The Numbered

Chapter Sixteen

Hannah waited in the dark for him. She was now so cold that her feet felt numb and her teeth chattered. Where would they go eventually, what would they do? So many questions she just didn't have answers to. She did know that for now they were going to go to the coast. They could hide out in one of the beach huts she had seen as a kid. A rainbow of pastel-coloured little wooden shacks that the more privileged of her society got to enjoy during the summer months. She remembered the time when her parents took her to the beach as a small child. It was a hot Sunday morning when her father's work had called and cancelled his shift. The heat was stifling and even sitting in the shade in the back yard gave little comfort. She couldn't believe it when her mother told her where they were going. She was giddy with excitement as they bumped along on the bus. Arriving at Beau, Hannah climbed off the bus and inhaled deeply. The smell of salt water mixed with sweet fried food was intoxicating.

"Mummy, Daddy, come quickly. Let's make sandcastles," she'd shouted excitedly and ran towards the ramp down to the sand.

"Wait Hannah, stop! Not down there honey. We aren't allowed on that beach."

"Why not Mummy?" Hannah had asked, frustrated to be so close to playing on a beach for the first time.

"The Flawed beach is up here, just a little walk. Come now," her Mother replied.

Hannah was seven and she found the idea that she couldn't go on this part of the beach unbelievable. The little walk was anything but. For over a mile they trudged along, passing beautiful people lazing around on sun beds drinking cocktails. Lining the edge of the beach next to the wall were the beach huts. Each one of them lavishly furnished with day beds and mini kitchens.

"Daddy, do people live in them?" she asked pointing at the little houses that she longed to play in and have a tea party with her doll, Anna.

"No, sweetheart, they are just huts people use for the day when they come to the beach."

"So, what happens to them if the people don't come to the beach then?" she asked.

"Well they stay empty honey as the people who own them are at their other homes."

"Well those people are plain stupid, because if I had one, I would never leave it," she pouted.

Brought back to the present by the sound of an owl hooting nearby, Hannah knew that they wouldn't be able to stay in forever. But it was out of the holiday season and if they could get into one of those huts it would at least buy them some time to think and plan. Beau was one of the areas known to only have a few surveillance cameras and a small police presence. Just then Shane appeared in front of her with a large bag on his back.

"Come on, let's go," and he pulled Hannah up to her feet. "Stay behind me and keep quiet. We don't want to get caught curfew breaking."

They left Shane's back yard and silently slipped across the passageway. They walked slowly staying in the shadows, constantly on their guard. Hannah was terrified. She wasn't sure who scared her more- the people stalking her or the curfew guards who always shot first and asked questions later. The guards were also well-equipped with night vision goggles. They were the reason why the burglary rate had sharply fallen since their introduction five years ago. But everyone knew preventing crime wasn't their real job. It was preventing the Flawed from meeting up and conspiring together under the veil of darkness. If you wanted to terrify a population how better than to take the role of state-sanctioned bogey man.

They were making slow progress and had only travelled half a mile. There were a lot of guards out tonight, working in pairs, patrolling the neighbourhood working from a centrally positioned command vehicle. They went from door way to door way, yard to yard. Hannah's hands and knees were now pretty cut up as she clambered over yet another wall. All of a sudden a search light lit up the street in front of them. The beam of light moved up and down the pavements and then rushed over to the woodland in the near distance. The same direction they were hoping to make it to.

"Shit!" cursed Shane. He was a regular curfew breaker. Not for any nefarious reason, but he did not like being told when he could go out and when he should stay in. Even he was surprised the number of guards out on patrol tonight.

"Come," he said quietly and Hannah followed him. Watching the guards turn at the next corner, they ran across the road and hid behind a car. Hannah's heart was thumping painfully in her chest as she tried to calm her breathing.

"Not too long now and we'll be deep in the woods." Shane looked up over the bonnet of the car and checked all was clear.

"Hannah, it's quite a distance from here to the trees. I don't think we should attempt it together. You wait here, I'll go across first and then I can get a better view of where the guards are I will wave at you when it's safe to cross." He didn't give Hannah a chance to respond or argue as he picked himself up and ran.

The night sky was starting to lighten and Hannah was feeling a little more confident. The woods were moments away, densely forested and stretched for about eight miles. That would put them only ten miles away from the candy striped beach hut she was planning on making their temporary home. They would probably have to camp out overnight and break the journey up over two days. Hannah was glad Shane had packed extra food and a blanket.

Shane was almost at the tree line, his trainers silent against the asphalt. She raised herself onto the tips of her toes, poised to run. That's when she heard the noise. A loud crack echoed off the buildings around her. Hannah's head whipped to the right in the direction she thought the sound had come from. Then she heard shouting and saw four men in uniforms with weapons running together towards her direction.

"Shane," she called out and turned towards the trees where he should have been. She couldn't spot him as her eyes flicked from tree to tree. Then she looked further to the right and saw Shane laying on his front, partially obscured by a large bush. No movement, no sound came from him and in an instant Hannah knew he was gone.

"No," she screamed.