story, he sat without speaking for several minutes. Leah sipped at her water and rubbed a sleeve across her face to dry it. Isaac was staring at the table. He moved occasionally to scratch his beard or shift position in his chair, but otherwise he just sat there. An empty, defeated feeling washed over Leah. He didn’t believe her. She was an idiot, after all.
She was about to stand up to leave when Isaac let out a long, slow breath. “Children should not have to experience such things.”
Indignation flared inside Leah, burning away the disappointment. She wanted to tell him she wasn’t a child, that people should stop calling her that, but she kept quiet. In the silence, she heard footsteps approaching the room, and a quiet knock on the door.
Isaac looked across the table at her, his face serious. “Do you trust me, Leah?”
Leah considered the question, really thought about it, and found that she did, although she couldn’t have said why. She nodded.
“Good,” said Isaac, and he stood and went to the door. “Who is it?”
“It’s Katherine,” said a woman’s voice.
Isaac opened the door, and the woman with the scar walked into the room.
Leah pushed herself to her feet and dragged the chair around so that it was between her and the woman. She looked desperately around for a way out. Her only option was the window, but it was closed, and even if she somehow got through it, she’d never make it down to ground level in one piece.
As the woman, Katherine, came into the room and closed the door, Isaac walked towards Leah. He raised his hands out in front of him. “Don’t worry, little one. She’s not here to hurt you.”
Leah replied by grabbing the chair and holding it out like she was a circus trainer warding off a lion.
“He’s right,” said Katherine. “We’re on your side. I could have explained, if you hadn’t been so keen to get away from me.” The woman’s voice was warm and soft, and she sounded sincere, but Leah still didn’t trust her.
“Please, Leah,” said Isaac. “Just give me a couple of minutes to explain, and then you can choose if you want to stay or go.”
Leah glanced towards the window, then back at Isaac. “Okay, but stay over there.” She gestured towards the side of the room, away from the door.
“No problem,” said Katherine. She and Isaac moved out of the way, giving Leah a clear path to the door if she needed it.
“Do you know who TRACE are, Leah?” said Isaac.
“They’re terrorists.”
“One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” said Isaac. “TRACE believe that Transport have too much power, that they’re abusing that power and that they’re hurting ordinary people. TRACE are trying to stop them.”
“Transport provide us with food. They protect us from the Wild Ones,” said Leah.
“Transport control the food. They trade with people like me so that they can restrict access to the things people like you need. It gives them power. And those you call the Wild Ones are not as dangerous as you’ve been led to believe.”
“They’re cannibals!” said Leah.
“Perhaps… perhaps not.”
Leah wasn’t convinced. She’d been in the rural zone. She’d almost been caught by a pack of Wild Ones. They’d certainly seemed dangerous. “TRACE kill people.”
A sad look passed over Isaac’s face. “That is true, sometimes. But only if they have to.”
“Transport kill a lot more,” said Katherine.
Leah thought of the man in the alley, his lifeless eyes and the pool of blood spreading around him.
“But TRACE shot down a Transport airbus,” said Leah.
“No,” said Katherine, “they didn’t. An airbus was shot down, but TRACE weren’t responsible.”
Leah was dubious, but she lowered the chair to the ground.
“TRACE are not the bad guys, Leah,” said Katherine.
Leah looked at the woman. Her skin was tanned and leathery, as though she’d spent a lifetime living outside. The scar on her face gave her a permanent
She was about to stand up to leave when Isaac let out a long, slow breath. “Children should not have to experience such things.”
Indignation flared inside Leah, burning away the disappointment. She wanted to tell him she wasn’t a child, that people should stop calling her that, but she kept quiet. In the silence, she heard footsteps approaching the room, and a quiet knock on the door.
Isaac looked across the table at her, his face serious. “Do you trust me, Leah?”
Leah considered the question, really thought about it, and found that she did, although she couldn’t have said why. She nodded.
“Good,” said Isaac, and he stood and went to the door. “Who is it?”
“It’s Katherine,” said a woman’s voice.
Isaac opened the door, and the woman with the scar walked into the room.
Leah pushed herself to her feet and dragged the chair around so that it was between her and the woman. She looked desperately around for a way out. Her only option was the window, but it was closed, and even if she somehow got through it, she’d never make it down to ground level in one piece.
As the woman, Katherine, came into the room and closed the door, Isaac walked towards Leah. He raised his hands out in front of him. “Don’t worry, little one. She’s not here to hurt you.”
Leah replied by grabbing the chair and holding it out like she was a circus trainer warding off a lion.
“He’s right,” said Katherine. “We’re on your side. I could have explained, if you hadn’t been so keen to get away from me.” The woman’s voice was warm and soft, and she sounded sincere, but Leah still didn’t trust her.
“Please, Leah,” said Isaac. “Just give me a couple of minutes to explain, and then you can choose if you want to stay or go.”
Leah glanced towards the window, then back at Isaac. “Okay, but stay over there.” She gestured towards the side of the room, away from the door.
“No problem,” said Katherine. She and Isaac moved out of the way, giving Leah a clear path to the door if she needed it.
“Do you know who TRACE are, Leah?” said Isaac.
“They’re terrorists.”
“One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” said Isaac. “TRACE believe that Transport have too much power, that they’re abusing that power and that they’re hurting ordinary people. TRACE are trying to stop them.”
“Transport provide us with food. They protect us from the Wild Ones,” said Leah.
“Transport control the food. They trade with people like me so that they can restrict access to the things people like you need. It gives them power. And those you call the Wild Ones are not as dangerous as you’ve been led to believe.”
“They’re cannibals!” said Leah.
“Perhaps… perhaps not.”
Leah wasn’t convinced. She’d been in the rural zone. She’d almost been caught by a pack of Wild Ones. They’d certainly seemed dangerous. “TRACE kill people.”
A sad look passed over Isaac’s face. “That is true, sometimes. But only if they have to.”
“Transport kill a lot more,” said Katherine.
Leah thought of the man in the alley, his lifeless eyes and the pool of blood spreading around him.
“But TRACE shot down a Transport airbus,” said Leah.
“No,” said Katherine, “they didn’t. An airbus was shot down, but TRACE weren’t responsible.”
Leah was dubious, but she lowered the chair to the ground.
“TRACE are not the bad guys, Leah,” said Katherine.
Leah looked at the woman. Her skin was tanned and leathery, as though she’d spent a lifetime living outside. The scar on her face gave her a permanent
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