Free Hurricane Gold by Charlie Higson Page A

to their feet, both holding tight on to JJ, but he lost his footing and was plucked up into the air like a kite.
    ‘Don’t let go,’ James shouted and they managed to pull the poor bedraggled boy back down to earth.
    ‘We’ll have to crawl!’
    And crawl they did.
    It took them ten minutes. Ten long, hard, painful minutes – rain and mud slicing into their faces, bits of tree, stones, broken wood and roof tiles whizzing past and occasionally crashing into them. At last they reached what was left of the gazebo and huddled below its broken wall.
    The next leg would be easier. This time they would have the wind behind them, but they would still have to be careful not to get blown over or pushed too far along.
    James couldn’t look at the other two. He didn’t want to see the hopelessness and fear in their eyes. Instead he just took hold of JJ’s hand again. It felt tiny and cold and fragile.
    ‘Let’s move,’ he said and set off, letting the wind carry them along. It was almost like sailing a boat, or crossing a river with the current. They were nearly flying; they bounded across the lawn with giant strides and hurtled into the shrubbery. Precious crashing in next to them in a mad rush.
    They had made it this far.
    James went after JJ as he scrabbled across the earth beneath the bushes to a small brick construction like a chimney top. There was a hinged wooden board covering the opening. James pulled it open and JJ wriggled inside. James made sure Precious got in safely then followed her down, pulling the board shut over his head. There were metal rungs set into the wall and James groped his way down until he felt a solid floor beneath his feet.
    It was dark down here and quiet and unexpectedly dry.
    After a few seconds there was the scraping of a match and then an oil lamp’s glow illuminated the room.
    They were about 20 feet below ground in a round, windowless chamber with a domed ceiling. The walls were built of tightly packed stone blocks.
    ‘What is this place?’ said James.
    ‘Before electricity they used to store ice down here,’ said JJ proudly. ‘It’d stay cold all year.’
    ‘Where did they get the ice from?’ said James.
    ‘They’d bring it down from the mountains,’ said JJ, ‘cut from frozen lakes and ponds.’
    James smiled at JJ. ‘Well done,’ he said. ‘They’ll never find us down here and we can sit out the storm in safety.’
    ‘We built a den,’ said JJ and he showed James a pile of old mattresses, blankets and cushions.
    ‘Perfect,’ said James and JJ gave a great, happy grin.
    ‘We could have been killed,’ said Precious.
    ‘Yes,’ said James, ‘but we weren’t. Isn’t that a good feeling? The gods are smiling on us today.’
    ‘Smiling on us?’ Precious gave a bitter snort of laughter. ‘Well, I would hate to see what happens when they’re angry.’
    ‘We’ve been lucky,’ said James. ‘Isn’t that enough?’
    Precious shook her head. ‘This is terrible,’ she wailed. ‘Just terrible. Look at my dress, it’s ruined. I just got it a week ago. It’s by Jean Patou of Paris.’
    James couldn’t help laughing. The dress looked like a bundle of wet rags.
    ‘Maybe you should have worn a swimsuit,’ he said. JJ laughed.
    Precious gave them both a filthy look. ‘Why did nobody try to help us?’ she said. ‘The servants? Why didn’t they help?’
    ‘What could they do?’ said James. ‘Those gangsters had guns. Maybe they did try to help. You don’t know. What was in your father’s safe anyway?’
    ‘All his money,’ said Precious. ‘Everything. He doesn’t trust Mexican banks.’
    James laughed again, but he stopped abruptly when Precious slapped him hard on the face. ‘How dare you laugh at us,’ she said and the next moment she burst into tears. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘But I’m so scared. I don’t know what’s happening.’
    ‘Don’t worry about it,’ said James. ‘I’m scared too.’
    He wiped his face and his hand came away