20. Carly
Carly
I t’s crazy how much has changed in the space of twenty-four hours.
I don’t know whether to feel relieved that Eddie, or Brent as I’ve now learnt, and Iris are here with us or more frightened.
Hearing Brent tell Iris he was undercover had been a relief, but it probably just made the bad guys even angrier. And what could that mean?
We didn’t get breakfast this morning but we haven’t been abandoned. We’ve had to skip meals before and usually that means no one comes. Today they’re here, but without the food.
Kyle enters the warehouse with the bald man. Iris gasps quietly next to me and I glance at her, my eyes willing her to not make another sound.
‘That’s Matteas,’ she whispers.
I’m not sure who she’s saying it to because the name means nothing to me, although Taj and I had been wondering who the mysterious bald man is.
‘Shhh,’ I respond, because I don’t want anyone getting a beating and looking like Brent does.
The warehouse is silent and I wonder if the men can hear the grumbles of our stomachs or the racing of our heartbeats. They walk from cell to cell, counting and jotting down notes. This is definitely something new.
Then they’re back out the door and there’s a collective exhale around the warehouse.
‘What was that?’ Iris asks me.
I shrug. ‘Never seen that before.’
‘Iris.’ The voice comes from the cell next door. It’s Brent. ‘Iris?’
‘Yeah,’ she says.
The relationship between these two makes me nervous. It’s only been a few conversations this morning but I can tell Brent is annoyed with Iris. I can understand why but Iris was only trying to help. I just hope the two of them can stop hating each other and help us all get out of this mess.
‘They’re moving us,’ Brent says.
My head snaps in Brent’s direction, and I join Iris at the corner of our cell that meets with Brent and Taj’s.
‘What do you mean?’ she says.
‘There’s been talk about this for a few weeks. They’d anticipated needing to move soon or risk being caught so there was a plan.’
‘And?’ I say, trying to sound grown up even though I feel younger than ever. What wouldn’t I do to give my mum a cuddle and let her rock me in her arms like she used to.
‘They’re counting assets and preparing transportation. I got a look at the paperwork. I’ve seen it before.’
They’re moving us. That can’t be good. If Brent has other police he was communicating with, then they know where we are.
If we move, we could be gone forever. It’s been almost seven weeks.
I wonder what my parents are going through.
Are the news programs still showing my face as a missing person?
Perhaps they’ve moved on to reporting the next tragedy, the next missing child.
At least six more have arrived since me.
‘What do we do?’ Iris asks.
‘Taj,’ Brent says. ‘Are there still fourteen of you here? No one’s been taken anywhere since last night?’
He nods. ‘Fourteen, including Carls and I.’
‘Okay, we need to come up with a plan. We can’t let those bastards take all the kids. We need to delay or trick them.’
‘I’ve got an idea,’ Iris says.
Brent attempts to smile, though his beaten face makes it more of a grimace. ‘Thought you might.’
My heart skips a beat. They’re working together. This could be the start of our rescue.