The Resistance

could feel his blood pressure rising, could feel his heart pounding away in his chest like an out-of-control train rushing down the tracks; he would need a new one in a matter of days, would ensure that one was grown for him immediately.
    ‘I hope so, for your sake,’ Hillary said darkly. Richard turned his chair around so that he could look out at the river. Across the river he could see the dim, dull lights of the Authorities’ various buildings. All afternoon Pincent Pharma’s switchboard had been inundated by calls from people within those same buildings perturbed by the lack of light emanating from his side of the river, asking with barely concealed delight whether there were ‘any problems’. He knew full well that there was nothing the Secretary General would like more than an excuse to take Pincent Pharma into state control. Today had to go well. Peter had to follow the script.
    ‘Shall we go?’ he asked, forcing a smile.
    ‘Yes,’ Hillary said sternly, standing up and brushing out imagined creases in her skirt. ‘Let’s.’
    Mr Samuels pointed to the programmer’s vacated chair; when Jude sat down, it was hot and wet from his sweat.
    ‘And now,’ Mr Samuels said, ‘you will tell me everything you know. If you don’t, you will experience pain beyond anything you have ever imagined. Do I make myself clear?’
    ‘Perfectly,’ Jude said calmly. He expected to be terrified, was waiting for the panic to set in. But, strangely, he felt neither of those things. He felt alive. He felt, for the first time in his whole life, like he mattered, like he was part of something good.
    He pretended to frown at the computer screen. ‘You want me to track the problem with your energy? My rate is five thousand a day,’ he said.
    ‘Four of my guards are dead,’ Mr Samuels said, his voice low and angry. ‘Is it a coincidence that guards were killed on the very day you enter the building? That our energy system goes down also? I don’t believe in coincidence, Jude.’
    ‘Dead?’ Jude said, shaking his head incredulously and noting archly to himself that Derek Samuels wasn’t mentioning anything about some missing Surpluses. ‘But you can’t think I had anything to do with it. I’ve been locked up all this time.’
    Derek Samuels stared at him icily for a few seconds before standing up. ‘You have five minutes,’ he said. ‘Five minutes to tell me what’s going on.’
    Jude’s eyes flicked down to his watch. The press conference would be starting soon. He was fairly sure Derek Samuels would want to be there.
    ‘Look, I wish I could help, I do,’ he said, playing for time. ‘But this is really nothing to do with me. None of it.’
    As he spoke, the door flew open and a man appeared in the doorway.
    ‘Derek, we’re starting now.’
    Jude felt his heart quicken as he realised who it was. Richard Pincent, regularly described as the most powerful man in the world. He was wearing a suit; his voice was relaxed. He didn’t know, Jude realised. He couldn’t know.
    ‘The guards are in place,’ Derek Samuels said, immediately standing up. ‘I’ll be right behind you.’
    Richard nodded, then he moved closer, his eyes glistening dangerously. ‘Behind me?’ he asked. ‘No, Derek, not behind me. You’ll go now and you’ll get Peter. You will escort him personally to the lobby and you will satisfy yourself that everything is as it should be. Then you will make it absolutely clear to my grandson that if he does not do exactly as he is told, his little friend will be locked up for the rest of her short life. Do you understand? There will be no more problems today. Nothing will go wrong – do I make myself absolutely clear?’
    ‘Yes, sir. Perfectly.’ Mr Samuels nodded; Jude could see a drop of sweat wending its way down the side of his face. ‘Mr Pincent, about the girl.’
    ‘Yes?’ His face was like thunder, Jude found himself thinking. ‘She’s been dealt with?’
    Derek Samuels hesistated. ‘Yes, sir. Yes, that’s right.’
    ‘Good. I’m waiting, Derek.’
    ‘Of course, sir.’ Derek Samuels grabbed two guards and ordered them to hold Jude. ‘Hold on to him until the conference is over,’ he said. ‘Keep him where you can see him. Where I can see him. Where everyone can see him,’ he said, his own fear appearing to compound his anger. He leant in close so that his face was just centimetres from Jude’s. ‘Once everyone has gone,’ he whispered darkly, ‘you and I are going