Page 116 of Drift

Drift went to snap something, then instantly didn’t.

Oh, fuck. He hadn’t. Someoneinthat townhouse had, though. That seemed to hit Drift as Light reasoned it.

“Fuck,” murmured Drift, and his look shot back to the house. “Oh fuck, fuckfuck.”

“Look. I trust you, okay?” He got the feeling Drift needed someone to, and Light went back in close, doing just that. “But we got sent a warning last night. It came from here because of the phone.” He searched his look. “Drift, that means someoneinhere is keeping tabs on you, and they don’t want us watching you as well. I need to know why they’re so focused on you when they’re giving every sign of going mass madness murder with a biological weapon.”

Drift eased back slightly, his eyes flatlining, and oh…. He knew… he knew something about someone being around to watch him.

“Point also being,” Light said quietly, “if they’re keeping tabs on you, then they’re also watching who you’re close to, which includes Jackson, West, and all the kids here. Maybe it’s tied to something you saw and shouldn’t have in Wales.” Light frowned. “Thing is… we need to know before they figure out how to move this virus from bloodborne to airborne.”

Drift watched him for a moment, eyes so much colder now. “If there’s someone watching, then they’ll know I’m talking to you. You got any idea what happens to people like that out here?”

Light shrugged. “What’s the alternative, Drift? Look, I can’t guarantee safety if you do come with me,” he said gently. “But I think… I think safety’s no longer guaranteed here for all of you either, not of this virus is going airborne. But I… I don’t think there ever was any safety for you here. Nor for West because of how from our cameras, you protect her as more than just a friend.”

Drift wiped a hand over his mouth and looked down at his feet. “Fuck.” He paled, looking so sick. “How—how do I know you’re not fitting me up? That all I’ll face there is Night-walkers or rozzers?”

Christ. Just what else had gone on to drive such a wide no-trust net? Well, besides all theabandoned at birth in a bin,living on the streetswith Night-walkers killing the only family he’d known besides the Farlands? “We let you run,” he said gently. “I get the feeling the Night-walkers wouldn’t have allowed you to do that twice, Jackson carrying you out or not.”

Drift briefly closed his eyes, and the ability to let go on trust played in every crease of his brow. He had the look of wanting to run, to find safety through hitting his way through it and no doubt would have done. But his refusal to look back at the townhouse, it called out who he’d have to leave behind, and Light knew that feeling all too well and what running alone had cost him.

“Drift?”

The soft tones came so stiffly, and Light shifted a look back to the trunk of the tree.

Long red hair shifting in the wind, whipping across her lips, West stood there looking as pale as Drift.

“What….” West took a step forward, stopped. “Have you two been fightin’? What’s going on? I mean… what’s really fucking going on. You—”

“West…” It came out as nothing more than a breath, and Drift gave a groan, then he went over and tugged her in with an arm around her neck before kissing at her head.

“Your home.” Drift looked Light’s way. “She’ll be safer there than here? I also know how to get out of there if you’re fucking us over.”

“What?” snapped West. “Who—”

“He’s looking for a halfway safehouse.” That came off Gray, who’d stayed quiet up until now. “One with familiar routes in case he needs to get out. Give it to him.”

Jack. He played at the back of Light’s mind, but…. “No fuck over,” he said gently. “It’s safe for as long as you both need it. And beyond if you call it.” He frowned. “But we really need a talk, Drift. We need to know what you know about the Night-walkers, and we need to do it now.”

West stiffened. “You’regoing fucking informer. Are you kidding me? Now? Why—” She cut that off too quickly, and a long look came Light’s way before she turned into Drift and whispered something in his ear.

Drift looked her way, then nodded before finding Light again. “She’s right. It’ll be another twenty-four hours before people take the lockdown seriously. We’re still on street rota because of it.” he said to him. “Jackson will pick up something’s off if we go before our slot: four pm, so too will anyone who might be watching. West’s performing whilst I show you the ropes, so we can all move then, but not until.”

“Smart lass,” said Simon quietly. “But see how quickly she steered Drift into coming here? She’s also delaying leaving, maybe to play it safe, maybe to give her time enough to tell someone….”

Light nodded. Four it was.

Four he could do.

Four would give him chance to look around, get a… feel for the home and West, those hiding within it, and just who was potentially watching them back.

“You both good?” Light threw a look at the loft door as he pulled on his jacket. Come half past two, he’d split Drift and West up for an hour or so, getting Drift to show him a vicious-looking parkour room, and leaving West alone in the loft. He’d slipped a surveillance camera discretely under the rim of a unit close to her bed, mostly just to see who West spoke to once they left the loft. Light didn’t know her, and Cath had taught him long ago to not run page blind to the people he took home with him. Simon kept him in the loop over what she was doing, but he’d only mentioned that West stayed on the bed, her look lost, more angry, out of the loft window sometimes, other times lost in sleep until a kid called Keyne went in and called 3.45 pm. She’d changed in the bedroom, and in a way, Light was glad Simon was on the other end of the surveillance and not him. Yeah, West needed watching as much as Drift, but with how Drift’s attention always shifted back towards the loft with West sat on her own, it didn’t feel right for Light to be the one doing it. Drift had taken to the bathroom not long after Keyne called the bathroom was free, and they’d all met back in the loft.

“Yeah.” Drift stayed by the window. Two chalky blue streaks split his fringe, and a tattoo of a snake weaving around a sword ran up his right arm. Clothes were different too: black sweats and T-shirt with a bomber jacket against the cold. Like West in her matching black sweats and T-shirt and jacket, it looked like the choice on clothes were done to allow movement, and Lightshook his head slightly. Although Drift rested a guitar at his feet, Light had a feeling Feeding was still the main game usually played when they went out, maybe more so with the risk of a thinned crowd and police around to ensure it. He hated to admit it, but that… disappointed him a little. Maybe a lot.

West finished tying up her hair into a long ponytail, and she sighed and forced a lot of ease into her smile as the girl who’d shown Light in poked her head around the door.

“Time. Back no later than ten tonight. Don’t make me come after you.” The girl eased into a smile and looked Light’s way. “Or make me.”

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