The Leader has the guard take off my handcuffs. Then he takes me by the elbow and steers me out of the room.

‘Send a medic to my office,’ he says to Radcliffe.

Radcliffe is clearly not happy that I am being plucked away from him, but he says nothing and reaches for the phone.

The medic patches me up. He puts a splint on my fingers and stitches a cut near my eye. I swallow the painkillers he holds out for me. I can feel his eyes on me while he applies antiseptic to my various cuts and grazes; he’s clearly wondering who I am and why The Leader is supervising his attentions, but he hands me an ice pack for my swollen face and leaves without saying a word.

‘Did you try to kill me?’ I ask The Leader, before the medic has even closed the door.

His face doesn’t betray any surprise. ‘I did not,’ he says.

‘Then who the hell did?’ My fingers are still throbbing, but my fear has dwindled. I need to know what on earth is going on. ‘My mother told me that your lot were after me and—’

‘Now I recognise you,’ he says. ‘You’re that crazy liberal kid from the Academy. You started a whole parcel of trouble.’

‘I was trying to protect the inmates of that awful place. How can you let them treat Academy Specials like that?’

‘Your mother liked to talk as well, didn’t she?’

How dare he? I consider attempting to strangle him with my one good hand. ‘Don’t start on my mother, if it weren’t for you she’d still be here.’

‘Still be here?’

‘Yes, she’s dead! She died—’ My voice wobbles. ‘She died trying to protect me from the sick stuff that goes on inside an Academy. Where you sent me.’

‘Me?’

I can’t get this all straight in my head. ‘Well, I thought it was you, or at least someone acting on your orders.’

‘Listen, young man, before that nonsense at the Academy, I’d never seen you before – much less sent you anywhere. And, surely you’d be better off at a Learning Community. You’re clearly pretty smart.’ He says that with some satisfaction, as if he’s a proud parent.

‘I was at a Learning Community, but then someone tried to kill me and deleted my records. Someone who knew that I was your son. If it wasn’t you behind it, then who the efwurd was it?’

He blinks when I swear.

‘What?’ I say, my voice rising. ‘You don’t mind having the blood of children on your hands, but a bit of swearing makes you twitch?’

He leans forward. ‘Keep your mouth closed. Or I’ll give you back to Radcliffe.’ He turns away and lowers his voice again. ‘And I wouldn’t give a dog I liked to Radcliffe.’

I bite my lip. Letting him send me to be beaten to death isn’t going to get rid of him and his damn regime. I’ve got to keep my head. ‘I just don’t understand why you’ve done the sick things you’ve done.’

The Leader sits back in his chair and presses his palms together. His smooth serious politician’s face reappears.

‘I know you’re angry,’ he says. ‘And maybe I can explain a few things to you later when I’ve more time. I want you to know that I’m not unhappy to see you. A man should have a son. Now let me see . . .’

He turns to his computer and starts tapping away. This is crazy. I should just attack him. I look around for something, anything, to hit him with.

‘Your records are pretty interesting,’ The Leader says.

‘I don’t have any records, remember – someone wiped them and I disappeared.’

He looks me up and down. ‘Your records are pretty interesting,’ he repeats.

Clearly he has access to my files, even if no one else seems to be able to find them any more.

‘You’re a smart young man. Maybe I could make use of the family angle.’ He flashes me that white-toothed smile.

Something inside me snaps. ‘How can you talk about family? What about all the kids that you’ve hurt? Those children are all someone’s son or daughter.’

‘Like I said to you at the Academy, if young people can’t buckle down and contribute to their country then we have to take action.’

‘Action? Like giving them electric shocks?’

I spot a glass paperweight on his huge wooden desk. It’s almost touching his right hand.

‘We run the Academies to get the highest rate of success. You might not be keen on all our methods but—’

‘You burnt that Academy down. That was your guards, wasn’t it? How many kids died in that fire?’

‘I didn’t want those kids to die. Heck, I didn’t want anyone to die.’

My eyes dart back to the paperweight. I’m pretty sure that one quick blow to the head with solid glass could kill someone. ‘Are you going to spin me some propaganda about how you have to make sacrifices for the greater good?’

He lets his smile fall. ‘Do you know what I’ve learnt? I guess it’s what they teach all leaders. They tell you that you have to think of the population, not the individuals. That you can’t look after every person, but you can look after your country. Well I’ve damn well done that. You’ve no idea how I’ve protected this country, the sacrifices I’ve made.’

I shift forward in my chair. What is this nonsense? Does he really believe this? ‘If you wanted to save people, why didn’t you close down Academies? Why don’t you treat factory workers like human beings?’

‘It’s not that simple.’ He lets out a gusty sigh.

I’m still too far from the paperweight. I grip the bottom of my chair.

‘We can’t afford to pamper stroppy teenagers and lazy workers.’

I inch my chair a little further forward.

‘They’ve got to learn – and it’s my responsibility to make sure they do. By any means necessary. That’s the way things are.’

My eyes snap back to him. ‘What the hell are you talking about? You’re in charge, aren’t you? If you wanted to change things, you could.’

He stands up.

Now, I’ve got to do it now – but by the time I’m on my feet he’s in front of me.

‘Things aren’t perfect,’ he says, and I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or himself. ‘You have to make the best of what you’re given.’ He pushes me gently back into my chair, as if he thinks I stood up out of courtesy. ‘I did what needed to be done.’

Oh my God, he really believes that he can somehow justify all the things he’s done. I see now that it’s not those who know they are doing wrong that we have to fear. It’s the people who are unshakable in the belief that their actions are right, who will maim and murder – and much worse – in the name of their cause.

He takes my silence for acceptance. ‘I have always done my best for this country.’

As soon as he looks away, I’m going to stand up and lean over the desk all in one rapid movement to grab the paperweight and embed it in his skull before he can stop me.

‘If we’re going to get along, you’ve got to toe the party line. You should remember that.’

‘I don’t want—’

He turns and takes a step towards the door. ‘I need to speak to my secretary. Wait here for me.’

I fling myself across the desk and snatch up the paperweight. I push back off the desk, spin round and raise my arm.

He’s disappeared out the door. It slams shut behind him. ‘I don’t want to get along with you!’ I shout after him. ‘I want to . . . URR!’ I throw the paperweight down in frustration. How am I supposed to hold this man to account if he won’t even recognise what he’s done? Why didn’t I go for him when I had the chance?

I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know if I should be trying to get out and find Kay, or if I can still do what I came to. There’s no time to think. I try the door. The idiot has left it unlocked. I pick up the paperweight. I could still catch him.

I steal down the empty corridor and round a corner. Which way did he go?

I slip around another corner and bang straight into Kay.