The Resistance

orders.’
    ‘Four-three-one,’ Dr Edwards said, his heart pounding in his chest, every hair on his body standing erect. He took out his phone, pretended to call Richard.
    ‘Yes?’ said Pip at the other end.
    ‘Mr Pincent. I wish to see the prisoner. Would you mind sending order to the guard please?’
    ‘You’re stalling,’ Pip replied. ‘You’ve got the stun gun. Use it.’
    ‘Thank you,’ Dr Edwards said. ‘I’ll wait here.’
    The guard looked up. ‘I’m going to get the order, am I?’ he asked.
    ‘Any minute now,’ Dr Edwards said. His hands were trembling as he took out the gun. The guard was looking expectantly at his walkie-talkie; he didn’t even have time to look up before the sedative took effect.
    ‘Peter,’ Dr Edwards hissed, but Peter was already beside him, having watched the whole thing.
    ‘Get his key.’
    Dr Edwards moved towards the guard tentatively, pulling him on to his side. And then something made him retch. There was blood. On his jacket.
    ‘It’s a stun gun,’ he said, his voice a whisper. ‘Pip said it was a stun gun. Why is he bleeding? Why would he . . .’ He felt the guard’s pulse – nothing.
    Immediately Dr Edwards fell to his knees. ‘I killed him! I killed a man.’ His hands were in his hair, his brain racing with shock, with incomprehension.
    ‘You killed a guard,’ Peter corrected him. ‘And there’s no time for this. Come on, we have to get to Anna.’
    Peter pulled the keys from the guard’s belt loop and opened the door then heaved the body through it; Dr Edwards, still in a state of shock, helped him. The room was dark except for emergency lighting which bathed the floor with a warm glow; he could make out the figure of a girl, sitting on a hard chair, her expression anxious; the only sound in the room was the rasping breathing of the baby she was clutching to her. She looked at his white lab coat, the Pincent Pharma photo ID pinned to his chest pocket and shrank back.
    ‘Anna!’ Peter rushed over to her. ‘What happened?’
    ‘Peter?’ Anna jumped up, her expression changing from fear to amazement, and hurled her arms round his neck. ‘Oh, Peter, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to let you down . . .’
    ‘You could never let me down,’ Peter said tightly. ‘Never.’ He took her in his arms, and she flinched a little. Then he frowned. ‘You’re hurt,’ he said angrily. ‘What have they done to you?’
    ‘Nothing,’ Anna said quickly. ‘Just the guards, they . . . It’s nothing, really. But there was a doctor. He said he needed to do some . . . investigations,’ she said, looking at Dr Edwards. ‘But it’s Ben who needs a doctor. I think he’s ill. I think he needs help.’
    Dr Edwards moved towards Anna and felt the baby’s head; it was burning up.
    ‘Why are you here?’ he asked, relieved to have another focus. ‘Who brought you?’
    Anna looked up at him, wide-eyed. ‘The police. The Catchers. He said Maria was a Catcher. I thought Maria wanted to save the children and I wanted to help . . . I wanted to . . .’ As she spoke, fat tears began to cascade down her cheeks. ‘I’m sorry,’ she choked. ‘I’m sorry . . .’
    ‘Don’t be sorry,’ Peter pulled her into him gently. ‘Don’t ever be sorry, Anna. This is all my fault . . .’
    Dr Edwards looked around the room. On a small table in the corner sat a file; quickly he picked it up and crouching low, close to the light, he started to read. Then he swung round.
    ‘These medical investigations,’ he said, his voice catching as he spoke. ‘Do you know what they were for?’
    Anna shook her head and Dr Edwards felt his shoulders tighten with determination, with anger – at Richard for what he’d done, at himself for not knowing about it.
    ‘Anna,’ Peter whispered, ‘we’re going to get you out of here. We’re going to get you a long way away. Pip’s here. And the Underground. They’re waiting for you. Waiting to help.’
    ‘Pip? He’s here?’
    Peter nodded. ‘There are Surpluses here,’ he whispered tightly. ‘I followed my grandfather. I found Unit X.’
    ‘Unit X?’
    ‘They’ve got Surpluses there. They’re pregnant. He’s using them for Longevity+. Embryonic stem cells. They’re . . .’ He looked away, the image of Sheila making him shudder involuntarily.
    ‘They’re not the only ones,’ Dr Edwards said, his voice strained.
    ‘Not the only ones what?’
    Dr Edwards met Peter’s eye then looked at Anna. ‘I mean they’re