Run, Zan, Run (13 page)

‘Run for it!’ Zan mouthed.

Katie ran. Zan ran beside her. He who fights and runs away …

‘Why?’ Katie whispered as they ran. ‘You could have got away!’

‘Too many of them, kid. I couldn’t leave you to that.’

Katie could hardly believe it. A few moments ago, all was lost. Now, they were free. Both of them. They had done it together. Again. She felt like whooping with joy. She glanced at Zan as they ran. She looked as delighted as Katie.

At that instant they both collided with someone, looming out of the dark, arms outstretched to bar their way.

‘Going somewhere?’

It was Whittaker, with his low, sinister … oh, so sinister voice.

Katie had never seen Zan so afraid. He had her tight by the arm. Katie had to help her. Above everything, Zan had to get away from Whittaker! More in sheer fright than anything else, Katie bit hard into his hand. He screamed through his teeth, and for a split second released Zan to push Katie from him. It was all the time Zan needed. She was off like the wind. Whittaker drew in an angry breath. He threw Katie from him roughly, then he was after Zan. Katie lay there for a second, watching them both disappear into the pitch darkness of the warehouse.

‘You’re no’ gonny get away this time, scunner.’ Ivy, closing in on her. Katie shrank back. She tried to stand up. But Lindy stood on her hand, squashing it into the soft mud. Katie bit her lip. She wouldn’t cry. No matter what they did.

Ivy grinned viciously. ‘I’m goin’ to enjoy kickin’
lumps out o’ you.’ She looked around. ‘We all are, aren’t we, lassies.’

No one knew where she was.

No one knew Zan existed.

It was hopeless praying for help.

Nothing could save her now!

Chapter Fifteen

Ivy lifted her foot, preparing for that first vicious kick. Katie closed her eyes, and prayed anyway.

‘Don’t you dare touch her!!!’

The words boomed into the cold night air. Somewhere a bird whooped up across the dark sky.

Katie gasped and opened one eye. Her father’s voice? But how?

‘You leave my wee girl alone!’ Her mother! It was a miracle. The cavalry had arrived.

Ivy and her cohorts, mouths agape, took a few steps back. They couldn’t believe it either.

‘You leave my friend be!’ Nazeem too?

Out of the gloom they all emerged, like a line of advancing soldiers. Her father, his face grim and angry. Her mother, worried. Nazeem, looking like a fierce little warrior. Miss Withers. Miss Withers? What was happening?

‘You were all ready to get stuck right into her, weren’t you? All of you against one little girl.’ Miss Withers sounded disgusted. Then she added, ‘I should have done something about this a long time ago.’

The two policemen were there too. Blue-eyes and Ginger.

Ivy stood rooted to the spot, too terrified, surprised, shocked, to move at all. The game, as they say, was definitely up.

Katie’s mother ran to her and gathered her up in her arms. ‘Oh, my wee darling, are you all right?’

Katie was puzzled. It was all like a dream. ‘But … I don’t understand.’

Nazeem bounded up to her enthusiastically. ‘That was me. You see, at your house, I saw Ivy and all of them follow you when you ran off. They’d probably followed me and waited to see what you would do. I knew they were up to something, so I followed them. They led me here, and I knew you were in trouble, so I ran home to get your mum and dad.’

Her mother took up the story. ‘I came in from the garden and you’d gone, and the door was wide open. I thought something terrible had happened. I called the police.’

‘The police were there when I arrived,’ Nazeem broke in. ‘I told them everything … And so was Miss Withers.’ Nazeem went on, as if the teacher’s presence still baffled her.

‘I was angry. You didn’t come to school. Your parents didn’t come to the meeting I’d arranged. So, after school, I decided to come to your house.’ Miss Withers crouched down beside Katie and her mother. Her voice became soft, her eyes softer still. This was Miss Withers? ‘I’m so glad I did.’

She looked at Ivy. ‘When I think of what those girls were going to do to you …’

Her father leaned down to her. ‘But Katie, why did you come to this awful place to begin with?’

Katie jumped to her feet. Zan! That should have been her first thought, but things were happening so fast.

‘Zan! We’ve got to help her!’ They all looked puzzled. Her parents, Miss Withers, Nazeem, even the police, already preparing to lead Ivy and co. off to their police car. Katie began to pull away from her mother.

