Caged

by Theresa Breslin

  ‘I’ve always cared for her since she was a baby.’ Bird Girl hesitated. ‘My mother was vulnerable. She was a drug addict and my dad kept her supplied, but when he saw she was becoming a problem – needing more and more – he moved on. One day he was there and next day he was gone. My mother’s mental health issues became worse, and when she found she was pregnant, she had a breakdown. But she wanted to keep the baby. She seemed to cling onto this as the only reason for her existence.’ Bird Girl made a wry face. ‘It wasn’t for me that she wanted to stay alive. I didn’t seem to matter to her any more.’

  A silken thread of understanding spun from Kai towards Bird Girl. He was familiar with that sensation. Of not being enough for a parent. Not being quite what they wanted, not being able to give them what they needed to keep going.

  ‘Anyway, the baby was born and it became apparent that she had special needs. My mother couldn’t cope. Within a few years she was dead. And so it was just me and Darcey.’ Bird Girl hesitated over the word. ‘Sorry, I mean “Dove”. We were put in a children’s home and shunted between a whole series of foster families. But as we grew up there weren’t so many fostering opportunities.’

  ‘No offers of adoption?’ asked Spartacus.

  Bird Girl twisted her mouth. ‘One or two, but only for me.’ She lifted her head and said defensively, ‘Well, I’m blonde and bright, aren’t I? I was a very pretty little girl. Dress me in frilly pink and I’d smile and sing a song or recite a poem. I could say and do all the right things to attract adopting parents. But Dove, well, she hadn’t a clue about trying to please. Had to be reminded to wipe her nose.’

  ‘You never were adopted though, were you?’ said Spartacus.

  ‘No, because I refused to be adopted unless my sister was too. But Dove struggles to keep her attention on what’s happening around her. She has this habit of focusing her mind intently on a particular thing. People get cross with her when she doesn’t answer them. They think she’s deliberately being rude, but shouting won’t bring her out of it. I was the best person at coaxing her back to reality. So I wasn’t going off with a new family and leaving her to fend for herself at the children’s home. Some of those places aren’t nice.’

  ‘Too right!’ The words burst from Raven’s mouth.

  ‘Quiet!’ Spartacus spoke gruffly.

  ‘OK, OK,’ Raven replied. She shuffled her feet and moved into the shadows.

  ‘Last Christmas, when Dove turned sixteen, they set us up to live together in a supported flat. I was always interested in photography and enrolled in a college course. I’m even beginning to make some money out of my photos. With that and our allowances, we manage. I’d walk her to and from the centre she attends and we were fine until spring arrived and we had our usual argument. That’s when she decided to take off.’

  ‘If she’s sixteen and left you a note then the police won’t be chasing around looking for her,’ commented Spartacus.

  ‘They checked with our previous foster carers and other places we’d stayed,’ said Bird Girl. ‘And they said they’d keep a lookout, especially at train stations and anywhere we’d been on holiday, but it’s not a high priority. Now that she’s older my sister is quite able to feed and dress herself and generally get by in the community. And she’d taken money with her.’

  ‘What’s the argument you always have in the spring?’ Kai asked.

  ‘My little sister becomes restless as spring approaches. When she hears the cackling of the migrating geese she starts to nag me about going after them. It’s because that’s what I told her we’d do – from when we were young and were taken into care. I promised her that, one day, we’d get on a secret train and follow the geese wherever they were going. Every spring she’d say, “Can we leave now?” and every spring we’d have a row when I said we’d need to wait until we were old enough to leave the children’s home. This year, as soon as she spotted the geese going over, she rushed to pack her bag. She thought that because we weren’t in the home any more we could do it. As the days passed she became more agitated, saying that if we didn’t get on the secret train right away we’d never catch up with the geese.’ Bird Girl looked sorrowfully at the feather she still held in her hand. ‘I kept putting her off. One night we had a massive argument. The next morning her bed was empty.’

  ‘I still don’t understand why you thought she might be in the closed-off Langsdaine Underground Station,’ said Spartacus.

  ‘Each day on the way to her centre we walk past Langsdaine. A couple of weeks ago she picked up some feathers and told me she’d seen a bird flying in through a crack in the wall. I said it had probably found a good nesting place. Every time we passed she’d stop and stare at the wall. She was worried that the bird had got trapped inside, and needed rescue. I looked about but there was no way in or out that I could see. She said maybe it was a magic bird and it had been leading us to the secret train that we could get on to follow the geese. I tried to talk her out of this idea. But she became more and more convinced that there was something going on behind the bricks. She has acutely sensitive hearing. She was saying strange things. That there were people behind the wall. She could hear them moving about and talking. Said there was a hidden camera too.’

  Kai and Raven exchanged a startled glance. Spartacus’s face remained impassive. ‘Did you investigate further?’

  ‘No,’ said Bird Girl. ‘She was becoming fixated on this so I began to take another route to her centre. She stopped talking about it and went back to nagging me about following the geese.’

  ‘Did you tell the police any of this?’ Spartacus’s voice was casual as he asked the question.

  ‘Some of it,’ said Bird Girl. ‘I told them about the birds’ nest. I didn’t say anything about Dove hearing voices. I didn’t want them to think she was disturbed enough to be put in a locked unit if they found her. My sister isn’t dangerous, but people are prejudiced against those who are different.’

  ‘Too right,’ Raven said again – murmuring so that it was only Kai who heard her. And as Spartacus indicated for Bird Girl to continue speaking Kai saw Raven slide her knife back inside her sleeve.

