Hikers - The Collection (Complete Box Set of 5 Books)

by Lauren Algeo

  Georgie picked up the cup in front of her and inspected the contents. She’d been sitting outside a shop in Covent Garden for the last couple of hours and barely had two pounds in small change.

  Yesterday, an older man had dropped a £10 note into her cup and she’d been overwhelmed by the generosity of a stranger. She’d had a hot meal for dinner and spent the night in a warm shelter. She preferred the one by Charing Cross, although there was one man who worked there, Martin, who tried to question her about her life.

  He wanted to find out how old she was and how she’d ended up on the streets but Georgie kept to herself and wouldn’t give away too much – she repeated that she was sixteen and she’d had a bad time at home, nothing more. She knew he was only trying to help her but she couldn’t tell anyone the truth.

  She’d grown accustomed to the number of people around and even come to like the noise of drunken revellers making their way home in the dead of night. It meant that she wasn’t alone.

  She spent the days begging or hunting for a job. The clothes shops and restaurants wouldn’t accept her without proof of age, a fixed address and national insurance number so she’d lowered her sights. Now she trawled the markets and street traders, looking for any work.

  She was willing to try anything but so far she’d only been given one afternoon helping out on a fruit and vegetable stall when one of the vendors failed to show up. That had earned her twenty valuable pounds and she’d hoped for a repeat shift, only they didn’t need her again.

  Busking was the most profitable use of her time. She wished she could play an instrument or sing for money but all she could do was sit on the floor with a cup and hope that people were feeling charitable. Older women seemed to take the most pity on her and Georgie tried to look as vulnerable as possible.

  It was a boring way to pass the hours and she longed for the carefree days of her childhood, when she had been safe and warm and happy. Georgie’s eyes filled with tears as she pictured her dad’s face. The kindness and love in his warm eyes. She would still make him proud one day, no matter what it took.

  Chapter 9 – 19th October 2007

  Georgie sat on the bench and tried to stop her body from shivering. The temperature had been dropping all week and her thickest jumper was no longer keeping her warm. The nights were near freezing and it was harder to get into the shelters.

  The weather had been tolerable before but now she’d discovered a coldness she’d never imagined. It crept into her bones and violently knocked her teeth together. Her fingers and toes were constantly numb.

  The number of tourists around the city had been dropping too and she was struggling to make any money from begging. She’d spent nearly every night that week on the streets – using layers of discarded newspapers to keep warm. She’d even stuffed some of it under her clothes as extra insulation. The nights were endless now and she knew it would only get worse as winter approached.

  Her health had been slowly deteriorating with the cold and hunger. She had a constant sore throat and runny nose, and her weight had plummeted. Her hair was thin and hung limply across her blotchy face. She wanted to cry every time she looked at herself in a toilet mirror. After everything she’d been through in her short life, surely she deserved a break?

  There was one highlight of the past miserable week – she’d noticed an attractive man hanging around the same places she frequented. He was about thirty years old, tall and quite muscular. He had short, blond hair and piercing blue eyes. She saw him three days in a row at the start of the week and he’d begun to smile a greeting whenever he saw her.

  Georgie knew he was too old for her, and he looked much cleaner than she did, but she couldn’t stop the bubble of excited anticipation rising in her stomach every time she spotted him. She found herself thinking about him at night when she was trying to sleep and wondered what his story was. Was he new to the streets? Had he lost his home? She wanted to pluck up the courage to talk to him but hadn’t dared to yet. He hadn’t been around yesterday although she thought she’d seen him in the distance that morning.

  Georgie stared out at the river and tried to ignore the wind battering her body. The bench along the Embankment was her favourite spot. She would gaze at the water and try to pretend she was just visiting town; that she had a home to go back to afterwards.

  Georgie was daydreaming about her old, comfortable bed when she sensed movement to her right. Her stomach twisted with nerves as she glanced up and saw who it was.

  ‘Can I join you?’ the blue-eyed man asked.