‘She does exist, Mum. And Whittaker is after her. Believe me. She didn’t burn the house down. Whittaker did. Zan saw him do it, and he’s been after her ever since.’ She could see disbelief flit across their faces, but
they had to believe her this time. They had to. ‘Don’t you see, Dad? That’s why I couldn’t tell anyone about her. She’s been afraid of Whittaker … and now he’s got her.’ Suddenly, she remembered the terror in Zan’s eyes. ‘Please!’ she screamed.

Her father glanced round at the police. ‘Come on. Where did they go, Katie?’

She pointed at the warehouse. ‘In there.’

They all ran, spreading out as they searched, only the moon darting in and out of clouds lighting their way until the policemen switched on their torches and two shafts of light weaved across their path. They would never find her, Katie thought. Perhaps she would never know what happened to Zan. She prayed again. Prayed for another miracle.

Blue-eyes beamed his light to the rafters above, and there, suddenly caught for a moment, were two figures.

‘There!’ Katie shouted, pulling at her father’s sleeve. ‘She’s up there!’

Light from the two torches merged on the beam above. Everyone down below gasped. Zan was hanging by her fingers from one of those old creaky beams. It didn’t look as if it was going to hold for long, and lying across it was Whittaker, his face in the torchlight more
sinister than ever.

‘My God, Douglas. Look what he’s doing.’

Whittaker was trying to prise Zan’s fingers from their hold, trying to make her lose her grip! Kate had never seen such determination on Zan’s face. She would hold on. She must!

‘We can see everything, Whittaker!’ Blue-eyes called up to him. ‘Leave the girl be.’

Taken by surprise, Whittaker slipped on the beam. In a second he had righted himself. He looked down. Saw them all, must have known he was done for. Then he balled his fist and brought it down viciously against Zan’s fingers.

Zan yelled and that one hand lost its grip. Everyone below gasped again.

‘Hold on, Zan!’ Katie screamed up at her.

Whittaker started edging his way back along the beam.

‘Let’s get him,’ Blue-eyes said, and without a moment’s hesitation the policemen raced into the darkness. Katie grabbed her father tightly. ‘Please, Dad. We’ve got to get Zan.’

Zan was holding on with one hand, biting her lip, her eyes clenched tight with determination.

‘I’ll get her,’ Katie’s father said.

Breathless, they watched as he climbed. Up the rickety old ladder to the platform where Zan had lived. Katie’s eyes darted from her father to Zan. She must hold on. He must get to her in time! Zan’s hand slipped just a fraction. Katie screamed. ‘Hold on, just a wee while, Zan. Please!’ Katie had never felt so helpless. Her father was astride the beam now, inching his way towards Zan. Katie could hear his soft words of comfort.

‘Just you hold on. I’m coming. You’ll be safe soon. Just a minute more. You can do it.’

But would Zan believe him? Would she trust him? Zan didn’t even like her father!

Oh, Zan, trust him, please. He’s wonderful. Just trust him!

Then he was beside her. He reached down, his hand held out to Zan, and grabbed her wrist. ‘Give me your other hand,’ he said. Zan would have to reach out to him now. He was leaning down as far as he could. Any more and he would fall himself.

Zan shook her head. ‘I … can’t …’

Everyone held their breath. Not a sound broke the ominous silence. Then the beam creaked. Her mother drew in a sharp breath. Miss Withers let out a scream.

‘Give me your hand. Right now, Zan!!!!’ Katie knew that tone of her father’s. Obey me, or else. Zan recognized
it too. She threw her hand up, and he grabbed it. With all his strength he pulled. Freeing his other hand, he grabbed her jacket and pulled hard until she could scramble on to the beam beside him. A cheer went up. Zan threw her arms round Katie’s father. He hugged her close. Was Zan crying? Katie was certainly in tears.

‘We’re not out of the woods yet,’ she heard her father say. ‘Let’s get off this beam.’

This time there was no inching along. Her father got to his feet, and pulled Zan to hers.

‘How’s your balance?’ he asked her.

‘Like a monkey!’ she said at once.

‘Come on then.’ And together, hand in hand, they ran deftly along the beam to the platform.

The beam creaked again. Splinters of rotten wood began to fall from it. With one bound they jumped to the platform. Just in time.

‘It’s going!’ Miss Withers screamed, waving everyone back. ‘Get out of the way!’ Katie’s mother grabbed Katie and Nazeem and jerked them back from any danger. Katie saw Ivy throw herself to the ground screaming as the beam crashed to the floor.

Dust rose, splinters flew. Everyone began to cough.

