Rip to the Rescue by Miriam Halahmy

Author:Miriam Halahmy [Halahmy, Miriam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 2020-08-25T00:00:00+00:00

The All Clear sounded around three o’clock in the morning, but fires still burned red across the horizon, and the blackout rendered the side streets, thick with smoke, almost impassable. Jack couldn’t avoid all the broken glass, and his front tire punctured.

He dismounted on Skinner Street, and then he spotted movement in one of the burnt-out shops.

“Anyone there?” he called out.

A figure emerged, bent over, a bulging sack on one shoulder. Jack pulled down his handkerchief and rubbed his eyes. “It’s you!” he yelled.

Ned Purdy stood in the doorway, his face blackened with soot, his eyes darting around looking for an escape route.

Jack’s bigger frame blocked the way.

“Push off, messenger boy,” Ned snarled, shifting the sack on his shoulder.

“You’re looting,” Jack said with satisfaction. “If the wardens catch you, they’ll shoot you.”

“They won’t shoot a kid, you twerp,” said Ned, and without warning, he shoved his shoulder hard against Jack.

Jack stumbled, losing his footing on some rubble, but he managed to reach out and grab Ned before he took off. There was a struggle, and Ned dropped the sack, hitting out with both fists. He was surprisingly strong and landed several punches on Jack before Jack managed to hit home and wind the smaller boy.

Ned bent double, groaning for a few seconds, and Rip, who’d been turning around and around as the fight went on, stood over him growling.

“Call your mutt off,” panted Ned.

“Maybe I won’t,” snapped Jack, but he pulled on the thick fur around Rip’s neck.

Rip hunkered down next to Jack, his nose settled on his front paws. A throaty growl still escaped from time to time.

“You want to keep that thing on a leash,” said Ned, as he straightened.

“Shut up!” said Jack. He pulled open the sack, and tins of beans and sardines spilled out onto the pavement. “You nicked all this stuff. Just wait till I see one of the wardens.”

“Better not if you wanna walk again!”

“Yeah, yeah,” sneered Jack. But a frisson of fear shot through him.

I might be brave in the Blitz, he thought, but Ned’s grown up fighting on the streets. Then he had a new thought. “Of course, I could always tell Becky you’re a looter.”

“You shut your mouth about her!”

Without warning, Ned grabbed the sack, shouldered Jack out of the way for a second time, and took off down the street before Jack regained his balance.

Just like a canal rat, thought Jack, as Ned disappeared down an alley. But he didn’t care. He knew he’d hit home, threatening to tell Becky, even though what he really wanted to do was report Ned to the wardens.

Next time, he told himself as he whistled to Rip and pushed his bike off.

He’d have to take it back to Granddad’s and repair the punctured tire, and he was already exhausted, wet, and starving. As he trudged down the road, anger at Ned swirled around and around his head. He vowed he’d keep a close lookout for him from now on, and the minute he caught him looting, he’d tell a warden.

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