Page 33 of Four of Hearts

Harry really didn’t want to, but did anyway.

‘What does he say?’ Dave asked.

Harry read the message out loud, his heart sinking further and further with each word.

‘Headlights spotted. Invited a few friends to join in the fun. Won’t scare them too much, I promise.’ Then he added, with his eyes firmly on Dave, ‘Bloody hell, who exactly is Smithy?’

Dave said nothing.

Harry felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He turned to see Matt staring at him.

‘We all heard what Gordy said, Harry. No harm will come to them. He wants you to follow him, so that’s what we’re doing, isn’t it?’

‘A road block though, Matt ...’

Matt went to answer, but Harry held up a hand to shush him before he had a chance to.

‘They’ve stopped.’ Harry held his phone up for Matt to see. ‘Not moving. Where are they?’

Matt leaned in.

‘They’re not at the ranges yet. About a mile to go, give or take. Any idea why?’

‘None. You?’

Matt said nothing. All kinds of thoughts barged their way into Harry’s mind, none of them welcome. He managed to shut most of them out, but still a few squeezed their way in.

‘Anything from Smithy?’ Dave asked.

Harry checked Dave’s phone.

‘Nothing. Matt, how far are we from where they’ve stopped?’

‘Just a few minutes, and we’ll be there.’

‘Then, when we do get there, we approach nice and easy,’ Harry said, speaking now to everyone in the minibus. ‘What we don’t do is race in, handbrake turn, bomb-burst from the minibus, and go in, swords swinging, yelling,Protect the King!Is that clear?’ Harry noticed a look of disappointment cross Jim’s face in the back of the bus. ‘Gordy mentioned an airsoft pistol, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not carrying something considerably more serious.’

‘Then what do you want us to do?’ Ben asked. ‘We can’t just do nothing, can we?’

‘I’ll go in first,’ Harry explained. ‘Dave will pull to a stop about fifty metres from where they are. I will then walk in on my own and see what’s what. No arguing from any of you either, before you even think about it.’

‘Lights,’ said Dave.

Harry spun round to look through the windscreen. Ahead, he saw the lights Dave had mentioned, glinting in the dark likestars looking for the way home. Dave started to slow the minibus down, then brought them to a dead stop.

Harry opened his door and stepped out into the cold, then heard the side door of the minibus open as well. He turned to see Ben now standing in front of him.

‘No, Ben,’ he said, and jabbed a finger at the minibus. ‘Get back in.’

‘Piss off, Harry,’ Ben said, and with that, he marched passed his older brother.

Harry dashed after him.

‘Ben, look, we don’t know what we’re dealing with...’

Ben stopped dead, turned on his heels.

‘Whatever it is, Harry, I don’t care, but I do care that Liz is now involved, and that you kept whatever this is a secret from me.’