Every Second Counts

  02:31

  02:30

  02:29

  Wham! I ran slap bang into a tall man in a suit. He staggered back. Winded, I reeled. Looked up. It was Latimer. I gasped.

  Latimer stared down at me, wide-eyed with surprise. ‘Charlie?’ He clutched at his forehead. ‘You need to hide. You’re in danger. Riley found out that we—’

  ‘Bomb,’ I panted, my voice jagged. ‘Bomb . . . There’s a bomb . . . You have to get everyone off the boat, now!’

  Nat

  I broke through the surface, blinking the water out of my eyes. I had reached the nearest moored boat. I ducked behind its hull, then trod water as I peered back towards the Kimberley Jack. It was chugging, very slowly, towards the far end of the marina.

  Shame filled me. Logically, I knew I’d had no choice but to run. If I’d let the guard capture me, I would still be on board, a prisoner, of no use to Charlie. At least this way I could try and help her when the boat docked.

  Gritting my teeth, I swam over to the jetty.

  Charlie

  There was a moment when I thought everything was going to be alright. Latimer was frowning as he clocked what I’d said. He was on our side. Nat had said so. He would help.

  And then a man in a suit emerged from the main cabin and ran over.

  ‘Are you alright, sir?’ He stared at me with suspicion.

  Latimer’s face masked with indifference. ‘I’m fine,’ he said. ‘Go back to the party.’

  The man frowned.

  ‘No!’ I was almost screaming now. Latimer’s aide had left the main cabin door open. I took a deep breath. ‘Bomb!’ I yelled. ‘There’s a bomb on the boat!’

  ‘Stop it,’ Latimer hissed.

  The aide’s frown deepened.

  ‘Bomb!’ I yelled again. I glanced at my watch.

  01:48

  01:47

  01:46

  ‘Bomb! Less than two minutes! Get off the boat!’

  At last people had heard me. They were pouring out of the main cabin. In seconds a small crowd had gathered.

  ‘Don’t do this,’ Latimer muttered in my ear. ‘There isn’t a bomb, there can’t be. Riley’s on the boat.’

  I tore away from him. ‘I’ve seen where they put the bomb,’ I yelled at the crowd. ‘It’s in a metal locker in the boiler room below deck. The timer is a phone. There’s a countdown.’ I checked my watch. ‘It’s going off in exactly ninety seconds.

  A panicked muttering rose up around us. Latimer shook his head. ‘No need for alarm,’ he said, turning to face the crowd. ‘I’m sure this is a hoax.’

  I stared at him. What on earth was he playing at?

  ‘It’s not a hoax, I—’

  ‘Just a silly game,’ Latimer went on. ‘A prank.’

  ‘What?’

  The aide who had asked if Latimer was alright, cleared his throat. ‘Er, shouldn’t we at least take a look, sir?’

  ‘Take a look?’ I shrieked. ‘We need to get off the boat.’

  Latimer hesitated. ‘Very well,’ he said, ignoring me. ‘But just me and the girl.’ He gripped my arm and marched me past the crowd. I shouted out again, desperate to get them to stay back, to get off the boat, but several were following us, including Latimer’s aide.

  Still protesting, I broke into a run. Maybe if these people saw the bomb, they’d believe me. Maybe there’d still be time to get to the boiler room and back before the bomb went off. As we headed down the stairs to the lower deck, I twisted my wrist in his hand so I could see my watch again.

  01:20

  01:19

  01:18

  It wasn’t enough time. ‘What are you doing?’ I yelled. ‘You need to make them evacuate the boat.’

  Latimer bent his head to whisper in my ear. ‘I’m trying to help you. You need to run, to hide. There’s no way there’s a bomb. Riley’s on board. So is his son and lots of his colleagues and EFA people. He changed the venue to a boat, for goodness’ sake. There can’t be a bomb.’

  ‘There is,’ I insisted as we sped along the corridor. We passed the store cupboard where Spider had shoved Aaron. I pointed wildly at the door. ‘Listen, Aaron’s in there. Your son. Spider attacked him; he’s going to die in the bomb too.’

