Numbers 3: Infinity by Rachel Ward Read Free Book Online Page B

debating whether theinformation might be useful – to him.
    ‘She’s here,’ he says eventually.
    Is he telling me the truth? I have no way of knowing.
    But there’s only one way to find out.
    The corridor is empty apart from a few wooden chairs lining the walls. The artificial glare of strip-lights on the ceiling hurts my eyes. At the end of the corridor is a metal grid, and behind that is something that looks like a lift door.
    I follow Saul to the grid. He presses a button on the wall, but there’s already a whirring and whining sound. The lift thunks to a halt. Then the door concertinas open to reveal a squad of people in white coats, and another uniformed guard. He slides open the metal grid.
    The white-coats barge past us at the double, heading to the bunker entrance.
    ‘Adam Dawson’s ETA five minutes,’ Saul says to one as he passes.
    The man merely nods. He’s wearing a tweed jacket under his white coat. None of the other white-coats looks at me. It’s as if I’ve become invisible.
    I step into the lift. It’s huge, easily big enough for twenty people. It’s an antique, though – the control panel isn’t a set of buttons but a retro dial with a metal handle. I hear the grid slide shut behind me, and I spin round.
    Saul’s standing on the other side of the grid. ‘This is Sarah,’ he says to the guard. ‘I’m going to wait for Adam. He’s the important one.’ His piercing black eyes turn on me. There’s a mocking glint in them. ‘Don’t worry, Sarah. It’s thirty metres deep, you know. Safest place in England. Just one way in, and one way out.’
    ‘I want to see Mia,’ I say. ‘And Adam.’
    ‘You will,’ he replies, turning his back on me.
    I’m dismissed. Unimportant.
    The guard heaves the lift door shut, then winds the handle to ‘DOWN’.
    The whole thing judders, and my stomach flips as the lift starts to drop into the earth.
    What the hell is this place?

Chapter 12: Adam
    I can hear voices.
    ‘We’ve got eye movement … He’s coming round …’
    Who are they talking about?
    ‘Adam. Adam, can you hear me?’
    Now they’re shouting at someone called Adam. I feel sorry for the poor sod, whoever he is, with people yelling at him like that.
    I open my eyes a little but the light’s so bright I shut them again quickly.
    ‘Did you see that? He’s back. Adam! Adam!’
    I open my eyes again, and a circle of faces begins to drift into focus. Am I meant to know these people? I look from one to the other. They’re faces with eyes and noses and mouths and numbers, but I’ve no idea who they are or who I am or where I am. All I know is I’m alive and breathing. What happened?
    One of them’s talking to me now. Face like it’s been squashed in a lift door. 8112034. Fifty-something, tweedjacket under a white coat. His hair’s too brown, not a hint of grey, parted on one side and hanging in two curtains either side of his puffy cheeks.
    ‘Adam, if you can understand me, blink now.’
    I understand him, I’m just not sure I’m called Adam, but I blink anyway. A ripple of excitement runs round the circle of faces.
    ‘Good,’ he says. ‘Now can you squeeze my hand?’
    I peer down my body, past the big collar thing round my neck. The guy’s holding my left hand now. Bloody hell, I don’t even know him, do I? Or is he my dad or something? His chubby fingers squeeze mine.
    ‘Can you feel that? Can you squeeze back?’
    I squeeze back.
    ‘Excellent.’
    He works his way round my body. Arms, hands, legs and feet – all in working order.
    ‘Remarkable,’ he says. I don’t know him, but I’m pleased he’s pleased. I start to relax. ‘What’s my number, Adam?’
    He asks it all casual, just lobs it in like any of his other questions, but it’s not the same. I don’t feel relaxed now. Alarm bells are going off in my head. Then I hear another voice. But it’s not someone in this room. The voice is in my head.
    You mustn’t tell, Adam. Not anyone. Not ever.
    ‘I