Free Defy the Stars by Sophie McKenzie

followed the other man inside. I realised I was still holding my breath and sucked in a lungful of air.
    What the hell had just happened? I sagged against the fire door. Was Cody going to carry out a hit for money? My head spun, every cell in my body revolting at the possibility. I had to get away
but I didn’t dare go outside and back down the fire escape in case Cody was still nearby. Instead, I tiptoed across the room I was hiding in, past the desk and chairs and out into a dimly lit
corridor. I crept along, past closed doors. Voices drifted towards me. Cigarette smoke writhed up from under one of the doors.
    I sped up, my breath coming fast and hard. I reached a small staircase and raced down the steps. I stopped at the bottom, trying to get my bearings. There was a door ahead of me. I stood on the
other side and pressed my ear to the wood. The music was louder here – and the sound of glass clinking and people talking. It was the bar.
    I opened the door and slipped out, shutting the door swiftly behind me. Keeping my head down, I pushed my way through the crowds, past the long glass bar. The air outside was suddenly cool on my
face. I turned left on to the pavement and ran. I raced on for several minutes, intent only on putting as much distance as I could between me and the bar.
    At last I stopped. I was on Long Acre, close to Covent Garden tube. A taxi passed, its light on. Another was approaching. I thrust my hand out. The taxi stopped.
    ‘Where to, love?’
    My legs felt trembly. My hands were shaking. I was supposed to be going to Grace’s house, but I was suddenly overwhelmed with a desire to be at home. Except Dad and Gemma weren’t
at
home. Which left only one option. I opened my mouth and the next moment heard myself giving Mum’s address in North London. I hadn’t lived there for over a year but it was
still the safest place I could imagine being right now. And Mum, for all her faults, was still my mother. I got in the cab. My hands still shook as I sent Mum a text saying I was coming, then
another to Grace saying that I wasn’t going back to hers after all.
    I sat back, feeling Flynn’s wallet in my pocket. At least I had the money to pay for the cab. Well, it was Flynn’s money but I couldn’t believe he’d begrudge me spending
it, not after what I’d seen.
    I closed my eyes, but the image of Cody holding his gun stayed in my head. I should call the police. I didn’t want to give my name but I could still make an anonymous call. The cab drove
past a row of phone boxes.
    ‘Could you pull over for a second, please?’
    The driver halted the cab. I darted out, grabbed the receiver and punched 999 on the pad.
    ‘Emergency services, which service do you require?’
    I took a deep breath. ‘I just saw a man out the back of the Blue Parrot bar in Soho ordering another man to kill someone called Elmore. I don’t know where or when, but he said to do
it soon.’
    The operator hesitated. Before she could speak I carried on.
    ‘I didn’t see the first man’s face so I can’t be one hundred per cent sure who he is, but the guy he ordered to do the killing is definitely called Cody.’
    ‘What is—?’ the operator began.
    I hung up. A second later I was back in the cab. By the time I reached Mum’s I was slightly calmer. After all, I’d done the right thing in calling the police. Surely they would be
able to stop Cody.
    I let myself in hoping Mum would be asleep. Of course she wasn’t. She was waiting in the hall for me in her dressing gown, a deep frown creasing her forehead.
    ‘What’s wrong, River?’ she said.
    Despite the fact that I’d
wanted
to come here, irritation rose up inside me.
    ‘Why does something have to be wrong?’ I snapped. ‘I just thought it would be nice to stay here instead of going back to Grace’s.’
    Mum stared at me. ‘It’s something to do with Flynn, isn’t it?’
    ‘No,’ I said. And then I burst into tears.
    Mum was across the hall in a shot.