The Quadrants

Chapter 11

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CHAPTER 11

When the boys eventually set off down the road towards Titus's house, Rohan, with his bag on his back, took the opportunity to get some answers.

"This is ridiculous," he said. "What are we doing, Titus? And why did I just lie to my parents, and to Eve? We're not going camping, are we?"

"No. But Dante and my uncles are nervous, they think we should lie low for a while," said Titus. "They're convinced that man you saw is a tracker. Julius thinks he saw one of them in our street, too. They might be here because my family have been ratted out, and they've been sent to bring us back in, to Ignus. Quite frankly, I'm surprised it's taken them this long. How could they not have found us over all these years?" Titus's strides were long and sure, and Rohan jogged a little to catch up. "Anyway, Julius's bet is on them thinking one of us is that demidium—you or me. Either way, they know where we are now, and it's only a matter of time before they... do something. They'll either kill us on the spot, or drag us into the Quadrants... and then kill us."

Rohan gave Titus a look of distaste. "So... basically, they'll kill us," he said.

"Pretty much," Titus replied.

Rohan didn't think Titus looked concerned enough for someone potentially on the hit-list of an entire population. Rohan swung his head around to do a quick scan of their surroundings, to check they weren't being followed, because Titus didn't seem to care very much about it.

"Why do your relatives want to drag me into all this, if these people might only be after you lot?"

"No matter what they're here for, they've found us, and Julius says that soon this place will be swarming with trackers. Even if they were just after my family, you're a sitting duck if you stay at your house, with your parents. You don't want them to be in danger, do you?"

"Of course not." Rohan thought for a minute. "But how did they find us... or you? You've been here your whole life, haven't you? Why'd they suddenly show up now?"

"Dante says trackers would have been hunting all over the Outside for the past few months to find the demidium kid, since his powers would be coming out about now, if he, or she, is actually still alive. And they'd especially be looking in the places they think the Ashgroves might have been hiding before they were caught."

"So they were here?"

"Maybe. The informant in Ignus, the guy my uncles know, he never named Bakers Ridge as one of the locations, but I guess he can't know everything. You and I are around the right age," Titus went on. "And Dante thinks we must have been followed, up Bakers Hill."

"Oh. So someone saw us...?"

"Yep," said Titus, lowering his eyes. "Dante got it out of me."

Rohan glanced over at Titus, and noticed for the first time a faint bruise on the other boy's cheek bone. Not wanting to embarrass him, he quickly averted his gaze.

When the two of them arrived at Titus's house, the place was in disarray. The floor was scattered with various items—boots, jackets, dozens of knives—and Aurelius was busy rushing around, gathering equipment from here and there, and stuffing it into the half-filled backpacks spread around the floor. Rohan peered into the kitchen and noticed piles of food, in packets and bags, stacked up on the far counter. "What's happening?" Rohan asked Titus. "If we're not going on a camping trip, it certainly looks a lot like it."

Julius popped his head around a corner just then, when he heard the pair enter the room. "Oh good, you're here. Come and sit down." He had a serious look on his face as they each took a seat, and even Titus seemed uneasy this time. This worried Rohan.

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on? I should still be in bed right now. It's the first day of the holidays."

Julius took a deep breath before answering. "We're leaving Bakers Ridge, Rohan, and we're taking you with us."