“Yes. I’ll give the order as soon as we’re out of here.”
There was a brief silence as they finished what they were eating.
“Are you sure the parents will pay?” Eduardo asked.
“They’ll pay, Eddie. But I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. They’ve sent us an email via the bank in Panama. I picked it up just before we sat down.”
“And?”
“They’ve asked us to reduce the ransom. They’ve offered to pay one hundred million pounds instead of the two hundred and sixty that we’re asking. Less than half!” Giovanni shrugged. “I can’t say I’m surprised. They’ll try to get the best deal for anything … even the lives of their children.”
“They’re business people, Gio. That’s how they behave.”
“Exactly, Eddie.”
“So…?”
“So tomorrow morning we’ll have to kill one of the kids. It’s a little cruel but we always knew it was a possibility. We’ll get Mr Stallone to film it. The important thing is to make sure it’s one of the poorer children. We don’t want to upset any of the billionaires. We’ll send the school a copy of the file and after that I’m sure there won’t be any more arguments. And then we’ll raise the ransom amount to three hundred million pounds.”
Eduardo Grimaldi walked over to the window. The locomotive engine was now facing back down the line, in the direction of the tunnel. His brother joined him. Jane Vosper sat, lifeless, behind them. They had already forgotten she was there.
At last the sun had set over Smoke City.
Alex’s eyes flickered open. Somehow, without meaning to, he had managed to fall asleep. Well, that was good. He needed all the energy he could muster. His stomach felt empty. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast and he’d had little enough of that. His hands were black. He wondered what he must look like … a Victorian chimney sweep, probably!
He watched as, one by one, the searchlights crashed on. The Grimaldis were taking no chances. Nobody knew they were here but they still had their guards out, marching back and forth, following the line of the fence. Even so, it was impossible to illuminate the entire compound. It was exactly what Alex had hoped. There were so many different shapes – buildings, pipes, old bits of machinery – that the beams of light created a fantastic network of shadows which themselves provided places for him to hide.
He took a quick look around him, noting that the steam train had been turned and that the coach had been driven off the low-loader. The coach was of particular interest to him. He couldn’t drive but the security man, Philby, certainly could. He was beginning to see that this was his best option. Find the schoolchildren, put them on the bus, drive out of here. It sounded desperate but at least it was a plan.
It was time to go. Alex stretched his cramped muscles, then slid out from underneath the benzene wagon. A single drop of evil-smelling fuel dripped onto his neck and he saw that the metal casing was badly rusted – that it might wear through at any time. Could he help it on its way? It was a thought which he filed away in some corner of his mind. If he could start a fire, that might provide a distraction. It might even be spotted by someone flying overhead…
The prison block was straight ahead of him, half concealed by the concrete tower. The conveyor belt slanted down high over his head, reaching back to the pile of coal on the station platform. For the moment there were no guards in sight and Alex hurried forward, keeping in the shadows, avoiding the light. He came to a brick-built shed, some sort of storage facility. Once it had been securely fastened with a steel door but someone had forced their way in and the door was hanging off its hinges. Alex ducked inside, still hoping he might find something he could use as a weapon.
There was nothing. The light, streaming in through a small, dusty window, revealed shelves lined with laboratory equipment that hadn’t been used for years. Alex saw a couple of glass jars marked H2SO4. At least that was one thing he remembered from school: the chemical formula for sulphuric acid. He turned to leave and stepped on something lying on the floor. It was an old chisel. He picked it up and tucked it into his belt. It wasn’t much but it was better than nothing.
He reached the doorway and was about to pass through when the sound of approaching footsteps made him stop and retreat quickly into the darkness. A guard walked past, dressed in dark combat trousers and an anorak with a machine gun hanging diagonally across his chest. He was speaking on a walkie-talkie.
“Sector Seven … all clear. Over.”
Alex heard the buzz of static as the message was relayed to wherever the control centre happened to be. He waited until the man had gone, then crept forward, not wanting to waste any more time. There were lights on inside the building ahead of him and Alex briefly wondered where the electricity was coming from. If there was a generator somewhere, he might be able to sabotage it, although so much power was being used in the compound that he was fairly sure it must still be connected to the mains.
The entrance to the accommodation area – the only way in as far as he could see – was in the middle of the passageway that connected the two blocks. It was open but it was also guarded. Alex could see a chair and a table on the other side and a man sitting with his feet up, reading a magazine. With his attention distracted, it would be easy enough to sneak in and take him out, using one of any number of karate moves. But that wouldn’t work. As soon as someone noticed that the man had gone missing, the alarm would be raised. Somehow Alex had to get past without being seen.
For once, luck was on his side. The man’s walkie-talkie crackled and he held it to his ear. He must have received some sort of instruction because a moment later, he got up and walked off down the passageway. Alex seized the opportunity to slip inside, heading the opposite way. The passageway was wide and, with its tiled floor and old-fashioned radiators, reminded him of an abandoned hospital. It had recently been given a coat of white paint and new light fittings but there was still a sense of emptiness and desolation. It led to a second corridor, this one running left and right with softly glowing light bulbs hanging down on wires and a long line of identical doors. Alex crept forward carefully. If anyone came out, he would have nowhere to hide.
