The Mute and the Liar (41 page)

Actually,
this
is
probably
the
perfect
time
to
try
and
run
anyway.
Nick
and
Kit
have
turned
their
backs
on
me
to
talk
to
her,
and
Jayce
is
a
quite
a
distance
away
from
me, still
huddled by that
wall.
If
I
get
away
now
no
one
will
be
able
to
stop
me.
I
could
just
turn
around
right
now
and
head
back
to
the
city
centre.
I
could
get
help.
I
could
be free!

That’s
it.
It’s
got
to
be
now.
This
is
the
first
real
chance
I
have
had.
I’ve
got
to grab
it
before
Jayce takes
it
away from
me
again
.

Go.
Go!

I
drop
the
bags,
twist
around
and
hurtle
as
fast
as
I
can
right
back
to
the
centre.
I
slam
past
so
many
people,
all
of
them
heading
the
other
way,
as
though
I
am
swimming
against
a
current.
The
thick
crowds
try
to
force
their
way
past
me,
but
all
I
can
think
of
is
that
freedom
is
right
ahead.
It’s
there,
in
plain
sight,
so
close
I
can
almost
taste
it.
I’m
nearly
free!
Even
when
my
feet
begin
aching
and
a
stitch
stabs
me
in
the
side,
I
urge
myself
to
keep
going,
to
keep
running.

Just
when
I
am
stupid
enough
to
believe
in
freedom,
I
hear
his
familiar
voice
shouting
my
name.
The
voice
sends
icy
needles
dancing
over
my
neck and
a
mad
pounding
in
my
chest.
Jayce.
I
can’t
tell
how
far
away
he
is
and
I’m
too scared to turn around
and see. I have
to get
away
from
him!

Run!
Run!

The
Abbey
is
just
ahead.
There
was
a
phone
box
nearby,
and
when
we
were
walking
around
here
I
saw
one
of
the
signs
mentioned
the
police
station
up
ahead.
So
I
just
need
to
get
past
the
Abbey.
That’s
my
best
hope
right
now.

Two
figures are
leaving the Abbey.
I think
they’re
locking
it
up for the
day.
One of them walks away in the other
direction, the other
notices me and just stands there, watching me.
I
must
be putting on
a
very
entertaining show. Great. I'm glad my fear
is amusing people.
He is tall and
blonde and has
a
straight, rigid posture, like
a
human cardboard-cut out. As
I
get closer,
I
realize it's Jeffrey, the posh-voiced boy
we met earlier.

I
look
behind
me.
Jayce
is
not
far
behind
me,
pushing
through
a
string
of
people,
getting
closer
and
closer
every
second.

“
Alicia?
”
I
panic
for
a
moment
and
all
my
breathing
seems
to
cut
off
momentarily.
That
voice
sounded
so
close
to
me
-
has
Jayce's
caught
up
with
me
already?
I
look
left
and
see
it
is
Jeffrey,
who
is
still
watching
me.
I
let
out
a
relieved
breath.
Thank
God.
C
learly
I
must
look
terrified,
because
his
facial
expression
changes
the
moment
he
looks
at
me.
“
What’s…
What’s
going
on?
”

I
turn around once
more, to
see Jayce
forcing his
way
through
the
thick
crowds.
I
feel my
heart speeding
up even more
-
he is right behind
me. He
looks
directly
at
me,
a
murderous
look curdling his
face.

“
What
is
he
doing?
Is
he
trying
to
hurt
you
?
”

I
look
at
Jeffrey
pleadingly,
but
inside
I
hate
myself
for
doing
that
-
I
feel
so
pathetic.
Why
do
I
always
need
to
be
saved
by
someone
else?
Why
can’t
I
save
myself?
I
'm
supposed
to
be
a
detective.
And
I
hate
damsel-in-distress
characters
in
books.
Now
it
looks
like
I've
turned
into
one.

In that one moment something
fierce
flits
into
Jeffrey's
blue
eyes
and
he
puts
his
arm
around
me
and
pulls
me
into
him.
He
starts
running,
pulling
my
along.
Realising
he
is
trying
to
help
me,
I
start
running
too,
still
holding
onto
him.
He
leads
me
to
the
church
and
lets
go
of
me
only
for
a
moment
to
unlock
the
door,
then
grabs
my
hand
and
we
run
in,
racing
up
the
aisles
and
up the stairs to
the
altar.

“
He’s
not
going
to
hurt
you
in
the
church.
We’ll
stay
here
until
we
can
leave
and get
help.
”

He
sounds
so
confident
I
almost
believe
him.
But
that’s
when
Jayce
slams
through
the
doors,
panting
heavily,
dragging
in
the
air
around
him
as
though
it
is
cigarette
smoke.
And
his
eyes
have
turned
horrific.
They’ve
been
glazed
over
with
black,
unfeeling
glass
and
the
artificial
lights
that
reflect
in
them
in
silver
studs
simply
sink into
them.
They’re consuming
all
light, all hope.