February (3 page)

We’d stopped again and everything was still and quiet, except for the crickets. I felt like I was shaking all over. It must have been some sort of delayed shock.

We were surrounded by suburban houses where I was sure all the families inside would have long ago been tucked into bed. I thought of Mum, sleepless in our house, suburbs away, and Gabbi on life support, alone in the hospital. Mum had almost lost our whole family—first Dad, Gabbi in a way, and now me. I wanted my old life back so badly and wished I wasn’t this hunted kid, on the run, living in a derelict dump, trying to stay one jump ahead of … of everyone.

‘I overhear things,’ said the girl, suddenly interrupting my thoughts. ‘I know you have something Sligo wants.’

I looked down the long street. ‘You know what that is?’ I asked. It would be great if this girl had a few real answers for me.

She shook her head and the glitter in her hair flashed. ‘Only that it’s massive, and that he’ll stop at nothing to get it.’

‘So I’ve noticed.’

‘But I knew you didn’t know anything about it,’ she said matter-of-factly. ‘You would have told him if you did. Anybody would have … over drowning in sump oil.’

Finally something straightforward that I could agree with. ‘You seem to know so much about me. It’s hardly fair I don’t even know your name,’ I said, hoping for the straight talk to continue. I was careful—I didn’t want to scare her off. I owed her for shutting off the oil pump, and there were so many questions I needed to ask. Not just about Sligo and what he knew about my dad, but about her. She’d helped me—saved my life—but what was she doing with Sligo? I couldn’t make her out. She was nothing like the girls I knew from school. But, as strange as she was, she was company, and it felt good to have someone around to talk to … someone who wasn’t trying to kill me.

‘I’ll tell you my name when we get there,’ she said.

‘Get where? I thought we were just getting
away
.’

‘Now you’re going to help
me
.’

‘Is that right? You could have just asked for my help,’ I suggested. ‘Nobody likes being bossed around, especially not by some nameless girl.’

With one hand on her hip, she stared back at me with intense eyes. ‘All right. My name is Winter,’ she said. ‘Winter Frey. Happy?’

‘Fancy name,’ I said.

‘Fancy suits me,’ she replied.

I was trying to think of something funny to say back when a car turned onto the road ahead, about a block away. I didn’t wait to see if it was the black Subaru; I just grabbed Winter’s hand and hauled her off the footpath and into a bushy driveway. I let go of her, but not before noticing a tiny tattoo of a bird on the inside of her left wrist. She pulled away quickly, protectively folding her arms, and we both huddled down, sneaking glimpses of the car slowly rolling past.

‘Sligo’s car,’ she hissed.

We waited, hidden in the darkness, until we were sure that the car had gone. Winter looked around. ‘Let’s go.’

My body felt wrecked. My face was swollen from being roughed up, my shins and arms were aching from the struggle in the tank, and my old injury in my right shoulder pinched, making sure I hadn’t forgotten it. I kept seeing Winter’s bird tattoo in my mind, wondering what she was doing roaming the streets with me—some fugitive kid—in the middle of the night.

‘What are you doing with Vulkan Sligo?’ I finally asked again. I’d wasted enough time trying to imagine a reason why a girl like that

would have anything to do with a guy like him. Winter turned to me under the shelter of a large tree. I kept my eyes on the street scanning for any sign of movement.

‘You really wanna know?’

‘That’s what I said.’

‘The answer is simple. He’s my guardian.’

‘Your guardian? What do you mean? Where are your parents?’

Around us the air was suddenly very still and cold.

‘You ask too many questions,’ she said.

‘I’m only after basic information.’

‘Get it somewhere else. OK?’

I shrugged.

‘And,’ she resumed, ‘even though he’s my guardian, there’s no way I’d hang around him unless—’

‘Unless what?’ I interrupted. ‘Is it because you’re some kind of outlaw too? Birds of a feather flock together?’ I looked again for the tiny bird on her wrist.

She shook her hair and a million tiny sparkles flashed. ‘I have my reasons. Very good reasons that I don’t have to explain to anyone. And he needs me. Even if only to help him change his image.’

‘Change his image? He wants to go straight? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?’ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. ‘He almost
murdered
me a moment ago and now you’re telling me he wants to change his image? Too funny!’

‘It might sound like a joke to you, but there’s one thing you should know about Sligo. He has ambitions. He doesn’t like being called a criminal by the media.’

‘He
is
a criminal! Forget what the media does or doesn’t call him!’

‘You have to understand, he doesn’t see it like that. He’s desperate to be seen as straight—respectable. That was the whole reason he was interested in you.’

‘So interested he wants to drown me? I’m not getting you, Winter.’

