I shrugged, feeling embarrassed. ‘I didn’t have a clue what I was doing,’ I said.
‘But you did it anyway,’ Jam said firmly. ‘That’s the point.’ He pulled me and Lauren into a hug then the two of them sat back, talking in low voices for a while.
I wandered across the room. Had I been brave? It hadn’t felt like it. I’d just done what, surely, anyone would have done in the circumstances. Anyway, it had all ended in disaster. If I hadn’t got involved with Allan Faraday and tried to help Natalia, Lauren and Jam and their baby would be safe right now.
My mind drifted to Wolf. Now I had time to think, I couldn’t believe he had really betrayed us. Baxter had referred to him as ‘that stupid boy’ earlier and said his men would soon catch up with him. Surely that couldn’t be part of a cover story? No. It didn’t add up. Wolf had helped get me to Appleton Cross. That couldn’t have been in Baxter’s plan. If Baxter had wanted me down in that basement prison, he’d have kidnapped me along with Lauren, wouldn’t he?
My thoughts skittered about, one minute convinced of Wolf’s innocence, the next wondering if he was guilty after all. His dad did own the Appleton Cross house. And then there was the hidden microphone. In the time between Baxter finding out I was responsible for rescuing Natalia and her baby and my arrival at Appleton Cross, the only people who could possibly have placed a tiny pin microphone on my top were Annie – who clearly hadn’t done it, and who was probably worried sick about where I was right now – and Wolf. He’d come to my house with Esme, pretending to want to make up with me and . . .
Esme.
Wolf wasn’t the only person who’d been close enough to me earlier to hide a microphone on my clothing. Esme had been there too. She’d been the one, in fact, who’d insisted on coming round in person to visit. I remembered the goodbye hug she had given me. Plenty of opportunity for her to put the mike on my collar.
Of course. Her father must have got her to plant the microphone on me after he’d made that threatening phone call. In fact, Esme could easily have given him my phone number and told him that I had a sister.
Would she really have done all that?
I thought of how I had lied to her, taking advantage of our newfound friendship to find out about Baxter’s illegal operations. I hadn’t meant to use Esme, but Baxter would, no doubt, have said that I had, making me out to be calculating, cruel and manipulative, presenting my actions in the worst possible light.
In which case it was no wonder Esme had betrayed me.
I groaned, letting my head sink into my hands.
‘What’s the matter, Mo?’ Lauren asked. I looked up. Her face was drained of all colour and there were dark shadows under her eyes. I had never seen her look so pale or so drawn.
Jam was gazing at her, his face creased with concern.
I shook my head. ‘Nothing.’ They didn’t need to hear my anxieties about Wolf and Esme.
‘How’s your eyesight?’ I asked Jam. ‘Less blurry?’
‘Much better, thanks,’ he said. He looked around the bleak attic room. ‘Any thoughts on how we get out of here?’
‘D’you think Wolf will have gone to the police?’ Lauren asked anxiously.
‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘But Allan must have called them by now so—’
‘Allan Faraday?’ Lauren’s head shot up.
I nodded. ‘He called me while you were climbing out of that chute,’ I explained. ‘He said he wanted to help.’
Lauren rolled her eyes.
‘I’m not saying he’s any kind of superhero,’ I said. ‘You were right about him being a bit of a loser. But he knew . . . useful stuff about Baxter . . .’ I told Jam and Lauren about the hidden mike then said, ‘Allan promised he would call the police.’
‘Do you think we can trust him?’ Lauren asked.
‘Even if we can, he doesn’t know where Baxter has taken us,’ Jam said. ‘We don’t know.’
‘I think we’re by the sea,’ I said. ‘I could smell it earlier.’
‘Me too,’ Jam said.
‘Sssh.’ Lauren put her finger to her lips. ‘What was that noise?’
Jam and I fell silent.
‘I don’t—’ Jam stopped as a faint shuffling sound rose from outside the door.
I rushed over and tried to peer through the keyhole. It was an old-fashioned lock, nothing state-of-the-art like the electronic lock from the hut door. I couldn’t make out anything on the other side. Was that because it was dark? Or because someone was standing there?
