Текст книги "The Fear"

Автор книги: Charlie Higson

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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 27 страниц)

2

It was morning and DogNut’s crew was down by the Thames packing a big rowing boat with food and water, weapons, sleeping bags and clothing. DogNut was wearing his leather American flying jacket from the Second World War. Like a couple of the others he was bringing along a steel breastplate, but that was stashed in the bottom of the boat along with everything else. It was too heavy and awkward to row in.

The day was bright and clear. Sunlight sparkled on the dirty water of the Thames, turning it from muddy grey into a shifting carpet of silver and gold. DogNut knew it was probably just tiredness and a trick of the dancing light, but he kept seeing shapes out of the corners of his eyes and try as he might he couldn’t quite chase away the last shadows of his dream and concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing. He needed to be careful. Sure, it was a lovely day and all that, and the river might look like something out of a Disney film right now, but he knew it could be very dangerous. It was wide and deep and powerful and criss-crossed with unpredictable currents. He’d seen its dangers first hand. On the night they’d arrived here last year the boat they’d been on had hit a bridge and sank. Several kids had drowned, including Brooke’s friend Aleisha.

And only last month a boy had been playing near Traitor’s Gate, right next to the river, showing off to his mates, and had slipped off the wall. The Thames had looked as if it was hardly moving, but the poor guy had been snatched away in an instant and never seen again.

You had to respect the river. The kids had spent their time at the Tower organizing themselves, learning about their surroundings. Lately they’d been studying the river. Learning its ways and learning not to fear it.

DogNut had carefully chosen this time for their departure. Although the sea was miles away the Thames was still affected by the tides. When the tide rose in the North Sea, it forced a huge volume of water up the estuary where it funnelled into the Thames and reversed its flow. The level of the river at the Tower could rise as much as seven metres. Then as the tide went out the waters would begin to drop and be sucked out to sea.

Their route was upriver, to the west, so they’d had to wait for the tide to turn so they could go with the flow and not against it. There was a twenty-minute lull at low tide when the river didn’t flow in either direction, but now it was starting to flow strongly backwards as the incoming tide pushed it inland. This would make rowing upstream much easier.

DogNut would have preferred to set off earlier, but it wasn’t until late morning that the tide was right. They’d found the boat at a rowing club in Rotherhithe to the east, and it was part of the small fleet of vessels the kids had collected and now kept at the Tower. It was an old-fashioned skiff, wide and deep, with space for six at the oars and one more at either end. The kids who were going on the expedition had been training hard on the water for the last two weeks, but they were hardly experts, so they were all a little nervous as they packed the boat and prepared to set off.

They were a mixed bunch. The youngest was a ten-year-old girl called Olivia who’d got separated from her older brother during the battle at Lambeth Bridge. She was desperate to find him, though, and had been miserable at the Tower this last year. She was a skinny, nervous little thing and DogNut hoped she could hold it together. Still, she was brave enough to risk the journey, despite how frightened she obviously was – DogNut gave her some credit for that. Just so long as she didn’t slow them down …

Olivia wasn’t the only girl coming along. There was Jessica as well. Jessica was DogNut’s age. Like Olivia she’d lost contact with the group she was travelling with in the confusion of the battle and ended up at the Tower. She said she wanted to find her friends, but DogNut reckoned the main reason she was coming along was that she’d recently split up with her boyfriend and wanted to get away from him. She was moody and hard work at the best of times, but now she was miserable as hell and not great company. They were limited to eight people so DogNut was glad of three strong fighters: Marco, Felix and Al. Marco and Felix were two of DogNut’s old mates from the Imperial War Museum who were mainly coming along for the adventure and to help him. They were very close but couldn’t seem to stop arguing and putting each other down. Marco was nice to everyone, and pretty popular; Felix, on the other hand, was always getting into fights for speaking his mind. Al was a lumpy-faced kid with a fat nose and big teeth who wanted to find his sister, Maria. DogNut referred to the three of them as the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, though never to Al’s lumpy face. He had a mean temper and was a vicious fighter.

The best fighter of them all, though, was a giant of a boy called Finn. It was just a mighty shame that he’d cut his forearm a few days ago, and the wound had become infected. His arm was bandaged and in a sling. He couldn’t fight and he couldn’t row, but he was determined to come along anyway. He’d been travelling across south London with a group of friends from his school in Forest Hill when they’d been caught up in the fire. They’d separated, some had gone west and one or two, including Finn, had travelled north where they’d eventually come to the Tower. He was hoping to find out what had happened to the others. Finn didn’t say very much and was even quieter since his injury. DogNut was hacked off that he was out of action. He was very strong for his age and looked about eighteen. He’d always been a good guy to have at your side in a fight. DogNut could hardly stop him from coming, though, and even with a dodgy arm he’d be way more use than Olivia.

