Free Death Run by Jack Higgins

what he did, he’s got you interested, hasn’t he? Might be a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
    â€œI like maths,” Jade said. “Maths is good.”
    â€œI didn’t really rate Mr Argent as a teacher,” Rich said.
    â€œMaybe not,” Dad told him. “But he understands people. Oh, and for your information, Jade, he isn’t French. He’s Swiss. Now, tomorrow I have to go to London.”
    â€œWhat for?” Jade asked.
    â€œI need to see Ardman about something. He’s not expecting me, so I might have to wait around. I could be quite late getting back. You be OK?”
    â€œWe’ll be fine,” Jade said. “Just so long as you’re not getting involved in anything dodgy.”
    â€œYes, well, that’s why I want to see Ardman – to make sure I’m not.”
    â€œThat’s OK,” Rich said. “We’re both busy after school tomorrow.”
    â€œReally? What are you up to?”
    â€œDrama club,” Rich told him. “I went last week. It was pretty good. Didn’t finish till late, remember?”
    They were almost at the cottage now. “Good to see you getting into things a bit too, Jade,” Dad said. “These after school activities are important. It’s good to get involved.”
    Rich coughed. “Nearly home,” he said. Jade said nothing.
    â€œSo what is it you’re signed up for after school tomorrow?” Dad asked.
    â€œMore detention,” said Jade.

8
    Drama club ran from six till eight in the main school hall. Detention also finished at eight, and Jade had agreed to meet Rich in school reception as soon as they were both free so they could walk back home together. Tonight there were three of them in detention – Jade, Mike Alten and a boy called Rupam from the year below.
    Once in the sixth form you didn’t get detention, Jade had learned. You were put on ‘jankers’ which meant you got an evening clearing out a ditch or cutting the grass or repainting the corridor. It sounded a lot more use than the maths exercises Mr Argent had set her, but she knew better than to complain – she’d learned that at least.
    â€œHas your wallpaper really got bullet holes in it?” Mike Alten asked Jade quietly as they chose their places in the big classroom.
    â€œBetter believe it.”
    â€œWicked. Designer stuff, I suppose.”
    Jade didn’t answer.
    Mr Argent was talking quietly and urgently into his mobile. He ended the call, placed his phone carefully on the desk beside a pile of exercise books, and clapped his hands together for quiet. “Right, we’ll have silence now, please.” He sat down at his desk and started on the pile of exercise books, pausing only to tell Rupam not to tap his pen on the table.
    Rich was enjoying himself. There were only eight students doing drama this week, all from Rich’s year and below as the sixth form had their own separate drama group. Most of them were girls – including Gemma Stroud who was in the same set as Rich for most things. They got on well and it was good to have someone there that he knew.
    Miss Whitfield ran the group. She was young and enthusiastic and had started by getting them all to pretend to be clowns and mime putting on make-upin front of an imaginary mirror. Now, a boy from the year below was pretending to be a zookeeper washing a large elephant inside a small cage. The rest of them watched from the front of the stage as he performed in the main area of the hall – which seemed a bit backwards to Rich. But with all the chairs put away, there was a lot more space.
    At the back of the hall there was a gallery, like a wide balcony right across the width of the hall. The teachers sat up there for school assemblies, and there was a door at the back that led into a storeroom at the end of the maths corridor.
    A long, low rumble of thunder came from outside. It was getting dark, Rich saw. Along