It took a moment for it all to sink in. They were safe,
her father and Zan.

Nazeem was the first to jump excitedly in the air. She began dancing around, hugging Katie! ‘They did it. They did it.’ Miss Withers and her mother hugged each other. Katie ran to the ladder. Her father and Zan were already descending.

Zan stepped off first. She looked at Katie. They didn’t say a word. They had proved a friendship beyond words. They smiled at each other, and suddenly they were hugging and crying and laughing, all at the same time. Her father stepped off the ladder. Katie ran to him now. She was so proud of him, she hugged him. Her mother ran and fell into their embrace. The three of them, a family, caring for each other. Zan took a step back.

It was Katie’s father who noticed first. He held out an outstretched arm to Zan. She hesitated, but for only a second, then she moved into his arms. A quick hug was what she probably had in mind. But Zan didn’t know her parents when they got started. Her mother joined in hugging Zan too, and Katie, never one to be left out, just held on tight. She could feel Zan shaking, the fear still upon her, and she could feel that fear abate as her father’s strength, her family’s strength, comforted her.

Zan – safe at last.

Chapter Sixteen

If only Zan could be with us for Christmas. She remembered the day she had thought that, hoped for it, prayed for it.

Now it was Christmas.

Christmas Day.

The house was gaily decorated, a welcoming fire burned in the hearth, the table looked beautiful with its red and white tablecloth and the green napkins arranged in sparkling wine glasses.

It should have been her best Christmas ever … Instead …

Katie sighed. She should be happy. Whittaker was safely behind bars awaiting trial. The proof of his villainy had been plain for all to see when he had tried to prise Zan’s fingers from the beam that awful night. Zan was exonerated. Katie had heard that word a lot over the
past few weeks. Her innocence proved beyond doubt. It had long ago been discovered that her parents had links with a highly dangerous gang of criminals. The initial theory that Zan had to be responsible for the fire was eventually questioned when the truth about them came out. Zan had never known that, of course. Always on the run, with no reason to trust either the police or social workers, or parents for that matter.

She had trusted Katie’s dad that day. And it had seemed natural and right for her to come home with them. At least until matters were sorted out.

Katie and Zan, together, at least for this Christmas!

Yet, here she was on Christmas Day … miserable! And it was all Zan’s fault.

‘Katie, are you coming to sit down? Or don’t you want any Christmas dinner?’

Katie stuck her nose in the air and continued looking into the flames.

‘She’s still in a huff. Leave her be.’

Katie jumped from her seat. ‘I’m in a huff, am I? And why am I in a huff?’

She looked at Zan … yes, Zan … and glowered.

Zan shrugged and looked faintly amused. ‘So I used the last of the mousse. I’ll get you more.’

‘But it’s Christmas Day. All the shops are closed. And just look at my hair.’

She was selfish! There was no other word for her!

‘It looks lovely, dear. Now come and sit down,’ her mother said.

‘Not beside her!’ And she and Zan nudged each other deliberately as they passed.

‘Suits me,’ Zan said.

‘Next time, I’m buying my own mousse,’ Katie said. ‘And I’m writing my name all over it!’

Zan sat down and waved out her napkin and spread it on her knees. She had adapted well to family life, Katie thought. Sitting there, with her Christmas dress on, and her hair all cut and shiny … with
her
mousse!

‘All of this over some silly hair mousse,’ her mother complained.

‘You went away with the last of the hairspray,’ Zan retorted.

‘She does it all the time, Mum!’ Katie said. ‘My mousse, my deodorant, my …’

Her mother touched her hand. ‘Katie, I know it’s hard for you to get used to sharing things.’ She smiled at Zan and touched her hand too. ‘And for you too, Zan. Neither of you have ever had to share things before.’

That wasn’t going to win Katie over. ‘Well, she’s not getting a loan of any of my clothes again!’

‘I hope you remember that tomorrow night,’ Zan said smugly. ‘Christmas disco. Remember? You asked if you could wear my green top.’

Katie was horrified. ‘You promised I could have it! Mum, she promised!’

Suddenly, her mother banged the table with her fists, so hard that even her dad, who had been watching the proceedings with a fatherly, affectionate eye, jumped in his seat.

‘That’s it!’ she shouted. ‘I’ve had enough! It’s Christmas Day! Zan’s aunt will be here in a few days, and goodness knows when we’ll see her again. So I want the Peace and Goodwill to start right now!’