“Scott! Kevin! Stop ’em! They’ve got a tape and it’ll send us to jail!”
Kate, Ben and the others were still battling it out in the hall. Tiffany was closing the distance on Echo and Jason as they rushed towards the nearest staircase. Suddenly their path was blocked by Kevin, who’d taken a sword down from the wall. Deena came running out of the scrum but Tiffany was ready for her, both women hurling themselves at each other in a snarling, fierce cat-scrap. Kevin whirled the sword in front of him like a windmill. Echo waited her chance then pounced at him between sword swings, thrusting both fists into his chest, the force sending him back-first to the floor. He landed with a high-pitched howl of rage, letting go of the sword. Jason and Echo leapt over him, just in time before he scrambled to his feet. He picked up the sword, whirling it again as he chased them up the staircase.
“Save your sister,” Echo panted as they reached the top. “I will draw the swordsman away.”
Jason dashed into the corridor ahead but Echo darted to her right, onto the gallery. Kevin wasn’t far behind but paused before reaching the corridor, unsure of his next move. Echo backed away, further onto the gallery, deciding to use the tape as bait.
“It is here!” she called, taking the tape from her pocket and waving it in front of her face. “It will send you to prison, and you cannot take it from me.”
Kevin watched as Jason disappeared down the corridor, but shifted his attention to Echo. He stepped towards her, pointing the sword. Echo turned to run, then froze. Maxine Knaggs had thundered up the other staircase to appear at the far end of the gallery, and she too was wielding a sword.
*
Jason was at the end of the corridor now, facing the padlocked door. He checked left and right, relieved no one had followed him. He barged the door with his shoulder but the lock refused to give way. He swore under his breath then looked around again, his gaze resting on the nearby wall and the two curved jungle knives mounted there on display. He ran across, pulling one of the knives free before returning to the door, kicking it with all the strength he could muster. The door rattled on its hinges but the lock held firm. He realised his only chance was to prise the latch free, and he slipped the blade of the knife behind it.
*
Echo retreated to the middle of the gallery as Kevin and Maxine moved in from either end.
“What’ve you got there?” said Maxine in a soft but dangerous tone. “What’s on the tape?”
“Hand it over,” growled Kevin. “Then you won’t get hurt, right?”
“You cannot hurt me,” said Echo. “You lard-bloated stink-pig.”
Kevin loomed closer, and Echo backed away to the balustrade.
“Okay, you asked for this,” said Kevin, swiping at her with the sword.
Echo side-stepped the blade and it embedded itself in the wood. Kevin pulled the sword free, Echo jumping up as it slashed at her legs. The blade sliced through three or four of the balustrade’s spindles before she landed on her feet. Kevin took a step backwards, raising the sword, ready to strike again. By now Maxine had joined him, taking up a similar stance. To their surprise, Echo shot between her attackers then ran up the wall behind them. At the height of her run she pushed off with both legs, somersaulting over her opponents’ heads. She landed near the balustrade, spun around then let loose a snap-kick, her foot powering hard into Kevin. He bellowed in agony as he dropped the sword and smashed into the wall behind, his face twisted in anger and surprise. Echo turned to face Maxine who was only a couple of paces away, pointing her sword.
“Come catch me, you maggot-faced mopsy,” Echo said, waving the tape again.
She felt strong arms around her waist as Kevin tackled her from behind. The surprise sent the tape flying from her grasp, high into the air. Kevin got up but kept hold of her with one hand. With the other he reached up, trying to catch the falling tape. Maxine dropped her sword, making her own lunge for Echo, grabbing her arm. Kevin crashed into the balustrade, weakened by the blows from his own sword. The tape was almost in his hand when the wood creaked and cracked. The tape hit his fingertips and bounced up as the balustrade gave way. His eyes crossed and bulged with shock as he sailed backwards and downwards, taking the other two with him, the HAPPY 25th banner dangling down. Falling fast but now free of Kevin and Maxine, Echo corkscrewed twice in the air, catching the tape in the same stream of motion. The startled people in the hall dashed for cover as Kevin landed on his heels then teetered over to hit the floor, flat on his back. Maxine arrived an instant later, falling lengthways on top of Kevin. Echo flew down like a missile, landing toad-style on Maxine’s back before flipping away in a reverse handspring. She was up on her feet as Kate and Ben ran across, stopping to roll Maxine away from Kevin. The vanquished duo lay immobile now, their eyes closed.
