The Numbered

Chapter Fourteen

"Hannah, you were chosen by Mr Eastman as a perfect candidate to lead the Flawed uprising".

"Are you kidding me?" She scoffed. "I am seventeen-year old office cleaner who likes reading books when I can find them and living a quiet life. Even if I did believe you and I don't, what on earth makes you think that I could start a bloody revolution?"

"Because Eastman's plan is quite simple really. With the help of others he found twenty perfect candidates. All of you had scores in excess of 99.5. He demoted you based on false SPR data, removing you from all of the trappings of the perfect life. Hannah, you have spent the last seventeen years with the Flawed. You and your family have struggled to feed yourselves, to keep a roof over your head and you have had little access to health care. You have seen death, despair and injustice first hand."

"So, I'll ask you again. What on earth do you think I can do about it?" she shouted.

Zeke sat down opposite Hannah. She noticed he kept checking his watch. Which incidentally was too good to be worn by a Flawed.

"Eastman recently killed himself, kicking off the next stage of the plan. The Council now know about you and the other nine candidates currently living in the Flawed quarters. The Council has no idea of the plan behind it, but they already consider it a security risk if you continue to live with the Flawed. Very shortly, they are going to approach you and force you to move back to the Top-5 and live with your birth parents. And this is what Eastman was hoping for all along, to bring about the uprising."

Hannah stared at the deluded person in front of her. Did he have any idea of what he was saying? Uprisings, moving to be with her birth parents....

"Okay, I've heard enough. You are going to start up this lift again and you are going to stay away from me. I am going to go see my boyfriend and pretend this never happened. I want none of this nonsense do you hear me? None of it!"

"Hannah, I have just a few minutes left. So, you don't believe me now, but trust me my dear, this is going to happen and I will be here when you need me. This is my card. Take it, keep it safe and above all say nothing to anyone. You are currently being followed 24/7. Your home is bugged, every conversation you have with anyone is being recorded. Even here at these offices, but thanks to the design and construction of this very lift we are standing in, we are temporarily in their blind spot. I know this sounds like a really shit deal you have been dealt, but please listen to me, Hannah. You were picked for a reason, the Flawed need you."

Zeke looked at the defeated frightened look on the young girl's face and realised he wasn't going to get any further today.

"I am going to restart the lift Hannah. When we reach below floor 5 they will be able to hear anything that is said. For both our sakes and that of your family you must not say anything to me. As you leave the lift you will not glance behind you or draw attention to yourself. I will be leaving by a different exit. For the time being you must carry on with your life as normally as possible. Soon they will contact you, and Hannah if you care for your parents, your friends, Shane... you will do exactly as they say. They will not hesitate to kill you all if they thought for second you might know or have second thoughts."

Hannah was too drained to cry now. Part of her thought he was mad, but a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that every word he said was the truth.

Zeke pressed a small grey box against the switchboard of the lift. He tapped it twice and they began to descend. He offered Hannah his hand to help her get up, but she shunned it, dragging herself up and leaning against the cool mirrored wall. She now refused to look at him, turning her attention to her own image in the mirror. She looked pale, haunted. She smoothed down her clothes, picked up her bags and moved to the door. The red numbers on the screen above her head slowly counted down. 9, 8...

"Mary and the kids say hi, Hannah. We have them, they are safe I promise you" Zeke whispered into her left ear.

Hannah wanted to demand to hear what he knew about them, but before she could say anything he hurriedly put his hand over her mouth and pointed to the fact that they were now below floor 5. Hannah's eyes were wide and wild. Zeke removed his hand and as the doors opened he gave her a small shove.

Hannah stopped on the glossy marbled floor. She was desperate to turn around and go back into the lift but at the same time she was desperate to run away home. A security guard walked in through the double glass doors ahead of her.

"You're out late love, everything ok, anything wrong?" he asked.

"No, no, I'm fine, I couldn't remember if I turned a tap off upstairs, but thinking about it I did so everything is great thanks," Hannah stumbled over her words. "Best be off my boyfriend is waiting outside". On wobbly legs, she forced herself to walk out of the building into the cool dark air trying to look as calm as possible.

As she exited the doors she quickly glanced back at the guard who was on the phone. She smiled at him, gave him a wave and then walked away as fast as she could.

"Hey babe," Shane called out. He was leaning against a low wall, at the edge of the car park. Hannah rushed over to him and was enveloped in his strong arms. She took a deep breath and inhaled. He smelt of peppermint and fresh air. She held him tightly as her body shivered.

"Hannah, what's wrong?" he asked.

Hannah took a deep breath and prepared to tell him about everything that had happened. Outside, in the fresh air, it somehow didn't feel real. She opened her mouth to begin her tale but as she looked over his shoulder she happened to see a man in a car sitting about two hundred metres from where they were and she was sure he had just taken a picture of them. Furtively she glanced back over to the office and cast her gaze up. There on the third floor stood the security guard staring down at her through the glass window.

"I'm fine Shane, just cold. Come on take me home". She kissed him, not just to reassure Shane, but to reassure anyone else that might be watching. She grabbed his hand and walked away, aware that everything in her life was about to be messed up. She had never felt more hopeless, more Flawed in all her life!