One of Us by Jeannie Waudby Page A

‘social worker.’” He makes speech marks in the air.
    I nod. “Ril.” At least I won’t have to see Sue Smith again.
    â€œYou remember?” Oskar seems so worried. Or maybe he’s tired. “She’s the one who went to see Brer Magnus before you joined the Institute.”
    I nod again, ignoring the hard lump lodged in my throat.
    â€œI’ll be in touch very soon too.” He gives myshoulder a warm pat. “OK?”
    I can’t believe I’ve only been with him for a few minutes. “Oskar,” I begin. “I really need to talk to you . . .”
    He moves his hand under my elbow. “You’re doing great, K. Don’t forget the list. I’ll see you soon.” He propels me across the road. “You must stay strong. Ril will be in touch. Soon, very soon.”
    I swallow my disappointment. It isn’t Oskar’s fault that he has to go. I know I can’t ask him, but something has clearly gone badly wrong. I’m sure it’s more than the bomb scare. It’s certainly something urgent, maybe dangerous. Something he couldn’t share with me.
    He watches me scramble back through the fence into the Institute’s grounds. I wish he’d made the hole bigger. Oskar pulls the wires back together so that you can hardly tell they’ve been cut. He raises his hand in a silent wave, mouths the word “Ril,” and runs lightly into the trees on the other side of the road. I wait until I see his motorbike roar out and away down the hill toward Gatesbrooke.
    I don’t know what to do now. I was counting on talking with Oskar. I was so sure that he would help me see things clearly again. I wanted to ask him about the Gatesbrooke Massacre, why our soldiers did those terrible things. In the quiet woods all I can hear is the dripping of the leaves.
    Then I hear the throbbing of engines, growing louder up the Gatesbrooke road. First a motorbike appears. Oskar! I think, for one glad moment. Then another motorbike roars past, and another. Then a car crammed full of people, windows open, shouting. And a minibus,its windows filled with yelling faces. Not Brotherhood—that’s clear. Citizens. But where are they going?
    I wait by the fence until they’ve all passed and the engines have faded into the distance. Then I see a bicycle, its rider plugging up the hill, head down against the drizzling rain, standing up on the pedals. It’s a moment before I recognize Serafina. Where has she been? She must have left long before school ended. She doesn’t see me, hidden behind the fence in the trees, and I don’t call out to her, because then she might spot the damaged wire.
    She has disappeared around the corner when I hear the shouting begin, far up the hill near the Institute. And now all those cars and buses have stopped. They’re angry citizens. And Serafina’s going to ride straight into the middle of them!
    If I try to run after her on this side of the fence, the dense undergrowth will slow me down too much. I tear at the wire to find the broken bit, and yank the flap open again. This time as I scramble through the hole, the jagged edge grazes my other leg. But I don’t stop to look at it. I don’t look around to check whether anyone could be watching me. I start running up the hill behind Serafina.
    I hope she gets off and pushes her bike as the hill gets steeper. Then maybe I’ll be able to stop her before she rides into the middle of the angry crowd.
    But all I can think is that I’m on the wrong side. I’m running into danger to save a Brotherhood girl from my own people.

CHAPTER 11
    I T ’ S HARD RUNNING uphill in pumps that slip and slide on the wet road. Brotherhood girls are supposed to walk, like ladies. Instead of team games on the field, we have to do dancing in the gym. I still can’t see Serafina. I thud around the corner where the road straightens out before it reaches the