As I opened my mouth to speak, the distinct sound of a key sliding into the lock met my ears.
I took a step back away from the door. ‘Someone’s there,’ I hissed.
Jam leaped to his feet. He balled his hands into fists. ‘If there’s only one, I’m taking him, gun or no gun.’
Lauren’s eyes widened. The door opened . . . slowly, carefully . . .
A face peered into the room. It was Wolf.
He looked right at me – a powerful, meaningful look full of emotion that said better than words that he had not betrayed me.
Would never betray me.
My heart flipped over in my chest.
‘Mo,’ he said. ‘Are you all right? Did they hurt you?’
I shook my head, too overwhelmed to speak. He was here. For us. For me.
Wolf glanced at Jam and Lauren, then back to me. ‘Let’s go,’ he said. ‘There’s not much time.’
35
Fire Escape
I scurried to the door. Wolf pointed to the top of the narrow steps we had climbed up earlier.
‘Down there,’ he mouthed. ‘Follow me.’
‘Wait a sec,’ Jam whispered suspiciously, pulling him back into the attic room. ‘How do we know this isn’t another trap? Why didn’t you just call the police?’
Wolf put his finger to his lips. ‘Sssh, my phone fell out of my pocket when I was running through the woods so I couldn’t call anyone, but I knew that even if I got through to the police, they wouldn’t know where Baxter’s men were going to take you so I got into the boot of their car.’
‘You were already inside the car that they made us get into?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ Wolf whispered. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
‘Wait.’ Jam grabbed his arm again. ‘So why didn’t you fetch the police when you got here?’
‘We’re in the middle of nowhere,’ Wolf hissed. ‘There aren’t any phones. Plus, I overheard Baxter talking to that Leather Jacket guy. They’re going to kill you and dump your bodies way out to sea. They’re just waiting for the boat. I heard them say it was almost here so I crept into the hall and stole the key to this room from where they’d left it on a table. They could see that it’s missing any second.’
Jam’s face blanched. Lauren and I both gasped.
‘Now come on, we have to hurry,’ Wolf said.
Jam still looked sceptical.
‘I trust Wolf,’ I said, absolutely sure now that he was totally loyal. ‘We should do what he says.’
‘All right,’ Jam said. ‘If you trust him, Madison.’
Wolf squeezed my hand.
‘What about the baby?’ Lauren asked. ‘D’you know where she is?’
Wolf shook his head. He led us down the narrow steps. We crept, single file, into a small corridor. Voices drifted up from the stairs at one end. Wolf turned and led us the other way, past a series of closed doors, to the fire door at the far end.
He pressed down on the bar, then lifted it gently up. It released with a metallic click. The four of us froze. I held my breath, listening to see if anyone had heard us. No, the voices downstairs rumbled on.
Wolf carefully pushed open the door. It scraped along the floor. Cold, sea air swept over us. Again, we all stood stock-still, listening hard in case anyone had heard. This time the voices stopped. A beat passed. My heart thudded loudly against my ribs.
Footsteps sounded across the hall below us. Then a male voice – not Baxter – called out.
‘Boat will be here in five.’ It was Leather Jacket. ‘Tell Mr Baxter.’
There wasn’t much time. I caught Wolf’s eye. He pointed outside. It was totally dark beyond the house, the electric lights casting a murky glow just a few metres into the surrounding grass. I could hear the swish and sway of the sea in the near distance and a shiver of terror shot down my spine. I focused on the sight immediately in front of me: an iron fire escape that led down to the ground floor.
‘Turn right when you get to the bottom of the steps,’ Wolf whispered. ‘Run away from the house as fast as you can. There’s a shed about ten metres away. I saw it when I was sneaking in. The main road must be along from that.’
We crept down the fire escape, single file. Jam led the way, followed by Lauren, then me, with Wolf bringing up the rear. The wind whistled in my ears. None of us made a sound. As Jam reached the bottom step, a light went on at the ground-floor window right next to where he was standing. A yellow glow stretched out across the grass around us.
