leave Belle behind?
Toby craned his neck to look out of the window and down into the compound. But in the dark, with the rain lashing the glass, he couldn’t see anything.
He raced in his stocking feet back down the stairs to the kitchen on the first floor of the lighthouse. To get to the ground floor and outside, Jamie would have needed to lower the wooden steps leading from the hatch in the floor of the kitchen. Toby’s dad put them in as a safety measure so that they could be drawn up every night and locked. He felt safer knowing that even if someone or something got into the compound, they still couldn’t get into their living quarters in the lighthouse.
The hatch in the kitchen was closed, but when Toby opened it he found that the steps had been lowered. Jamie must have gone outside.
Why? thought Toby. Is he completely insane?
He pulled on his wellies and went down the stairs, calling Belle to go with him. Once outside in the dark, wet night, Toby couldn’t make out where Jamie had gone. He couldn’t have opened the compound gates; they were heavy and awkward. Besides, did he know where Toby’s dad kept the key? Toby thought not.
Suddenly Belle took off. She ran towards one of the older barns that wasn’t used very often. It was full of stuff they’d stored in case it might be useful one day: old engine parts, empty oil cans, buckets without handles, coils of climbing ropes and a pair of old skis. Toby followed Belle.
The barn door stood slightly ajar. Toby slid into thedark room, trying to make out something in gloom. There appeared to be a light coming from the back of the building. It was a tiny round beam such as that from a torch, and it was moving towards him. Then it went out abruptly. Toby stood stock still in the dark.
Someone’s in here. I can feel them. I can hear them breathing.
“Jamie? Is that you?” he squeaked nervously.
Someone rammed into his side and Toby fell to the floor.
Whoever it was who had pushed him was now busy tying his hands behind his back, then his feet together. Toby felt groggy. He had hit the side of his head on the floor. It hadn’t been hard, but it was enough to make him lose his balance and his bearings.
“Jamie?” he repeated. “Jamie, what are you up to?”
A light came on under Toby’s chin. It lit up his face and that of the pale boy holding it.
“I’m sorry,” said Jamie. “I’m really sorry to have to do this to you but I must go and find my mum.”
“Yeah, well, feel free. I won’t stop you. Be glad to see the back of you quite honestly. Go! And take your dog with you. See if I care. Just let me go!”
“It’s not that simple,” whispered Jamie. “You see, I need the Lucky Lady .”
Toby kicked out and strained against the ropes holding him.
“You can’t do that! That’s the only means we have of getting away from here! We need that boat! How else are we going to get food and fuel and medicine?”
“I’ll leave you the dinghy. You’ll be fine. You’ll be able to sail back to Peterhead harbour and find another boat. There were loads there,” gabbled Jamie.
“Yeah. And loads of pirates too!” retorted Toby. “You’re mad! You can’t even sail that boat by yourself!”
“You don’t understand. I need to find my mum. I know she’s there! I know exactly where she’ll be!”
“You can’t know what’s happened to her — she might not even be there. What if she went back to Newburgh to look for you?”
“We had a plan — a contingency plan for if things went wrong. Maggie and I were to go to a certain place at a certain time, on the same day of every month. Mum said she’d keep going there on that day until we turn up. It’s simple. I need to get to Aberdeen in the next few days, or else I’ll have to wait another month. And she might not sur—”
“So, this plan, you’ve had it a while then?” interrupted Toby.
“Yes, we’ve always had it.”
“No, I mean this plan to steal the Lucky Lady and rush
Toby craned his neck to look out of the window and down into the compound. But in the dark, with the rain lashing the glass, he couldn’t see anything.
He raced in his stocking feet back down the stairs to the kitchen on the first floor of the lighthouse. To get to the ground floor and outside, Jamie would have needed to lower the wooden steps leading from the hatch in the floor of the kitchen. Toby’s dad put them in as a safety measure so that they could be drawn up every night and locked. He felt safer knowing that even if someone or something got into the compound, they still couldn’t get into their living quarters in the lighthouse.
The hatch in the kitchen was closed, but when Toby opened it he found that the steps had been lowered. Jamie must have gone outside.
Why? thought Toby. Is he completely insane?
He pulled on his wellies and went down the stairs, calling Belle to go with him. Once outside in the dark, wet night, Toby couldn’t make out where Jamie had gone. He couldn’t have opened the compound gates; they were heavy and awkward. Besides, did he know where Toby’s dad kept the key? Toby thought not.
Suddenly Belle took off. She ran towards one of the older barns that wasn’t used very often. It was full of stuff they’d stored in case it might be useful one day: old engine parts, empty oil cans, buckets without handles, coils of climbing ropes and a pair of old skis. Toby followed Belle.
The barn door stood slightly ajar. Toby slid into thedark room, trying to make out something in gloom. There appeared to be a light coming from the back of the building. It was a tiny round beam such as that from a torch, and it was moving towards him. Then it went out abruptly. Toby stood stock still in the dark.
Someone’s in here. I can feel them. I can hear them breathing.
“Jamie? Is that you?” he squeaked nervously.
Someone rammed into his side and Toby fell to the floor.
Whoever it was who had pushed him was now busy tying his hands behind his back, then his feet together. Toby felt groggy. He had hit the side of his head on the floor. It hadn’t been hard, but it was enough to make him lose his balance and his bearings.
“Jamie?” he repeated. “Jamie, what are you up to?”
A light came on under Toby’s chin. It lit up his face and that of the pale boy holding it.
“I’m sorry,” said Jamie. “I’m really sorry to have to do this to you but I must go and find my mum.”
“Yeah, well, feel free. I won’t stop you. Be glad to see the back of you quite honestly. Go! And take your dog with you. See if I care. Just let me go!”
“It’s not that simple,” whispered Jamie. “You see, I need the Lucky Lady .”
Toby kicked out and strained against the ropes holding him.
“You can’t do that! That’s the only means we have of getting away from here! We need that boat! How else are we going to get food and fuel and medicine?”
“I’ll leave you the dinghy. You’ll be fine. You’ll be able to sail back to Peterhead harbour and find another boat. There were loads there,” gabbled Jamie.
“Yeah. And loads of pirates too!” retorted Toby. “You’re mad! You can’t even sail that boat by yourself!”
“You don’t understand. I need to find my mum. I know she’s there! I know exactly where she’ll be!”
“You can’t know what’s happened to her — she might not even be there. What if she went back to Newburgh to look for you?”
“We had a plan — a contingency plan for if things went wrong. Maggie and I were to go to a certain place at a certain time, on the same day of every month. Mum said she’d keep going there on that day until we turn up. It’s simple. I need to get to Aberdeen in the next few days, or else I’ll have to wait another month. And she might not sur—”
“So, this plan, you’ve had it a while then?” interrupted Toby.
“Yes, we’ve always had it.”
“No, I mean this plan to steal the Lucky Lady and rush
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