A Dangerous Game

by Malorie Blackman

  Mrs Tritton sat down with her back to the river. She wiped the water off her face. Tayo sat down next to her. Jack was the only one who stayed standing.

  “I’m so glad everyone’s safe,” Mrs Tritton said. “I never want to go through that again. Never ever.”

  Sam sat up. His stomach was hurting … Not the sharp, stabbing pains of before, but a low constant ache which Sam knew all too well. He wasn’t meant to get too hot or too cold or too dehydrated. If he did, he could have a sickle-cell crisis, and since they’d got off the coach he’d done all three. He knew what the stomach ache meant. And he knew from experience that it would get worse before it got better. A lot worse.

  “Mrs Tritton, two of us should go for help,” Sam forced himself to say.

  “No way!” Mrs Tritton told him. “We all stay here together until we’re found.”

  Sam looked at Brandon. His eyes were closed, and he didn’t look good at all. Sam turned to Jack and Tayo.

  I’m going to tell her, Sam thought. If one of you doesn’t, then I will.

  “Mrs Tritton … we have to go for help,” Tayo said. He lowered his head as he spoke. “We … well, we wanted to get to the meeting place first, so we changed our route on the map to cut through the woods.”

  “But I saw the map …” Mrs Tritton began.

  “We got our map with the real route on it last week,” Jack said. “We bought another one from the hotel this morning and drew in our new route. We wanted to be first.”

  Mrs Tritton stared at Jack. She turned her head to stare at all of them.

  “Is this true?” she asked.

  Jack nodded. Sam looked right at her.

  “Yes, miss,” Tayo mumbled.

  Mrs Tritton took a deep breath and said, “I see.”

  “We didn’t mean for all this to happen, Mrs Tritton,” Tayo said. “Honest, we didn’t.”

  “Of course you didn’t,” Mrs Tritton replied. “But that’s not the most important thing at the moment.” She looked up at the steep hill in front of her. “What’s important is, what are we going to do now?”

  Chapter 11

  Trouble

  “Mrs Tritton, I don’t … I don’t …” Brandon whispered. Then his eyes closed and his head rolled to one side.

  Mrs Tritton was beside him in a flash.

  “Brandon!” Tayo said, and ran over to him.

  Mrs Tritton took Brandon’s pulse, then checked his breathing.

  “Brandon! Brandon, wake up!” Mrs Tritton shouted. She shook Brandon, and his eyelids fluttered open. “Brandon, stay awake. Don’t go to sleep.”

  “I can’t help it. I’m so tired,” Brandon whispered.

  “Brandon, stay awake,” Mrs Tritton said, and she shook him again.

  Brandon nodded, but his eyelids kept drooping.

  “We’re way off the route, Mrs Tritton,” Sam said. “If we’d followed the path, we would have been south-west of the meeting place most of the time – but we’re south-east. So if anyone is looking for us, they’ll start in the wrong place. Two of us have to go and get help.”

  “But which two? We’re all exhausted,” Mrs Tritton said.

  “I’ll go,” Sam said. He pushed the damp jumper and anorak off his body and wrung them out.

  “I’ll go with you,” said Jack.

  “Will you be able to find your way?” Mrs Tritton asked. “Will you be able to make it up the hill alone? I don’t want to leave Brandon.”

  “I don’t want to go up that hill again,” Jack said.

  Sam dug a hand into his soaked trouser pockets. He took out his compass. The needle was swimming in a pool of water.

  “My compass is no good any more,” Sam said. “We’ll need the other one.”

  Tayo dug into his anorak pocket and pulled out the compass. He handed it over. Mrs Tritton stood up.

  “Tayo, keep an eye on Brandon,” Mrs Tritton said. “Don’t let him fall asleep. I want a word with Jack and Sam.”

  She walked over to them with her back towards Tayo and Brandon and her expression set.

  “I hate the idea of sending you off to get help, but I can’t leave Brandon,” Mrs Tritton said. “He’s going into shock, and if we’re not careful …” She swallowed hard. “So I want the two of you to take this map and the compass. You have to go up the hill and then head west.” Mrs Tritton moved to stand between Sam and Jack. She pointed down at the map in her hand and brushed water droplets off the clear plastic bag around it. “If you steer west, you should come across this path.”

