tops,’ James shrugged. ‘Just one spanner in the works. We’ll have Rathbone Regan along for company. He realised we were up to something and followed us.’
‘That’s not too clever,’ Chloe tutted. ‘Never mind, bring him along. We’ll have to untangle the mess afterwards.’
James pocketed the radio, wanting it handy in case the situation suddenly changed. ‘Chloe’ll be waiting for us,’ he said. ‘Rat, you know the way.’
Rat opened a door into a luxurious marble bathroom. The huge tub had gold taps sculpted like swan’s heads, there was a separate shower and his and hers toilets behind slatted wooden doors.
Lauren pointed towards Joel’s fancy-looking shaving brush and razor. ‘How much do you reckon I’d get for them on Ebay?’ she asked.
Rat looked mystified. ‘What’s Ebay?’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ James said, giving Lauren a stiff look, as if to say stop messing about.
Rat was sure there was no one except his father inside the bedroom, but he opened the door cautiously just in case. As James and Lauren followed, Rat drew a gasp.
‘Dad!’
‘Sssssh,’ James said irritably. ‘Leave him be. What are you gawping for?’
‘He’s always pale, but not that pale,’ Rat explained anxiously. ‘And someone’s taken the oxygen tube out of his nose.’
Lauren stepped up to the bed and rested her hand on Joel’s forehead. ‘Stone cold,’ she said, shuddering at the thought of touching a dead person. ‘Must have died at least an hour ago.’
‘Bloody hell,’ Rat said weakly, stepping back from the bedside, not knowing how to react as James stepped in to confirm Lauren’s diagnosis.
‘Are you OK, Rat?’ Lauren asked gently.
‘He was totally dependent on the oxygen. I bet Susie waited for him to fall asleep and just pulled the tube out. I guess that solves the mystery of why they’re in such a big hurry to leave.’
‘Whatever,’ James said dismissively. ‘Susie might come back. Let’s get out of here.’
Lauren was furious, ‘For god’s sake James, give Rat a minute. He just found out his father died.’
Rat waved a hand in front of his face. ‘James is right,’ he said, close to tears. ‘He never gave a toss about me anyway. Let’s roll.’
Lauren put her arm around Rat’s back and rubbed it gently. ‘I’m sorry … I wish I could think of something to say.’
While Lauren comforted Rat, James radioed the news to Chloe. She pondered for a couple of seconds, trying to understand the murder.
‘I can only guess that it’s a deliberate distraction: people will concentrate on Susie stealing millions and murdering her husband, instead of making the link between the missing money and Help Earth. We might even have fallen for it if we didn’t already know the score.’
‘We’re setting off for the vehicle compound right now,’ James said, glancing at his watch. ‘We should be OK: we’ve got an hour until the choppers arrive.’
The three kids piled out of Joel’s bedroom and began running along the corridor towards the front of the residence.
‘This is so bad,’ Rat said anxiously. ‘The Spider’s a nutter. When she finds out that my dad’s dead and Susie’s legged it, those turrets are gonna be locked down tight. I wouldn’t be surprised if she flips out, says it’s the end of the world and starts handing out guns and ammo.’
‘Sensible,’ James said wryly, as they burst through a pair of maple doors. ‘A bunch of religious flakes versus Special Forces commandos. I know who my money’s on.’
Rat sped towards the glass-walled lounge at the front of the residence. He unlocked one of the french doors and led them around an outdoor swimming pool and up to a set of high metal railings at the edge.
‘This is a tricky climb,’ Rat explained, as he clutched a metal rail with each hand and began shimmying up. ‘But it saves us a few minutes.’
Lauren and James followed, one on either side. As they swung their legs over the points at the top, they heard a jet engine going to full throttle on the runway less than a kilometre away.
After leaping down on to the baked earth and wading through a tangle of low shrubs, they headed along the paved path, towards the giant church at the centre of the Ark. It was a few degrees cooler than the middle of the day, but the low sun blasted them in the eyes and the insects were at their most annoying.
They didn’t run, but Rat led them at the typically brisk pace of Survivors with someplace to go. The paths were busy and their youth and