Free March by Gabrielle Lord Page A

floor. She said he seemed utterly despairing, frustrated that she’d failed to correctly interpret his words. She knew he was desperate to communicate something—but he just couldn’t make it happen in a way she understood.’
    ‘What was that?’ I asked, hearing an odd noise.
    ‘Could be the door of my office,’ said Jennifer, hurrying along ahead of me and vanishing around a corner.
    ‘Wait up,’ I said, following her.
    But just before turning the corner, my attention was taken by a glass enclosure lower down in the wall and I stopped for a moment to see what was in it. Within seconds, a brown snake swiftly untangled its coils. Despite the glass between us, I jumped back in fright as the snake struck. Two white fangs scraped the glass. Drops of venom slowly trickled down on the other side of the glass.
    I backed away and hurried along, trying to catch up with Jennifer.
    I couldn’t see her anywhere. Where had she gone? Why did I let myself get distracted when I was supposed to be following her in this warren of corridors? I swore to myself.
    ‘Jennifer?’ I called out.
    She didn’t answer. The corridor she’d turned down branched off into two different directions. ‘Jennifer?’ I called, this time louder.
    Why wasn’t she answering me? I recalled the noise we’d heard earlier. I had the feeling we were not alone in this building anymore—and I didn’t think it was the security guards.
    I hurried down the left wing, calling her name again.
    Still no answer. I didn’t know what to do.
    ‘Jennifer?’ I called again, louder still, backtracking and checking the right-hand corridor, trying to remember where her office was located.
    Lights went out in the distance.
    ‘Who’s there?’ I called.
    By now I was freaking out. I would never be able to find my way out without Jennifer’s help. Plus I was really worried about what had happened to her. Had I put yet another person, who was trying to help me, in danger?
    I stopped, wondering what to do next, when I was frozen with fear. At the other end of the corridor, a figure suddenly ducked behind the wall. Despite the speed of the person’s movement, I’d seen the distinct red singlet that I’d come to know and dread so well. Why couldn’t he get a life … and some new clothes?
    How on earth could he be here? Somehow, he’d followed me. Maybe the guy in the striped top at the bus shelter had been one of Sligo’s spies …
    Silently, I started backing away. If I could just get to the corner, I could take off and run with all I’ve got and he’d have no idea which branch of the T-junction I’d taken.
    When I was almost at the junction I turned—and ran straight into another thug! Sligo had sent two of his troops out after me!
    I didn’t have time to be frightened. I didn’t have time to think how all this was possible. All I could think of was getting away.
    The man grabbed me and flipped me round so that my back was to him. The jolt really killed my leg and the pain made me furious. I kicked backwards with my good leg, using all my strength, and my heel smashed into his shin. He hadn’t seen that coming and he howled in pain, loosening his grip just enough for meto twist away from him and barrel straight into Red Singlet who’d appeared from another corridor. Without even thinking, I punched out hard between his legs! He screamed and doubled over, and I was away!

    I ran like mad, I didn’t know where—I just ran and ran and ran, up and down corridors, up and down flights of stairs, but after a few minutes of thinking I was free of them, the sounds of their thundering feet and shouts returned. I kept running, trying to block out their menacing threats of what they were going to do to me when they caught me.
    Their thudding feet skidded closer and closer and I realised I was headed for a dead end!
    But there was a door! If it was locked, I was a goner. There was nowhere else to go except straight through it. I didn’t even slow down, I just