  Georgie nodded shyly and he sat down beside her on the bench. He gazed at the water silently for a moment alongside her. Georgie’s body stiffened with awkwardness and she instantly began to fret about how she looked and smelled. She hadn’t had a proper wash for a couple of days and her hair was greasy. The navy jumper she was wearing was tatty and creased, and she had a rip over the knee of her grimy jeans, which her hand immediately snaked down to cover. She was a mess.

  The blue-eyed man didn’t appear uncomfortable at all. He was leaning back casually on the bench with a relaxed arm draped over the back.

  ‘What’s your name?’ he asked.

  He had a deep, rich voice that Georgie liked the sound of.

  ‘Georgie,’ she replied, still not looking at him.

  ‘I’m Spence,’ he told her, even though she hadn’t asked. ‘I’ve seen you around.’

  Georgie nodded again. She didn’t have much experience talking to boys and tried to think of a response that wouldn’t make her sound stupid.

  ‘Want to get a burger?’ Spence asked after another moment of silence.

  Georgie’s stomach growled at the mention of food – she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday lunchtime.

  ‘I, umm, haven’t got any money,’ she mumbled, feeling her face flush with shame. Begging had been slow that morning.

  ‘I’ll get you one,’ Spence offered. ‘I’ve had a productive few days. Come on, let’s go to McDonalds.’

  Georgie wanted to maintain her pride but she was too hungry to protest.

  ‘Ok,’ she agreed reluctantly.

  She followed him along the road to the Strand and into the nearest McDonalds. She sat at a table by the window while he went up to the counter. She toyed with her hair, trying to fluff it as much as she could so it wouldn’t look as greasy.

  Spence came back to the table with a tray of food and pushed a Happy meal across to her. Georgie waited politely until he had unwrapped his cheeseburger before tucking into hers. She fought the urge to shove all of the food into her mouth as fast as possible and took her time. The burger was the best she’d tasted and she greedily licked the salt from the chips off her fingers. Spence had got her a coke with the meal and she felt the sweet sugar rush straight to her head.

  Spence watched her with interest. ‘How old are you, Georgie?’

  ‘I’m sixteen,’ she replied.

  ‘Sure you are,’ he said with a slight smile.

  Georgie had never been much good at lying, she was better at saying nothing.

  ‘How long have you been on the streets?’ Spence asked.

  ‘A few months,’ she shrugged.

  She eyed his clothes suspiciously. He had on a worn, burgundy jumper and dark jeans but somehow he didn’t look scruffy.

  ‘What are you doing for money?’ he asked with a concerned expression. ‘Are you making enough to get by?’

  ‘I mainly beg or try to find thrown out things to sell,’ Georgie replied honestly. ‘It’s getting harder now winter is coming.’

  ‘It always is,’ Spence agreed. ‘But I’ve found a solution. I’ve been making some deliveries around town for people and earning some decent money. They’re always looking for more people.’

  ‘Really?’ Georgie’s ears pricked up and she put down her chips. ‘What kind of deliveries?’

  ‘I’m not sure really, I don’t open the packages,’ he said. ‘It pays well enough though and they’re only small.�
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  ‘But what if it’s something dodgy?’ Georgie asked with wide eyes and she lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘Like drugs?’

  Spence laughed. ‘It probably is but it doesn’t do me any harm. The packages aren’t large enough to hold much so if I did get caught, there wouldn’t be enough in my possession for the old bill to do me. I’d just get a slap on the wrist or a caution.’

  He gave her a warm smile. ‘You’re only young so I doubt you’d get in any trouble. I bet you’ve never had any bother with the police in your life, have you?’

  Georgie shook her head and pondered the prospect. It sounded tempting to earn a bit of steady money. Maybe she could save enough to get a flat share somewhere cheap then go for a real job when she had a fixed address. Her mind ran away with the possibilities.

  ‘How do I get in on the deliveries?’ she asked eagerly.

  Spence grinned across at her. ‘I’ll put in a good word and sort it out for you.’

