van and pointed his rifle at the cushions and junk inside.
Tom, whatt the matter, mate??Kyle asked as he crept around the side of the van.
As he walked parallel to the open window on the passenger side, Tom popped up out of the footwell and aimed a revolver through the window frame, fifty centimetres behind Kylet head.
Drop the rifle,?Tom ordered.
Kyle turned slightly, so that he could see Tomt shaking hands reflected in the door mirror.
T did this for you, Tom,?Kyle lied. Tou said it isn't right. We can leave together, dump Cobb at the local hospital and get the hell out of here.?
T told you that the only way wer get away with this is if we went through with it,?Tom said angrily. Toure just made a bloody enormous mess.?
T thought 厭 Kyle said, wondering how he could talk his way around Tom as he shifted the gun across his chest.
Nold still.?
T thought you and me had something special,?Kyle said, trying to sound needy.
Kyle, I don't 厭 Tom faltered. T can't believe you did this, dude. I don't want to shoot you, but I don't want to get nicked either.?
T guess I'll an idiot,?Kyle said, looking down submissively, like her given up hope. Tf you're not coming with me, I can't see any point.?
Kyle reached across his chest to unhook the shoulder strap holding up the gun. He could see how scared Tom was and guessed that her fly up like a jelly if it went off.
Keeping one eye on Tomt reflection in the door mirror and with the dangerous end of the rifle pointing harmlessly towards the ground, Kyle pushed the strap off his shoulder, but grabbed the trigger with his opposite hand as the rifle fell.
The round punched harmlessly into the dirt, but it made Tom jolt, exactly as Kyle had hoped. As Tomt revolver pointed at the sky, Kyle plunged his hand inside the van. He pushed Tomt hands against the roof and twisted the gun from his grasp, as Chase dived for the rifle.
Kyle launched a savage backwards kick, hitting Chase in the guts and knocking her into the dirt. With Tomt pistol in one hand, he spun a hundred and eighty degrees and pressed his shoe against Chaset ribs as he tore the rifle away.
Kyle screamed at Tom, Aet out of there and help Jay load Cobb into the back.?
As the two young men lifted Cobb from the trolley on to the cushions inside the van, Kyle looked in the front and was relieved to see keys dangling out of the steering column. Once Cobb was laid out and the back doors had slammed, Kyle threw the rifle across the passenger seat and started the engine.
The van juddered, almost stalling as he headed for the road. He left the engine running as he jumped out and swung open the gate at the top of the drive, all the while keeping a wary eye on the house in case someone had found a gun and decided to come after him.
Once he was safely back inside the van, Kyle pulled out into a country lane and worked his way up through the gears before grabbing Jot mobile out of his pocket. He dialled the CHERUB campus emergency line.
T'll coming out of Hummingbird Farm,?Kyle screamed. T need urgent directions to the nearest hospital.?
Kyle recognised the voice of Chloe Blake, a recently promoted mission controller. Are you badly injured??
Tre survived worse,?Kyle said, as he checked in the mirror to make sure nobody was following him. But Ire got Nick Cobb in the back and I have absolutely no idea if het gonna make it.?
36. TRANSIT
Things had calmed down at the cottage in Corbyn Copse: Jamest situation had been sorted and Kyle was dealing directly with the control room on campus.
Lauren had settled on the living-room couch next to Ryan and marvelled at the way twenty-four-hour news channels manage to keep waffling on about a story without ever actually saying anything new. She was in half a mind to go out the back and throw a couple of balls around for Meatball, when Zara came charging in.
Kylet safe,?Zara grinned. Cobb is with him, but het haemorrhaging blood. As soon as the police know Cobb has been released, theyEl send all their units into the area around Hummingbird Farm to sweep up the terrorists. James and Kyle are both going to be identified and the police will trace them back to this cottage. Wer better disappear before that happens.?
Sow??Lauren asked.
Absolutely,?Zara nodded. TeEl