the time.’ Stanley sighed. ‘I still get to travel and I spend time in the T.A. as well – that’s a volunteer army organisation.’ Stanley shot me a look. ‘You should try it. That is, you should sign up for the Combined Cadet Force. All boys should.’
I looked down the road. It was past 2 a.m. and very dark. The stars were out overhead, but the moon was a thin crescent and the street lights spread far apart down the street.
‘I don’t think the army’s really my thing,’ I said. ‘Not that I know what “my thing” is.’
Stanley nodded. ‘Well, I’m sure you’ll work it out – all in good time. Like I said, that mind-reading trick you can do could make you big bucks, if you wanted.’ He paused. ‘Hey, what’s the secret? How do you do it?’
Oh God. Why did he keep going on about it? For a second I almost panicked. Then I took a deep breath. I didn’t need to answer the question. That was another tip Geri had given back at Fox Academy. Head off unwanted questions with a distraction, ideally a humorous one.
‘If I told you, I’d have to kill you,’ I said, attempting a grin.
I wasn’t sure I’d pulled off the humour but, to my relief, Stanley laughed.
‘Fair enough,’ he said. ‘Well, if we rescue your friend, maybe you can tell me later.’
We walked the last few metres up to the Escondite in silence. As I expected, the window had already been boarded over. Stanley glanced at me. ‘Lockdown ready?’ he said.
I nodded, my throat suddenly dry.
Stanley pressed the doorbell then stood back away from the door, out of sight. I waited, my heart in my mouth, as footsteps echoed along the corridor. Heavy steps. They stopped. There was a moment’s pause, while whoever was on the other side of the door presumably looked through the eyehole and saw me. A loud grunt, then the sound of a bolt being scraped back.
The door swung open. It was the guard I’d seen earlier.
Stanley spoke in Spanish. I couldn’t catch every word, but he was basically asking about the children downstairs. As soon as he said the word for prisoners – prisioneros – the guard drew a gun from his jacket.
I gasped. In a split second, Stanley darted forward and shoved his Lockdown against the man’s chest.
The guard staggered, then fell forwards. Stanley caught his weight and laid him quietly on the tiled hallway floor.
Oh my God, oh my God.
My breathing was coming out in shallow gasps . . . my heart racing. I backed against the wall. Stanley looked up at me, his eyes glinting in the dim light.
‘I don’t think talking’s an option, Ed,’ he whispered.
We stared at each other. I still couldn’t breathe properly . . . couldn’t think . . .
Stanley stood up. ‘It’s okay, Ed,’ he whispered. ‘Everything’s going to be okay, but we need to get going before the other guards realise we’re here – or this one wakes up. Now shut the front door. Quietly.’
I nodded, closing the door as gently as I could. My hands were trembling.
‘Good,’ Stanley whispered. ‘Which way to the kids?’
I pointed to the stairs. We crept along the corridor towards them. As we passed the door behind which I’d heard adult voices earlier, a man inside yelled out.
‘Que pasa, Enrique?’
He was obviously calling for the guard Stanley had hit with his stun gun.
I glanced at Stanley. He was staring at me, his expression intent. He held up his hand, one finger pointing towards the door, then raised his eyebrows.
I knew he was asking me if I was ready to burst in and knock the remaining guards out. I nodded, still feeling dazed, and pulled my Lockdown out of my pocket.
I held my breath, waiting. Then Stanley shoved the door open and everything seemed to happen at once.
Stanley rushed into the room. I ran in behind him. There were three guards inside. One on his feet, already walking towards us. Stanley jabbed towards him, thrusting the Lockdown at his shoulder. I heard the ratchety noise and the subsequent thud as I
I looked down the road. It was past 2 a.m. and very dark. The stars were out overhead, but the moon was a thin crescent and the street lights spread far apart down the street.
‘I don’t think the army’s really my thing,’ I said. ‘Not that I know what “my thing” is.’
Stanley nodded. ‘Well, I’m sure you’ll work it out – all in good time. Like I said, that mind-reading trick you can do could make you big bucks, if you wanted.’ He paused. ‘Hey, what’s the secret? How do you do it?’
Oh God. Why did he keep going on about it? For a second I almost panicked. Then I took a deep breath. I didn’t need to answer the question. That was another tip Geri had given back at Fox Academy. Head off unwanted questions with a distraction, ideally a humorous one.
‘If I told you, I’d have to kill you,’ I said, attempting a grin.
I wasn’t sure I’d pulled off the humour but, to my relief, Stanley laughed.
‘Fair enough,’ he said. ‘Well, if we rescue your friend, maybe you can tell me later.’
We walked the last few metres up to the Escondite in silence. As I expected, the window had already been boarded over. Stanley glanced at me. ‘Lockdown ready?’ he said.
I nodded, my throat suddenly dry.
Stanley pressed the doorbell then stood back away from the door, out of sight. I waited, my heart in my mouth, as footsteps echoed along the corridor. Heavy steps. They stopped. There was a moment’s pause, while whoever was on the other side of the door presumably looked through the eyehole and saw me. A loud grunt, then the sound of a bolt being scraped back.
The door swung open. It was the guard I’d seen earlier.
Stanley spoke in Spanish. I couldn’t catch every word, but he was basically asking about the children downstairs. As soon as he said the word for prisoners – prisioneros – the guard drew a gun from his jacket.
I gasped. In a split second, Stanley darted forward and shoved his Lockdown against the man’s chest.
The guard staggered, then fell forwards. Stanley caught his weight and laid him quietly on the tiled hallway floor.
Oh my God, oh my God.
My breathing was coming out in shallow gasps . . . my heart racing. I backed against the wall. Stanley looked up at me, his eyes glinting in the dim light.
‘I don’t think talking’s an option, Ed,’ he whispered.
We stared at each other. I still couldn’t breathe properly . . . couldn’t think . . .
Stanley stood up. ‘It’s okay, Ed,’ he whispered. ‘Everything’s going to be okay, but we need to get going before the other guards realise we’re here – or this one wakes up. Now shut the front door. Quietly.’
I nodded, closing the door as gently as I could. My hands were trembling.
‘Good,’ Stanley whispered. ‘Which way to the kids?’
I pointed to the stairs. We crept along the corridor towards them. As we passed the door behind which I’d heard adult voices earlier, a man inside yelled out.
‘Que pasa, Enrique?’
He was obviously calling for the guard Stanley had hit with his stun gun.
I glanced at Stanley. He was staring at me, his expression intent. He held up his hand, one finger pointing towards the door, then raised his eyebrows.
I knew he was asking me if I was ready to burst in and knock the remaining guards out. I nodded, still feeling dazed, and pulled my Lockdown out of my pocket.
I held my breath, waiting. Then Stanley shoved the door open and everything seemed to happen at once.
Stanley rushed into the room. I ran in behind him. There were three guards inside. One on his feet, already walking towards us. Stanley jabbed towards him, thrusting the Lockdown at his shoulder. I heard the ratchety noise and the subsequent thud as I
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