Urban Outlaws by Peter Jay Black

Author:Peter Jay Black
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2014-01-30T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Charlie dumped the motorbike and helmets behind a church. She covered them with cardboard boxes, but had a look of resignation. Chances were the bike would be found and either stripped for parts, or impounded by traffic wardens. Either way, it was gone.

Jack rested a hand on her shoulder. ‘We’ve got to go.’

‘They might as well have these.’ Charlie reached under the boxes and put the keys back in the ignition. ‘Now what?’

‘We need to go somewhere I can think.’ Something Jack should’ve done from the very beginning.

A police car, sirens blaring, shot past the alleyway.

Jack and Charlie pulled back into the shadows. ‘Somewhere we won’t be disturbed,’ he added.

Charlie raised her hood and took his hand. ‘I know just the place.’

• • •

An hour later, they were at Tower Bridge. Charlie had broken in and they were now sat on the roof of one of the towers. From this vantage point, they had a clear view over the River Thames and London.

For a long while, Jack stared across the cityscape, his eyes unfocused, the million points of light blurring in streaks across his vision. Charlie kept fidgeting and he looked at her. ‘What’s up with you?’

‘I just remembered something.’

‘What?’

‘I left my laptop on.’

‘So?’

‘I set a search running for Wren’s dad.’

Jack stared at her. ‘You found his name?’

Charlie nodded.

Jack frowned. ‘I’m not sure that it’s such a good idea.’

Charlie frowned back at him. ‘Why not?’

‘Wren – Well – I just think she wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. She’s settled with us.’

‘She has a father, Jack. She’s got a chance at a real family, not –’ Charlie bit her lip and looked away.

‘Not what?’ Jack said, thinking of the bunker. ‘What’s wrong with what we’ve got? Beats living in a home.’

Charlie looked back at him. ‘But if you could be with your mum and dad again, wouldn’t you want that?’

Jack thought about it. He had no memory of his parents, but he supposed that, given the choice . . . He sighed and stared out across London.

His mind replayed the last few days. How had they got into this mess? More importantly, how were they going to get out of it again? ‘We need help,’ he said, though he hated to admit it.

Charlie looked at him. ‘Noble?’

He nodded. ‘Noble.’

Charlie typed into her phone and a few minutes later it beeped with a return message. ‘He says he’ll meet us at midday tomorrow.’

That was Noble, Jack thought, always willing to help them out, no questions, but Jack hated asking Noble for anything because he’d given them so much already. If it wasn’t for him, they’d still be in a home or on the streets.

A few years ago when it was just the three of them – Jack, Charlie and Obi – they’d worked out the perfect mission to test their combined skills.

Or so they thought.

A boy called Michael West continuously bullied Obi. Mike would pick on him about his size, steal money and sweets from him, clothes, trainers, anything that would guarantee Obi’s life was a nightmare.

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