He heard a sound coming from behind one of the doors. It was unmistakable: a child crying. Knowing that he shouldn’t do it but unable to stop himself, Alex reached for the door handle and turned it. The door wasn’t locked. It opened into a small room, barred, with two bunk beds, a table with a lamp, two chairs. It would have looked like a prison cell, except that the duvets on the beds were decorated with characters from Star Wars and the occupants were both about ten years old, boys wearing striped pyjamas. The boy in the lower bunk was in tears and the other boy, a little older, had climbed down to comfort him. The two of them stopped and stared, seeing Alex standing in the doorway. Alex quickly brought a finger to his lips, warning them not to call out.
“Who are you?” the older boy whispered.
“I’m a friend,” Alex said. “I’ve come to get you out of here.”
“They kidnapped us from school…”
“I know. I saw it happen. Is there anyone in charge?”
The older boy nodded. “They’ve got a nurse looking after us. Mr Green was here to begin with but now he’s gone. He teaches us drama.”
“What about your security guard? Do you know where he’s being kept?”
“No.” It was the younger boy who had answered. “They knocked him out when he was in the bus. We haven’t seen him.”
“Thanks.” Alex took a step back. “You mustn’t tell anyone you’ve seen me. You must both try and get a bit of sleep. With a bit of luck, we’ll all be leaving here very soon.”
“What’s your name?” The younger boy looked at him anxiously.
Alex smiled. “Alex Rider. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He left the room, closing the door behind him. The most important thing was to find out where the security man – Philby – was being kept. He started down the corridor but he h
adn’t gone halfway when he heard a pair of doors swing open at the far end and a shadow stretched out, climbing the opposite wall. Someone was coming!
He was standing next to a store cupboard, between two of the cells. The door was half open and he quickly went inside, pulling the door shut apart from a small crack to allow in the light. He saw that he was in a laundry room. There were spare sheets and duvets, brand-new pyjamas and T-shirts, still in their wrapping. Outside, the footsteps were getting closer. Alex reached for the chisel in his belt and drew it free. The footsteps had stopped. The guard – or whoever it was – had stopped right outside. Alex tensed. He had nowhere to hide. If he was discovered, he would simply have to strike first.
The door opened. A figure stood in front of him, silhouetted against the lights in the corridor.
Alex lashed out, driving the wooden handle of the chisel upwards, a knockout blow to the side of the head. It was only some instinct that made him stop and pull back at the last microsecond. His fist froze, a few millimetres from its target.
He was looking at a woman dressed in the uniform of a nurse.
The woman was Jack Starbright.
NEVER SAY DIE
“Jack?” Alex dropped the chisel. It clattered against the floor.
“Alex?” Jack gazed at him in disbelief.
The two of them stood there for what felt like an eternity, then fell into each other’s arms.
“I don’t believe it!” Jack’s eyes had filled with tears.
“I got your message, Jack. I’ve been looking for you all over the world.”
“And you found me! You’re in a laundry cupboard! How did you get here?” She pulled away. “You look awful, Alex! When was the last time you had a bath?”
“Jack!”
She stared at him, then grabbed hold of him again and Alex felt an extraordinary sense of lightness as all the fears and doubts of the past couple of months were wiped away to be replaced by the knowledge that he had been right all along, that Jack hadn’t been killed and that he had found her. Apart from the strange uniform, which didn’t suit her at all, she looked just the same as always with her tangled red hair and her wide smile. She was a little thinner perhaps and, with a jolt of unease, Alex noticed an old bruise, fading beside one of her eyes. But it was her. She was alive. That was all that mattered.
“I’ve missed you so much, Jack.” The words came tumbling out. “After what happened, I thought you were—” He had to stop himself. He couldn’t go on.
“I know. But never say die. We’re together now!” She paused. “And we’re still in trouble!”
It was true. They couldn’t stay where they were. They both realized it at the same moment. It was time to move.
“We have to go somewhere safer,” Jack said. “They patrol the corridors all the time. We can go to my room.”
“What are you doing here, Jack?”
“God knows, Alex. The whole thing is a nightmare – or it was until you showed up.” She poked her head out of the door and checked that the corridor was clear. “Follow me! I’m just up here.”
Signalling, she hurried back the way she had come. Alex followed her, his head spinning. Why was she here? Why was she dressed like a nurse? How had she even got here from the South of France? There were a hundred questions he wanted to ask her but he knew he would have to wait until they were out of sight. Together, they crept past a series of doors – old offices that had been turned into sleeping quarters for all fifty-two children. Alex saw a dining hall at the far end with trestle tables and simple wooden seats. It reminded him how hungry he was. But before they reached it, Jack opened a door and ushered him into a bedroom, a little larger than the one he had visited. There was an adult-sized bed, a wardrobe, a dressing table with a mirror. This was where she was staying.
She closed the door then embraced him for a third time, holding him close and saying nothing. When they finally separated, he noticed that he had left black smudge marks on her uniform and glanced at himself in the mirror. She was right. He did look terrible: ragged and scrawny, with his hair, his face, his clothes all covered in soot from the tunnel.
