A Long Way Back (Unfinished Business #2) - Barbara Elsborg Page 0,79

you help,” someone told him.

As Ink was half-pulled, half-carried across the street, he heard the bang of a gun and whoever was pulling him, let go and dropped to the floor. Oh Christ!

“Shit! Sorry,” whispered the man who’d been dragging him away.

For a moment, Ink thought it was that guy who’d been shot but it was one of the attackers. Ink felt as if he’d suddenly been dropped into the middle of a film set. It had all happened so fast. Nothing seemed real, except for the pain in his back and shoulder and his chest. He looked for Tay, but couldn’t see him. Too many policemen. Please be safe. Then he couldn’t see anything at all.

TAY COULD BARELY BELIEVE WHAT had just unfolded in front of him, what Ink had done, how brave and stupid he’d been. There were police everywhere now and he could no longer see Ink. Tay still stood in a candle shop, next to the guy who’d yanked him inside and locked the door, both of them watching through the window. When he heard a gunshot, he sucked in a breath, but moved towards the door.

“Hey, stay in here,” the guy said.

“I have to find my friend.”

Tay emerged with his one crutch and a policeman blocked his path.

“Head left. We need to clear the area.”

“I need to find my friend.”

“Sir, you have to leave.”

“But I just need—”

“Move away.”

Tay look a step with his crutch and wobbled. If he could just see Ink, he’d at least know he was okay. He is okay, isn’t he? He’d just been made to move along with everyone else. Tay’s heart gave a painful thump.

“Is that your wheelchair?” the same policeman asked.

“Yes. My other crutch is somewhere. My friend was—”

“Get in.” The policeman had opened up the wheelchair.

“Please, I’m worried about my friend.”

“You have to vacate this area until the threat’s contained.”

“The threat has been contained.”

“Stop arguing with me. You’re wasting my time when I have more important things to do.”

Tay sat in the chair and laid the crutch across his lap. As he started to wheel himself, his hands flew forward as the chair was pushed. Tay looked over his shoulder to see it was the policeman who’d been talking to him, and he gave up. But he wasn’t leaving the area until he’d found Ink. Why hadn’t he come back to the shop? Tay grew increasingly concerned that he’d been hurt. He’d have come back if he could. Unless the police were propelling Ink in the opposite direction.

The policeman dumped Tay beyond a tape barrier. Police Line Do Not Cross. Despite continued pleas to disperse, a crowd behind it were watching events unfold. Many of them were filming on their mobiles.

Fuck, I can phone Ink! Tay took out his mobile and called him, but there was no answer. Now he was very worried.

“Did you see what happened?” Tay asked the guy standing next to him.

“It was crazy. At least two men with knives just walking through the crowd from opposite directions and lashing out. They stabbed a lot of people. A young guy kept hitting one of them with a crutch.” He looked down at Tay. “Your crutch?”

“My friend.”

The guy winced. “He got stabbed. Did you know?”

Tay gasped. “What?”

“While he was fending off one the attackers, another came up behind him and got him in the back. He fell. Someone dragged your friend away. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

How the hell would you know? Tay was trying not to panic but his heart was racing, his mouth dry. It was pointless trying to get back through the barrier. If he’d been fit, he might have tried. but he’d not get more than a couple of yards in a wheelchair before he was stopped. He’d be better off going to whichever hospital Ink had been taken to. He wheeled his chair over to a policewoman who was keeping people behind the blue and white tape.

“Excuse me, could you tell me where the injured are being taken. My friend…” Tay’s voice broke. What if Ink was dead? Oh God. He almost felt the blood drain from his head.

“Don’t know, I’m sorry.”

In the depths of despair, Tay was torn. He wanted to keep hoping he’d see Ink coming towards him carrying his crutch, but he had to accept that was becoming increasingly unlikely. He wasn’t sure whether to wait for news of those who were injured, except they might not tell him, or go to the nearest A&E hospital, that also