Hunted

Six: Condemned

"Well? What's your answer?" Elmhirst growled impatiently. "Miss Lin?" he asked when James still didn't respond.

"He knows she is not dead," Jun Lin paused, frowning slightly. "He knows because you are so angry. You would not be angry if she was dead".

"Excuse me," he breathed, leaning towards them. James' breathing was uneven. She was telling the truth – just a different truth. Jun was telling Elmhirst of Carrie's assumption from earlier in the day. She was completely ignoring the real truth. As James thought of what she was doing, her fingers pressed harder against his skull as if warning him to stop, to stop tempting her with his other truths.

"I am only saying what I see in his head. I am only telling the truth," Jun Lin replied with a strangely serene confidence, her black eyes never leaving James' uncertain green gaze.

"Why would I not be angry if she was dead? She is our most valuable asset," he snarled, his voice though low, carried clearly around the stadium, bouncing off the steel walls, for all the students to hear. James gritted her teeth not wanting to answer the man, not wanting to betray Charlotte or condemn himself. He was only asking these questions in an effort to deny his true hatred of her and his hatred for the rest of the students. As Charlotte had said, he hated them because he feared them. He would never care if she was dead.

"You wouldn't be angry because you wanted her dead," Jun Lin said plainly, stating it as fact. James glanced away from the black pools that were Jun's eyes to appraise Elmhirst, towering above him, his reddened face having faded to a white rage. Even though what she spoke was not the truth Elmhirst was fishing for, it was still enough to ensure he was severely punished. Yet he would take whatever punishment he would be served if it meant Charlotte was safe.

"Dead?" Elmhirst replied in a deathly whisper. "I never wanted her dead". James could see the muscles in Jun's forehead contract ever so slightly at his lie. James bit the inside of his cheeks trying to suffocate his impulse to grin. Such a bad liar, he thought, hoping Jun Lin could hear him.

"You never hid your distaste for her – it was the same argument James used when you appointed her as Head Girl," she said clearly, no longer needing James to speak. James was happy to allow her pick and choose from his mind. She seemed to know what she was looking for. "She was always going to be a risk. You knew too, but you didn't care. You planned to kill her," Jun Lin muttered.

"Planned? Planned!" he yelled.  "Who told you... such, such...?"

"The truth? Desmarais mentioned it," she replied. "You had planned to kill her".

In the moment it took James to draw a shallow breath, the scene before him was turned on its head. Elmhirst aimed a swiping blow at Jun Lin, which sent her toppling backwards. James scrambled away from her as she lay whimpering against the steel ground. James looked up at Elmhirst, too stunned to hide his fright. The headmaster's hair was coming undone from its carefully combed position, hanging limply across his forehead. He tentatively massaged his hand which he had allowed to collide with Jun's face. His eyes were bulging, his nostrils flaring, and a line of spit sat unnoticed on his chin.

He reached forward grabbing Jun Lin and dragging her up by her hair. James hastened to his feet, unsure if he should defend himself, defend Jun, or behave as he was supposed to, as adrenaline flooded his system. "Who told you that, you brat?" he growled, using his free hand to twist her face around to face him. Jun Lin's earlier gentle confidence seemed to fade, leaving a whimpering child before Elmhirst.

"I overheard Desmarais mentioning it to one of the Forgotten before he left," James rushed, wanting to protect Jun Lin after what she had done in an effort to save him admitting his hand in Charlotte's disappearance.

"And you told Owens? Is that it? You told her to run? To hide?"

"To hide? Where is there to hide?" James yelled, his panic taking over, losing all composure. "If there was somewhere to hide don't you think we would have all hidden there by now?" His breathing was ragged, his words too loud in the silence. "She was there too – Charlotte. She knew what was going to happen and she started acting strange. And next thing I knew she was gone! If you weren't so damn angry I would be certain you killed her!" he bellowed the words at the headmaster, his own anger finally letting loose. Now that he had been released from Jun Lin's gaze he could lie freely.

Elmhirst dropped Jun Lin to the ground where she curled up in a whimpering ball. He lifted his hand and signalled silently for assistance, as he moved towards James. Two Forgotten approached James from either side, grasping his arms behind his back as Elmhirst caught his face.

"You will pay for your insolence," he spat, pressing James cheeks so hard into his own teeth he could feel the inside of his cheeks cutting and his mouth filling with blood. James tried to twist his head from the headmaster's grip wondering briefly if he could stop Elmhirst's heart before the other staff could stop him. It almost seemed worth it. And it would have been if he hadn't promised Charlotte he would find her one day, or at least die trying. He gritted his teeth promising himself that detention was a worthy price to pay for finally being able to stand up to Elmhirst. The phantom fire was worth this moment, he knew.

Elmhirst did not allow his cold gaze to leave James' face, a vein protruding from his temple. A sudden smile twisted his features, creating a grotesque mask from his long features. "The final year students will all be taken below and punished in place of James Alexander," Elmhirst growled, his eyes unwavering from James face.

The headmaster's verdict seemed to sink in slowly, making James' head swim. Elmhirst was turning them against him. James knew that the colour had drained from his face, along with the words he had wanted to yell.

"You can't," James finally breathed, fighting against the ferocious grips of the Forgotten with renewed vigour.

"Oh Mr Alexander, you have no idea what I can do," he hissed, releasing his face. "All senior students are to be escorted below immediately. Anybody seeing to be resisting will be shot – dead," he bellowed.

"Dead? Elmhirst you can't be serious," Beasley interjected nervously from the side line.

"Dead!" Elmhirst repeated, his eyes never leaving James' face. "But now – Mr Alexander we couldn't have you mixing with the rabble. You will be excused from this punishment".

James couldn't respond. They were being punished instead of him – his friends. He was getting off free. "I would rather go as one of them," he managed to mutter.

"But you're not one of them, Mr Alexander. You are Head Boy and therefore should be held with the appropriate esteem".

"I would rather take my punishment with my classmates," he said defiantly.

"I will not hear of it, James," he sighed, feigning concern. "We look after our favourites here at Kingston". James glared at him. He meant to alienate him, isolate him.

"Just like you looked after Charlotte?" he growled at Elmhirst, spitting a glob of blood on the ground before his feet. Elmhirst's eyes hardened as he reached his hand up ready to strike him, but instead he seemed to reconsider, smoothing down his unruly hair as an alternative.

"On second thought Mr Alexander, you can be the one to drag their half dead bodies from the halls when we have finished with them," Elmhirst grinned, his expression manic. James swallowed, his body finally weakening as he knew he had lost the fight. The horror of having to escort his injured classmates to the hospital so they could be repaired was enough to make him sick to his stomach.

"Please sir..." he pleaded; he begged. I will never beg, he heard Charlotte's voice echo in his mind. Well that was the difference between them. He would beg. He would plead with Elmhirst to stop this madness. The Forgotten began to move, dragging him from the arena. James fought against them, twisting painfully trying to get free, trying to make Elmhirst listen. "Please sir, don't do this," he yelled. "Please".

Thanks so much for reading Altered so far!! I can't explain what it means to me! If you enjoyed this chapter please don't forget to vote and feel free to leave a comment! I really appreciate all the feedback I can get! Thanks again!! Sorcha x