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  Jack went to step aside, but the leader raised his gun.

  ‘You’ll stay right there.’

  ‘Great plan, Jack,’ Slink muttered. ‘What now?’

  ‘Now?’ Jack let out a laboured breath. ‘Now, I guess we have to run.’

  Charlie and Wren groaned.

  ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ Obi said.

  ‘Please tell me your plan allowed for this problem?’ Charlie hissed through the corner of her mouth.

  Now only ten metres away, the other men raised their guns too.

  ‘Hands in the air.’

  Suddenly, a head popped up from a manhole cover between the Outlaws and the men, and Raze launched an object the size of a hand grenade at the army men.

  It rolled along the ground and stopped a metre or so in front of them.

  The lead man looked down at it, then his eyes locked on to the smoke issuing from one end. ‘Cover,’ he shouted.

  A split second later, the homemade bomb exploded in a blinding flash and a huge ball of smoke erupted into the air.

  The lead army man dived, but the others were too slow – they staggered backwards, shielding their eyes.

  Three more heads appeared from behind a wall to their left – Domino, Wilf and Ryan – and they too threw homemade bombs at them then disappeared.

  Jack looked into the distance as several police cars slid into the road. ‘Time to go,’ he said.

  The Outlaws took off in the opposite direction as the bombs exploded behind them.

  The lead army man shouted commands.

  Jack glanced back to see him grab the man nearest to him by the jacket collar and thrust him forward.

  The man raised his gun to his shoulder and a shot rang out.

  Jack ducked as brickwork above his head shattered, showering him in splinters and chunks of debris.

  Keeping his head low, Jack raced around the corner of the building and pelted after the others.

  ‘Guess that answers my question,’ Charlie called over her shoulder as they skirted the rear of the Millbarn building and darted down an alleyway.

  ‘What question’s that?’ Jack shouted back at her, clutching his chest and struggling to breathe.

  ‘They’ll definitely shoot kids.’

  Jack wasn’t so sure. Anyone in the army would no doubt have an accurate shot – he must have missed on purpose. But Jack didn’t want to stick around long enough to test that theory out.

  The Outlaws reached a gate at the end of the alley. Slink threw it open, and the five of them rushed through, across a road and between two buildings.

  ‘Guys, do we have to go so fast?’ Obi wheezed as his feet pounded the tarmac. ‘I’m gonna throw up.’

  ‘Me too,’ Wren said. ‘My muscles are killing me.’

  Slink forced a grin at her. ‘What muscles?’

  Another shot rang out, making them all duck.

  ‘What was that you were asking, Obi?’ Slink said, darting between a fence and a wall.

  Another shot rang out, but the Outlaws were already in motion, heading towards Blandford Road and the nearest entrance to the tunnels that led to the cavern.

  Once safely back at the cavern, the Outlaws dropped next to the firepit, exhausted, while Raze, Wilf, Ryan and Domino grabbed cans of drink for everyone and sat with them.

  ‘That was fun,’ Raze said, gulping lemonade and sniffing.

  ‘Yeah,’ said Ryan, his eyes wide. ‘If you guys do that sort of thing all the time then tell me how I join your gang.’

  ‘That sort of thing doesn’t always go exactly to plan though.’ Jack smiled, then coughed and winced. The pain in his chest was still getting worse and he was finding it harder to breathe.

  ‘If Jack had his way,’ Slink said, taking off his trainers and flexing his toes, ‘he’d be in the bunker with a hot-water bottle and a fluffy blanket.’

  Everyone chuckled.

  ‘I’d actually quite like a hot-water bottle and a blanket right about now,’ Wren said, hugging herself.

  ‘Erm, Jack?’ Obi said in a small voice.

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘It’s gone.’

  Jack frowned at him. ‘What has?’

  ‘The bunker. They set fire to the whole place.’

  Jack slouched forward.

  ‘It can’t all be gone,’ Charlie said, looking absolutely devastated.

  Jack could see that, like him, she must have hoped they’d be able to sneak back and retrieve at least some of their belongings.

  ‘It’s gone, Charlie,’ Obi said. ‘All of it. I watched them torch it after they snatched me.’

  ‘But Connor went back there,’ Slink said.

