Winter Has Come | ✔ #1 Winter Series

Chapter 34

Mum brightly says, "I'll get it!" before she's rushing to the door and I can't stop her or tell her no.

The door clinks open and I hear low murmuring. The same voices of the men who made this place hell for me the first time drift into the room and I sit rigid in my seat.

There are footsteps and I see the two policemen and Mum enter the kitchen. But there's something different.

"Hi," Josh says.

I stare at all of them. Mum is joking with one of the officers, the other stands straight like a soldier and Josh smiles at me.

"I got a ride in the police car," he says. "It was cool!"

In my head, my mind is spinning. What are we going to do? Dad and Zach and Angie are still upstairs, oblivious to everything that's going on. Now we're doomed. We're officially doomed.

But the strangest thing happens. The police officers share one last joke with my mother before turning their heels and walking through the door. The clinking of the door as it closes is the only noise in the silence.

"Why did they leave?" I prompt. "Josh was right there—"

"They said they were going to pick him up tomorrow. More questioning to do," Mum says.

Josh grins. "It's perfect. Zach can finally pack up and we can be away from here before they even know it."

Mum frowns as he dumps his massive rucksack on the floor with a loud 'thud' and sprints up the stairs to the attic. Soon there's the sound of footsteps down the stairs and soon I see Zach, his sister, Josh and my father all coming down the hallway.

"Angie and I are going home. We're getting our stuff together and leaving tonight," Zach announces.

"I'll be coming with you," Dad adds. "You need a grown-up with you."

"Yeah, and I'll tell Mum that—" Angie starts.

My mother cuts her off. "Wait. No. None of you are leaving! Angie, you're not leaving. And Jack, honestly?"

"Hannah, they're just kids!" Dad protests.

"No," Mum says firmly. "No one is leaving at all. You're all sleeping here tonight and we're sorting this out tomorrow."

"Josh is going to get arrested tomorrow," Zach snips in. "I know you don't want that to happen, Miss Harris."

Mum purses her lips together. I glance at Josh. He shrugs.

"I seriously need to leave tonight, Miss Harris," Joshua tells her. "If not, the police are gonna be on my tail again."

"I'm coming with you," Zach says firmly.

"And me," Dad says after that.

"Me too," Angie snips in, arms crossed. "I can't leave my brother—"

"You're not going!" Mum shoots back, irritated. I step back, watching the argument unfold between everyone. I'm the only person not involved in this. I know my mother means well. She doesn't want to see everyone leave and she doesn't want to be held responsible either. But where do I stand? I betrayed everyone. I'm on the wrong side here. I'm meant to be with the police right now. I should have walked out of the door too.

"Right. Case closed. We're leaving for the camp tonight." Dad says matter-of-factly. I frown. When did a camp ever come into this?

Zach and Angie quickly head off home. Dad goes upstairs to get the packing done and Joshua announces he needs the toilet. That just leaves my mother and me.

I look over at her. She's slumped at the table, hands grasping the wood like they depend on it and maybe they do—I'm not sure. And when she looks up now, her eyes are sparkling, shimmering, shining.

"Everyone's leaving," she whispers. "Everyone's leaving for good."

I try to tell her no but deep inside I know she's right. Everything's come to us in such a big rush and my mother doesn't know how to cope.

"Amelia," she says and she sniffs but she stays strong. "That policeman. He told me you gave in some... information."

My heart pounds in my throat, trying to escape.

"Did he?" I manage to squeak.

"He said... Well, he told me you'd just handed over some precious information and that they'd pick up on it tomorrow."

The lump now doubles in size.

"What did you tell them?"

The lump is so big I can't breathe. I'm suffocating. Maybe that's a good thing because to be perfectly honest, I want to die right now. I want to curl up in a ball and sob so my heart leaves my chest.

But I have to do what's right. I can't keep this bottled up inside of me anymore. It's pointless because one day everything is going to spill and I won't be able to take it back.

Once I'm done, I can't bear to watch the single tear sliding down my mother's cheek.

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