  ‘Aaron’s hurt?’ Alarm shot on to Latimer’s face. He disappeared from my side.

  I raced on, into the boiler room. The aide followed me inside. Five or six people crowded in after us.

  ‘So where’s this bomb?’ the aide said.

  00:57

  00:56

  00:55

  Panic whirled inside my head. I pointed to the metal locker. ‘It’s locked,’ I said.

  ‘Let’s see,’ the aide ran over. He yanked at the locker door. To my amazement it opened easily. The man stepped back.

  ‘Unlocked and empty,’ he said. ‘No sign of a phone being used as a timer or anything that looks like a bomb.’

  I gasped, moving closer so I could see inside the locker myself.

  It was true. It was totally bare.

  ‘It . . . it must be there,’ I protested. ‘I saw the timer.’

  The people behind us started to mutter.

  The aide who had opened the locker door snorted. ‘You’re saying a bomb is about to go off in an empty locker?’

  My head spun. Then one of the people in the crowd swore. ‘I knew I recognised her,’ he said. ‘She’s in that terrorist group behind the House of Commons bomb. She’s wanted by the police.’

  Latimer’s aide gripped my arm. As he did so, one of Riley’s security guards emerged from the crowd. I suddenly caught sight of Taylor behind him. He was watching me. As our eyes met, he turned and walked away.

  I glanced down at my watch. Less than thirty seconds to go till the explosion. I didn’t understand. What was Taylor still doing on board? Where was the bomb Spider had planted?

  The people around me broke into conversation, debating what should be done with me. The security guard was now on my other side, taking charge. I took a final look at the countdown on my watch. We were down to the last twenty seconds.

  00:19

  00:18

  00:17

  What was going on? The entire world seemed to spin around me. I closed my eyes. Wherever the bomb was, I had failed to get everyone off the boat. They were going to die.

  So was I.

  The voices around me grew louder. I thought of Nat and hoped that somehow he would survive. Then I glanced at my watch a final time.

  This was it.

  00:03

  00:02

  00:01

  Nothing happened. The chatter in the room continued. My mouth fell open.

  For reasons I couldn’t begin to explain or understand, there had been no bomb. Riley and Uchi and Taylor and Spider had all tricked me.

  The whole thing had been a con.

  As the security guard marched me to the door the people watching parted to let us through. Out in the corridor people stared at me, horror – and in some cases contempt – on their faces. There was no sign of Taylor. Outside the storeroom, Latimer was crouching down. I could just make out Aaron’s white shirt through people’s legs. Latimer’s hand was on his arm. I registered all this dully, in a state of total shock.

  ‘Where are you taking her?’ Latimer’s aide asked.

  ‘Police,’ the guard answered.

  Nat

  The Kimberley Jack was docking halfway along the marina as I hauled myself out of the water and gathered up my jacket, phone and shoes. I crept along the jetty, getting as close as I dared then crouched behind another boat so I wouldn’t be seen.

  I caught my breath as the Kimberley Jack disembarked. Soon the marina was swarming with men in suits, women in flowery print dresses and children skipping towards the exit. Shivering with cold I kept out of sight, watching everyone leave as I wrung the worst of the wet out of my trousers, then took off Aaron’s now sopping jumper and put my jacket and shoes on. Where was Charlie?

  Did I still have a ch
ance to save her?

  I moved closer still, straining my eyes for a glimpse of her. I caught sight of Roman Riley and his blonde girlfriend on the far side of the deck and jumped back, behind a nearby boat. As I did so, a small commotion started up on deck. People were bustling, making way for something. And then I saw Charlie being led along the deck between two of Riley’s guards. Two more men followed directly behind.

  I hugged my arms around my chest, shivering as much from fear as from cold. No way could I rescue her from all those guards. I glanced back at Riley. He was keeping his distance from Charlie, but I could see him watching from the other side of the boat as she was frogmarched on to the jetty. I vaguely noticed two paramedics rushing in the opposite direction, towards the boat, but I kept my eyes fixed on Charlie. Her head was down as she was led along the marina.

  The guards were taking her to the exit. They were going to pass within metres of my hiding place. I held my breath, as Charlie looked up. The sight of her face – of how strained and frightened she looked – cut me like a knife.

