‘He’s going there!’ snorted Rikki. ‘I don’t believe it, but he’s going there!’
Mr Barlow said: ‘That wasn’t wise, boys. I’ve got to say it.’
They looked at him, and sat up. ‘Why not?’
‘I know it was . . . perhaps what he deserved. But I’m fairly sure that if the police are on our tails, they can find out what transmission mast was used to service that call. They’re going to know exactly where we are.’
‘Is that true?’ said Eric.’
‘Damn,’ said Richard. He sat up. ‘I didn’t think.’
‘Blast it,’ said Rikki.
‘We’re an idiot,’ said Richard. ‘That was really dumb.’
‘No point crying about it,’ said Mr Barlow. ‘We’d better make a decision. Do we give ourselves up now – or press on? We can always strike a bargain, you know, or—’
‘Talk to the police?’ said Eric.
‘Yes.’
‘No way,’ said Richard.
‘We’ve just started, sir!’ said Eric. ‘This is the beginning.’
‘We’re not going home, Mr Barlow,’ said Rikki. ‘If you want to go back to your lonely old life, that’s your affair. Die if you want to, but we’re serious.’
‘I can see what courage you’ve got, but—’
‘We’re hiding out,’ said Richard. ‘We’ve got everything we need, and we’re disappearing. And you should stay with us, sir – you know you should. What have you got to go back for? Let’s have an adventure.’
‘Boys – they will comb this area,’ said Mr Barlow. ‘Children aren’t allowed to disappear.’
‘They won’t take me alive,’ said Eric.
‘Nor me,’ said Richard and Rikki together.
‘We’ve got the handbook too,’ said Richard. ‘Eric knows what he’s doing.’
Rikki smiled. ‘They can hunt as long as they want,’ he said. We’ll give them a run for their money, and we’ll do whatever we have to do.’
‘Very well.’ Mr Barlow thought hard. ‘The first thing, then, is to hide those bikes. Then we get off the path, and do some cross-country work. Let’s make it difficult for them.’
The boys stood up and touched fists again. ‘Operation Survival,’ said Rikki.
‘Bring it on,’ said Eric.
They moved the bicycles into the trees, and buried them in the foliage. Then they hauled on their rucksacks and checked the map. A narrow track went north-north-west, towards a mountain that appeared and disappeared in swirls of mist. Eric took a bearing, and they all drank water.
‘To higher ground?’ said Eric.
‘Of course,’ said Rikki.
They adjusted their hoods, for the rain was harder, and put their heads down for a long trek through the deluge.
Forty minutes later Chief Inspector Mantz updated his Child Protection Unit. A team of officers was crammed into the station’s main briefing room, and the mood was serious.
‘Axton Hill transmitter, ladies and gentlemen. South Wales. Which is all very interesting . . .’ He clicked a switch and the screen behind him was filled by an enormous map. As he pointed, the image resolved itself into a larger scale. Soon, those watching could see contours and footpaths. ‘That’s where they are,’ he said. ‘They followed their pals.’
‘The residential was important to them,’ said Dr Warren. ‘It’s a form of egomania – they just want to fit in.’
‘They’ve not been seen, have they?’ said the inspector. ‘I would imagine they took fright at the last minute.’ He clicked, and a photograph of Mr Barlow came onto the screen. ‘This, we believe, is their leader.’
The officers stared. The doctors said nothing.
‘He’s a clever one. He’s not touched his credit cards, and he’s not hired a vehicle. We don’t know the details, but it’s my hunch that he’s kidnapped them. Bit of a desperado, is our Mr Barlow – estranged from his own kids, apparently. Doctor Warren here did a consultation, and he says Barlow sees these youngsters as surrogates. We’re pretty sure he won’t harm them, but I’m taking no chances. We’ve got mountain rescue waiting for us, and the good news is there’s a unit of commandos down there too, on a training exercise. There’s red tape to cut, but everyone pulls together when it’s kids. I think they’re going to help us, and if so, we could have those boys safe before nightfall. I want that teacher in custody.’
He clicked, and his audience saw icons of forked lightning over heavy clouds.