The final member of the expedition was Courtney, who would be sitting next to DogNut on the boat. Courtney and Aleisha, the girl who’d drowned when the sightseeing boat sank, had been best friends with Brooke, and DogNut knew that Courtney was desperate to be reunited with her. They’d been inseparable and Courtney missed her terribly. She was a big, heavy girl who had grown into a tough and fearless fighter, and DogNut was glad to have her along.

Five fighters and three passengers. Not bad numbers. But eight fighters would have been better …

DogNut supervised them as they stowed food and water, blankets and armour and weapons in the bottom of the boat. He was their boss and was pleased to see that they all did what he told them without grumbling. Here at the Tower he was captain of the Pathfinders, the name Jordan Hordern had given to the kids who went out scavenging, so he was used to giving orders. They were all taking orders from General Jordan Hordern, however. He was the big man. DogNut would only ever be second or third in line. Not this time, though. No, on this expedition he would be number one. He had to make sure the kids remembered that and did as they were told.

He smiled to himself. Numero Uno. Admiral of the Fleet. Top Dog.

There was a shout from the riverside and he looked over to see a small group of kids walking on to the metal pier where they were loading the boat. It was Jordan Hordern and Ed and three of the Tower guards carrying halberds. DogNut went over to meet them.

‘You all set?’ Ed asked.

‘Guess so.’

‘You sure about this?’ Jordan squinted at him through his thick glasses. DogNut shrugged.

‘You’re a useful man to have around,’ Jordan went on.

‘I’ll be back,’ said DogNut theatrically. ‘Bringing treasure from around the world!’

Jordan didn’t smile. He didn’t have much of a sense of humour.

‘Take care of yourself, won’t you?’ Ed gave DogNut a big hug.

‘Gay,’ said DogNut, and Ed hugged him again, harder this time, and lifted him off his feet. They laughed. Ed’s face looked crazy when he laughed. The scar down one side went white and tugged his mouth and eye out of shape.

‘It ain’t too late for you to change your mind,’ said DogNut. ‘Come with us.’

‘I’m staying, Doggo. They need me here. Besides, you got a full crew.’

‘I could kick someone’s arse off. Finn ain’t much use with his arm in a sling.’

‘Nah.’ Ed shook his head. ‘This is your gig.’

Olivia ran over and threw her skinny arms round Ed’s waist.

‘Please come with us!’ she squealed.

Ed picked her up and sat her on his hip.

‘I can’t come, Livvie. You’ll be all right with the Dog.’

‘I’m scared.’

Ed handed Olivia over to DogNut. ‘DogNut will look after you, won’t you?’

‘Course I will.’ DogNut beamed at Olivia and carried her to the boat, then passed her down to Marco and Felix who settled her at the front.

DogNut turned back to Ed.

‘Feels good to be doing something, man,’ he said, breathing in deeply and turning his face up to the sun. ‘It’s safe here, but I been feeling more and more boxed up lately. All we do is get from one day to the next. I’m taking control of things. Hitting back. Not letting the sickos rule my life.’

Ed raised an eyebrow. ‘And of course there’s Brooke.’ He leered at DogNut. It wasn’t a good expression for him.

‘Yeah, Brooke,’ said DogNut. ‘You missing out, man. I’m gonna get in there before you.’

Ed raised his hands in surrender. ‘She’s all yours, dude.’

‘All mine,’ said DogNut.

‘All you got to do is find her.’

‘You had to bring me down, didn’t you,’ said DogNut. ‘Bust my bubble.’

‘You’ll find her.’ Ed sounded very sure of it. DogNut slapped his palm and clambered down into the boat.

‘But a year’s a long time,’ Ed called after him. ‘Maybe she’s changed?’

‘Pop, pop, pop,’ said DogNut, sitting down next to Courtney. ‘All my bubbles is busting.’

Jordan came and leant over the side of the pier, his face unreadable behind his glasses. They were held together with a dirty Elastoplast and were so scratched DogNut wondered how he could see anything through them.

‘I’ll keep your position open for you,’ he said. ‘You can pick up where you left off when you get back.’

‘Cheers,’ DogNut shouted, as he pushed the boat away from the edge. He grinned at Courtney, picked up his oar, slipped it over the side and looked down into the water. And that was when he saw them, looking up at him from the murky depths, with their gaping mouths stretched wide, hands coming towards him. The creatures from his dream.

