Free Nowhere Child by Rachel Abbott Page A

the kitchen. Ollie was obviously getting bored. She had promised him that as soon as he had finished his lunch, they would go and search for Tasha again. She had worked hard at trying to keep his sister alive for Ollie, and he seemed to respond well. He was clearly ready to go, because he was shouting her name. ‘Tasha, Tasha.’
    Emma looked down at the magazine the man was handing to her. The Watch Tower .
    ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘My little boy is shouting, and I’m afraid I’m not interested.’
    The man looked as if he were about to say something else – no doubt they were used to this response and he had his next line ready. But Emma didn’t give him chance. With an apologetic smile, she pushed the door closed. It felt rude, but she needed to get back to Ollie.
    ‘Okay, Ollie. I’m coming, sweetheart.’
    She walked back along the corridor to where the door was ajar.
    Ollie was right where she had left him, but now a hooded figure stood behind him, two black-clad arms wound around his neck.

13
    Ollie . He’s even cuter than I remember, and as I push the back door open and look at him, he turns towards me and beams, recognising me even with my hood obscuring most of my face. He always did seem to love me, even though I didn’t deserve it, and I owe this baby so much. He nearly died because of me.
    ‘Tasha, Tasha,’ he shouts, and I run across the kitchen and wrap my filthy arms around his little body, my back to the door in the hall.
    I hear a gasp behind me.
    ‘Get off my baby. Get your filthy hands off my baby.’
    I feel the rush of air as Emma lunges for me, dragging me away from Ollie.
    Ollie starts to scream, and I fall to the floor, face down. I shouldn’t have come. I knew Andy was wrong. She just wants me dead.
    I hear her footsteps as she races to the kitchen drawer and I guess she’s gone for a knife – just like the last time I found myself here, in her kitchen. I don’t bother to get up. I just lie, face down, my heart ready to break in two. This was my last chance – my only chance now that Andy has gone. And we were so wrong.
    ‘Get on your feet,’ Emma says. ‘Get up and go and stand by that wall at the end of the kitchen, your hands behind your back. I’ve got a knife, and I’ll use it if you try anything.’
    Ollie is still screaming, and it’s hard to make out what Emma is saying – but I get the idea, and I do as she says, keeping my back to her. I don’t want her to see the tears streaming down my face – to see how she is killing me. I lift my hands to try to wipe them.
    ‘Keep your hands behind your back,’ she shouts.
    I reach the wall and stand facing it. I hear her drag a chair – the one with the screaming Ollie on it, no doubt – across the floor to where she thinks he’s safe.
    ‘Turn round very slowly, and no clever moves with your hands. Do you hear me?’
    Oh, I hear her. I hear the fear and hatred in her voice, and I can’t bear to turn round, to show her how much she’s hurt me. All that pretence for all these months, saying how much she misses me and wants me back – it was just because she wants me to suffer.
    I don’t think I care any more. They can send me to prison or to a special remand place, or whatever they do with kids like me. I just don’t care. My mum died, Izzy died and now Andy’s dead. I’m best out of it.
    I sniff loudly and try to raise my shoulder high enough to wipe my tears, but I can’t do it. My hood falls back, and I feel exposed. I take a deep breath, and feel the shudders run through my body. Slowly, head down, I turn – too ashamed to let her see my face.
    For a moment, there’s silence. She’s saying nothing – just standing there. I keep my eyes to the ground. I don’t want to see the disgust on her face.
    Then she whispers, her voice no more than a breath with a question mark. ‘Tasha?’
    She didn’t know. She didn’t know it was me. She hadn’t seen my face, only my back. I lift my head slowly,