THE CLEARING Read Online Free

first,’ FJ said to him without a trace of fear in his voice. ‘Who are you?’
    The man laughed.
    Liss was shocked at FJ’s insolence. He wouldn’t dare have talked to mum and dad like that. But she was glad FJ was brave because she felt like jelly. She backed up towards her brother and turned around to face the man. He was quite short and totally bald. But his clothes were smart and he didn’t look too scary.
    ‘Very well, my name is Mr Carter,’ the man said. ‘Your turn.’
    ‘I’m FJ. I mean Frederick.’
    Liss looked at her brother. She would have burst out laughing if she wasn’t so scared. He never used his long name, it always sounded far too grand.
    ‘Hello, Frederick,’ said Mr Carter. Then he turned his gaze to Liss. ‘And who might you be?’
    ‘This is my sister, Melissa,’ FJ said. ‘What are you doing here? Outside our farm.’
    ‘ Your farm? Well that’s a stroke of luck,’ Mr Carter said. ‘We were just coming to talk to you. Well, to warn you actually.’
    ‘Warn us?’
    ‘Yes. There are raiders on their way here. I’m afraid they want to take your farm away from you.’
    ‘No!’ Liss cried.
    ‘They can try,’ FJ said, ‘but they won’t be able to get in. Our fence is electrified.’
    ‘Alas, that will not stop them,’ Mr Carter said.
    ‘FJ.’ Liss tugged on her brother’s t shirt. ‘We’d better go back and warn mum and dad.’
    ‘So it’s only you and your parents here is it?’
    ‘That’s none of your business,’ FJ said.
    ‘Now, now. No need to get testy. I’m just being friendly.’
    ‘We’ll be going back now,’ FJ said, ‘to tell our parents. Thanks for the warning.’ He took Liss’s hand and they began to edge past Mr Carter.
    Liss turned back to the man as something had occurred to her. ‘You said ‘we’.’
    ‘Sorry?’ Mr Carter replied.
    ‘You said ‘ we were coming to talk to you’. Before.’
    ‘So I did. You’re a sharp one.’
    ‘Does that mean someone else is with you?’
    ‘Yes, my brothers are here with me. They will return momentarily. Aah, talk of the devil.’ Mr Carter looked beyond FJ and Liss. He smiled and nodded. ‘Meet Cassius and Mark, my brothers.’
    Before Liss had a chance to turn around, she felt a hand come around her waist and another hand tape something across her mouth. She was then lifted into the air before she could even scream.
    The same thing was happening to FJ and she locked eyes with him for a fleeting second. In that brief moment, he gave her a look of panic, defiance, apology and . . . something else . . . something which seemed very much like excitement or . . . triumph.
    Liss would remember that look in the months which followed, as it was to be years before she laid eyes on her brother again.

Chapter Four
    Riley
    *
    When Luc and I arrived home, we were out of breath. Ma and Pa were waiting for us wearing serious expressions. Liam didn’t tell us anything more on the jog back home and left as soon as we reached the house. We’d pressed him for information but he wouldn’t say.
    I had that lurching feeling in my stomach, a feeling I’d come to know too well.
    ‘What is it?’ I asked my parents. ‘Just tell me.’
    ‘It's okay, Riley,’ Pa said. ‘No one's hurt.’
    I immediately relaxed. For one horrific moment, I’d been transported back to the day when they told me my sister had been killed. They’d had similar expressions on their faces that morning.
    ‘You’ve got some visitors,’ Pa said. ‘From outside.’
    ‘Liam told us that already. Who is it?’ I asked.
    ‘They’re at the guards' house,’ Pa continued.
    ‘I don't think they should see them at all,’ Ma interrupted. ‘We should let Eddie and the guards deal with them. After what they did . . . Who knows what could have happened.’
    ‘Who is it?’ Luc and I said at the same time, desperate to know.
    ‘It’s that couple - Fred and Jessie,’ Pa said grimly.
    ‘What!’ I cried. ‘What the hell are they doing