Footsteps echo in the room behind us. Rhys and I turn around heads, frowning when we see it’s Anthony striding towards us, agrimace on his face.
“Sorry guys,” he says as he glances around the empty room. “I forgot to tell you yesterday, but the Council put a stop to the self-defence training.”
Rhys straightens. “What? Are you serious?”
Anthony winces and nods. “Yeah. They stopped it a few days after you guys left, regardless of what I and others on the security team said.” There’s a bitterness to his voice.
“Fucking hell.” I rake a hand through my hair and shake my head.
Self-defence lessons were one of the first things we implemented at Haven after we discovered just how unprepared the population was for a fight. That was made even more apparent after the Scourge attack. But instead of doubling down on training like competent leaders should, the Council just decided to… stop them?
What the fuck? I knew things had gone to shit since we left, butthis? It’s so much worse than we thought. What are the councillors playing at?
Rhys and I share grim looks. This isn’t going to end well for us, not when we have both the Scourge and the Lodge hunting us down.
Sighing heavily, Rhys turns to Anthony. “Well, since we won’t be training, maybe we should review security measures.”
Anthony winces, and my stomach clenches with dread. That’s not a good sign.
“What’s wrong?” I ask with a frown.
“You’re not going to like what’s been happening since you guys left,” he says, rubbing the back of his head.
“We already figured that they’ve reduced how many are in the security team,” Rhys says, waving him off.
“It’s not just that…” Anthony’s jaw clenches. “It’s best if I show you.”
He motions for us to follow and the three of us walk out of the training room and towards his office.
It’s worse than weever could have thought.
“You mean to tell me that not only have they stopped recruitment for the security team, but all weapons training has stopped as well?” Rhys snarls as he stares down at the piece of paper in his hands.
“Pretty much,” Anthony says, leaning back in his chair with a heavy sigh. With the morning sunlight streaming through the window, the dark circles around his eyes and the paleness of his skin are more apparent. As head of security in Rhys’s absence, all of this bullshit fell on him, and it’s obviously weighing heavily on him. “I got that order a week after you left, and no matter what I said, Elsa wouldn’t be swayed. She said there were better things to do than play with guns.” Disgust colours his tone.
“Elsaordered this?”
“I’m not sure. She was the only one I could talk to about it, and the other councillors didn’t seem too fussed about it, either.”
My brow furrows. None of this makes any sense. “These people do realise there are Scourge and Lodge bastards practicallysalivatingat the thought of getting inside Haven?”
Anthony shrugs. “I think they’re relying on the wall and gate to keep us safe and are ignoring that the Scourge have already got past it once.”
“This needs to be fixed. Immediately.” Rhys shoves himself away from the desk and turns towards the door.
“There’s no point talking to the Council, Rhys,” Anthony calls after him. “I’ve already tried multiple times.”
“Who says I’m going to them?” he throws over his shoulder with a determined look on his face. “I’m the one in charge of security protocols, not them. That was the agreement we made when we first arrived and they asked for my help. I’ll be damned if I put the people I care about in danger because of their incompetence.” He stalks out of the office.
Anthony and I exchange alarmed looks before hurrying after him.
He’s already in the communications room, barking orders into a radio when we catch up with him. He looks up when we enter.
“I want everyone on the supply team that’s here in the conference room in the next twenty minutes.” With his orders given, he dismisses us and focuses back on the radios.
Anthony shakes his head as the two of us hurry out of the room. “He’s really on one today,” he mutters. “Was he this intense when you guys were on the road?”
“A little. Mostly towards Ollie.” My lips twitch as I remember the many arguments the two had had during our journey together.
