in wartime a girl in muddy trousers and boots was an odd sight. Still, the commuters all seemed too worried about getting to work to bother looking at her.
While Rosie stood in a long ticket queue, Marc and PT tied the gun to the trolley and did their best to disguise it by wrapping it in mailbags and using Rosie’s coat and a couple of satchels to disguise its shape.
Joel dragged himself to the edge of the van. After unlacing his boot, he used the morning light to make a proper inspection of his leg. There was a huge swelling under his sock at the join between his ankle and foot.
‘Looks completely buggered, mate,’ Marc said sympathetically, as he reached into Joel’s satchel and grabbed his surrender letter. ‘You’d better keep that handy in case the cops turn up.’
By the time the boys had the trolley ready Rosie was coming back out of the station, waving crazily to get them to hurry up.
‘We’re being summoned,’ Marc said, as he looked at Joel sitting in the back of the van. ‘Are you gonna be OK?’
‘I’ll be great if you get the job done,’ Joel said, as he pulled himself back inside the van. ‘Close the doors. This hurts like hell, but I’ll take the pain for as long as I can, to give you a chance to get away.’
‘In six minutes, platform three,’ Rosie shouted, as Marc closed the doors of the van. ‘We can make it if we hurry.’
PT’s face strained as he started pushing the trolley. It was even heavier with the satchels hanging off and a lot less stable. Marc picked up his own satchel and the sack containing the other pieces of the gun before running after him.
It took two minutes to reach the station entrance. The cavernous interior was a series of vaults, blackened by years of soot.
‘Stand clear,’ Rosie shouted, as she made a path through the crowds for PT and the trolley.
The train on platform three was an inter-city express, with blackout curtains covering every window of its maroon carriages. The engine was being stoked ready for departure and the last few passengers were running through the ticket barriers as a man walked along from the far end of the platform slamming the doors and ordering passengers to get in the nearest carriage because the train was about to leave.
‘We’ll just make it,’ Rosie gasped, as she looked up at the station clock. But as she looked down she saw two police officers approaching the barriers and stopped dead. The heavy trolley had momentum and PT couldn’t stop it from running into Rosie’s ankles. She stifled a yelp as she stumbled forwards.
‘Sorry,’ PT said.
‘You OK?’ Marc asked.
The trolley had skinned the back of Rosie’s ankle and it was a couple of seconds before she could speak. ‘Two police,’ she said. ‘One’s stopped by the barrier, the other one is running for the train.’
‘Maybe they’re not looking for us,’ Marc said.
‘They are,’ Rosie said ferociously, as she spun around and started walking. ‘Turn around before they spot us.’
Her tone made the two boys snap into line and she explained why she was so certain as she took them back the way they came. ‘There was a guy standing behind the ticket counter and he gave me a weird look while I was paying. He must have thought something was up because the same man was with the two police officers.’
‘You’re sure it was him?’
‘Completely,’ Rosie said. ‘Why else would he be there with two police, three minutes before the train leaves?’
‘Now what the hell do we do?’ PT said, looking around for any sign of more cops as they headed back towards the exit. ‘They must have put out an alert.’
‘Why would they look for us here, though?’ Marc asked.
Rosie put her hands up to her face. ‘I think I know,’ she gasped. ‘When I took the bags in off the factory roof, I said to Marc we’ll have a job getting this lot back to London. That doorman must have heard me.’
‘Dammit,’ PT cursed. ‘Why did you say that?’
‘I just didn’t think,’ Rosie said. ‘I’m so tired.’
‘It’s not her fault,’ Marc said. ‘We should have knocked that doorman out as soon as he started giving us trouble. Henderson wouldn’t have put up with his mucking about for five seconds.’
‘So what now?’ PT asked. ‘Do we go back to the van?’
‘The police will be looking for it, but we could drive a few miles just