and electric sparks shot out of the end, together with a ratchety noise.
I jumped. ‘You mean stun guns?’ My mouth fell open. ‘How come you’re carrying a bunch of those in your luggage?’
‘They’re just part of the company’s new range, The Lockdown 2000,’ Stanley said, matter-of-factly. ‘This is a demonstration pack I’m taking round the various offices to show while I visit.’ He grinned at me. ‘It’s what we do . . . my company . . . E.S.S. Electrical Security Solutions. We provide the whole package – alarms, hidden cameras, weaponry. Here, try one.’ He chucked me one of the smaller Lockdown models.
I pressed the trigger. Sparks flew out of the end. The Lockdown juddered in my hand. ‘Wow,’ I said. ‘Er . . . how come you’re prepared to help me like this?’
Stanley shrugged. ‘I don’t know, it just feels like the right thing to do.’ He paused, turning away from me, towards the window. ‘My wife and I can’t have children. She – Sandra – she has this attitude that whenever we come across kids who need our help we should try and help them. It’s just a way of giving something back, when we can’t be parents ourselves.’
I nodded. Sandra was my stepmum’s name. It seemed like a good omen.
Stanley carefully shut the Lockdown suitcase, then turned to me, his expression very serious.
‘Remember, these are proper weapons. We only use them if we have to. Okay?’
I nodded, my head spinning. ‘What . . . er, how do we use them – if we have to?’
‘It’s simple. You just have to get right next to the person you want to disable, then press your Lockdown against his torso. The back or chest is ideal, but anywhere will do. Avoid the face though – we want to knock them out for a few minutes, not cause lasting damage.’ He shot me a grim smile. ‘I might trade in electronic guns but I’m no vigilante.’
I stared at him, completely lost for words.
‘You okay with this, kiddo?’ Stanley said.
I nodded, not sure I could speak. I pressed the Lockdown again. I had to admit, it made me feel powerful.
‘What’s the plan?’ I said.
‘What do you think we should do?’
‘Er . . .’ I thought for a second. ‘Get inside the Escondite. Knock out the guards if they won’t listen to reason. Find their keys. Lock them in a room, then release everyone from the cellar.’
‘Sounds good.’ Stanley nodded. ‘What about that mind-reading trick of yours? It’s pretty impressive – you could perform at the Palladium.’ He laughed. ‘Can you see any way of making use of that?’
‘Not really.’ I considered it for a moment. ‘We already know where we’re going.’
‘You can’t somehow work out what they’re doing right now? Tap into their thoughts at a distance?’
‘No,’ I said, thinking about my recent failed attempt at connecting with Mum and Dad via remote telepathy.
‘Okay.’ Stanley shoved his Lockdown inside his jacket pocket. ‘Then let’s go.’
10: Finding Dylan
Someone, I reckoned, was bound to have boarded up the window Dylan had smashed earlier. According to Stanley, it didn’t matter.
‘If we ring on the doorbell, chances are just one person will come,’ he said as we walked up the road, our Lockdowns in our pockets. ‘The guards will be easier to deal with one by one – both the talking and, if it comes to it, the fighting.’
I glanced sideways at him. His nose was slightly pointed at the end, I noticed, and his forehead permanently creased with a vertical line. His thin, angular face had the look of a fox about it, or maybe a wolf. But there was no fear in his eyes.
In fact, considering what we about to do, he seemed amazingly calm.
‘How do you know about . . . er, the fighting side of things?’ I asked.
‘Five years in the army,’ Stanley said, matter-of-factly. ‘I only went into sales and marketing because my wife said if I didn’t leave the forces, she’d leave me.’
‘D’you miss it?’ I asked.
‘All
I jumped. ‘You mean stun guns?’ My mouth fell open. ‘How come you’re carrying a bunch of those in your luggage?’
‘They’re just part of the company’s new range, The Lockdown 2000,’ Stanley said, matter-of-factly. ‘This is a demonstration pack I’m taking round the various offices to show while I visit.’ He grinned at me. ‘It’s what we do . . . my company . . . E.S.S. Electrical Security Solutions. We provide the whole package – alarms, hidden cameras, weaponry. Here, try one.’ He chucked me one of the smaller Lockdown models.
I pressed the trigger. Sparks flew out of the end. The Lockdown juddered in my hand. ‘Wow,’ I said. ‘Er . . . how come you’re prepared to help me like this?’
Stanley shrugged. ‘I don’t know, it just feels like the right thing to do.’ He paused, turning away from me, towards the window. ‘My wife and I can’t have children. She – Sandra – she has this attitude that whenever we come across kids who need our help we should try and help them. It’s just a way of giving something back, when we can’t be parents ourselves.’
I nodded. Sandra was my stepmum’s name. It seemed like a good omen.
Stanley carefully shut the Lockdown suitcase, then turned to me, his expression very serious.
‘Remember, these are proper weapons. We only use them if we have to. Okay?’
I nodded, my head spinning. ‘What . . . er, how do we use them – if we have to?’
‘It’s simple. You just have to get right next to the person you want to disable, then press your Lockdown against his torso. The back or chest is ideal, but anywhere will do. Avoid the face though – we want to knock them out for a few minutes, not cause lasting damage.’ He shot me a grim smile. ‘I might trade in electronic guns but I’m no vigilante.’
I stared at him, completely lost for words.
‘You okay with this, kiddo?’ Stanley said.
I nodded, not sure I could speak. I pressed the Lockdown again. I had to admit, it made me feel powerful.
‘What’s the plan?’ I said.
‘What do you think we should do?’
‘Er . . .’ I thought for a second. ‘Get inside the Escondite. Knock out the guards if they won’t listen to reason. Find their keys. Lock them in a room, then release everyone from the cellar.’
‘Sounds good.’ Stanley nodded. ‘What about that mind-reading trick of yours? It’s pretty impressive – you could perform at the Palladium.’ He laughed. ‘Can you see any way of making use of that?’
‘Not really.’ I considered it for a moment. ‘We already know where we’re going.’
‘You can’t somehow work out what they’re doing right now? Tap into their thoughts at a distance?’
‘No,’ I said, thinking about my recent failed attempt at connecting with Mum and Dad via remote telepathy.
‘Okay.’ Stanley shoved his Lockdown inside his jacket pocket. ‘Then let’s go.’
10: Finding Dylan
Someone, I reckoned, was bound to have boarded up the window Dylan had smashed earlier. According to Stanley, it didn’t matter.
‘If we ring on the doorbell, chances are just one person will come,’ he said as we walked up the road, our Lockdowns in our pockets. ‘The guards will be easier to deal with one by one – both the talking and, if it comes to it, the fighting.’
I glanced sideways at him. His nose was slightly pointed at the end, I noticed, and his forehead permanently creased with a vertical line. His thin, angular face had the look of a fox about it, or maybe a wolf. But there was no fear in his eyes.
In fact, considering what we about to do, he seemed amazingly calm.
‘How do you know about . . . er, the fighting side of things?’ I asked.
‘Five years in the army,’ Stanley said, matter-of-factly. ‘I only went into sales and marketing because my wife said if I didn’t leave the forces, she’d leave me.’
‘D’you miss it?’ I asked.
‘All
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