‘Sorry, Ewan,’ McCormick interrupted, with a soft voice that silenced the cellar, ‘but we have to consider all possibilities. We don’t know anything about Pearce’s technology, so it’s still possible for Alex to be the victim without being aware. Nonetheless, Jack’s suggestion of a blood test is a good one. Alex, I’m sure you understand.’

‘I’ll do it,’ said Ewan, his head pointed at the wooden door to the neighbouring house. ‘In the farm next door, out of everyone’s way. Mark, I’ll need a second guy – and some rope, a chair and a plate.’

Mark nodded, and headed up the stairs. Ewan turned to McCormick, and whispered to him with eyes of sympathy and sorrow.

‘You know what else this means, don’t you?’

McCormick nodded, visibly saddened.

‘Tell them, Ewan.’

Ewan turned to the crowd, hesitating before giving his command.

‘The rest of you,’ he finished, ‘pack up your things. If those clones remembered the way to Lemsford, they’ll remember their way here. Take whatever food and weapons you can carry. When the strike team leaves tonight, you’re all leaving here too.’

‘But—’

‘No buts, Thomas. Tonight, we’re leaving Spitfire’s Rise.’

A solemn silence fell over the crowd. Moving house had been difficult enough in the old days, but his surviving friends were faced with the task of doing so with one day’s notice and nothing more than two handfuls of belongings.

Grow some guts, all of you, Ewan thought. We all did exactly thesame thing on Takeover Day.

‘Alex,’ he muttered with a hand on the wooden door, ‘come with me.’

*

Ewan took no pleasure in tying Alex to a chair, although a part of him felt like he should have done. Alex had served the Underdogs well over the past year, but if it weren’t for the urgency of the situation it would have been nice to see the overconfident show-off put in his place. Mark had sat himself down on the floorboards, poking his fingers through the soil and uprooting the occasional carrot. The farm would be useless in a matter of hours anyway.

‘Alex,’ Ewan began, drawing out the hunting knife from its sheath, ‘I hope you understand, but I won’t be apologising for this.’

‘You never were good at basic manners.’

Ewan smirked. Alex wasn’t wrong, to be fair.

‘Before we do this,’ he said, bending over just slightly to look Alex in the face, ‘I need you to be completely honest. And I mean completely honest. Put your pride behind you, for the sake of all of us.’

‘Yeah, cos I’m a compulsive liar.’

‘I mean it mate. Don’t try being defiant. You’re talking to the pathological king of defiance here, so it’s better not to compete. You couldn’t have been cloned without knowing anything about it.’