‘The downside is the weather. It’s set to get worse, ladies and gentlemen, and the terrain is ultra-hostile. These kids don’t have equipment, and they’ve got no training whatsoever. We’ve got to expect dehydration and hypothermia. Demoralization’s going to kick in as soon as they get wet, and we have to remember something else. According to their doctors, these youngsters are without their medication, and without it . . . they won’t last. We can expect seizures and spasms and . . . what was it?’
‘Heart failure,’ said Dr Summersby.
‘Heart failure,’ said Mantz. ‘We need to keep our medics close.’ He stared around the room. ‘I predict panic. The children will give up as soon as it’s dark. They won’t be able to light a fire. They’ll get hungry – and they will cease to work as a unit. That’s when catastrophes happen . . .’
Every officer nodded.
‘Let’s get them back to the clinic. Where they belong. That’s where they can be properly looked after, and . . . excuse me one moment.’ He opened his mobile phone. ‘Mantz.’
Those watching saw the inspector’s eyes narrow. They saw the tip of his tongue lick a heavy upper lip and the mouth set into a hard, firm line. He clicked the phone shut, and looked up.
‘Just received reports that two bikes have gone missing. Village, right by that transmitter mast – first crime in forty years. It’s a lead and I’m following it.’
‘Helicopter’s ready,’ said a man at the door.
‘Do you want dogs, sir?’ said someone else.
‘Yes.’
Chief Inspector Mantz was loading papers into his briefcase. ‘We’re going down now and I want everything. I want frogmen. I want satellite surveillance, and I’ll want a second chopper ready over that mountain. They’re close to the sea, so I want the coastguard informed. And I want to speak to Lieutenant Kirby again about the commando unit. I’ve got a bad feeling about this, so let’s get moving.’ He looked at Dr Warren and Dr Summersby. ‘I want you right beside me,’ he said. ‘You say they trust you?’
‘I believe they do, Inspector,’ said Dr Warren.
‘They’ll need you now, my friend. What about the parents?’
Dr Summersby shook her head. ‘I’d keep them back, Inspector. They might make things worse, and it’s important we have time alone with the boys. We’re going to need to do fast, emergency checks—’
‘We don’t want hysteria, that’s for sure.’
‘Then leave it to us, sir.’
‘We have what we need,’ said Dr Summersby.
‘Good. I’ll let you make the first contact, and advise us. Stay close.’
CHAPTER THREE
Back at the Clifden Adventure Centre, things had got worse.
The headmaster had been taken to the local police station, leaving Miss Maycock in charge. Captain Colin had brought in two boxes of cold bacon sandwiches, and then he’d led a forty-minute singsong. Soon he was telling stories about the interesting things he’d done ‘undercover’.
Salome got a note to Jeff, Aparna and Mark – all members of the original ‘Tiger Team’ – and they slipped out the back to a small storage shed. They shut the door, and turned on their torches.
‘I’m going to deck him in a minute,’ said Salome. ‘This is desperate.’
‘What do we do, though, huh?’ said Mark. ‘I can’t stand much more of him, either – he said we’d do charades later. I hate charades!’
‘It’s a joke,’ said Jeff. ‘Except it’s a joke that isn’t funny.’
‘We
have been seriously and totally ripped off,’ said Salome. ‘Abseiling in the Leisure Centre – if you’re over fifteen and your parents are with you . . . it’s a disgrace!’
‘I wish Rikki was here,’ said Mark. ‘He’d sort him out.’
There was an uncomfortable silence.
‘That’s true,’ said Salome. ‘Rikki was insane, but he didn’t put up with this kind of garbage.’
‘Eric wouldn’t, either,’ said Jeff.
Mark nodded. ‘Eric saved up all his own money for this. We were practising things from that handbook! It’s all wasted.’
Jeff clenched his fists. ‘They’re probably sitting in that Rechner place,’ he said. ‘They’ll be crying their eyes out. God, I wish they were with us.’
‘How would they sort this?’ said Salome.
Jeff grinned. ‘Rikki would tell that jerk what he thought of him.’
‘Too right,’ said Mark. ‘And I tell you what Eric would do: he’d just take off into the woods by himself. Have an adventure of his own – and I’d go with him!’