  ‘I know,’ Obi said. ‘When he got Jack’s message and saw the IP address was coming from the bunker, Hector thought they hadn’t done their job properly. So Connor went to check.’

  Jack shook his head.

  All gone, he thought. All of it.

  The door at the far end of the cavern opened and Noble walked in carrying several shopping bags.

  ‘I managed to find us some supplies,’ he said brightly. He set the bags down, spotted Obi and grinned. ‘I’m so glad you’re back safe.’ Noble pulled out cans of soup and loaves of bread. ‘Did everything go OK?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Obi said, turning to Jack. ‘Can you explain what just happened?’

  Jack shifted his weight and cricked his neck. ‘I thought it would be a good opportunity to combine two missions. One: save you. Two: get rid of Talya once and for all.’

  ‘She’s trapped in that building, right?’ Wren said. ‘And her gang too?’

  Jack nodded. ‘That’s not all.’ He gestured to Noble.

  ‘I suggested that the authorities should investigate Talya’s warehouse as soon as they’re able to,’ Noble added. ‘With all those stolen goods she’s got there, I don’t expect we’ll be seeing her or Skin again anytime soon.’

  Charlie, Obi, Slink and Wren were silent for a few moments, then all four of them burst out laughing.

  ‘That’s brilliant, Jack,’ Obi said. ‘Absolutely brilliant.’

  ‘That’ll get Talya back for Scarlett,’ Wren said.

  Charlie smiled at Jack and winked.

  It was true, Jack thought – he did feel a little better now that Talya had got her comeuppance. Although of course it would never completely make up for Scarlett and it definitely wouldn’t bring her back.

  Obi looked over at Noble and frowned. He was unpacking several cans of tinned vegetables.

  ‘Where did you get all that food?’ Wren asked.

  ‘Certainly not the supermarkets,’ Noble said. ‘It’s pandemonium up there.’

  ‘We noticed that on our way back here,’ Domino said. ‘People have lost the plot, if you ask me. They’re looting and all sorts.’

  Noble walked over and handed a netbook to Jack.

  ‘Thank you,’ Jack said, surprised.

  Noble sat down by the fire with a heavy sigh. ‘It’s the best I could get.’

  ‘It’s perfect,’ Jack said. ‘Where did you get it?’

  ‘The same place as the food.’ Noble warmed his hands and looked at Jack, Charlie and Obi. ‘Do you recall our friend Abdul?’

  They nodded.

  ‘Who’s Abdul?’ Slink asked.

  ‘Before your time,’ Charlie said.

  ‘It was one of the early missions,’ Obi said to Slink. ‘We hadn’t met you yet. Abdul was being blackmailed by a local gang and we helped him out.’

  ‘Abdul’s never forgotten us,’ Noble added. ‘Or what we did for him.’ He nodded at the bags. ‘No matter what happens to us, we’ll never go hungry.’

  ‘Abdul’s shop hasn’t been raided then?’ Jack asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Noble said. ‘But he moved all his stock to the lock-up behind the main building. They won’t be getting at that in a hurry.’

  ‘Why hasn’t this Abdul guy got out of London?’ Wilf asked.

  The corners of Noble’s lips twitched. ‘He says t
he day he leaves London is the day hell freezes over and we can all go ice skating.’

  Jack wondered how many other people had refused to leave. London was a huge city and there were literally millions of places to hide – evacuating every single person would be an impossible task.

  He watched the flames and also pondered how different life would’ve been if Hector’s dad hadn’t found out the location of the bunker. Would all this mess have been over by now? He strongly suspected the answer to that was yes.

  Noble let out a long breath. ‘Obi, any intel on Hector’s whereabouts?’

  ‘I never saw him,’ Obi said. ‘It was just Monday and Connor there.’

  ‘He obviously thought it was too risky taking you to his hideout.’ Noble turned to Jack. ‘Hector’s not as stupid as first thought.’

  ‘Hector’s definitely not stupid,’ Jack said. ‘We’ve learnt that the hard way. Which is why this is such a nightmare now.’

  Slink snorted. ‘You’re cleverer than that bozo any day of the week, Jack.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Now Obi’s been rescued, won’t that Connor guy be going back to Hector’s hideout?’ Domino asked.

