“And we’re going to finally get on with the community projects that Nicholas and his like had been blocking,” Donall added, leaning forward. “Water supply, drainage, electricity.”
Hallie found herself smiling as she looked around the humans. They knew - better than anyone - just how much hard work was ahead of them, but for the first time in a long while they were looking ahead with optimism and hope for the future.
“We’re going to be here a few days at least,” the director added. “There’s a transport ship on the way to take the prisoners off the island and we need to wait for that.” From the sombre nods around the table, Hallie saw that all the humans had no objections to that. She could only imagine how Rhodda felt about having her son taken into custody by the Conclave. From Hallie’s perspective, it seemed a safer option than him working for Jonah. The director wasn’t finished, though. “We’ll be making inspections of the weapons that are being left here and pulling out the traps that Jonah’s men set around the house.”
“Some of the guns that the New Hope people were carrying were almost falling apart,” the commander put in, shaking his head slightly. “It’s a wonder no more people were injured.”
“If you don’t need me for anything, I’d like to help at the settlements,” Hallie said. “That is, if they could use me.”
“Another pair of hands is always welcome,” Donall told her, a hint of mischief in his face, “but you may regret volunteering when you’re put to digging ditches or clearing ground for more fields.”
Hallie laughed along with everyone else. Hard work or not, lending a hand to make the settlers’ lives a little bit easier seemed the least she could do.
Chapter twenty-nine
Aweeklater
Hallie groaned as she got out of the car onto the familiar low city street outside her home. She felt as if she’d been in motion all day and was looking forward to sitting still and not thinking for a good long while.
The transport ship which was taking the prisoners off the island, and also carrying the remains of the helicopter back to the Conclave, had been delayed and although Hallie, along with Girard and Peredur, had been picked up and brought back to Daydawn by helicopter, they hadn’t been able to leave the island until all the prisoners and Commander Rojas and his team were on board the ship.
She had spent those days working from sun up to sun down, and an hour or two most evenings as well, mostly physical labour as she worked alongside the Reunion settlers to complete the set-up of their drains and water system, then expanding the settlement to include foundations for another few houses. Itseemed that with Nicholas and his threats of retaliation gone, more people were interested in Reunion. Even when Rhodda had managed to convert some old ATVs into mini-diggers, it had still been back-breaking work. And that was in the smaller settlement. Hallie hadn’t wanted to think how hard it was going to be to do the same work for New Hope. Until the transport ship had arrived and, to the surprise of everyone apart from Peredur Roth, a set of old but still working construction machinery had been delivered to the island of Paradise. A couple of diggers, a tipper truck, a whole collection of heavy-duty power tools, along with a skip full of things like scrap metal that the islanders could turn to good use. She wasn’t sure just when Peredur had managed to arrange all of that, but the shock and joy on the islanders’ faces had made it all worth it, as far as she was concerned. There was still a lot of hard work ahead, but it was going to be helped along by the sort of machinery that was taken for granted in most places.
The machinery had arrived too late to help Hallie’s aching body, though. She hurt from her toes to the top of her head and wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to scrub the dirt out from under her fingernails. Luckily, one of the first priorities had been setting up showers so she wasn’t quite as filthy as she actually felt.
Coming back to the city had been a shock, seeing the sprawling mass of buildings, feeling and hearing the crowds of people. It almost made her wish for a return to Paradise, with its open spaces and the promise of a future the islanders themselves would shape. Almost. But this was her home.
Turning on her phone had brought her a few text messages from Cotovatre. The lady’s lawyers were still working with Wilona Talbot’s lawyers. Hallie’s stomach had turned at the fact it wasn’t resolved, even as she took some comfort from the reassurance in the lady’s words that it was just a matter of time.Hallie could easily imagine that Wilona was making matters as difficult as she possibly could.
“Thank you for the lift,” she said to Girard as he got out of the car.
“My pleasure,” he told her. He’d worked alongside her for the most part, getting just as filthy and doubtless just as sore as she was. Peredur had even joined them for a couple of days. Hallie thought that his and Girard’s quiet and uncomplaining participation in heavy manual labour had probably done more to soften attitudes tohochlenamong the islanders than anything else they’d achieved during their stay.
“You’re sure you and Rosalia want company?” Girard asked as he opened the boot of the car. He’d asked a similar question as they left high city and Hallie had exchanged text messages with Rosalia resulting in an invitation - that had read more like a summons - for them both to get back to the house as soon as possible as Rosalia had food to share.
“Absolutely. Rosalia wants someone apart from me to test her cooking,” Hallie told him with a grin. “She’s been experimenting.”
“That sounds great,” Girard said, lifting Hallie’s bag out of the back of the car. He’d experienced her roommate’s cooking before, and although they’d been well fed on Paradise, once Sylvie had taken charge of the extra supplies and kitchen duties at Reunion, the meals had been quite similar and Hallie found herself looking forward to something different. She was getting very spoiled, she realised, and decided not to feel guilty about it.
As she and Girard turned towards the front door, movement on the street nearby caught her eye. A figure standing in the shadows a short distance from her front door.
Girard went tense, hand going to the gun at his hip.
“It’s alright,” Hallie said, as the figure stepped out into the light. Surprise and dismay coiled through her. “It’s Peter.”
She hadn’t seen her half-brother for a month or more. The last conversation she’d had with him had been after their mother had told him he needed to start earning his keep. He’d been furious and had wanted Hallie to intervene, blaming her for what he saw as their mother’s cruelty. Hallie hadn’t had much sympathy for him. He’d been spoiled and indulged as their mother’s favourite for his entire life to that point. And a few nights before that last conversation, he’d invaded her home, threatened Rosalia, and stolen the money that Hallie had been so carefully saving. When she’d told Wilona about the theft, there had been no punishment for Peter. Hallie couldn’t remember a single time that her half-brother had forced any kind of consequence, in sharp contrast to her own treatment from their mother. Even though Peter had seen being told to work as punishment, it really hadn’t been, in Hallie’s view. Everyone in the family vine had to pull their weight one way or the other. Wilona Talbot didn’t tolerate laziness. Or, rather, she hadn’t tolerated laziness from anyone apart from her youngest son.
Now in the fading light of the day, Hallie saw changes in her brother. He looked older, somehow. The carefree brat she’d known had faded, replaced with a serious-looking man. It was about time he grew up, in her view. And he was hesitant as he looked at her. Wanting to speak to her, but not wanting to say anything with Girard there.
“Why don’t you go in and say hi to Rosalia?” she suggested, opening the door to let Girard into the house. “I’ll be along in a minute.”
“If you’re sure?” Girard asked, gaze on Peter.
“Yes. I’ll shout if I need anything,” she added. The soundproofing on the house was good, but a loud enough yell would carry. Particularly if he was listening for it.
“Alright,” he said. He still sounded reluctant, but took her bag inside and closed the door behind him, leaving Hallie facing her brother on the street. It was only after Girard had closed the door that Hallie realised she hadn’t even considered inviting Peter inside. He’d truly frightened her roommate, and she didn’t want to make Rosalia uncomfortable in her own home.
“What do you want?” she asked, keeping her tone as neutral as possible.