“Are you all right, Alex?” she exclaimed. “I’ve been so worried about you. Ever since Siwa…”
“What happened in Siwa?” Alex asked. “I thought you were killed…”
“I know.” She was about to explain, then stopped herself. “Do you need something to eat or drink?” she asked. “You’re very thin. Who’s been looking after you?”
“I’ve been with Sabina and her parents,” Alex said. “And yes. I’m starving. Can you get me a sandwich or something?”
“Wait here.” Jack went to the door. “I want to make sure the children are asleep. Some of them are terrified, poor things. Then I’ll get you something from the kitchen. It’ll just take me a couple of minutes.” She pointed at a second door leading out of the room. “There’s a bathroom in there. There’s no plumbing but I’ve got bottles of water…” She ran over to Alex, hugged him one last time, and left.
Alex went into the bathroom. There was a sink and a supply of water in five-litre bottles. He had no change of clothes but at least he was able to wash the soot out of his hair and clear his eyes. He drank half a litre of water too, then went back into the bedroom and sat on the bed. He wasn’t tired. Finding Jack had energized him in a way he wouldn’t have thought possible. Right now, the fact that he was a prisoner in a compound surrounded by armed guards didn’t mean anything. He would fly out of here if he had to. Nothing was going to stop him.
He was still sitting there, a smile on his face, when Jack returned clutching sandwiches, fruit juice and chocolate biscuits. “This is all we have,” she explained. “There’s no proper kitchen.”
“It’s perfect, thanks.” Alex grabbed a sandwich, noticing that it was egg mayonnaise. She had even chosen his favourite. He wolfed it down. “How much time do we have, Jack? There was a guard at the door when I came in. Are there any others?”
Jack shook her head. “There’s only one way in and out of this building. They’ve had a guard sitting there the whole time. The Grimaldis brought me here to look after the children. They didn’t want to have a riot on their hands. But they don’t trust me. As soon as this job’s over, I don’t think I’m getting out of here alive.”
“I’m here now.”
“I know. I know. I still can’t believe it. Tell me you’re not on your own. Tell me you’ve got Mrs Jones and the whole of MI6 waiting outside.”
“I am on my own and they don’t even know where I am.”
“Alex!”
“I’ll work something out, Jack. I promise you. But first of all, I’ve got to know how you got here. What happened in Siwa? I know they tricked me with the film of you being killed but that still doesn’t explain how you ended up dressed as a nurse in the middle of Wales.”
“And I want to know how you found me, Alex. I can’t believe you managed to work out my email. I wanted to tell you where I was but I didn’t get the chance—”
Alex held up a hand – and a half-eaten sandwich. “We don’t have a lot of time, Jack,” he said. “You start at the beginning. Then I’ll tell you my side of it. And then we’ll work out what we’re going to do.”
“OK.” There were two chairs in the room. Jack rested one against the door to stop anyone entering. “Just in case…” she said. “Nobody has come in here yet. But if they do, you can hide in the bathroom.”
She sat down on the other chair. Alex was sitting on the bed, drinking orange juice through a straw. At last she began.
“It still makes me ill thinking about Siwa,” she said. “I felt awful because I thought it was my fault that you got captured … I mean, you only went there to rescue me and I blamed myself for getting you into trouble. And I couldn’t believe those two creeps … how horrible they were. Razim and Julius Grief.”
“They’re both dead,” Alex said.
“I heard. All I can say is, it’s an improvement.” She
drew a breath. Just as Alex had discovered when he was in San Francisco, it was still painful remembering what had happened. “I tried to escape,” she went on. “I thought I was being so clever. I managed to get out of a window and I stole a Land Rover and I was driving into the desert to get help when it just stopped. There must have been something in the engine. They flicked a switch and stopped it by remote control.
“So I was sitting there like an idiot, trying to get it started again, when these men appeared and dragged me out. I tried to fight but they were too strong for me and there was nothing I could do. About five seconds later, the whole car blew up. It made me sick, realizing I had just been inside it. I mean, I’d been sitting on a bomb for goodness’ sake! After that, they dragged me back to my cell but this time there was a man standing outside the window so I couldn’t climb out again.
“I don’t know how much time went by. I didn’t have my watch and I was half out of my mind, worrying about you. But after a while the door opened and two men came in. Actually, it could have been one man carrying a mirror. Talk about peas in a pod! They were twins, obviously. But they were also identically dressed in old-fashioned safari suits. They would have looked ridiculous, except for the fact that they were clearly so dangerous. I saw that at once.
“‘Miss Starbright…?’ one of them said. He could have been introducing himself to me at a cocktail party.
“‘We are the Grimaldis.’ It was the other one who finished the sentence. That’s how they talk.”
“I know,” Alex said. “We’ve met.”
“Anyway, they said they had a job for me. They didn’t ask me if I was interested or anything like that. They just looked me over, nodded at each other and walked out. I was shouting after them, asking about you, but the door slammed shut and I was left on my own.
“There was only one thing I could do. I had to leave you a message in case you came looking for me and I’d already managed to get one of the screws out of my bed. I used the point to scratch their name into the wall.”