  “But how will we know if we’re north or south of the meeting point?” Jack asked.

  “By the contour lines,” Sam said, and he pointed. “Look! They’re closer together north of the meeting place, which means that area is hilly – it must be the bit we’re on now. If we use the map and the compass to make sure we travel south-west, we should get to the meeting place.”

  “That’s right,” Mrs Tritton said. “Now are you both sure you know how to read the compass?”

  Sam nodded first. Jack’s nod took longer.

  “Mrs Tritton,” Tayo called. “Brandon’s drifted off again.” Tayo’s voice was full of panic.

  Mrs Tritton turned and ran back to Brandon.

  “Come on, Jack,” Sam said. “Let’s get going.” Sam started back up the hill.

  “Sam and Jack,” Mrs Tritton called out to them.

  The two boys turned.

  “Good luck,” Mrs Tritton told them. She looked down at Brandon before raising her head to them again. “Bring help back – soon …”

  Sam didn’t say another word and started to climb the hill. Jack joined him. Now that the wind had died down, it was easier to get up it. The rain was just a drizzle. Not that it made much difference. Sam couldn’t have been much wetter. Or colder. Every time the wind blew against Sam’s wet jumper, it felt like he had an ice-pack on his chest.

  “Hang on, you two,” Tayo shouted as he ran up to them and pulled off his anorak. “Here you are, Sam. Let’s swap coats. Mine’s dry.”

  “But what about you?” Sam asked.

  “You need it more than I do,” Tayo replied.

  “Meaning what?” Sam frowned.

  “Meaning you’re the one who went in the river, not me,” said Tayo.

  For a second, Sam thought about arguing, but Tayo thrust the coat into his hands and pulled off Sam’s damp one. Tayo ran back to Brandon and Mrs Tritton before Sam could say another word. Sam looked at Tayo’s coat, then put it on. He and Jack kept on walking.

  “I’m tired already,” Jack said.

  Sam nodded to agree. He was too tired even to talk. His stomach was beginning to hurt again. Not so bad as to double him over, but he was very aware that a sickle-cell crisis was starting. He could take only shallow breaths now. If he tried to take a deep breath, his stomach stabbed like the jab of a red-hot knife. It was like having a really bad stitch that wouldn’t ease. Sam stopped for a moment, took a slow, deep breath and let it out just as slowly. He had to do this. Brandon was depending on him. They all were. Today, Sam wasn’t going to be ruled by his body.

  “What’s the matter?” Jack asked.

  Sam shook his head and kept on walking. For every two steps they took up the hill, they slid back down one step. But at long last they reached the top.

  “Which way now?” Jack asked.

  Sam dug out the compass and the map just to make sure. “I think we’re here now,” Sam said, and pointed. “So if we head along the top of this hill, then down, we should reach a clearing with a path.”

  “What about this way?” Jack said, and drew his finger across the map. “Can’t we take a shortcut through the trees?”

  Sam looked right at him and said, “I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of shortcuts to last me a lifetime.”

  Jack paused and then said, “Along the hill it is.”

  Sam gave a small smile, which Jack returned.

  They set off along the ridge of the hill in silence
. Fifteen minutes later, they had reached the bottom of the hill and were standing in a clearing. The hill was behind them, and there were trees everywhere else. By this time even the drizzle had died away, but the ground was still slippery and difficult to walk on.

  “Are we lost again?” Jack whispered.

  Sam shook his head hard. “No, we can’t be. We followed the compass and the map. And this is the clearing.”

  “Then where’s the path?” Jack asked.

  Sam looked around, feeling desperate. Jack was right. There was no path in sight. But there had to be. There just had to be. Because Sam wasn’t sure how much longer he could last. The ache in his stomach was a lot worse and now, on top of everything, he was getting a pain in his hip as well.

  “So where’s the path?” Jack said. “Where’s the path?”