  I shifted slightly so that if she turned very slightly she would see me. It was a risk, as the guards could easily see me too, but I had to let her know I was here. That I wasn’t giving up on her.

  I stared at her beautiful face, willing her to see me. Seconds passed; they were about to turn on to the ramp up to the exit. Another moment and it would be too late.

  Charlie’s gaze shifted slightly. Her eyes were dazed. Almost blank.

  And then she saw me. Her face lit up with joy.

  I stared back, transfixed.

  I will find you. I mouthed the words.

  And then she was gone. I took a deep breath, a storm of emotions raging inside me, ready to race across the jetty and follow Charlie and the guards out of the exit. I was certain I could get close enough to hear where they were taking her without being seen myself. But as I inched forwards, the two paramedics I’d glimpsed earlier rushed past. They were pushing a hospital gurney. To my horror Aaron was lying on top of it, his head in a neck brace. Latimer, white-faced, was striding along beside him, with Riley and his girlfriend on the other side of the gurney.

  I ducked back into my hiding place, frozen with fear, praying Riley hadn’t seen me, then took another peek. The whole group were heading, swiftly, towards the marina exit. I hadn’t been spotted. I strained my ears, trying to hear what was being said.

  ‘Which hospital will you take him to?’ Latimer was demanding.

  ‘St Matthew’s,’ one of the paramedics answered. ‘He’s conscious, so it’s just a precaution, but we need to do a full assessment.’

  St Matthew’s was Lucas’s hospital. I’d been there only this morning. It seemed like years ago. I shrank into the shadows as they passed. Impatiently, I waited until they were through the marina exit, then rushed after them.

  Where was Charlie?

  I peered around the doorway that led out of the marina. Aaron was being loaded on to an ambulance. Just beyond, a series of black cars were pulling away. Presumably Charlie was in one of them, but I had no idea which one – or where it was going.

  I sank to my knees. What the hell had happened? Charlie had been captured and was now being taken goodness knows where, while Aaron looked badly injured and was on his way to St Matthew’s, where Lucas had been lying in a coma since last year.

  I tried to focus. Latimer had tried to protect me earlier and was my best source of information on Charlie. Which meant I needed to get to St Matthew’s hospital and talk to him. Fast.

  Charlie

  I sat in a room at the police station, waiting. Every so often I could hear footsteps hurrying along the corridor outside, then the large door at the end clanging shut. Each time I tensed myself, waiting for someone to come inside my tiny room. But nobody did. I was alone, with nothing but a table, two chairs and a bottle of water to keep me company. There was no window in the room and no clock. As my EFA watch had been taken away from me, it was hard to keep track of how much time was actually passing.

  In the end, a woman police officer brought me a sandwich. She chucked it on the table and turned to leave. She hadn’t even looked at me.

  ‘Wait,’ I said. ‘You can’t keep me here like this. I’m entitled to a lawyer – to an adult from my family. There’s my Aunt Karen – she’s my mum’s sister, she . . .’

  But the woman had already left.

  I paced up and down. The situation I was in was bad. Really bad. Clearly I had been completely set up and there hadn’t been a bomb at all. It kind of made sense. After all, it had always seemed odd that Riley and Taylor were so suspicious of me, yet still trusted that I’d help plant the bomb. Riley had obviously decided that the best way to get me out of the way was to frame me yet again – this time as a hoaxer – and have me dealt with by the authorities. I had already been identified as the girl who kidnapped Aaron Latimer all those weeks ago; now I would be charged and tried and imprisoned. I wondered how much Uchi had known about it all. Had he realised I was undercover, working for the resistance from the start? Had he known all along that Riley was just using me? Or had he thought that I was actually persuaded by his arguments – and that Riley was genuinely involving me in a mission?

  An hour or so passed. I ate the sandwich – dry bread and flavourless cheese – and I drank the water. And I waited. I held on tight to that glimpse of Nat, to his handsome face as he’d stood, soaked and hidden, on the jetty and mouthed that he would find me.