  ‘Yeah,’ Ryan said. ‘You could’ve put a tracker on his car.’

  ‘We don’t have a bunker,’ Jack said. ‘Which also means we don’t have a tracker or any way to follow it.’

  ‘Well, that is a slight problem,’ Raze muttered.

  ‘We do have a plan though,’ Jack continued. ‘Trouble is, we’re struggling to find a fast internet connection in order for me to activate my tracer program and find where Trent Myer lives. If I can get to him, I can find Hector’s IP.’

  ‘The internet isn’t working too well,’ Ryan said. ‘It hasn’t been since they started evacuating the city.’

  Noble got to his feet. ‘I think I may know of one place that still has a fast connection.’

  Jack frowned for a moment then he understood what Noble had in mind. ‘Oh no. Please, anywhere but there.’

  ‘There is nowhere else,’ Noble said. ‘The rest of London is shutting down. It’s the only place I can think of that will still have a functional, fast and reliable internet connection.’

  Jack shook his head, but he couldn’t think of an alternative. ‘So, how are we going to do it with no equipment?’

  Noble stared into space for a moment. ‘The old-fashioned way, I suppose – using our heads.’

  Jack glanced around. All the others had puzzled expressions.

  ‘Do what?’ Charlie asked. ‘What are we doing exactly?’

  Jack stood beside Charlie and Noble in front of a metal door at the foot of a tall concrete building. His eyes moved upwards, following a circular tower as it stretched high above him. About two-thirds of the way up, the tower’s construction was partly open to the elements and there were several satellite dishes and antennae mounted to the framework.

  The BT Tower was one of the most recognisable landmarks in London, and would have the best chance of an uninterrupted and fast internet connection.

  Noble handed Jack a phone and headset. ‘Take these.’

  ‘Where are they from?’

  ‘Abdul. He gave them to me along with the netbook. My number is in the contacts list.’

  Jack stared at him a moment. He had a strange feeling he knew what Noble was planning. Jack opened his mouth to ask, but Noble stepped to the door.

  ‘Keep a lookout please, Charlie.’ Noble folded the lapel of his coat over, revealing a hidden compartment of lock picks. He selected the appropriate one, then set to work on the door.

  Jack counted in his head and he’d just got to twenty seconds when the lock clicked.

  Noble straightened up and turned to Jack and Charlie. ‘I can do something about the cameras, but not the alarm,’ he said. ‘We need to act fast.’

  Jack nodded and checked the netbook was still secure in the backpack he had slung over his shoulder.

  Noble opened the door, and Jack and Charlie quickly followed him inside.

  Noble stopped, held up a hand and pointed at the camera above his head. It was aiming down the corridor and would easily spot them.

  Standing directly under it, Noble removed his watch. He twiddled the dial then reached up and wedged the watch behind the CCTV camera.

  ‘Stand back.’

  The three of them edged back to the door and stared up at it.

  A few seconds later, there was a huge electrical spark from the watch and the camera light went out.

  Charlie grinned. ‘Did that just electrocute the camera’s circuits?’

  ‘Twenty thousand volts.’ Noble reached up and retrieved his watch. ‘One of Serene’s acquisitions. She tells me that both the American and British secret services use them – I dread to think what for. I’m amazed she got it through customs.’

  Jack couldn’t help but smile too. Noble and his sister Serene loved their high-tech gadgets. ‘Can it tell the time though?’ he asked.

  Noble looked at the display. ‘Apparently not any more, no.’

  The three of them jogged down a couple of hallways, through unmarked doors, then eventually came out at a lift.

  Noble hit the up arrow, the doors opened, and they rushed inside.

  As the doors slid closed, Jack swallowed. ‘How high are we going?’

  ‘The tower’s one hundred and eighty-nine metres tall, if I remember correctly,’ Noble said. ‘Although we won’t be going quite that far.’

  Jack let out a breath. ‘Good.’ He wasn’t sure if he was shaking from the virus or his fear of heights.

  Noble pressed a button on the lift panel and Jack’s stomach flipped as it ascended.

  A woman’s disembodied voice said, ‘The lift is now travelling at one thousand, four hundred feet per minute.’

