I looked at her blood-caked face.
'You had to convert?'
'Yes. It was a condition.'
'So you performed the ritual?'
She nodded. 'They chose a Blood Hunter as the victim. Made it a little bit easier. I couldn't have done it to a prisoner. God knows what would have happened to us then, but I couldn't have done it. Even so, it was…' she broke off, unable to continue.
'So the girls are safe and you're the cult doctor, yeah?'
'Yeah.'
'I don't really want to ask this, but Mac…?'
'Yes, I patched him up. Not the prettiest job, and he died on the table twice, but I managed it in the end. I think it was sheer force of will that kept him alive. He's very, very angry at you, Lee.'
'No shit, Sherlock. But why the fuck would you help him?'
'It's my job. I save people. It's what I do. I don't… I try not to kill.'
'But after what he did, how could you?'
'How could I not?' she replied furiously.
I didn't know what to say to that. 'And he's David's right-hand man?'
She groaned. 'Yes. After I patched him up he asked to convert and David let him. Said he had brought a message from God and deserved to be saved. They chose a child for his initiation. A young girl, no more than fifteen. He didn't hesitate for a second. And then he started doing it again.'
'Doing what?'
'Worming his way in. Showing off, seizing the initiative, getting things done. He brought back more prisoners in the first month than they'd had in the previous three. Their strategist died in the attack on Hildenborough. Mac sussed that there was a vacancy, and filled it. David relies on him a lot now.'
'He should watch his back then. He'll be crucified before he knows it.'
'Not that easy. Mac doesn't have the same power base here. He's not been able to gather a little gang of followers. Everyone's first loyalty is to David. It was Mac who persuaded David to come here, and he devised the plan of attack. I think he stumbled across the, let's call them officers for want of a better word, a few weeks back, and they hatched the plan together. Lure you away, attack while you're off-site. He was incandescent when the attack on the school failed. He didn't anticipate such an organised resistance. And when he found the bodies of the boys in the truck yesterday evening, my God. Did you do that?'
I explained what had happened to us at the farm and subsequently. As I told her about killing Wolf-Barry she did the strangest thing. She reached out and stroked my hair.
'You poor boy,' she said, her voice full of compassion and sorrow.
I suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
'It was necessary,' I said awkwardly. 'I'm just doing what has to be done.'
She nodded, wordlessly. But she left her hand resting on mine.
'So what's with persuading David to let me convert?' I asked.
'I have no idea. Whatever he's got planned it can't be good.'
'But the ritual takes place outside, yes?'
'Normally.'
'Good. When we get outside things are going to kick off. With any luck there won't be a proper fire-fight, but if the shooting starts I need you to run, as fast as you can, across the road. There's a stile in the hedgerow a few metres to the left of the school gate. They'll be waiting for you and they'll give you covering fire if need be.'
She nodded.
At that moment a blanket was flung aside and Mac leered down at us.
'How's the reunion going?' he croaked.
'Sorry?' I replied. 'Couldn't quite catch that. Could you enunciate a little better, please.'
He looked down at me, furious. It's hard to talk when your lips have been partially burnt away.
I stood up and held out my hand.
'Hey Mac, you look great. No hard feelings, yeah?' I glanced down and pretended to be surprised that there was no hand for me to shake. 'Oh. Sorry.' Mock embarrassed.
'Come with me,' he said, with what looked like an attempt at a smile.
A crowd had gathered outside the tent, and Matron and I were led through them to a clear space in the centre where David was standing. This crowd was no good at all. The sniper wouldn't be able to get a good shot at David in amongst all these people. I was thinking as fast as I could but I had nothing. I might have to go through with this foul ritual after all.
'Have you selected a victim for today, David?' asked Mac. And something in his tone of voice made me even more uneasy.
'I have decided to take your advice, Brother Sean,' David replied.
The crowd parted and two men walked forwards, herding a boy between them. It was Heathcote. So now I knew what had happened to the boy manning the GPMG at the school gates. His face was streaked with tears and snot, and he was snivelling. He looked utterly petrified. He saw me and a moment of hope flashed across his face, but he swiftly realised what was going on, and he let out a low moan of animal terror. He started muttering: 'Oh God, oh God, oh God no, please God no.'
His escorts walked him into the centre of the space and forced him onto his knees. Once he was kneeling I could see that his hands were tied behind his back. One man grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, exposing the soft flesh of his throat. Heathcote fell silent, too terrified to even whimper. He knew he was about to die. As he looked over at me I saw the mingled pleading and fear in his eyes and I felt like I wanted to be sick.
I was so transfixed that I didn't even notice Mac walk up beside me. I only registered his presence when he whispered in my ear.
'You weren't there when we taught this bitch a lesson. You weren't there when we executed the men from Hildenborough. I made you my second-in-command but you never really earned it, did you? You never got your hands wet. Or your dick, for that matter.'
I clenched my fists. Mustn't let him provoke me. I had to think of a way out of this.
'It was too easy for you,' he continued. 'I wonder, would you have shot one of the prisoners that day if you'd been there?'
I turned to face him, defiant and angry.
'No, I wouldn't have. I'm not a murderer.'
He chuckled. 'You keep saying that, Lee. Who are you trying to convince? I should warn you, I'm a hard sell. I'm the one you betrayed, shot in cold blood and left to die, remember. Bates might disagree with you too. And I imagine you killed at least one of my officers yesterday. So what's the difference between a killer and a murderer, hmm? Coz you're definitely a killer.'
I just stared into his eye.
'No answer to that? Well, let's put it to the test. You have a choice. If you want to live you have to kill Heathcote. Take a knife, slit his throat, watch him die. And then you have to drink his blood. You want to be in my gang you have to earn it this time. If you refuse I'll put a bullet in both your kneecaps and hang you upside down to bleed.'
David was smiling indulgently at the pair of us. He couldn't hear what Mac was hissing in my ear, but he was allowing his favourite acolyte a little fun.
'And what's this lesson supposed to teach me?' I asked.
'That you aren't capable of doing what needs to be done,' replied Mac. 'If you kill Heathcote and join us, then I won't be able to touch you. You'll be protected as one of the brethren. Then you can plot and scheme to your heart's content. Try and bring him down the way you did me. You may even pull it off. God knows you're a devious little fuck. There's a chance that you might be able to save the school. And Matron, and the girls. But only if you stay alive. And you only stay alive if you kill Heathcote. Sacrifice him to save the others, or sacrifice yourself to save your conscience. Your choice.'
He pressed a hunting knife into my hand.
'You've cheated your way into leadership without ever having to make the tough choices. This is what