  It had been so amazing; for the split second that I’d seen him I’d felt whole again. But it had left me missing him with a physical pain. And while the knowledge he was out there, somewhere nearby, filled me with hope, I knew, realistically, there wasn’t a huge amount Nat could do as long as I was stuck in this police station. Nat was strong and brave, but he had no backup. I’d seen with my own eyes how limited the resistance’s resources were. As for Mayor Latimer, he was so determined to stay undercover with Riley he’d let everyone in the resistance be captured rather than take an open stand.

  I sat back down and put my head in my hands.

  The door across the room opened. I looked up, expecting to see the officer bringing me more food or water, but it was Riley. I sprang to my feet as he shut the door behind him.

  ‘Why am I here? What’s going on?’

  A slow smile curled about Riley’s lips. ‘Calm down, Charlie,’ he said. ‘You’re going to be absolutely fine. Uchi has insisted that despite your persistent attempts at rebellion, we shouldn’t hurt you – and I intend to respect his wishes.’

  ‘Why did you send me and Spider on a mission to bomb a party when there was no bomb? What was the point of that?’ My breath caught in my throat. ‘And . . . and what about Aaron? Spider punched him. And Parveen? I saw the film of her all tied up. Is she alright?’

  ‘Parveen is being held by my soldiers. She’s fine. Aaron’s at the hospital. I’m on my way there now. He’s going to be fine too, they’re just checking him over.’ He grinned. ‘Clearly my son doesn’t know his own strength. He wasn’t meant to knock Aaron down. Ironic –’ he chuckled, ‘— seeing as hospital is probably the best place for anyone to be right now.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ I frowned.

  Riley sighed. ‘I’m sorry that you were tricked. If it’s any consolation, neither Uchi nor Spider wanted you involved in that hoax, but I overruled them. You were the best bait I could think of.’

  ‘Bait?’ My head spun. ‘I don’t understand. Bait for what? For who?’

  ‘For Nat, of course,’ Riley said simply.

  I stared at him. What was he talking about? I’d just seen Nat. He was free, back at the marina.

  ‘Nat?’ I said, feeling bewildered.

  ‘Yes.’ Riley smiled and I was reminded forcefully of Spider. ‘You see Charlie, there was no conventional bomb of the kind you thought you were planting, but there was a weapon on that boat. A very powerful one.’

  ‘What’s that got to do with Nat?’ I d
emanded.

  Riley shook his head. ‘Brave, Charlie, but not the brightest. Don’t you get it now? He doesn’t know it of course, but Nat was – Nat is – the weapon.’

  Nat

  It was ten p.m. and I had just arrived at the hospital. After trying various resistance members by phone and getting no reply, I’d headed for the safe house, skirting around it to see if anyone had made it back here in one piece and could help me. But if anybody had got away, they must have fled hours ago, as the place was swarming with police. This meant that at least some of the Resistance Pairs had surely been arrested. And that they’d talked.

  Which meant the resistance itself had fallen apart just as it was set to get going. And that I was on my own.

  I thought back to how I’d felt this afternoon – positive that there was a way to stand up to Riley at last. I had been wrong. So wrong. No one could stop Riley. I saw it now. Latimer and the resistance had tried — and failed. Charlie and I had tried – and failed. Riley was just too clever.

  All that mattered now was rescuing Charlie, then finding Mum and Dad and Jas and going into hiding with them. Maybe we’d go abroad. I didn’t mind where, I just wanted the people I cared about to be safe.

  I pulled the hood of my jacket low over my head as I strolled through the hospital’s main entrance. I had stopped at a public toilets to dry out Aaron’s jumper and my trousers. They were still slightly damp, but not so as anyone would notice. I was warm anyway, zipped up inside my jacket.

  At the information desk I asked for Aaron Latimer. I wanted to make sure Aaron himself was okay, of course, but mostly I was hoping that his dad would still be with him – and would know what had happened to Charlie.

  ‘Aaron’s my best friend from school,’ I said to the woman in what I hoped was a convincing voice. It was hard to sound like I meant it. Apart from anything else, the whole concept of school felt like it belonged to another world, a different time.

  The woman gave me the name of Aaron’s ward. I knew the way. It was on the floor below Lucas’s.