Lone Wolf - Robert Muchamore Page 0,14

goes down your back when you’re about to rip someone off. The look of fear on someone’s face when you put a knife to their throat. Running away, knowing that you’re dead if you’re not fast enough. Once you’ve lived the life, it’s hard to knuckle down to that history essay, or get excited about the next plot twist in EastEnders.’

Wendy cleared her throat awkwardly. ‘And you replicate that thrill by bullying some poor girl like Izzy?’

Fay laughed. ‘First off, that poor girl is a crazy loon who tried to poison half her family. Second, the world is full of sheep. Millions and millions of ’em, living their dreary little lives. Then there’s a few wolves, and their job is to eat a couple of sheep once in a while.’

‘So you’re a wolf?’ Wendy asked.

‘Absolutely.’

‘And it doesn’t matter if wolves hurt sheep?’

Fay laughed. ‘Not to the wolf it doesn’t.’

‘So when you get out of here in a couple of weeks’ time, what do you plan to do?’

Fay shrugged. ‘Oh, I’m gonna straighten right up. Get my exams, go to university. Marry a guy called Connor. We’ll have a Labradoodle called Scotty, three kids, a Ford C-Max and a little cottage in Suffolk for the weekends.’

Wendy shook her head and spoke firmly. ‘Well, I very much hope that you do find stability before you mess your life up. But after this afternoon’s incident you’ll be going into segregation for five days and I’ll provide you with a copy of this institution’s anti-bullying policy.’

Fay rolled her eyes. ‘I’m sure it’s a gripping read.’

*

The campus paintball range wasn’t huge, but it was big enough that two groups moving stealthily could go a long time without bumping into each other.

For almost an hour, Ryan and Theo crept around, searching for Ning as the sun rose and sweat bristled under their masks and overalls. They found several sites where Ning’s team had unearthed bags of equipment, but no trace of Ning herself.

‘I bet she’s gone way up in a tree or something,’ Theo said.

‘Hope not,’ Ryan said forlornly. ‘Speaks said we’ll all get punished if neither side wins and I don’t fancy more running in this heat.’

‘What if I try luring her out?’ Theo suggested. ‘I’ll move out in the open. When Ning shoots me, you’ll shoot her and be the last man standing.’

Ryan shrugged. ‘That’s not a great plan, but it’s better than anything else we’ve got.’

The obvious spot was the open ground right at the front by the main gates. Ryan was irritated when he saw Leon, Daniel, Alfie and Grace sat outside the changing hut with their overalls off and bottles of ice-cold water in their hands. It felt like they were being rewarded for getting knocked out.

But Ryan didn’t have long for this thought, because there was the clap of a paintball the minute Theo stepped into the open. The shot had come from a long way off and missed by several metres.

‘Can’t shoot straight!’ Theo taunted, as he sprinted across the open grass and dived into a bunker.

Ryan was anxious: if Theo was too bold, he’d get himself killed before there was a chance for him to close on the position where the shots were coming from. Fortunately, some assistance came from Leon on the outside.

‘She’s between the two big oak trees.’

This remark caused outrage from the two members of Ning’s team, who immediately began shouting information.

‘Ning,’ Alfie shouted. ‘Theo’s in the first bunker up near the gate. Ryan’s gone into the trees, trying to flank you.’

‘Just come out and have a shoot-up,’ Daniel said irritably. ‘We’ll all get nuked by Mr Speaks if nobody wins.’

As Theo crouched in the bunker, dodging occasional wild shots from Ning, Ryan had ducked into the trees and closed on Ning’s position. After a minute he was close enough to the two big oak trees to see where Ning was hiding.

Ryan dropped to a crawl as more shouts came from outside the fence.

‘Theo’s out of the bunker!’

Just as Ryan thought he was about to best Ning, he was startled by a rustling in the leaves behind. He swung around and took a quick-but-wild shot. Ning had taken up a position behind a tree less than four metres away.

Ryan crawled on his belly, keeping an eye out for any movement. When he got to within two metres, Ning sprang out from behind the tree and took a couple of shots. Ryan rolled out of the way, but his return shots were as bad as Ning’s.

But