Chapter 46
Roan sat at the dining table with Drew, Liam and Jake sat around her and Lewis Aimee, Robin, Will and Alex surrounding them.
"Hazel and Darren will be recruiting." Roan said. "We need a plan and more people."
"I agree, but where are we going to get them from?" Alex asked.
"Well we can't ask all those people thought fought with us last week. We need new recruits ourselves." Jake said.
"What about my mum?" Drew asked.
"Stella wouldn't help Drew." Robin said.
"I am not speaking to her after what she did." Roan said.
"But it's the best we have." Aimee said.
"But..."
"Roan, if we can persuade her, this could all be over." Liam said. She put her head in her hands.
"Fine, but I'm not coming." She then got up and left even though the meeting wasn't over. Robin and Aimee looked down.
"To be honest I don't really fancy it either. That woman is mental." Alex said. "Roan was in bad shape."
"I know. The state she came home in." Jake said.
"Yeah it was rough." Alex said.
"Did she do that to you?" Liam asked. Alex shook his head.
"No but I was training practise. That wasn't pleasant either."
"Bet it wasn't." Lewis said.
"Look I'll go see to her." Liam got up and ran from the room. He felt a draft and knew she must have gone outside. He went out and found the gates wide open and Roan staring over the town. He slid his arm round her waist and she put her head on his shoulder.
"It scares me Liam." She said.
"I know, but we have to face our fears sometimes. I want you with me Roan." He said. "I love you and I wouldn't let anything ever happen to you like that again." He said.
"Do you mean that?" She asked putting her arms round his neck.
"Of course I do. I wouldn't have taken that knife for you for nothing. There is a reason for everything. I can't focus on anything because I am too busy thinking about you." He said. Roan smiled, tears in her eyes.
"I love you too." She said. Liam smiled and he leant down and their lips met. Roan felt as if she was lying on a soft cloud and sinking into it. Melting.
When they got back inside they instantly started getting prepared.
"Right, Robin, Roan, Aimee, Jake ,Will, Drew and Alex all hold hands in a line. Roan you on one end and Drew on the other. Your getting us there. The rest of you, stay put and wait for when we come back. We could be a few hours or possibly less." Liam ordered.
"They'll all be at the original headquarters. We were in charge of the new place." Robin said. Liam nodded.
"Ok we had best get going then."
Everyone nodded and everyone going grabbed onto someone. Roan and Drew then clicked their fingers at the exact same time and they all disappeared. They all reappeared outside the gates of the building.
"We are going to have to get in somehow." Liam said.
"Will give me a boost up." Roan demanded. He squatted against the wall and put his hands together. Roan put her foot in his hand and she bounced a couple of times before hoisting herself onto the brick wall. She jumped over the other side. Everyone waited and from her side she opened the gate a very small amount. Everyone squeezed through and Roan shut it quietly. They all kept to the shadows as they went up the gravel driveway. When they got closer Robin and Will went to the front door. Two Hunter's were up there guarding the door. The boys took them out and the Hunter's were out cold. Will beckoned them over and they all came to the front door.
"Fred it's Will, we have visitors." He said through a speaker on the wall.
"Bring them in" Fred said and the door opened.
"That's new." Drew said.
"Yeah I don't remember that."
"Well Fred came after you both left and installed it. No one can get inside without speaking through it." Aimee explained. They all walked through the door and Hunter's walking around gave them funny looks as Drew and Roan walked passed in particular. They went upstairs and Robin banged on the office of Stella.
"What?" She asked.
"We have...visitors." Robin said.
"Who?"
"Look just let us Stella." Roan spat. Stella seemed to race to the door and flung it open.
"What are you doing here?" She asked. Roan didn't answer and Jake and Liam got behind her and forced her hands behind her back. They pulled her back into the room and they all bustled inside. Roan shut the door and locked it as Jake tied Stella to the chair.
"Drew is that you? I thought you were..."
"Dead? No mum, I'm not dead, but I'm not happy." He said.
"I'm not surprised you being out there in this awful state. Being inhuman."
"No that's not why I'm unhappy mum. I prefer it. More freedom. No I meant you torturing Roan. My cousin and your niece!" He shouted. Stella looked down.
"Look, Stella, we need to talk to you." Liam said butting in.
"And who are you?" She asked.
"Number Three, you will recognise Number Two." He said. Stella nodded.
"The all great Number Three. You're the reason why Roan wouldn't give you up. Good looking guy Roan, you're lucky." Stella said.
"Don't speak to me. This was not my idea and it's not me that's asking." She snapped. Stella looked at Drew.
"Look mum we need your help. Or the Hunter's help." He said. Stella raised an eyebrow and Jake and Liam explained the situation, from the beginning. When they were done Stella was quiet. Really quiet.
"How do I know this isn't just a trap?" She asked.
"I guess you will just have to trust us." Liam said.
"These guys do." Drew said pointing to Will, Aimee and Robin.
"They're the good guys Stella." Aimee said.
"Are they now?" Stella asked. Aimee looked down and Robin spoke up.
