The Enemy

Whitney’s expression softened. She handed the puppy to Ella.

‘Just keep him with you, darling,’ she said kindly. ‘All right?’

‘All right.’

As Ella went back to her bed Maeve came over to join Whitney.

‘See anything?’ she said.

‘Not a lot. No, wait a minute, here comes Pod.’

In a moment Pod came bustling into the dormitory with two of David’s guards.

‘What’s going on?’ said Maeve. ‘There’s people ru

‘It’s nothing to worry about,’ said Pod. ‘Some royals have escaped, that’s all. It’s a bit of a drag. We need some of your lot to, like, come and help round them up, yeah?’

‘Nothing to worry about?’ Whitney exploded. ‘With grown-ups on the loose.’

‘They’re harmless,’ said Pod.

‘No grown-up is harmless,’ said Whitney.

‘So, why don’t you come and help look for them?’

‘No way. I’m getting the kids to somewhere safe, man.’

‘Listen.’ Pod offered Whitney a big cheesy grin. ‘It’s no big deal. Nothing to get hung about, yeah?’

‘I’m taking everyone outside the building. Now. Into the yard.’

‘You won’t be safe out there,’ said Pod. ‘We’ve called all the guards in to look for the royals.’

‘We can look after ourselves, thank you very much,’ said Whitney.

‘No – you should stay here,’ said Pod, trying to sound like he was in control. ‘If you keep the doors closed you’ll be fine.’

‘You don’t tell us what to do, posh boy,’ said Whitney. ‘We’re going to the parade ground till this is all over. End of.’

‘Actually, I really do think you’ll be a lot better off in here.’ Pod’s smile was slipping.

‘Like I care what you think,’ said Whitney. ‘With Blue and Maxie not around I’m in charge. And if I say we go outside, we go outside. When you’ve found your precious royals we’ll come back in.’

Pod planted his feet wide apart and folded his arms. The smile had become a superior smirk now.

‘You are not in charge here, actually, babes,’ he said. ‘I am.’

‘Who you calling “babes”?’ said Whitney, and she belted Pod hard in the stomach. He gasped and doubled over in pain. The two guards sprang to life, raising their rifles, but Big Mick and another of the Morrisons fighters had been standing ready. They seized the guns and wrenched them out of the boys’ hands.

‘We’re going outside,’ Whitney said coldly to the two guards. ‘You stay here and look after Pod.’

Pod had collapsed on to the floor and was sitting with his back against the wall, clutching his belly.

‘It’s all right,’ he groaned. ‘Let them go.’

68

Three royals shuffled down a long corridor lined with paintings of past British kings and queens. They looked bewildered. David was waiting for them, one of his guards at his side. Apart from his freckles and a red flush across his cheekbones, David’s skin was bone white. He was absolutely livid.

He held up his hand.

‘Stop!’ he shouted, his voice firm and clear.

One of the royals moaned. It was the young man with the bloated face. He was the son of a duke. He’d once been something of a party animal. Now he was a shambling wreck whose brain was so riddled with disease you could hardly even call it a brain any more. It was just a tangle of damaged nerve endings, randomly firing off, as if someone had poured water into a fuse-box.

He walked on.

‘I command you,’ David said, louder this time, ‘to stop.’

Still the royals staggered down the corridor. Whining, stiff-legged, red-eyed.

The guard turned to David. Scared. ‘They’re not going to stop,’ he said.

‘They will stop,’ David snapped, and he stepped forward. The young royal sped up, his arms stretched out. Drool was pouring from his open mouth and had soaked his filthy shirt.

There was a deafening bang and the corridor filled with smoke. The royal went down, a bullet in his skull.

‘You idiot,’ David yelled, wrenching the gun from the guard’s grasp. ‘That was the Marquess of Tavistock!’

He battered the guard to the floor with the butt of his rifle.

‘You can’t go shooting them, you moron,’ he said. ‘We need them alive. They’re no bloody danger.’

Another royal, a middle-aged duchess, grabbed hold of David’s sleeve and he angrily shoved her away. She hit the wall, spraying pus over one of the paintings, and gulped with surprise.

David hauled his shaking guard to his feet.

‘Grab hold of them and drag them back to their room, for God’s sake,’ he commanded. ‘Just don’t let them bite you.’

Jester appeared, ru

‘Not yet,’ said David. ‘It’s only a matter of time, though. They won’t have got far. They’re too stupid. But how the hell did they get out?’

‘The door was forced,’ said Jester.

‘Was anybody guarding them?’

‘Not as far as I know. We don’t always keep a guard on them. And with two of your boys tied up at the sick-bay…’

‘So someone let them out?’

‘Looks like it.’

‘Could it be the squatters?’

Jester shrugged. ‘It could be the Holloway kids. Maybe they’re up to something.’

‘I want you to find whoever did this, Jester, and I want them punished. Properly punished.’

‘OK.’

‘And where the bloody hell’s Pod?’

‘Last I saw of him he was heading for the ballroom.’

‘Right. Come with me.’ David strode off down the corridor.

‘Where are we going?’ said Jester, hurrying after him.

‘To the ballroom.’

69

Big Nose was falling asleep. His head kept nodding forward and jerking him back awake. He could hear people moving about in the palace below and wished he could join them. It was very quiet up here. No sound came from behind the door. The murmur of voices from the sick-bay had died away. He was utterly, utterly fed up.

He closed his eyes for a moment. The sounds of hurrying footsteps died away. He was drifting off again. Dark fizzy milk filled his head. Bubbles swam and burst. He had a brief flash of a memory. Being on holiday in Florida. A giant Mickey Mouse.

Mickey called out his name. His head jerked forward, he opened his eyes with a grunt.

There were two boys standing there.

Two of the newcomers.

He recognized one. It was Achilleus, the one who’d been in the fight with the squatter. He’d missed that as well. The other one was tall and ski

‘What are you doing up here?’ he said, struggling to look like he was on top of things.

‘The royals have got out,’ said Achilleus.

‘I know.’

‘They need your help. It’s mad down there, man.’

‘I’m not allowed to leave my post.’

‘We’ll take over,’ said Achilleus. He and his friend were casually edging closer as they talked. But not casually enough for Big Nose not to notice.

‘You can’t,’ he said, standing up and levelling his gun. ‘You’re newcomers, you might try to –’

The boy had been concentrating on Achilleus; he knew his reputation. The other boy looked too dozy to be much of a threat. Suddenly, though, he moved. And moved fast. With startling strength and speed. Before the guard knew it, the newcomer had him pi

‘Don’t make a sound, cowboy,’ said Lewis, and he gri

Big Nose nodded.

‘We’re not very good at this sneaking-up business,’ said Achilleus. ‘We should have just rushed him.’