‘Is that what you’re suggesting?’ said Salome.
‘I don’t dare. Not without Eric.’
Aparna sniffed, and everyone looked at her. She was perched on a small box and had – as usual – been listening in silence.
Salome sighed. ‘Give us a suggestion, Aparna. Save the day before I smack that fat loser and end up in jail.’
Aparna nodded slowly. ‘I agree with Mark,’ she said. ‘I think we should do what Eric would do, and climb that mountain.’
Mark laughed. ‘Which one?’ He opened his leaflet and the familiar face of an SAS officer stared at them, a grey crag looming over his shoulder. ‘Are you talking about this one here?’
‘Yes.’
‘That’s out of bounds,’ said Salome in disgust. ‘Off-limits!’
‘Look,’ said Aparna. ‘I can’t stand this. We have the equipment, don’t we? I know it might seem dangerous and we might get into trouble. But these people have lied to us, and we’ve all been looking forward to a proper adventure. Something’s wrong, so let’s do it.’
‘The headmaster would kill us,’ said Jeff.
‘I hate Mr Prowse,’ said Aparna. ‘Who cares what he thinks?’
Everyone gasped. ‘Aparna!’ said Jeff. ‘What’s got into you? Think of the rules we’d be breaking – we could get expelled.’
‘You don’t break rules!’ said Salome. ‘Ever.’
‘No,’ said Aparna. ‘And this time I’m going to.’
‘This needs thinking about,’ said Jeff. ‘Your parents would go ballistic.’
Aparna stood up. ‘It doesn’t need thinking about, Jeff. I’ve thought about it. I’ve been thinking for ages – all I do is think, and I’m tired of thinking.’
She pushed the door of the shed open and strode back through the rain to the huts. In a moment, she was in the dormitory and had hauled her rucksack from under a bunk. The others followed, utterly astonished. From the next-door room, the captain could be heard going over the supper order again.
‘Onion rings are extra,’ he cried. ‘Listen! Shut up! Onion rings are two pounds fifty . . .’
Aparna picked up a sweater and stuffed it into the bag. Then she was sitting, pulling on her boots. Nobody said a word, but all eyes watched her. She worked methodically, without any hesitation, and in a few minutes she was zipped into her waterproofs, gloved and hatted, with the rucksack towering over her head.
‘I’ll go on my own,’ she said quietly. ‘You don’t have to come.’
‘You’re crazy,’ said Jeff.
‘I want to climb that mountain.’
‘Look,’ said Salome. ‘It’s pouring. If we wait till tomorrow—’
‘I’m going,’ interrupted Aparna. ‘We’ve got to, and I’m leaving now. You’re cowards, all of you!’
‘I’ve lost my coat,’ said Jeff. ‘Half my stuff’s gone missing.’
Mark said, ‘I think she’s right. Let’s get out of here before we go crazy.’
‘Something bad’s happening,’ said Aparna. ‘I hate this place – Rikki would set fire to it, with that slob locked inside. I’m not staying a single night here – we need to be on that mountain, out . . . out in the open.’
They managed to persuade her to wait for three minutes. In that time they packed everything they thought they’d need, and then all four slipped back into the yard. It was getting dark, for a storm was rising over the very rock they were heading for. That didn’t stop them, though. They clambered over a fence, and ran in single file down an alleyway.
Five minutes later the estate came to an end. They ran past some cottages into a copse. Beyond the trees, a muddy footpath took them straight across fields, and within ten minutes they’d come to the wilderness.
Mr Barlow, meanwhile, was feeling better than he’d felt for years.
He had been gathering wood, and now had a nice supply of dry kindling. He moved back down the slope, aware that the daylight was fading fast. To his right he heard a pair of owls, and he paused. It was an old Boy Scout code he’d taught them: Rikki and Richard were the owls, and Eric the raven. He was the woodpecker, so he put a hand to his mouth and gave the answering call. The raven cawed from way off in the trees, which was reassuring.
Mr Barlow walked carefully back to camp. Both tents were up, of course. They were beautifully disguised by a skeleton of tree branches, overlaid with ferns. A ring of stones had been set up in the mouth of the larger one, around a pit – Eric had dug it according to Nailhead McGinty’s instructions and diagrams (Chapter Six). The cooking implements were carefully set out, ready. They had chosen a low spot in the woods, partly for shelter, but also so that the wood smoke would be dispersed among trees. They had also set up snares.