"Don't Stella. You never give anyone else a say. They will only kill you and take over the Hunter's themselves. They need help and are you going to toss the only way of getting peace away?"
"Come on mum. I wouldn't lie to you."
"But you've changed." Stella had tears in her eyes.
"Not that much. I shrink down into a chameleon, doesn't mean I'm not still your son." Drew said. She was quiet for a minute and then spoke.
"Ok. Now untie me so I can hug my son." She said. They did as she asked and she embraced Drew in her arms. Roan still refused to look at her and Liam noticed this. He felt bad, but they needed all the help they could get.
"Will, Aimee and Robin round up all the Hunter's in the main hall. I have a speech to make." She said. They nodded and dispersed. Stella faced Roan.
"I am really sorry Roan, if there is anything I can do to make it up to you..."
"Yeah...stay out of my way." Roan said and she too left the room and ran down the stairs. Liam chased after her and followed her outside. He wedged his shoe between the door, so it wouldn't shut, and set next to her on the steps.
"Give her a chance Roan." He said.
"But she let me down. So why should I after what she did?" Roan asked him.
"I know, but when she sees what she did wrong, she will really mean the apology. This is what you want isn't it?" He asked. She nodded.
"Then don't let it get to you. That was in the passed." He said. She nodded and he put his arm round her shoulders and she leaned into him. He kissed her forehead as they sat in silence.
When everyone was rounded up Stella made her speech in front of everyone. She explained what was going on and what was happening. All the Hunter's were there and the families were sent home, but everyone else was to fight. She split them all off into groups and who was going in which vans. She had just under seventy Hunter's which was more then enough to help. Jake then said a few extra things.
"We really appreciate this and you will not forget it. We really aren't as bad as you think and you could be saving so many innocent lives and souls. Roan and Drew will be driving the car in front and you all will follow in the vans. Please be careful out there. We will see you at the house." He said. The room the went up into the loud and excited chatters and Liam and Jake began to speak with the group they came with.
"Me, Alex and Jake will all go straight home. The rest of you go in the vehicles. We need people to stay calm and people who know where they are going." Liam said. They all nodded and Liam went up to Stella and shook hands with her. She then came up to Roan and her friends.
"Roan and Drew you will be in my car. I will drive a van and each of you three can drive one. The Other vans will have to tag along behind." She said. They all the split up and the vans were all brought out and Hunter's filed into them. Roan was driving and Drew sat next to her. She drove to the end of the drive and the gate opened. The vans started to pull up behind her and when she heard a horn she knew that was the last. She then turned out of the drive and back for home.
Back at home Liam and Jake were delivering the news and were just waiting for them all to arrive. They were deciding on how long it would take and what Hazel and Darren would be doing. They weren't sure quite where this battle was going to be, but Liam had a fair idea. He and Jake were busy sorting out the rooms all over again. This time it was humans and each Hunter had been ordered to bring sleeping bags from the emergency packs they had. It was all they could do as they only had a certain number of rooms. Drew would have the room he had been given and Stella would be in Hazel's room. If she wanted it. They cleared up the ballroom and they collapsed on the sofa's.
"Are you and Roan all right now then?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, we are now. I still can't believe she kept that from me."
"Mmm, but you both had your secrets. You still need to talk to her about being the fourth. She deserves that much, even though I still don't think she is." Jake said.
"Why?"
"I still feel they're out there still." Jake lent back and closed his eyes.
"Ok. Are you tired Jake?"
"Knackered."
Liam nodded and watched the candles on the table flicker. He kept thinking of what people thought of him and his siblings. How it was them against the world, except when Roan came along. If he hadn't of found her, this wouldn't have happened and he wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing. He wasn't going to decide either.
Roan and Drew sat in the car in complete silence. They weren't too far now and they had been driving for hours. At least the traffic hadn't been bad. Roan was still driving and she was tired too. She had been on her feet all day and she was looking forward to be able to just close her eyes...
"Roan be careful!" Drew shouted and she turned the wheel sharply to get round a parked car. "Are you all right? Wanna swap seats?" He asked.
"I'm just tired Drew and yeah that would be good."
Drew nodded and picked up the radio and spoke into it.
"Stella we're stopping for a minute just to change drivers, I suggest you all do the same. We aren't too far now, about forty five minutes." Drew then put down the radio.
"Stella?" Roan asked, indicating to the side of the road.
"What about her?"
"No, you said Stella not..."
"She doesn't deserve her other title. She has to earn that back."
Roan got out of the car once it stopped and swapped places with Drew. All the other vans behind her were changing round as well. When she got to the boot Stella came running to her. Roan moved away from her.
"Look Roan, I'm sorry about what happened and what I did."
"Look this really isn't the time Stella. And it's only because Drew didn't call you mum that your telling me this. It will have to wait, right now I want to go to bed." She said.
"Ok, I am truly sorry though, no matter what you believe." She said. Drew then also got out of the car and walked straight passed his mum before getting into the drivers seat. Roan just nodded and got into the passenger side. Stella ran back to her van and climbed back in. They all then set off once again.