side.
Charlie said, ‘Why isn’t he in prison?’
Connor had tried to kill the Outlaws on several occasions.
The nightmare got worse – Monday, a man so big that he looked like he could pick up a sumo wrestler in each hand and not break into a sweat, stepped out of the back of the SUV. Last, Cloud, a smartly dressed woman got out the of front-passenger side.
‘This is not happening.’ Jack spun around. ‘We’ve got to get out of here.’
‘What’s going on?’ Hector said.
‘Bad people,’ Charlie said. ‘ Very bad people.’
‘What do they want?’
‘I’ll give you one guess.’ Jack stepped in front of him. ‘Last chance – where’s the virus?’
Hector looked at the window. ‘I’m not telling you.’
‘What?’ Jack said, incredulous. ‘Yes, you are.’
Hector’s eyes moved to him. ‘You say those people are here for the virus?’
Jack nodded.
‘Then you’ve got to take me with you.’
‘We’re not recruiting,’ Jack said. ‘Tell us where it is or –’
‘Or what?’ Hector said.
They glared at each other.
Slink peered out of the window. ‘We haven’t got time for this.’
‘I’ll make a pact,’ Hector said in a calm voice. ‘Take me with you and I’ll tell you where the virus has gone.’
Jack shook his head. ‘No deal.’
‘Jack.’ Charlie grabbed his arm. ‘We can’t leave him for Connor to find.’
‘Yeah,’ Slink said. ‘They might beat the virus’s location out of him.’
Jack’s eyes didn’t move from Hector’s. ‘Where. Is. It?’
Hector sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.
‘They’ll be here any moment,’ Slink said, his voice urgent. ‘Are we staying to fight them?’
‘No, we’re not,’ Charlie said. ‘Please, Jack, let’s go.’
Jack hesitated, then he said to Hector through a clenched jaw, ‘OK. You’re coming with us, but if you try to run, we’ll –’
‘I won’t run.’ Hector stood up, grabbed a backpack from a table and held his hand out to Charlie. ‘Laptop, please.’
She handed it to him and there was a knock at the front door.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jack, Charlie, Slink and Wren sprinted down the hallway, following Hector into a cramped kitchen. He pulled up a blind, opened the window and scrambled out on to the fire escape.
Jack motioned for Wren to go next.
She climbed up and Hector helped her through.
There was another knock, louder this time.
‘Go,’ Jack said to Slink.
Slink jumped through the open window in one fluid movement.
Jack gestured for Charlie to hurry up too.
There was a loud bang as a heavy object rammed into the front door. Jack glanced down the hallway. He could guess what that object was – Monday’s shoulder or foot.
Charlie ducked through the window frame.
There was another bang, a cracking sound, and the front door burst open, the wood shattering and sending splinters flying.
Monday stepped into the hallway and dusted himself off.
Connor followed and, for a second, his cold eyes met with Jack’s. Connor’s face twisted into rage.
Jack leapt through the window and raced after the others. He clattered down the metal steps, almost tripping. ‘Hurry up,’ he urged.
Halfway to the bottom, Jack glanced up to see Connor staring down at him.
Connor reached under his jacket.
Jack turned and vaulted the remaining steps. He’d learnt from experience that Connor would not hesitate to shoot a bunch of kids. ‘ Run .’
They sprinted along the alleyway, around the building, and skidded to a halt.
Cloud stood in front of them, blocking their escape. She had her right hand under her jacket. ‘Don’t move.’
For a few seconds, no one did, then Hector spun on his heels and sprinted back around the corner.
There was no time to think. Jack, Charlie, Slink and Wren followed him, with Cloud in pursuit.
Connor and Monday were still hurrying down the metal fire escape.
As the Outlaws ran past, Connor cleared the steps and lunged for them. Wren ducked under his outstretched
Charlie said, ‘Why isn’t he in prison?’
Connor had tried to kill the Outlaws on several occasions.
The nightmare got worse – Monday, a man so big that he looked like he could pick up a sumo wrestler in each hand and not break into a sweat, stepped out of the back of the SUV. Last, Cloud, a smartly dressed woman got out the of front-passenger side.
‘This is not happening.’ Jack spun around. ‘We’ve got to get out of here.’
‘What’s going on?’ Hector said.
‘Bad people,’ Charlie said. ‘ Very bad people.’
‘What do they want?’
‘I’ll give you one guess.’ Jack stepped in front of him. ‘Last chance – where’s the virus?’
Hector looked at the window. ‘I’m not telling you.’
‘What?’ Jack said, incredulous. ‘Yes, you are.’
Hector’s eyes moved to him. ‘You say those people are here for the virus?’
Jack nodded.
‘Then you’ve got to take me with you.’
‘We’re not recruiting,’ Jack said. ‘Tell us where it is or –’
‘Or what?’ Hector said.
They glared at each other.
Slink peered out of the window. ‘We haven’t got time for this.’
‘I’ll make a pact,’ Hector said in a calm voice. ‘Take me with you and I’ll tell you where the virus has gone.’
Jack shook his head. ‘No deal.’
‘Jack.’ Charlie grabbed his arm. ‘We can’t leave him for Connor to find.’
‘Yeah,’ Slink said. ‘They might beat the virus’s location out of him.’
Jack’s eyes didn’t move from Hector’s. ‘Where. Is. It?’
Hector sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.
‘They’ll be here any moment,’ Slink said, his voice urgent. ‘Are we staying to fight them?’
‘No, we’re not,’ Charlie said. ‘Please, Jack, let’s go.’
Jack hesitated, then he said to Hector through a clenched jaw, ‘OK. You’re coming with us, but if you try to run, we’ll –’
‘I won’t run.’ Hector stood up, grabbed a backpack from a table and held his hand out to Charlie. ‘Laptop, please.’
She handed it to him and there was a knock at the front door.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jack, Charlie, Slink and Wren sprinted down the hallway, following Hector into a cramped kitchen. He pulled up a blind, opened the window and scrambled out on to the fire escape.
Jack motioned for Wren to go next.
She climbed up and Hector helped her through.
There was another knock, louder this time.
‘Go,’ Jack said to Slink.
Slink jumped through the open window in one fluid movement.
Jack gestured for Charlie to hurry up too.
There was a loud bang as a heavy object rammed into the front door. Jack glanced down the hallway. He could guess what that object was – Monday’s shoulder or foot.
Charlie ducked through the window frame.
There was another bang, a cracking sound, and the front door burst open, the wood shattering and sending splinters flying.
Monday stepped into the hallway and dusted himself off.
Connor followed and, for a second, his cold eyes met with Jack’s. Connor’s face twisted into rage.
Jack leapt through the window and raced after the others. He clattered down the metal steps, almost tripping. ‘Hurry up,’ he urged.
Halfway to the bottom, Jack glanced up to see Connor staring down at him.
Connor reached under his jacket.
Jack turned and vaulted the remaining steps. He’d learnt from experience that Connor would not hesitate to shoot a bunch of kids. ‘ Run .’
They sprinted along the alleyway, around the building, and skidded to a halt.
Cloud stood in front of them, blocking their escape. She had her right hand under her jacket. ‘Don’t move.’
For a few seconds, no one did, then Hector spun on his heels and sprinted back around the corner.
There was no time to think. Jack, Charlie, Slink and Wren followed him, with Cloud in pursuit.
Connor and Monday were still hurrying down the metal fire escape.
As the Outlaws ran past, Connor cleared the steps and lunged for them. Wren ducked under his outstretched
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