Children of the Cull Read Online Free PDF

split, civilian to military.”
    “I meant you.”
    “Once upon a time.”
    She peered at me, weighing me up. I let her look.
    “Niamh Brennan,” she eventually said. “Fenton you’ve already met.”
    “And what about you?” I asked Broken-Nose.
    “Beck,” came the reply. It was strangely anti-climatic for such an impressive specimen.
    “They were your men? The ones the guards took down.”
    “They were.”
    “Shame. I thought you might know what you were doing.”
    Brennan found my audacity funny. From the depth of her scowl, Beck did not.
    “I mean, I get it; testing their defences. Very wise—but a frontal attack? A waste of good men. A waste of bad men, for that matter. How many have you got here?”
    “Just men, or do you want to know about the women too?” asked Beck pointedly.
    “Either. I’m all for equal opportunities when it comes to incompetence.”
    Brennan gave another laugh. “You’ve got balls, I’ll say that for you.”
    “You want into that place?”
    “I thought that was obvious. As you said, they must have something worth protecting.”
    “But you don’t know what?”
    “Do you?”
    I shook my head. “Don’t care, but I can get you in. For a price.”
    She nodded. “So, you’re a gun for hire.”
    “I prefer ‘consultant.’”
    “And what’s your price?”
    That was simple. “Drugs.”
    Brennan raised her eyebrows. “You don’t look like a junkie.”
    It wasn’t up for discussion. “You asked me what I wanted, and that’s my answer. Take it or leave it.”
    “Says the man who I could have shot at a moment’s notice.”
    I shrugged. “If you do, you’ll never get in. Your choice.”
    Brennan smiled again, this time showing teeth that instantly aged her. I doubted they had a dentist in the camp.
    “Forty-two.”
    Her answer confused me. I didn’t like being confused.
    “Sorry?”
    “You asked how many of us there are. Forty-two. Until this morning it was forty-six.” She looked around herself. “Living here, in the place... we’ve had it worse. But living there , with fences and a moat?”
    “A palace fit for a queen.”
    “Get us inside, and I might just make you my king.”
    I grinned. “How can I refuse... Your Majesty?”

 

     
    CHAPTER FIVE
    CURE
     
     
    T HE DOOR TO Samuel’s room was open, the observation area full with medical staff, Dr Atkins, Dr Heslin, a smattering of nurses. They stepped back as I entered, clearing a path to Samuel’s quarters.
    “Show me,” I told Ed, letting the nurse take the lead. I followed him into the room, Allison and Olive leading the rest of the staff in behind me.
    I took one look at what greeted us and ordered everyone out.
    “Dr Tomas—” Olive began, but I herded them from the room like cattle.
    “Everybody out! If you’re not Dr Harwood or Nurse Dunning, leave immediately.”
    Olive tried to argue—of course she did—but she was the only one. The rest of the staff obediently filed from the room, George Atkins glancing over his shoulder to take one last horrified look.
    “Clear the observation area, too,” I barked, shutting them out. “We don’t need an audience.”
    And then there were three—four if you included the body.
    I took a breath and turned to face the boy sprawled on the floor.
    Allison was standing with her hands over her mouth, staring down at Samuel. “Jesus Christ, Jasmine.”
    Beside us, Ed Dunning flinched, his Catholic upbringing clearly offended—but a little blasphemy was the least of our concerns.
    I reached into my pocket. This time I wasn’t going for my meds. I pulled out a small silver voice recorder and, checking the available space on the SD card, hit record.
    “Time stamp: oh-seven-forty-three. Dr Jasmine Tomas, Dr Allison Harwood and Nurse Ed Denning present.”
    Allison stood aside as I walked over to Samuel’s body. There was every chance that she wanted to pass comment on the need for making a recording straight away, but protocol was all that held us