  “Jack, calm down,” Sam said. He held his breath, trying to control the pain that seemed to be creeping all over his body. There was no doubt about it – he was having a sickle-cell crisis. He had to keep going. He couldn’t give in. Sam let out a breath and spoke at the same time. “The path must be around here somewhere.”

  “I can’t see it,” Jack said. His voice was getting higher.

  Jack started to run to the closest clump of trees. Sam tried to run after him, but after five steps he knew he couldn’t take another. If Sam didn’t stop Jack from panicking – and fast – Jack would run off and leave him.

  Chapter 12

  Angry Monster

  “Jack. No. Stop!” Sam called out. “Look! The path is that way.” He pointed wildly another way. Sam couldn’t see a path, but he was desperate to stop Jack from running off.

  It worked. Jack stopped and asked, “The path? You can see it?”

  Sam nodded. “Yes, it’s just past those trees.”

  Jack walked slowly back to Sam.

  Sam didn’t speak. What was there to say?

  “You really saw it?” Jack asked as he looked the way Sam had pointed.

  Sam nodded. Jack strode off and Sam followed, all the while trying to come up with a plan to keep Jack from running off again. Because Sam was hurting – really hurting – now. His stomach was on fire, like white-hot needles were being jabbed into him. And his hip was aching so much he could hardly walk.

  They were at the edge of the trees.

  Jack looked around, frowning as he searched for the path. Sam tried to think of something to say. He couldn’t be on his own. And he didn’t want to tell Jack just how close he was to collapsing. Sam couldn’t show Tayo and Brandon and all the others in his class that they had been right. They all thought he was the world’s biggest wimp. If he quit now, if he keeled over, they would never let him forget it. But he couldn’t last much longer.

  “I see it! I see it!” Jack yelled, and darted deeper into the trees. Sam followed him as best he could, but he was unable to run.

  “Sam, you were right,” Jack said. “There is a path. Look! Look!”

  And there it was – a path leading away from them. Sam had never seen anything that made him so happy.

  “How on earth did you see this from the clearing back there?” Jack asked, impressed.

  Sam shrugged and said, “I … I just have great eyes, that’s all.”

  He was going to tell Jack the truth but decided not to. They weren’t out of the woods yet! Maybe Sam would tell him when they were all safe and sound.

  “Let’s go,” Jack said. He started running along the path.

  Sam tried his best to keep up but couldn’t. It took all of his strength just to put one foot in front of the other.

  “Come on, Sam,” Jack called back after him. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

  “I’m going as fast as I can,” Sam hissed.

  Jack stopped and turned around to frown at Sam. “You’re not feeling too well, are you?”

  Sam shook his head.

  “Why didn’t you say so before?” Jack asked. He walked back to Sam and said, “Do you want to lean on me?”

  “No, thanks,” Sam gasped out.

  “Don’t be stupid,” Jack said. He put Sam’s arm around his back. “You’re not a wimp just because you need some help.”

  “That’s not what you and your friends have been saying all term,” Sam said. He couldn’t stop his voice sounding bitter.

  Jack turned his head away, looking embarrassed. “We didn’t mean it,” he said. “It didn’t mean anything.”

  “It did to me,” Sam replied.

  Jack looked at him. “I’m sorry.”

  Sam was silent, then said, “We’d better get going.”

  And they followed the path deeper into the woods.

  As Sam couldn’t walk very fast, their progress was slow. And Sam found himself having to lean more and more on Jack. Soon Jack was breathing hard, with sweat dripping off his forehead like heavy rain off an umbrella.

  Sam steered them towards a tree. He leaned against it and closed his eyes until he had his breath back.

  “I think you’d better go on without me,” Sam said. “I’m just slowing you down.”

  “No way,” Jack replied at once. “We both go on or we both stop here.”

  “Don’t be stupid,” said Sam. “I’ve had it. I can’t take another step.”

  “Then I won’t,” Jack insisted.

  Sam scowled at him. “Don’t you understand? My hip hurts and my stomach hurts and my head hurts. I can’t walk any more.”

  “Your stomach and your hip have been hurting for ages,” Jack said. “But you didn’t let it stop you from going for help, did you?”