  Jack watched the screen above the door count the floors.

  The lift slowed.

  ‘Thirty-fourth floor.’

  ‘Get ready,’ Noble said. ‘We have no way of knowing if we’ll have company up here.’

  ‘Doors opening.’

  Jack braced himself, though there was nothing but a darkened space beyond.

  Cautiously, the three of them crept out and looked about.

  The entire level was an observation deck with windows floor to ceiling. The view over London was impressive, but Jack’s vertigo held him back from taking a closer look.

  He glanced left and right. There were chairs, benches and tables, but no people.

  ‘Well,’ Noble said, ‘that’s definitely a plus side to London being evacuated – very few people around.’

  He strode around the corner to another door, and Jack and Charlie followed.

  Noble picked the lock and stepped to one side. ‘You’re on your own from here.’ He handed Charlie the set of lock picks. ‘In case you need them.’

  Jack frowned at Noble. ‘Why aren’t you coming with us?’

  ‘We triggered a back-to-base alarm when we entered.’ Noble gave him a half-hearted smile. ‘They’ll be expecting to catch someone up here and it’ll be better if it’s me.’ He took several backward steps and peered around the corner. ‘That was quicker than I expected. Looks like they’re on their way up here now.’

  ‘You knew this would happen, didn’t you?’ Charlie said. ‘You’ve sacrificed yourself.’

  ‘No,’ Jack said. ‘Noble, we can’t let you do this.’

  Noble rested hands on both their shoulders. ‘Find Hector. That’s your priority right now. Getting to that antidote is all that matters.’ He leant forward and fixed Jack with a serious expression. ‘I believe in you, Jack. I believe in all of you. The five of you can do this on your own. You don’t need me any more.’

  Jack opened his mouth to answer, but no words formed. He felt like they would always need Noble. He was their mentor and they owed him everything.

  They heard the sound of the lift opening and then torch beams bounced around the walls.

  Noble opened the door and gesture
d. ‘Go,’ he breathed.

  Reluctantly, Jack followed Charlie through.

  He turned back just in time to see the door close again and hear a muffled voice say, ‘Hands up.’

  CHAPTER TEN

  Jack stared at the closed door and heard Noble say, ‘No need for guns, gentlemen. You’ve caught me. I shall come along quietly.’

  Charlie grabbed Jack’s arm. ‘Hurry,’ she whispered in his ear, and gestured to another door. ‘There’s nothing we can do for him.’

  ‘He’s sacrificed himself,’ Jack breathed.

  ‘You would’ve done the same.’

  Jack looked at her. Charlie was right – he would, but that didn’t make it any easier to abandon Noble.

  Then Jack felt his pocket for the phone Noble had given him and thought about how careful Noble had been to tell him that his phone number was in the contacts list.

  And then he understood.

  ‘He wants them to take him,’ Jack said.

  Charlie frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

  He handed her the phone. ‘Look after this. I’ll explain later.’ Jack forced himself to turn from the door. ‘Come on,’ he whispered.

  They sneaked through the other door, bolted it, then together they hurried up a set of metal stairs.

  At the top, Jack and Charlie jogged right and into a small server room with rows of cabinets. Against one wall was a desk with a computer.

  Jack sat in front of it and shook the mouse, but, as he’d predicted, it needed a password and he didn’t want to waste time hacking it. Instead Jack slipped the netbook out of his bag and opened it. The screen sprang to life. He took the network cable out of the computer and plugged it into the netbook.

  Jack took a breath then got to work. First, he logged into the Cerberus forum, navigated to his personal folder and found the app that would locate the tracer program he’d planted on Raze’s laptop.

  Jack hesitated, his finger hovering over the Enter button.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Charlie hissed.

  Jack cricked his neck and tried to clear his mind. He had a headache and his vision was blurring. He blinked and concentrated the best he could, but the virus was really and truly getting to him now.

  He just needed to think this through a moment.

  Trent Myer’s home network would be less secure than Cerberus, but it would still be formidable. Jack would have to move fast – as soon as the tracer returned a signal, revealing where it was, he had to get into Trent Myer’s home network and out again before Trent realised what was happening.