  He popped the last few chips into his mouth and waited for Georgie to finish hers. They parted ways outside and Spence promised he would find her in one of the usual spots in the next day or so.

  That night, the cold didn’t bother Georgie so much. She fantasised about finally getting some money together and putting her life on a better track.

  Spence was true to his word and when Georgie saw him outside a shelter a couple of days later, he offered her a delivery job for the next morning. Her instructions were simple yet she felt sick with nerves as she stood outside London Bridge station the next day.

  A twitchy man approached her and asked if she was Georgie. When she nodded that she was, he gave her a brief hug then shoved a small parcel into her hands and walked off without another word. The package was the size of a shoebox and wrapped in brown paper. Georgie tucked it under her arm and headed to Kings Cross, as Spence had told her to do. He had given her a one-day travelcard especially for the job.

  Her palms were sweating as she sat in the crammed tube carriage and she worried that people would know what she was doing. She expected a policeman or security guard to pull her aside at any moment but no one so much as glanced at her.

  At Kings Cross station, she handed the mystery package to a man standing in the allocated spot and wearing the outfit Spence had described to her – grey hoodie, green baseball cap and baggy jeans. That was it. She had earned £20 and a travelcard for less than an hour of her time. She hadn’t encountered any problems at all and felt exhilarated.

  Spence got her more jobs and she grew not to care what the consequences would be if she got caught. The money was too much of a motive for her. After a few weeks, she had started to save a little bit. Spence told her about a room that had become available in a flat share in Shepherd’s Bush.

  Apparently it was near to the new one he lived in but she’d still been too shy to ask him much about himself. All she’d learned was that he was nearly thirty years old and spent time on the streets when he couldn’t afford flat shares or hostels.

  ‘It’s a ridiculously small room,’ he told her. ‘But I know one of the girls so I can tell her that you’re interested.’

  Georgie was ecstatic. He didn’t know any more details yet but she hoped she would have enough money for one month’s rent. She looked out for him over the next couple of days but he wasn’t in any of the usual places. She grew impatient for news – it was unbearably cold on the streets now.

  He finally found her on the fourth day. ‘I’ve had a chat with the girls and they’d love to rent you the room.’ He sounded reluctant to tell her and Georgie felt her heart sinking instinctively. ‘The only thing is, you would need to pay £150 upfront to cover the rent.’

  Georgie’s body slumped with disappointment. She had only saved £80 so far and she would start eating into that soon to pay for hot food and somewhere warm to sleep at night.

  ‘Oh, that’s ok,’ she whispered, trying to conceal how dejected she felt. ‘They can find someone else if they want.’

  ‘Georgie, I’m worried about you out here in the cold every night,’ Spence said softly. ‘It’s not good for you.’

  He touched her arm lightly and looked at her with his piercing eyes. ‘Why don’t I loan you the rest of the money and you can pay me back weekly?’

  ‘I can’t.’ Georgie couldn’t accept his kind offer. ‘It’s way too much.’

  ‘It’s not really,’ Spence shrugged. ‘I know you’re good for it. You can just give me a cut from your delivery money.’

  He wouldn’t take no for an answer, even giving her extra to cover food and bills. Three days later, Georgie found herself sitting in her own bedroom in the house. She hadn’t officially met any of the girls yet – Spence had arranged everything for her.

  She’d briefly seen one woman in the corridor that morning when she’d moved in. She was a petite, Asian girl with large, brown eyes and a heavy fringe. She had given Georgie a smile but quickly retreated into a room without speaking to her. There were apparently three other girls in the house but their bedroom doors were all closed and Georgie hadn’t heard anyone moving around. She figured they were all at work somewhere.

  She couldn’t believe her luck. The room was tiny and the house had severe damp but it was a million times better than sleeping on a cardboard box with a newspaper duvet. Her bedroom was sparsely decorated, with a queen-sized bed with a thin duvet, a rickety wardrobe and a chest of drawers.