  Sam stared at Jack and asked, “How did you know I was hurting?”

  Jack looked even more embarrassed than earlier. “Mariella has the same thing as you – sickle-cell,” Jack said.

  “Mariella?” Sam asked.

  “My sister-in-law,” said Jack. “She’s from Italy.”

  A thought came into Sam’s head before he could stop it: All that time, all that time you knew what I’ve been going through and you still made my life a misery. Sam wasn’t just thinking about today in the forest but about the weeks and months that Jack had stood by and let his friends tease Sam. Sam could see from the look on Jack’s face that he had guessed what he was thinking.

  “I’m really sorry,” Jack said again.

  “Yeah, right,” Sam replied.

  “Yes, I am,” Jack insisted. “I should have said something. I could have said something, only …”

  “Only what?” Sam demanded.

  “Only I—”

  Jack was cut off by the sound of a distant whistle. Sam and Jack turned their heads.

  “Did you hear that?” Sam whispered.

  Jack nodded and said, “It came from over there somewhere.”

  BRREEEPPP! There it was again. Jack took out his whistle and blew it so hard that the sound shot through Sam’s head and made his ears ring. Jack blew it again. And again.

  “Stop. Stop!” Sam yelled.

  Sam put out his hand to stop Jack from blowing the whistle any more.

  “But—” Jack started to say.

  “Let’s see if they’ve heard us before you blow it any more,” Sam said.

  The two boys listened. Silence at first. Then a much louder whistle. Followed by another one and another one. And the sound was getting closer and closer.

  “They found us,” Jack said. “They found us!” He jumped up and down.

  Sam tried to push himself away from the tree trunk, but pain sliced into him and he doubled over.

  “Hang on, Sam,” Jack told him. “They’ve found us.”

  Jack took Sam’s arm and tried to help him stand up.

  But Sam couldn’t. The pain now was worse than it’d ever been. So bad that he couldn’t breathe. So bad that he couldn’t even think. His whole body was in pain.

  “Sam, please,” Jack said. “Sam …”

  Jack’s voice was being drowned out by the blood roaring in Sam’s ears.

  There
was no sound now but his blood roaring like some angry monster. Sam fell to his knees, still clutching his stomach. Everything around him was spinning fast. Then he fell forward, feeling thankful that the world was fading into dark nothingness.

  Chapter 13

  Hospital

  Sam knew that smell. He knew the sounds too. But still he crossed his fingers and kept his eyes shut.

  Please let me be wrong, he thought. Please don’t let me be in hospital.

  Slowly, Sam opened his eyes. He wasn’t wrong. He lay in a hospital bed, and beside him were his mum and dad.

  Sam closed his eyes again. That was that, then. So much for his first – and his last – school trip. He pulled the oxygen mask off his face.

  “I suppose you’ll never let me out of your sight again,” he said.

  “Hello to you too!” Mum said, and raised her eyebrows.

  “For now, we just want you to focus on getting well,” Dad chipped in. “So put your mask back on.”

  “There’ll be plenty of time to discuss all this when we get home,” said Mum.

  Sam looked from his mum to his dad and back again. “No. I want to discuss it now.”

  “Sam …” Dad said.

  “It wasn’t my fault,” Sam said as he struggled to sit up. The drip running into his right arm and the pump and tube attached to his left arm made it difficult for him to move.

  “Sam, I really think …” Mum began.

  “Mum, it wasn’t my fault,” Sam said. “We got lost and Brandon fell in the river and I had to help him. That’s why I got ill. It wasn’t the rain or the wind or anything. It’s because I got cold in the river.”

  “Yes, I know, dear,” Mum said. “Now just lie back.” Mum was gentle but insistent as she made Sam lie back on his pillows.

  “You’re not listening to me,” Sam realised as his hopes of explaining faded.

  “We heard every word,” Mum said with a smile. “You’re the one not listening to us. I just told you that we know all about it. Jack, Mrs Tritton and your friend Brandon have told us all about how you saved them. We’ve even had the local newspapers asking us if they can interview you.”