I shrank back into the shadows. Behind me, Wolf swore under his breath. If anyone looked out of the window, they’d be able to see us as soon as we stepped into the light. Despite the chill night air, sweat trickled down the back of my neck.
Jam came back up the steps. ‘We’ll be too easy to spot if we all go at the same time,’ he whispered. ‘Let’s head for the shed, one by one. I’ll go first and check it’s safe.’
I peered into the gloom. I could just make out the outline of the shed Wolf had mentioned. It looked a long way away.
‘Follow right after me.’ Jam gave Lauren a quick squeeze of the hand, then raced off.
I held my breath. Was anyone watching from the window? Surely, any second, someone would realise we were gone. Then all hell would break loose. Lights would come on everywhere. Men would start shouting. I shivered as Jam disappeared out of sight and into the gloom behind the shed.
‘He made it,’ Lauren breathed. She turned to me. ‘You run right behind me, Mo, OK?’
I nodded. Lauren set off. She didn’t move as quickly as Jam. My heart was in my mouth as she ran past the window. Anyone looking out would definitely see her. She pushed herself on, into the darkness. She was safe.
‘You next,’ Wolf urged.
I nodded, bracing myself, ready to run.
And then two men appeared in the distance. It was Leather Jacket and the other man and they were heading in our direction.
I froze. We were hidden here, in the shadows, but if we stepped into the light, we would definitely be seen.
‘Hurry up!’ Baxter’s distant shout filled the air. The two men broke into a jog. ‘Get the jetty lights on!’ Baxter yelled. ‘I have to go in a few minutes and I want to know those kids are on board and away from here before I leave. Nothing’s going to go wrong this time.’
I gasped. Wolf had been right: Baxter was planning on killing us and dumping our bodies at sea. Leather Jacket and the other man sped up. They were heading straight for us.
Wolf drew me back so we were pressed right against the rough, cold brick wall behind. I prayed the shadows from the house were dark enough to swallow us up. Wolf pulled me closer. His heart beat wildly against my back.
The two men charged past. We stood like statues, waiting to make sure no-one else was coming. Silence. The sea wind roared around us. I peered into the darkness opposite. At least Jam and Lauren had made it to the shed.
‘Come on.’ Wolf took my hand, ready to lead me across the grass so we could join them.
And then a thin wail emerged from the house. Faint but instantly recognisable. I turned towards the sound. It came again.
‘That’s Ellie,’ I said. ‘That’s the baby.’
Wolf met my eyes. I gritted my teeth.
‘I have to go back,’ I said. ‘I have to save her.’
36
Into the Woods
‘What?’ A look of desperation crossed Wolf’s face.
‘I have to find her,’ I said. ‘You heard Baxter. He’s leaving in a minute, once he’s made sure we’re on the boat. He’ll be taking Ellie with him.’
Wolf’s eyes hardened with determination. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘OK.’
We crept up the fire escape. Lauren and Jam would be waiting for us by the shed, wondering why we didn’t come. I was sure they couldn’t have heard the baby’s cry from where they were hiding – it had sounded faint even to me. We reached the fire door leading back to the first-floor corridor. The house felt quiet and still. It was furnished in a really old-fashioned style, with carpets everywhere and patterned wallpaper. Completely different from Baxter’s home in London and the Appleton Cross house.
I strained my ears, wondering where Ellie’s cry had come from. It was impossible to tell. My thoughts darted back to Jam and Lauren. Hopefully they would find the main road, get to a phone and call the police. Help would come soon, wouldn’t it? And I must find the baby. I had to stop Baxter from leaving with her.
But where was she?
Wolf beckoned me down the corridor. We tiptoed along, pausing outside every door to see if we could hear Ellie’s cry again, but there was no sound other than the distant whoosh of the wind and the sea. We reached the stairs. I tried to work out how many men Baxter had with him. We’d seen Leather Jacket and one other man running down to the jetty. Who else was left in the house? Maybe it was just Baxter himself.
Another faint cry echoed up towards us. It sounded like the baby was on the ground floor. We crept on, down the stairs. I was trying to make as little sound as possible, taking small, shallow breaths and staying as light on my feet as I could. We reached the ground floor hallway. Lights seeped out from under the doors on both sides. I hesitated. Wolf leaned forward and whispered in my ear.