  Georgie’s few possessions looked too lonely in the wardrobe so she stuffed them in the top drawer. The flimsy bedcover would do until she could afford something thicker.

  As she lay in the lumpy bed that night, Georgie couldn’t get over how luxurious such a simple act was. She felt warm, comfortable and clean. She’d spent ages in the bathroom that afternoon, washing her hair and cleaning herself until her skin gleamed. She’d wrapped herself in a towel and used the hairdryer in the bathroom to blow dry her hair properly for the first time in months.

  None of the other girls had showed themselves yet but she was looking forward to meeting them. They might know of a job opening where they worked. She was expecting plenty more delivery jobs however she still wanted something respectable too so she could pay Spence back quicker. After all, he’d been so good to her. Georgie closed her eyes and fell into a deep, contented sleep.

  Chapter 10 – 8th December 2007

  There was a sharp rap on the bedroom door and Georgie jumped up from the bed. It was Saturday lunchtime but she had yet to get dressed and she wrapped a dressing gown around her body. She opened the door cautiously and saw Spence standing there.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked in surprise.

  She self-consciously clutched the thin material of her dressing gown tighter – it had been borrowed from the bathroom and was a size too big. She had been looking for Spence for days but hadn’t been able to find him anywhere. It had been making her uneasy – she didn’t like owing money and she needed delivery jobs to pay him back, and save up for the next month’s rent and bills. Spence hadn’t let her meet any of his bosses so she was reliant on him getting her the work.

  ‘One of the girls let me in,’ Spence grinned.

  He looked extremely happy for some reason and he held out a bottle of cheap vodka. ‘I got you a present to make up for going missing.’

  There was something funny about his behaviour that Georgie couldn’t quite put her finger on. His pupils were dilated and his words sounded thick, which was something she would usually associate with drink but he didn’t smell of alcohol. Was he on something stronger?

  ‘Thanks.’ Georgie gingerly took the bottle from his outstretched hands.

  ‘Can I come in?’ he asked in a lighter tone.

  Georgie opened the door wider and Spence walked over to sit on her unmade bed. She closed it quickly behind him in case one of the girls heard. She didn’t want them to think badly of her as she still didn’t know them properly yet.

  She’d seen the Asian girl a couple of times; she
was called Lila and seemed very shy. She would only say a few words before running away from Georgie. There was a redhead called Anna, who she had heard more than she’d seen. There had been a few nights where Anna had turned up in the early hours, singing and banging things around. She hadn’t been introduced to the third girl. According to Lila, she was called Jess and she worked night shifts. None of the girls had been welcoming or forthcoming with conversation but Georgie was determined to win them over.

  Spence patted the space next to him on the bed and Georgie found herself going to sit there. His body was close to hers and she tried to push aside the fact that she was attracted to him. She knew he was too old for her but he made her feel safe and he’d been so kind. She was never scared when he was around.

  ‘Have you got any more deliveries for me?’ she asked with more than a hint of desperation. ‘I need to start paying you back and saving.’

  ‘I didn’t come here to talk about that,’ Spence said, turning to face her. ‘I came to see you.’

  He put his hand over hers on the bed and Georgie’s mouth went dry. She was suddenly as nervous as she used to feel when teachers made her read aloud in class.

  ‘I like you, Georgie.’ Spence leaned towards her and kissed her gently on the lips.

  Georgie had a sudden mental image of Nick kissing her roughly and she flinched backwards.

  ‘I can’t…’ she started to protest but Spence kissed her again.

  To her surprise, Georgie felt her body respond. This was completely different to Nick. Spence was soft and clean-shaven, and he liked her. Her lips moved against his as she finally kissed him back.

  After a few moments, Spence pulled away and smiled at her. ‘Let’s have a drink.’

  He disappeared out of the bedroom before Georgie could object and came back carrying two glasses for the vodka and a carton of orange juice. He had a portable radio under his arm that Georgie had seen in the kitchen.

  ‘That’s not mine!’ she gasped but Spence waved away her protest.