“Do they live?” said Echo.
Kate took hold of Maxine’s wrist then slapped her cheeks several times. “She’s not dead – but she’s out cold.”
“So is he,” said Ben, patting Kevin’s cheeks. “Happy birthday!”
Echo showed Kate the tape. “This is the object that captures sound, and will send the Cobalts to prison.”
“Look out!” cried Ben.
Echo returned the tape to her pocket when she saw Tiffany and two of the Cobalts’ friends, charging across in one final, desperate assault.
“Don’t worry, we can take them,” said Ben as he, Echo and Kate rushed forward to meet the attack.
*
Jason pushed the blade further behind the latch, working it loose. He pulled the handle of the knife towards him, the latch slowly giving way. With a crash it fell at his feet, the heavy padlock attached. Knife in hand he threw open the door and hurtled up both flights of stairs. He came to the landing and slid open the bolt on the door. Now he was in the narrow, slant-roofed corridor at the top of the house. He switched on the light and hurried to the small door, further along.
With trembling fingers he pushed it open, finding the loft space in darkness. He reached inside, flicking the switch to bathe the attic in bright light. His heart was beating very fast now. Across the boarded floor he saw the back view of a girl – no, a young woman – sitting with her hands tethered to a cross-beam, her blonde head to one side. Jason’s throat tightened.
“Lauren!” he managed to say.
He ducked through the doorway, crawling quickly across until he was facing his sister, kneeling beside her outstretched legs. Her eyes were closed, her mouth gagged, her hair pushed back from her forehead, falling softly to her shoulders. To see Lauren in this state was like a dagger in Jason’s heart. But she must have heard his voice, because her eyelids floated open. First came a moment of disbelief, then a flicker of recognition. Through a mist of tears, Jason stared into Lauren’s grey-blue eyes, then at her careworn face that seemed much older now, a face that so reminded him of his mother.
He used the knife to cut through the rope that bound her wrists. Then he dropped the knife, reaching behind her head to untie the gag. Though tears were streaming down her cheeks Lauren was smiling – a smile Jason would never forget. She touched his shoulders, his face, then squeezed his hands. Next second he was in a tight embrace with his sister, the sister he loved more than anyone else in the world. Now Jason was crying too, and he felt as if the last drop of energy had left his body. Had it really been three whole years? He said her name, over and over. Waves of joy flowed through his veins in this dreamlike moment when, suddenly, everything felt right again.
Jason wanted it to last forever, but knew his quest wasn’t over yet. He and Lauren still had to escape from the manor. He collected his thoughts as he drew away from her, their eyes meeting once more.
“I knew you’d come,” she sobbed, drying her tears. “But now you’re here, I can hardly believe it. You were only nine, last time I saw you, but I’ve thought about you every day. How did you find me?”
“It’s a really long story,” Jason said hoarsely. “And I bet you won’t believe it. But we’v
e got to get out of here.”
“Where’s everyone else?” asked Lauren. “Where are the Cobalts, and Maxine? Scott said something about a party.”
“Another long story,” Jason replied, getting to his feet then helping her up.
Lauren flexed her arms, and shook her legs to bring the feeling back.
“There’s a tape,” she said, rubbing her wrists where the rope had dug into them. “I know where it’s hidden. I used it to record the Cobalts, admitting…” She paused. “You know what really happened to Mum, don’t you?”
Jason nodded. “I know about the tape, too. But don’t worry, it’s safe.”
“You’ve got it?”
“Not me,” said Jason. “A friend of mine. Let’s go.”