‘He wanted to use you, somehow, and, well, obviously his plans didn’t exactly work out. Look, I don’t have to justify anything to you. Just believe me when I tell you that this massive thing he’s chasing—the reason for the interrogation—it’s all tied up with his pathetic attempt to eventually be … respected and admired. That’s all there really is to it.’

The Ormond Singularity, I thought. Did it have the power to make the crooked straight?

‘Sometimes I suspect he’s only using
me
,’ Winter continued. ‘My family is—was—very wealthy. We owned property from the highlands right down to Dolphin Point. My parents were both very successful and well known … in their circles.’

She hesitated and I sensed something like deep sorrow that had been frozen over. ‘Sligo used to work for my father,’ her voice faltered, ‘before the accident.’

Her voice trailed off.

‘The accident?’ I asked, cautiously.

‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ she said, cutting me off. Her eyes cooled over again in an instant, and she flashed them in warning at me.

An accident that took both of her parents? I wanted to ask, but I stopped myself—she’d made it clear that the subject was too painful. She suddenly didn’t seem quite so fearless. It was bad enough losing Dad—but I still had Mum. Kind of.

‘Answer me something,’ she said, interrupting my thoughts.

‘Do you always talk like that?’ I asked. ‘Like you’re commanding an army?’

Winter flung her head to one side. ‘It’s just a simple question. Are you any good at breaking into houses?’

We’d arrived in front of a huge house which was set back quite a distance from the road. The
property was encased with bushes and a tall, intimidating, black iron fence. It was number 113, according to the polished brass numbers on the gate. The neighbouring houses were just as huge and daunting, but they were all lined up in perfect unison—polished and proud—unlike this place that seemed a little overgrown and unkempt.

I turned to Winter. ‘You want to break into this?’ I asked, exhausted. ‘No way. You must be out of your mind. It’s probably covered in cameras.’

She looked me up and down. ‘It’s not as secure as it looks,’ she said, slipping open the gate with ease. ‘See? And anyway, maybe I should have phrased that better,’ she said. ‘I’m really just visiting a friend.’

‘Right,’ I said, ‘and does your “friend” know you’re coming?’

‘Well, actually … so it’s not exactly a visit.’

‘So, what is it?’

‘It’s a—I guess you can really only call it a break-in,’ she said. ‘There’s something in there that I have to collect and I’d really
appreciate
it if you joined me.’

That’s just great, I thought. Here I was already on the run, having survived a murder attempt, with criminals after me, cops after me,
and now this girl wanted me to help her break into a Dolphin Point mansion?

‘What’s your problem?’ she asked icily, as her eyes narrowed. ‘I saved your life remember? And according to the media, you’ve already attempted murder. Twice. Psycho-teen, they’re calling you. What’s a little break-in compared with that? If you don’t want to help me, I can just ring
my
Sligo, and have his thugs here in five minutes. You can’t run very far in five minutes.’

What was with this girl, threatening me?! Had she only saved me so that she could use me? Was she nothing but a user like Sligo?

‘Anyway,’ she said, quickly sensing my changing mood, ‘it’s not a robbery.’ She pulled me through the gate after her. ‘The girl who’s living here has something important that belonged to my mum. I just need to collect what’s mine.’

‘And why doesn’t your mum ask for it back?’ I asked, knowing it was sure to upset her. But as soon as the words came out of my mouth, I wished I could take them back.

Winter looked away, but not before I’d recognised the sharp blow of grief that hit her face. She grabbed my hoodie and wrenched me down behind a line of thick bushes. ‘My mum can’t ask for anything,’ she whispered firmly in my ear. ‘My mum’s dead.’

I pulled away from her grip.

‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered.

Winter shrugged.

‘I shouldn’t have said that … I know how you feel,’ I offered.

Winter glared at me. ‘You
know
? What would
you
know about it! You’re just some stiff suburban school kid who’s suddenly stumbled into some trouble. You think you’re an expert now?! Ha!’

‘Look,’ I said, ‘keep it down. Do you want us to get caught out here already?’ I felt no need whatsoever to explain myself to her.

I could see her trying to work out what to say. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke, ‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘the guy that lives here—the boyfriend—works as a bodyguard for Murray Durham—’

‘Murray Durham?!’ I cut her off, hoping there was some mistake. ‘He’s a bigger crim than Sligo! You know how he got his nickname “Toecutter” don’t you? It’s pretty self-explanatory.’

This was getting worse by the minute. Winter Frey was connecting me with another bad guy. I never thought I’d actually be talking to someone who knew both Vulkan Sligo and Toecutter Durham … although, ever since the run-in with that crazy guy back home, New Year’s Eve, all I seemed to know was bad guys.