns to hug Stephen tightly. Jenny cupped Stephen’s face for a brief moment and looked sternly into his eyes. Her lips moved and Bill noticed the corners of Stephen’s mouth twitch. She let go.

‘Let’s keep in touch more frequently,’ Bill said, removing the communication stone from his bag and tapping it with his finger.

Stephen’s expression changed. ‘I’m afraid we haven’t been able to increase the stone’s effectiveness over distance.’

‘So, how do we keep each other informed?’

Stephen shook his head. ‘I don’t know.’ Then he tapped the side of his head. ‘I’ll have to get this “reader” thing working. Then maybe I’ll be able to see you before you get here.’

Laura pulled on Bill’s arm. ‘Come on. We need to get moving if we’re going to make the next ship’s schedule. I can’t take any more time off work.’

‘And I’ll need a few minutes to sign my spacecraft out of temporary storage at the docking station,’ Jenny added.

Bill nodded at the pair then paused for a second. ‘Stephen, if you can’t get through to Anton, what will happen to him?’

‘I don’t know. Things are going to be strained without Elise. We’ll need to keep an eye on him, make sure he isn’t a danger to himself. The elders from District Seven, Gabriel and Margaux, have agreed to help out. Pierre is in no fit state to lead right now.’

‘Well, that’s your priority—to find out if Anton knows anything.’

The lines on Laura’s forehead deepened. ‘We’ll keep looking for answers, Stephen. We won’t leave you to fight this alone,’ she said. Bill placed a hand on her shoulder.

They walked off towards the city. Bill turned to wave goodbye to Stephen but he’d already disappeared into the hidden tunnel entrance. ‘What did you say to Stephen to make him smile?’ he asked Jenny.

‘I told him if he scares me again the way he did on the spacecraft, I’ll kick his arse next time.’

Laura laughed but it soon faded.

An uneasy silence hung in the air as Bill thought about the repercussions they faced when they returned home. Judging by Laura’s dour expression, she was thinking the same thing. He worried about how he could uncover new information about the government’s plans without demanding it directly from Deighton. It would be a battle.

But it was a fight that Isla had been willing to take on and one he was determined to win. With Laura’s help, he was confident that he could.