DogNut closed his eyes to shut out the image and moaned quietly, as if he’d hurt himself.

Then he grunted. Shook himself. Opened his eyes. He had to stay focused on what he was doing. It was time to let the daylight burn off the memories and let the fresh air blow the black tatters of the fading dream away.

Bad thoughts. They couldn’t help. They’d only poison his brain. He was going to leave them behind. Leave Leo behind. Leave his guilt back there in the basement of the bank. He was going to come back stronger.

He looked around the boat at the other kids. They didn’t seem to have noticed him losing it. They were all too wrapped up in themselves, dipping their oars in the water, settling on the benches. Good.

‘OK, let’s do this,’ DogNut shouted, and they were off, pulling fast through the shimmering water.

3

Apart from Finn they’d all arrived at the Tower floating down this stretch of river. After their sightseeing boat had hit a bridge and sank, they’d made it to the Tower on a flotilla of life rafts. The memories of that day were confused and the story of the fire and the battle had been told so many times that it had taken on the status of a myth. Things had been added, kids had enlarged their parts, so that now DogNut wasn’t sure what bits of the story were real and what were made up.

It was going to be interesting travelling back upriver to Lambeth Bridge – where they planned to put ashore – interesting to see what memories it stirred. Brooke’s crew had escaped north over the bridge in a supermarket lorry, and DogNut intended to follow the route they’d taken and try to find out what had happened to them.

They’d packed enough supplies to last them a week if they were careful. DogNut reckoned that any longer than that wouldn’t be safe. If they hadn’t found anyone in that time, they’d return to the Tower and try again at a later date.

He twisted round and looked at the others. Olivia sat up at the front like some kind of mini-figurehead. She was trembling slightly, whether from cold or fear he couldn’t tell. Her face was set in a determined expression. Marco and Felix sat side by side on the first bench, already bickering and criticizing each other’s rowing style. The next bench was taken up by Ugly Al and moody Jessica, rowing steadily and not talking to each other. DogNut and Courtney were on the last bench and Finn was at the back. As the only one of them facing the front, he was in charge of steering. He sat there, a huge silent presence. DogNut knew he was gutted about not being able to use his swollen arm, so it was good that he was some help to them as a navigator.

A fresh breeze was blowing in their faces as they man-oeuvred into the middle of the river and they were soon passing the great blue-grey hulk of HMS Belfast to their left and pulling steadily towards London Bridge. Out here they could forget about the problems that were going on all around them in the city. The disaster might never have happened. It could have been just another day. From a distance the buildings looked just as they did on all the old postcards. The best thing was that no sickos could get to them here. They could row and row and keep on rowing until they’d left town, right out into the countryside if they wanted, and no diseased mothers or fathers could stop them. The kids had been using the river more and more lately, and were beginning to understand what a useful thing it was to have right next to the Tower.

It was still hard going, though, digging into the choppy water, trying to keep the strokes even and not tangle the oars. Slowly they began to work together as a team and drop into a steady rhythm.

DogNut was soon caught up in it, in sync with Courtney: leaning forward, dropping the oars, pulling back, lifting the oars, forward, back, forward, back. DogNut had always been happier when he was doing something. He could switch his brain off and not worry about things. He didn’t like thinking.

He smiled.

‘You thinking about Brooke?’ Courtney asked.

‘Wasn’t.’ DogNut grinned at her. ‘But now I am.’

‘Do you think we’ll find her?’ she asked.

‘I dunno,’ said DogNut. ‘I hope so. That’s all I got, though, just hope.’

‘You like a dog, ain’t you?’ said Courtney. ‘You’ll sniff her out.’

DogNut lifted his chin and howled.

‘Not so loud.’ Courtney laughed. ‘She’ll hear you coming and run a mile.’

DogNut grew serious. ‘D’you think she likes me at all?’

‘We better hope for your sake she does.’

‘You don’t reckon she likes Ed better?’

‘I ain’t seen her for a year,’ Courtney protested. ‘I don’t know what she likes, do I?’

‘Before then, though,’ said DogNut. ‘What about before?’

‘Who knows the workings of that girl’s mind?’ Courtney raised her eyebrows. ‘She always went for good-looking boys, though.’

‘Like Ed,’ said DogNut. ‘Before he got that scar.’

‘Yeah,’ said Courtney. ‘Always the cool boys that everyone wanted to go out with. She’d track them down, show them no mercy. Then mostly she’d get bored of them after a week. Move on.’