Mr Barlow poured milk and a little water into a saucepan, and covered it. A voice behind him said, ‘Don’t move.’ He swung round with a cry, and there was Eric grinning down at him.
‘Ha! You didn’t hear me?’
‘I didn’t hear a sound, boy!’
‘It takes a while, but you’ve just got to be really, really careful. I think I could creep up on a deer. Or a rabbit.’
‘I’m sure you could. You were silent as a ghost.’
‘Shall I light the fire?’
‘Would you mind?’ said Mr Barlow. ‘I’ve never been good at that.’
Eric squatted, and was soon laying a nest of twigs over a handful of tissues and dry leaves. He’d dug an air vent, so it blazed hot and fierce. They heard Richard and Rikki long before they saw them, because they were dragging a heavy piece of deadwood. Mr Barlow put the grill over the flames, impressed again at the boys’ care in constructing such an even, stable fireplace. Within minutes the milk was boiling, and he was mixing in the chocolate powder.
Night fell slowly, and there was a rumble of thunder. The rain eased off, then burst down again, and they sat happily munching. There was a good supply of food and water, because they’d robbed so many of the bags on the bus – and the bag-packers had genuinely thought they’d be living rough. After a thick vegetable soup, they mixed powdered potato and warmed up two cans of beans. They fried sausages in a small pat of butter. Then they brewed more hot chocolate, and shared an enormous packet of digestive biscuits.
‘Are you scared, Mr Barlow?’ said Eric.
‘Me? No.’
‘You look worried.’
‘The face is a deceptive thing. I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.’
‘You enjoy teaching, don’t you?’ said Rikki. ‘I thought you loved us.’
‘Yes, I do. Of course I do.’
‘Even me?’
‘Especially you – and I don’t know why.’
‘What will you do without us, then?’ said Richard. ‘What do teachers do after they get sacked?’
‘There are many ways of earning a living,’ said Mr Barlow. ‘And I was definitely getting stale.’
‘They might arrest you,’ said Eric. ‘You
should have handed us in, really, shouldn’t you?’
‘I’ll plead temporary insanity,’ said Mr Barlow.
‘We need a better plan,’ said Rikki. ‘They will come looking for us – you were right about that, sir. They’ll be right on our tails.’
‘We need a strategy,’ said Richard.
‘Yes,’ they said together. ‘Let’s assume—’
‘What?’ said Richard.
‘What were you going to say?’ said Rikki.
‘You go first,’ said Richard. Their heads were pressed together, because they were sharing the hood of Jeff’s coat.
‘I was going to say that we need to assume the enemy knows where we are,’ said Rikki. ‘Because of us using the mobile, which – I agree – was the most stupid thing I’ve ever done. They are going to assume that we came down to this part of the world so as to be with our friends. Would that be correct?’
Everyone nodded.
‘In that case,’ said Richard, ‘they can’t be that far behind us.’
‘We played right into his hands, didn’t we?’ said Richard. ‘When we were violent – that gave him the excuse he was waiting for! Oh God, why did you throw us off the roof, Rikki?’
Rikki laughed. ‘We’ve been through this,’ he said.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I asked you exactly that question. I’m telling you, I didn’t. That was you.’
‘That wasn’t me. I’m the survivor.’
Rikki laughed again. ‘Richard! You’re using my words – that is exactly what I said. Now try to remember: I climbed the drainpipe, didn’t I? That was me: Rikki. Definitely.’
‘Yes,’ said Richard. ‘I agree. You always think faster than I do – you grabbed the drainpipe.’
‘But when we got to the top, I wanted to escape. Your dweeby ways took over again, and you caught me completely by surprise. You just . . . launched us backwards into thin air. I remember thinking, Oh no, what a loser!’
‘Well, if that was me,’ said Richard, ‘I was totally unaware of it.’
‘Let me ask you another question,’ said Rikki.
‘Go on.’
‘Tell the truth. Did you vandalize Aparna’s picture?’