Free A Place of Hope by Anna Jacobs Page B

one.
    ‘I can’t see any security cameras,’ she whispered.
    ‘Neither can I. There must be some, though. I wish I knew where, so that we could avoid them.’
    As they turned the corner into the small overflow parking area where they were to meet Rachel, Emily looked round eagerly. But to her dismay, her friend’s car wasn’t there.
    ‘What shall we do if Rachel doesn’t come?’ she whispered.
    ‘We press on regardless. You have enough money to get a taxi to her house.’
    They found a sheltered spot against the wall of an outbuilding and waited, because it was a little before the agreed time still.
    ‘How are you feeling?’ she asked.
    ‘I’m fine. And you?’
    ‘Nervous.’ She reached for his hand.
    Once she thought she heard the sound of footsteps in the distance, and glanced at Chad. He was listening, but after a minute or two, he relaxed and smiled at her, so whoever it was must have passed by.
    She figured about ten minutes had passed. It felt like ten hundred!
    Chad spoke quietly. ‘If your friend doesn’t come in a few minutes, we should set off walking. If we can find a phone box, maybe we can call a taxi. They often have a free call service.’
    It might be late May, but it was a cold night and Emily shivered. She didn’t have anything warm to wear.
    Chad was shivering, too. He put an arm round her shoulders and leaned against her. ‘Who’s supporting who?’ he muttered.
    ‘Whom.’
    He chuckled. ‘Good at grammar, are you?’
    ‘Very.’
    ‘More than ten minutes have passed, surely?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘The map showed an exit at that corner.’ He pointed. ‘Let’s use it.’
    When they got there, they found a barrier in place, with a strong metal pole shutting off the entrance.
    ‘No wonder Rachel wasn’t waiting in the car park. Maybe she’s parked down the road.’ Emily didn’t really believe that. If Rachel were here, she’d have come looking for her.
    As Emily squeezed past the barrier, a man stepped out from the shadows. ‘May I ask what you’re doing here, madam, sir? You were seen on CCTV wandering round the car parks.’
    She gasped in shock and for a moment couldn’t form any words. The guard was standing between her and Chad. ‘None of your business what I’m doing here. This is a public area.’
    ‘Oh, I think it is my business. Two people answering your descriptions have been reported missing from a locked ward.’ His voice took on a patronizing tone, as if he were speaking to an idiot. ‘You shouldn’t be wandering about like this, madam. The hospital won’t want you getting hurt while you’re in their care.’
    ‘We’ve removed ourselves from their care.’ Chad pushed past the guard to join her.
    She knew they couldn’t run away from this man. Neither of them was in any condition to outdistance anyone, and he was much younger and fitter than they were. But when Chad’s arm round her back urged her on, she moved forward again.
    They had to try.
    The guard was already speaking on the phone. ‘Frank? I’ve got them. The woman sounds perfectly normal, I must admit, and he’s walking pretty well. I thought he was supposed to have difficulty moving around.’
    ‘I don’t have dementia!’ she exclaimed indignantly.
    ‘No, of course not,’ he said soothingly. ‘But you’re not well and you shouldn’t be out here alone at night. Nor should you, sir. You still need caring for. Let’s be sensible and go back. It’s a cold night and it looks like rain.’
    He moved to bar the way again, and when they tried to go round him, he shoved them back, not bothering to be so polite now. ‘I said: we’re going back to the hospital.’
    Chad stumbled and as she steadied him, despair filled her. George had won, damn him.
    At that moment she heard footsteps, more than one person running towards them along the road outside the hospital. Her captor turned round, grabbing each of them by the arm.
    ‘Let my client go immediately!’ A man’s crisp, educated voice