He and Lauren hugged again, and for those few seconds all danger seemed forgotten. But Jason broke away from her, and together they hurried to the attic door. He was the first to duck through into the corridor, and he was about to say “this way” when his heart pounded in his chest, his voice dying in his throat. Standing near the doorway to the stairs was Scott Cobalt, teeth clenched, the pump action shotgun in his hands. By now Lauren was out of the attic too, standing at Jason’s side. She drew in a deep breath, then desperately began to look around for an escape route.
Scott pointed the gun. “Stay where you are, both of you.”
Palms sweating, nerves tingling, Jason realised there was no way out.
“You killed our mother,” he said to Scott in a shaky voice. “Now I’m going to kill you!”
Scott tightened his grip on the gun, aiming it at Lauren.
“I think not,” he growled. “And Lauren, you’re coming with me.”
“No!” she cried.
Scott took a step forward, his features set cold and hard. “It’s just the two of us now, Lauren.”
Jason tensed, waiting his chance. He had to force himself to breathe, his heart drumming against his ribs, his temples threatening to burst.
“Don’t even think about it, kid,” Scott said, his lips curving into an evil victory smile. “Try anything, and you die.”
A scorching hatred erupted inside Jason’s chest, a hatred that cast aside all fear, all reason. He sprang at Scott with full force, unleashing a scissor-kick, his forearm meeting the barrel of the gun to send it upwards. As his foot connected with Scott’s ribcage the gun fired with a blast so loud it sounded like a bomb going off. The corridor filled with smoke, pieces of ceiling falling down in great chunks. By the time Jason landed, Scott had recovered. He twisted around, his leg lashing out in a powerful back-kick, striking Jason in the stomach and knocking him to the floor. Lauren screamed. Scott had completed his move and was facing her now, pointing the gun again.
“Please,” she said, dropping to her knees beside Jason.
“Some people just don’t listen,” snarled Scott. “Lauren, get back inside the attic.”
“Don’t hurt him,” she pleaded, her eyes shining with tears.
She got up, helping Jason to his feet. He clutched his stomach, wheezing for air, his ears still ringing from the explosion of the gun. He wished he hadn’t left the knife in the attic. All he knew was that he wanted to kill Scott, even if it meant risking death himself.
“You had your chance, kid, and you blew it,” Scott said, aiming the gun straight at Jason. “You really should get out of the way, Lauren – you don’t want to see this. Try anything, and you die. That’s what I said, wasn’t it?”
A fresh wave of fury engulfed Jason as he braced himself to make a further attack. He clenched his fists. This time it was a case of win or die. Then he heard the crash of footsteps on the stairs. Scott’s eyes shifted in sudden confusion, the twisted half-smile leaving his face.
“No one will die,” came a voice from behind.
*
With help from Kate and Ben, Echo had managed to see off the attack in the hall. After that, she’d gone alone to find Jason. She was creeping up the narrow staircase when she heard the gunshot. Now she’d run to the landing and into the corridor, standing a couple of paces behind Scott. He wheeled around, pointing the gun at her.
Echo leapt forward in the same moment. All the emotions of the past two days burst out of her now. Rage lent her even greater strength as she launched into a backward flip, the deadliest move her mother had taught her. As Scott’s finger began to squeeze the trigger, Echo’s shoulders went down and her feet left the floor. She flipped like an acrobat in the air, legs bent over her back, a foot shooting out, the sole of her boot slamming the middle of Scott’s forehead. The gun went off again, bringing more ceiling down, and Scott crashed to the floor like a felled tree. Echo landed feet-first on his chest. Scott’s eyelids fluttered and closed as the smoking gun fell uselessly at his side. Lauren stood transfixed for a few moments, then she knelt down to feel his pulse.
“I thought you’d killed him,” she said, looking up. “But no, he’s still alive.”
The sound of the gun still buzzed in Echo’s ears. “I did say that no one would die.”
Jason made a grab for the gun. “I’m going to kill him.”
Lauren got up to hold him back. “No! We’re not murderers like him.”
