Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts #1)(6)

‘Look,’ hissed Abi, pointing to something in the papers.

The van pulled up in front of the house and a thickset man, hair buzzed almost to his scalp, got out. He wasn’t wearing the LAB outfit, but something that looked more like a police uniform. A truncheon hung from his utility belt and knocked against his leg as he walked over.

‘Luke Hadley?’ he said, stopping in front of Luke. ‘Guess that’s you, sonny. Grab your bag, we’ve got another four to pick up.’

‘What does this mean?’ Abi asked the LAB woman, thrusting the clipboard under her face.

Several sheets were curled back and Luke recognized the face in the photo now uppermost as his own. The page was scored by a thick red line, with two words stamped across it.

‘What does it mean?’ The woman laughed nervously. ‘Well, “Surplus: reassign” explains itself, surely? Kyneston Estate has been unable to find any useful activity for your brother, so his file was returned to us for reassignment. As an unqualified solo male, there’s really only one option.’

Anxiety had won the tug-of-war, and was hauling Luke’s guts out length by length, helped along by fear. He wasn’t needed at Kyneston. They were taking him to Millmoor.

‘No,’ he said, backing away. ‘No, there’s been a mistake. We’re a family.’

Dad stepped protectively in front of him.

‘My son comes with us.’

‘The paperwork says otherwise,’ the LAB woman piped up.

‘Stuff your paperwork,’ Mum snarled.

And then it all happened horribly quickly. When the uniformed guy from Millmoor reached round Dad to grab Luke’s arm, Dad swung a fist at his face. It connected with the man’s jaw and he swore, stumbling backwards, his hands scrabbling at his belt.

They all saw the truncheon come down and Daisy screamed. The baton whacked Dad round the side of the head and he fell to his knees on the driveway, groaning. Blood trickled from his temple, reddening the little patch where his hair was going grey. Mum gasped and knelt beside him, checking the injury.

‘You animal,’ she yelled. ‘Blunt-force trauma can kill if the brain swells.’

Daisy burst into tears. Luke wrapped his arms round her, pressing her face against his side and holding her tight.

‘I’ll report you,’ said Abi, jabbing a finger at the Millmoor man. She peered at the name emblazoned on his uniform. ‘Who do you think you are, Mr Kessler? You can’t just assault people.’

‘How right you are, young lady.’ Kessler’s lips drew back across a wide, teeth-filled grin. ‘But I’m afraid that as of 11 a.m.’ – he checked his watch ostentatiously, rotating his wrist outwards so they could all see the dial, which showed 11.07 – ‘you all began your slavedays and entered a state of legal non-personhood. You are now chattels of the state. To explain for the little one here,’ he said, looking at Daisy, ‘that means that you are no longer “people” and have no rights at all. At. All.’

Abi gasped and Mum made a low moan, pressing her hand to her mouth.

‘Yes,’ the man continued, with that thin-lipped smile. ‘People don’t tend to think about that when they’re making their arrangements. Particularly not when they think they’re something special, too good to slave alongside the rest of us. So you have a choice.’

His hand went to the belt and unclipped something. It looked like a child’s drawing of a gun: blocky and intimidating.

‘This fires 50,000 volts and can incapacitate each one of you. Then we load you into the car, along with your bags. You four in there, and you’ – he pointed to Luke, then to the van – ‘in there. Or you can all just get in the correct vehicle. Simple.’

You could appeal these sorts of things, couldn’t you?

Abi had got them all into Kyneston. She’d be able to get him out of Millmoor. Of course she would. She’d wear down the labour bureau by force of paperwork alone.

Luke couldn’t let anyone else in his family get hurt.

He loosened his arms from around Daisy and gave her a gentle push away.

‘Luke, no!’ his little sis yelled, trying to cling more tightly.

‘Here’s what we’ll do, Dozy,’ Luke told her, kneeling down and wiping the tears from her cheeks. ‘I’m going to Millmoor. You are going to Kyneston, where you’ll be so super-special-amazing that when you tell them you’ve got a brother who’s even more awesome, who somehow got left behind, they will send their private jet to come and fetch me. You understand?’

Daisy looked too traumatized to speak, but she nodded.

‘Mum, Dad, don’t worry.’ Dad made a choking noise and Mum broke out in noisy sobs as he embraced them both. ‘It’s just for now.’

He couldn’t keep up this act much longer. If he didn’t get in that van quickly, he’d completely lose it. He felt empty inside, just bitter black terror washing around like dregs in the bottom of his stomach.

‘I’ll see you all soon,’ he said, with a confidence he didn’t feel.

Then he picked up his duffel bag and turned towards the minivan.

‘Aren’t you the little hero,’ sneered Kessler, slamming open the vehicle side. ‘I’m weeping here. Get in, Hadley E-1031, and let’s get going.’