Lone Wolf - Robert Muchamore Page 0,20

Ning sat across Fay’s back and dug her elbow painfully between her shoulder blades. A guard named Gladys had heard the commotion and came charging in.

‘What the hell is going on?’ she shouted.

Ning immediately jumped off Fay’s back. ‘Nothing, miss.’

Fay groaned as she rolled over, but managed a smile for the guard. ‘Just a little roughhousing,’ she confirmed.

The guard pointed accusingly. ‘I’m gonna be keeping my eye on you two,’ she warned.

Ning moved towards her bed as the guard backed out. Fay scowled and rubbed a hand that had been grazed somewhere along the way. After a minute, Ning picked up two pillows and threw them across at Fay’s bed.

‘There,’ Ning said. ‘Where’d you learn kickboxing?’

Fay stood up and plumped the pillows before answering grudgingly. ‘My auntie taught me. You?’

It’s best to keep the number of lies you have to remember to a minimum, so Ning had worked out a back-story that was close to the truth.

‘Grew up in China,’ Ning said. ‘I got picked for a sports academy, did a lot of boxing and martial arts.’

‘You’re the first girl in here I’ve not flattened. I’m Fay, by the way.’

‘I’m Ning.’

Ning reached between the beds and Fay gave a wary smile as they bumped fists.

‘So how’d you end up in Idris?’ Fay asked.

‘I was in a care home,’ Ning explained. ‘Broke curfew, came in drunk. Attacked the night supervisor. Smashed up his office and broke both his arms.’

Fay laughed. ‘Subtle! So how long have you got?’

‘Thirty days,’ Ning said. ‘But I served most of that in a low security unit, until I got in a fight. I’m just here for seven days. You?’

‘Eighteen months for slashing a cop, but only a week left now.’

‘A cop,’ Ning said. ‘Impressive.’

‘Breaking both arms is good though,’ Fay said. ‘I feel sorry for whoever has to wipe his arse until they’re out of plaster.’

Ning dropped a line she’d carefully prepared to have an effect on Fay. ‘At least you’re going out to family and stuff.’

Fay sounded irritated. ‘What do you know?’

‘Sorry,’ Ning said. ‘I just assumed. I’ve got nobody on the outside. Dad’s in prison in China and my mum died. So it’ll be another crummy Islington care home.’

‘Islington?’ Fay said. ‘Whereabouts?’

‘Tufnell Park.’

‘I’ve lived near there most of my life,’ Fay said. ‘I’m just like you: no family. Mum died a long ways, then my aunt got killed.’

‘Pisser,’ Ning said.

Fay smiled like she’d thought of something funny. ‘You know, Ning, it’s a pity you didn’t get here a few months earlier, because if we’d worked together we could have owned this place!’

*

Ryan’s hands gripped James Adams’ waist as the mission controller opened the throttle of his 865cc Triumph Bonneville and rode under a bridge at close to seventy miles per hour. James zoomed past a red double-decker and blasted over a pedestrian crossing, before taking a right into a side street and slicing between a people carrier and the kerb.

After cutting the throttle, James took a lazy right-hand turn and pulled through gates in front of a brick-built, three-storey council block. Once the bike was stopped on a little paved patio, Ryan hopped off and gasped with relief as he pulled off his helmet.

‘Enjoy the ride?’ James asked chirpily, as he looked at his watch. ‘Ninety-five minutes from campus. You’d never get close to that in a car.’

Ryan trembled with a mixture of fear and rage. ‘You’re insane!’ he yelled.

James grinned. ‘Four years in the saddle and no accidents, mate. Slow down, James, I feel sick, James, mind the lollipop lady, James. You’re worse than my girlfriend, Kerry. She won’t ride with me any more.’

‘I’m not riding with you any more,’ Ryan said.

James shrugged. ‘Fine, but the journey back to campus is a bus, three trains and a taxi. Now let’s see what the relocation team has done for us.’

Ryan’s hands still trembled as he put the key in the front door. It was a two-bed, ground-floor flat on the edge of the Pemberton estate. The rooms were small, but the whole place had been refurbished to a decent standard.

Ryan found a small bedroom and saw that the relocation team had already put his clothes in the wardrobe, while his mission equipment stood in a flight case at the end of the bed.

‘They got our shopping from Waitrose,’ James said, as he shoved a ready meal in the microwave and pressed start. ‘Dead posh. You hungry?’

‘I think it’ll take my guts about a week to settle after the bike ride,’ Ryan said.

James shook his