Jason let out a deep sigh of relief, calming himself, heeding his sister’s words. He gave up the struggle as Echo stepped down from Scott’s chest.
“How did you learn to fight like that?” Lauren said, staring at Echo. “You’re the girl, aren’t you? The girl I’ve seen in the weird visions I’ve been having.”
Jason caught his breath.
“Lauren, this is Echo,” he said. “She’s the one who really saved you.”
“Then I’ll never know how to thank you,” Lauren said, shaking Echo’s hand. “But who are you really? Where do you come from? In the visions, I saw Jason pulling you from a tree trunk.”
“She’s come through time,” Jason explained. “From the old days, when everything around here was forest. That was her home. Her father was an outlaw and her mother was a dryad. We’re dryads too. But I guess you don’t believe any of this.”
“Why shouldn’t I believe you?” said Lauren, her eyes still intent on Echo. “You lived in a forest? What, outdoors, the whole time?”
Echo nodded.
“Cool!” said Lauren. “For ages I’ve wanted to do something like that!”
They heard more footsteps on the stairs. Kate and Ben came rushing into the corridor, wafting at the gun smoke before stopping to stare at Scott’s motionless body.
“Echo laid him out,” Jason said proudly.
Ben smiled. “That girl’s dynamite.” He glanced up at the shattered ceiling. “Looks like your first repair bill, Kate.”
“This is Lauren, my sister,” said Jason, putting an arm around her. “I told you the Cobalts had kidnapped her. Lauren, meet Ben – and Kate, the real owner of Ravenstone Manor.”
Echo pulled the tape from her pocket, handing it to Kate.
“It’s all there,” Lauren said. “On one side you’ll hear the Cobalts, making an old man sign a will. On the other, they admit that they killed our mother.”
“How can I ever thank you people?” said Kate, staring at the tape, curling her fingers around it.
“The fight’s over now,” said Ben. “There’ll be a few arrests before the night’s out.”
“I’ve just called 999 on my mobile,” Kate explained. “We need the police here, before any more party guests arrive.” She turned her attention to Lauren. “You’ll have to speak to the police too. They’ll want a statement from you.”
“What about me and Echo?” said Jason.
“You’ll both need to give statements too,” Kate replied.
“The Cobalts told me you live in a children’s home,” said Lauren to Jason. “I guess we’ll all have to go there – you, me and Echo – till all this is sorted out.”
“Or you could live here,” Kate suggested.
“I do not understand,” said Echo. “Will I have to go to the drea
dful school place, that Jason did speak of?”
“I’ve already told you,” said Jason. “There’s no need to worry about school. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“But I do not wish to.”
Kate looked down at Scott. “We’ll have to tie him up, just in case. The police shouldn’t be long, then they’ll take care of him.”
“Not a problem,” said Jason. “There’s some rope left in the attic.”
*
Five minutes later, Jason and the others had returned to the hall. The battle for Ravenstone Manor was now at an end. Kevin, Maxine and Tiffany were all out cold and the brawny woman sat in a daze with her back against a wall. Bruised and battered, the rest of the Cobalts’ friends had surrendered. Matt, Nikki and Deena dashed across to speak to Kate.
“Guy and Stuart have gone to the lane, to move those blokes we laid out earlier,” Deena explained. “And the Land Rover.”
“So the police can get their cars through to the courtyard,” Nikki added.
Deena glanced at Echo in admiration. “I saw the way you double-flipped from the gallery. Awesome!”
“The girl’s a legend,” said Ben. “And you weren’t so bad yourself, Deena. We couldn’t have done this without you and Guy. Thanks for helping out – especially after all that stuff earlier.”
“That’s all forgotten about,” Deena said, surveying the hall. “And we wouldn’t mind re-joining the band, even if you can be a bit cranky at times.”
“Sure,” said Ben. “Guess I should learn to appreciate my friends a bit more.”
Jason heard distant sirens.
Echo McCool, Outlaw Through Time Page 18