wondering . . . please? I mean, maybe you could leave it unlocked? It’s not as if I can get anywhere – the front door and all the
windows are barred overnight.’ I gazed at Milo with what I hoped was a helpless, beseeching look on my face. ‘ Please , Milo?’
He bit his lip. ‘I can’t,’ he said, ‘but if I’m up in the night, I’ll definitely come to see if your light’s on. If it is, then I’ll let you out
to go to the bathroom. Okay?’
‘Thank you.’ I smiled again.
It wasn’t much, but maybe I’d be able to use it to my advantage.
32
Theo
We lay rigid-still on the deck of the large boat. Lewis was right beside me, his eyes intent. A soft, hissing sound escaped from under his breath.
The man I’d seen jumped onto the jetty. His weight sent a vibration through the boards and across to where we were lying. His footsteps sounded as he paced up the jetty.
I held my breath.
The footsteps stopped, then receded. Another jump, this time off the jetty. There was a dull thud as he landed on the beach.
I risked a look. The man was disappearing into the trees on our right. The camera had almost reached the end of its journey away from us.
‘Give it a moment,’ Lewis whispered.
We waited until the camera had swung back towards us, and then turned away again.
‘Come on.’ Lewis prodded my arm. ‘To the trees on the left.’
We wriggled, commando-style, along the deck and up onto the jetty, then crawled across the wooden boards until we reached the shelter containing the light and the camera.
We scrambled to our feet, well out of sight of the camera now, then jumped down and raced into the woodland to the left of the beach.
I stood under cover of the trees. The sand was compacted – damp under my feet. I had no idea what the area further inland looked like. A few feet past the light at the jetty and the whole
island faded to gloom, lit only by faint moonlight.
A stony path led into the darkness.
‘Our best bet is to follow that path, keeping close to the trees,’ Lewis whispered. ‘We should see any buildings in the moonlight as we get closer.’
I glanced up as the wind dropped. The moon was misty behind clouds. The air was crisp and clear and cold.
We set off in the darkness, keeping the path just in view.
It was spooky; the only sounds the rustling of the trees above our heads and the swish of the waves beyond. The woodland thinned out as we rounded a curve, making it harder for us to find
cover.
I kept my eyes open for any sign of the guard from before – or other men like him – but there was no one about.
And then I saw it . . . a single electric light burning in the distance, outlining a small building. From here I couldn’t make out exactly how big the building was, or what it was made
from, but the light – which I quickly realised was positioned above a door – suggested it was inhabited.
‘Look.’ I pointed the light out to Lewis. ‘Let’s go.’
‘We’ll approach from the rear of the building,’ Lewis said, grabbing my arm to stop me rushing ahead. ‘There may be more cameras. And guards.’
I nodded and we set off across the grass.
33
Rachel
The lights outside flashed on, brightness seeping under my door, waking me.
Was that Milo? I switched on the overhead light by the door – so that he could see I was up if he passed.
Two minutes went by. I heard nothing . . . then the sound of wheels trundling along the corridor.
‘Milo?’ I hissed, rattling at the door knob. ‘Milo, open the door.’
The wheelchair stopped outside. I could hear a metal clink as Milo fiddled with the key.
The door opened. Milo wheeled backwards to let me out.
‘Elijah and Paul are in the radio room,’ he whispered. ‘They think they saw something moving along the jetty. It’s probably just a seal or something, but they’ve
sent John to the lab to check everything’s okay. You can go to the bathroom if you want, but be quick.’
‘Thanks.’ I headed away
windows are barred overnight.’ I gazed at Milo with what I hoped was a helpless, beseeching look on my face. ‘ Please , Milo?’
He bit his lip. ‘I can’t,’ he said, ‘but if I’m up in the night, I’ll definitely come to see if your light’s on. If it is, then I’ll let you out
to go to the bathroom. Okay?’
‘Thank you.’ I smiled again.
It wasn’t much, but maybe I’d be able to use it to my advantage.
32
Theo
We lay rigid-still on the deck of the large boat. Lewis was right beside me, his eyes intent. A soft, hissing sound escaped from under his breath.
The man I’d seen jumped onto the jetty. His weight sent a vibration through the boards and across to where we were lying. His footsteps sounded as he paced up the jetty.
I held my breath.
The footsteps stopped, then receded. Another jump, this time off the jetty. There was a dull thud as he landed on the beach.
I risked a look. The man was disappearing into the trees on our right. The camera had almost reached the end of its journey away from us.
‘Give it a moment,’ Lewis whispered.
We waited until the camera had swung back towards us, and then turned away again.
‘Come on.’ Lewis prodded my arm. ‘To the trees on the left.’
We wriggled, commando-style, along the deck and up onto the jetty, then crawled across the wooden boards until we reached the shelter containing the light and the camera.
We scrambled to our feet, well out of sight of the camera now, then jumped down and raced into the woodland to the left of the beach.
I stood under cover of the trees. The sand was compacted – damp under my feet. I had no idea what the area further inland looked like. A few feet past the light at the jetty and the whole
island faded to gloom, lit only by faint moonlight.
A stony path led into the darkness.
‘Our best bet is to follow that path, keeping close to the trees,’ Lewis whispered. ‘We should see any buildings in the moonlight as we get closer.’
I glanced up as the wind dropped. The moon was misty behind clouds. The air was crisp and clear and cold.
We set off in the darkness, keeping the path just in view.
It was spooky; the only sounds the rustling of the trees above our heads and the swish of the waves beyond. The woodland thinned out as we rounded a curve, making it harder for us to find
cover.
I kept my eyes open for any sign of the guard from before – or other men like him – but there was no one about.
And then I saw it . . . a single electric light burning in the distance, outlining a small building. From here I couldn’t make out exactly how big the building was, or what it was made
from, but the light – which I quickly realised was positioned above a door – suggested it was inhabited.
‘Look.’ I pointed the light out to Lewis. ‘Let’s go.’
‘We’ll approach from the rear of the building,’ Lewis said, grabbing my arm to stop me rushing ahead. ‘There may be more cameras. And guards.’
I nodded and we set off across the grass.
33
Rachel
The lights outside flashed on, brightness seeping under my door, waking me.
Was that Milo? I switched on the overhead light by the door – so that he could see I was up if he passed.
Two minutes went by. I heard nothing . . . then the sound of wheels trundling along the corridor.
‘Milo?’ I hissed, rattling at the door knob. ‘Milo, open the door.’
The wheelchair stopped outside. I could hear a metal clink as Milo fiddled with the key.
The door opened. Milo wheeled backwards to let me out.
‘Elijah and Paul are in the radio room,’ he whispered. ‘They think they saw something moving along the jetty. It’s probably just a seal or something, but they’ve
sent John to the lab to check everything’s okay. You can go to the bathroom if you want, but be quick.’
‘Thanks.’ I headed away
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