‘Ed thinks she went off him when his face got cut up.’

‘Maybe.’

‘D’you think we’ve left it too late?’ DogNut asked. ‘D’you think we should have come looking for her before?’

‘Dunno,’ said Courtney. ‘But we was too busy just trying to survive. Wouldn’t have risked it before. Wouldn’t have risked it with anyone else, either.’

‘You mean it?’ said DogNut.

‘I mean it. You’re a good guy, DogNut. Used to think you was just some idiot, you know? But you’ve grown up. Not too much, mind. You’re still a good laugh. I mean, I like Ed, but sometimes he’s, you know, he looks like there’s a cloud hanging over him. You act like nothing’s a hassle.’

‘So, what sort of boys do you go for?’ DogNut asked, and Courtney just made a grunt that could have meant anything.

‘Well?’ DogNut pressed her.

‘I don’t have a type.’

What she wanted to say was skinny, funny boys who don’t take things too seriously. Boys like DogNut.

Courtney did miss Brooke. She did want to see her again, but the main reason for coming along on the expedition had been because she saw it as an opportunity to be alone with DogNut for a few days. Well, yeah, all right, not completely alone, but more alone than you ever could be in the Tower with all the other kids around. And now here she was, squeezed up against him, shoulder to shoulder on the bench. OK, so she was sweating too much and couldn’t help puffing and panting as she worked her oar. Already her shoulders were aching, her hands were getting sore and the wooden seat seemed to be getting harder and harder. Despite all her padding.

Her big fat arse.

She was still closer to him than she’d ever been before.

Yeah. That was the truth of it. If it wasn’t for how she felt about DogNut, she would never have come along in the first place. It was just too dangerous. She had a reputation as a fighter, as a big tough girl that you didn’t argue with, but she still got scared, and the idea of leaving the safety of the Tower and setting off across London quite frankly terrified her. She was amazed that her feelings for DogNut were stronger than her fear.

Of course it was stupid. What hope did she have? She knew DogNut’s reason for the trip was to find Brooke and try to persuade her that the two of them were meant for each other. Still, Courtney had this time with him … Maybe she could change his mind? She had pictured all sorts of things happening on the trip.

Like saving his life …

Pathetic.

What were the chances that a skinny pin like DogNut would go for a fat girl like her? Cos that’s what she was: fat. Wasn’t nothing she could do about it. She was born that way. She didn’t eat any more than anyone else, she got exercise, she wasn’t lazy or nothing. She was just fat. Her friends tried to reassure her, tell her she wasn’t fat, that it was all muscle and bone … And she was muscly, stronger than any other girl she knew. It was just that when she looked in the mirror in her little room at the Tower – which was something she tried not to do that often – what she saw there was a big fat lump.

With a big fat arse.

She glanced round at DogNut, working away at the oars. He was a scraggy, stretched-out thing. His arms like twisted ropes. What did he see when he looked at her?

A mate? A soldier? A lump?

She was pathetic.

She didn’t have a hope.

Pathetic and screwy.

Well, they were all screwy, weren’t they, and this whole trip was screwy. Courtney fancied DogNut, DogNut fancied Brooke and Brooke probably still fancied Ed. Despite what DogNut thought.

Who did Ed fancy then? She had no idea. Ed kept himself to himself.

Yes, this was one screwy expedition. And who even knew whether Brooke was still alive? Funny how Courtney could have that thought without feeling anything. It wasn’t a nice thought, let’s face it, but for the last year she had been reminded of the reality of death nearly every day. She wasn’t totally hardened to it. It still got to her when someone died. She still cried a bit, but she was much tougher than she had been before. A part of her could sit back and look at it coldly – Brooke might easily be dead. The part of her that might have been sad was pushed out of the way. She didn’t want it to get any more battered than it was. Another part of her – a nasty, dark, sneaky part – secretly hoped that they wouldn’t find Brooke, that she might be dead – that way DogNut was hers.

I don’t really mean it, God. It was just a thought.

It was all right to have nasty thoughts, wasn’t it? As long as you didn’t hold on to them. And, really, come on, what were the chances of finding Brooke? One girl, out there in the whole of London. If she was even in London still. Brooke and the others had all got away on that big lorry full of food. What would have stopped them from just keeping on going, driving right out of London? All the stories were that it was worse in the countryside, but even so …

‘I hope we find her,’ she said. Trying to convince herself.

‘We’ll find something,’ said DogNut. ‘It’s gonna be an adventure whatever.’

Yeah, thought Courtney worriedly … whatever.