Free Death Run by Jack Higgins Page B

that’s necessary.”
    Ignoring Mr Argent, Jade hurried from the room and ran down the maths corridor. There were several other rooms along the way, and a narrow flight of stairs down to the school’s main reception. But thecorridor ended in a smaller room that was used for storage or working with small groups of children.
    Jade made her way carefully past precarious piles of textbooks to the door at the back of the room. She opened it carefully, some instinct warning her to be as quiet as possible. The door opened on to the gallery at the back of the school hall. Jade could hear noises from below – a man speaking, Miss Whitfield’s nervous replies, someone crying… What was going on?
    As she approached the front of the gallery, Jade could gradually see more and more of the hall below. She held her breath and slowed to a hesitant tiptoe as she saw the men with guns. The woman with her distinctive auburn hair sprawled on the floor. The group of frightened children with Miss Whitfield.
    And finally – thankfully – Rich. He was standing slightly apart from everyone else, closer to the stage, with Gemma Stroud. Somehow Jade had to get him out of there. She didn’t know what was going on, but if it didn’t have something to do with their dad, then she’d be very surprised.
    A tall, broad-shouldered hulk of a man seemed to be in charge. He had a fierce red beard. He was gesturing for Miss Whitfield and the children tomove away from the unconscious – or dead? – woman. His men herded them back towards the stage, making them sit along the front with their hands on their knees.
    â€œYou all do as you’re told, and no one need get hurt.” He was a big man with a Scottish accent. “Just sit there, good as gold, while we get what we came for. I’ll probably have some questions for you in a minute. And don’t get any ideas about calling for help. We’ve got this place locked down. No phones in or out. Mobiles are jammed too. There are police at the gates to tell any of your parents who might turn up for you to wait a bit and not to worry. Same goes for the living block over the way. So far as they know there’s a dangerous criminal got into the school and everyone’s to stay put till the police sort it out.” He grinned suddenly, teeth appearing in the middle of the red beard. “And what do you know – there is a dangerous criminal lose in the school. Whole lot of them in fact.”
    Several of the gunmen laughed as the bearded man guffawed at his own joke. Jade moved slowly back towards the door into the storeroom. If Rich had any hope of getting away, she needed to create a diversion. A diversion that didn’t involve getting shot.
    Jade found what she wanted just inside the storeroom – a particularly heavy textbook. She eased back towards the front of the gallery. Fortunately all the gunmen were watching their leader and the captives sitting along the front of the stage. Jade risked a wave, trying to attract Rich’s attention. But of course he was watching the gunmen.
    As she got more desperate, Jade was afraid she would not get anyone’s attention. But eventually, Gemma noticed her. Even from the other end of the hall, Jade saw her tense slightly. Gemma nudged Rich and he followed the direction of her stare. As he saw Jade, he smiled. He gave the smallest nod.
    The next problem was how to tell Rich what she was going to do. Jade held up the book and Rich frowned. Did he think she was wanting help with her Maths detention? She brandished the book like it was her dearest possession. Then she mimed throwing it. Again Rich nodded – so far so good. But even with a distraction, what could he do?
    Rich glanced round, wondering what he could do when Jade threw the book. If the gunmen were looking for the big diamond, he would rather theydidn’t find it in his pocket. Should he chuck it away? Best would be to escape