‘Which way?’
I shook my head. I had no idea. My heart was racing and my palms sweating. We were totally exposed, standing in this hallway. Baxter or one of his men could come through any second. It was impossible to tell which direction the baby’s cry had come from – or where she was now. A shiver wriggled down my spine. Come on, Madison. We had to move . . . do something . . .
‘That way.’ I pointed to the door to our left.
Wolf crept to the door. He leaned his head against the wood, listening for sounds from inside. ‘I can’t hear anything,’ he mouthed.
Nodding, I twisted the handle. It felt cold in my clammy hands. I pushed open the door. The room inside was a living room complete with sofas, a large-screen TV and a big brick fireplace. It was empty, though there were signs that people had been in here not long ago – smoke wreathed into the air from the cigarette stub in the ashtray on the coffee table. Several empty glasses were scattered around it.
A set of glass French doors opened out onto a patio. I’d lost all sense of where we were in the building. The fire escape had definitely led down to the side of the house. Where did the doors from this room open out?
Wolf rushed silently over to the doors. The key was in the lock. He turned it and opened it slightly.
‘We can get out of the house through here, if we have to,’ he whispered.
‘OK,’ I mouthed.
We crept back to the living-room door. The door to the room across the hall was still shut. There was no sign of anyone about and no sound either.
‘Maybe they’ve gone already,’ Wolf whispered.
I shook my head. Baxter had said he was about to leave – but also that he wanted to make sure we were loaded onto the boat at the jetty first. He was surely still in the house – which meant Ellie was too.
I reached for the door. The light was on inside. Footsteps sounded across the room. They stopped. We could hear drawers being opened and shut, then a door closing with a bang. Silence.
What was going on in there now? Had whoever was inside left the room? There was no way of knowing. I took a deep breath and opened the door. It was a kitchen. Declan Baxter was standing behind a large table on the other side of the room. And there, on the countert
op just to our right, was Ellie. Tiny and crumpled inside a baby car seat, I could see at a glance she was sleeping and covered with a blanket.
Baxter’s jaw dropped as he saw us.
‘You!’ he shouted.
For a second, we stared at each other. Then Baxter took a step forwards. Wham. In his haste to reach me, he’d barged into the table in front of him. As he let out a yell of pain, I darted to the counter, grabbed the car seat by its handle and raced out of the room. Wolf was ahead of me. He pounded across the hall and through the living room.
‘Come back here!’ Baxter shouted after us.
Wolf flung open the French doors. I rushed outside after him, still holding the car seat by the handle. The cold wind slapped at my face. The sea sounded louder than ever. Wolf charged across the patio, onto the grass beyond.
I could hear Baxter running after us. ‘Stop them!’ He was yelling for his men. They would surely hear him and come straight up from the jetty, wherever that was.
My arm ached from the effort of holding the car seat steady. Panting for breath, I ran on, peering into the darkness ahead. Where was the hut Lauren and Jam had hidden behind? We had obviously exited the building at a completely different place.
Were those trees ahead? Yes. Wolf had reached them. He darted into the darkness, his outline swallowed up by the shadows of the swaying branches. I glanced over my shoulder. Baxter was still charging after us, just a few metres behind. I reached the trees. As I thundered onto the soft, damp earth, the wind roared furiously around my head. Wolf appeared from nowhere. He grabbed my free arm.
‘Come on,’ he rasped, his voice hoarse from the wind and the running.
I tore after him, still trying to keep the car seat from swinging too wildly. Wolf darted between the trees, pulling me behind him. The branches above our heads swayed violently, almost drowning out the terrifying roar of the sea. We ran deeper into the undergrowth. The night air was cold. It smelled of damp earth.
We reached the far edge of the trees. Wolf stopped. He glanced anxiously around, panting for breath. I set Ellie down in her car seat, then squatted down to check she was OK. She was still, miraculously, fast asleep. I touched her cheek gently. It was cold. I felt lower. The part of her face under the blanket was relatively warm, but she was only a few hours old – she shouldn’t be exposed to this wind at all.