  ‘They got Tube maintenance workers to examine the wall,’ Bird Girl went on. ‘And there was a birds’ nest in a recess high up, but they said that the whole wall was solid and double-thick. Not even an infant could squeeze through.’

  ‘Yet you persevered in thinking that’s where your sister was?’

  ‘It was all I had. I thought she might come back there to try and find the secret train, so I decided to hang out in the park and photograph the birds while watching the entrance. And then…the one day I think I may have seen something, you guys grab my camera and – and—’ Bird Girl crouched down on the floor and put her head in her hands.

  There was a long silence in the room.

  Spartacus took off his sunglasses. He spoke very slowly and distinctly. ‘On the condition that you do exactly as I say and you never tell anyone what you see or hear, I will take you underground and try to find out if there is a way into the old Langsdaine Station from the inside. But!’ He held up his hand as Bird Girl began to thank him. ‘You must stay with us for two more nights – that’s tonight – Thursday – and then Friday night, right through until late Saturday evening. And before we go underground, you will need to write texts we can send to your friends to let them know you’re away for the rest of the week.’

  ‘I could say I’ve gone to look around in Brighton,’ said Bird Girl. ‘My sister and I were often taken there on holiday. I’ve already mentioned that idea to my friends and the Social Work support staff.’

  ‘OK.’ Spartacus pulled out her phone and handed it to Raven. ‘Tell Raven what to say and who to text. We’re involved in a charity project which is neither criminal nor a security threat, but for the moment it needs to remain secret. You must not break our trust or try to escape before then. Do you understand me?’

  ‘Yes,’ Bird Girl replied. ‘I will not try to escape.
’

  ‘I’m warning you that we’d know if you did. We’d be on to you before you got ten metres. There’s a camera on every exit from our headquarters.’

  Kai knew that the tunnels leading to their HQ were monitored. But he’d always thought of it as being for the protection of the Cage Fighters, so that no one could get in without Spartacus knowing. Now Kai realized that it worked both ways – neither could anyone get out without Spartacus knowing about it.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  On leaving the lock-up, Raven made a face behind Bird Girl’s back as she walked ahead of them.

  A stab of sadness pierced Kai and he wondered why. He’d always wanted Raven to like him so much that she’d be annoyed with any other girl he spoke to – but now that it was happening, he was uncomfortable.

  Before they were near the school entrance to the tunnels, Raven left them, heading for Victoria Station. Spartacus, who was neurotic about security, wanted the outgoing texts to go through the mobile masts in the area where the trains left for Brighton.

  ‘You never know,’ he explained to them. ‘The police might call Bird Girl and then track her phone use if she doesn’t respond. If they follow it up, then the signal coming from Victoria Station fits in with the message we’ve agreed for her to put in her texts.’

  After sending the texts Raven would switch off the phone and return to HQ.

  ‘I’ll take your phone out again at some point tomorrow,’ Spartacus told Bird Girl. ‘That way I can scan your incoming messages in case any need a reply.’

  ‘You could say I’d forgotten my charger,’ suggested Bird Girl. ‘Then they wouldn’t be bothered if they don’t hear from me for a while.’

  ‘I’ll decide what’s best to be said.’

  Spartacus’s voice had an edge on it and Kai sensed he was deeply distressed at the turn of events.

  In the boiler room of the boarded-up school Spartacus tied his scarf around Bird Girl’s eyes. ‘You keep this on until I say otherwise. We’re going underground.’

  Bird Girl shuddered. And before Kai thought about it too much he reached out and touched her hand. Her skin was damp with cold sweat.

  ‘It’s an easy entrance,’ Kai reassured her. ‘Sixty steps down a ladder and then a long descent to walk, not too steep.’

  ‘OK. Thanks.’ Her voice was thin and she clenched her teeth together.

  Kai guessed it was Spartacus’s favourite exit and entrance because it was such a simple way in and out. But he wasn’t surprised when Spartacus made unnecessary turns, doubling back several times. He’d done this with the twins too. Obviously it was a ploy to confuse the newcomers so they weren’t sure where the Cage Fighters’ HQ was located. But whereas the twins had gone along in a trance-like state, Bird Girl groped around her, feeling the walls. Kai’s torch was bright enough to illuminate the way ahead and he was able to see if there were any loose stones or debris lying in their path. But, in addition to those times when he warned her to be careful, Bird Girl often stopped, especially when they were changing direction. And, as they continued through the tunnels, Kai began to think that it wasn’t because she was wearing the blindfold that Bird Girl was acting this way. She was trying to memorize the route in her head.

  Sarema and Gita were standing in the café when they eventually trailed into HQ. The twins must have been keeping a lookout on the monitors for their arrival. Pots of tea and coffee were on the table and they’d made sandwiches.

  ‘Food. And drink.’ Sarema pointed to the mugs and plates.

  ‘That’s great, Sarema.’ Kai suddenly felt immensely tired and hungry.

  Spartacus didn’t thank the twins. ‘Good that you’re about,’ he said. ‘Saves me having to call on you.’ He unwound his scarf from Bird Girl’s eyes. ‘This is Bird Girl. She’s your new roommate.’

  ‘But—’ Kai opened his mouth to object. The twins’ living space was so cramped that there was hardly enough room for them.

  ‘Yes. Of course,’ Sarema said. She held out her hand to Bird Girl. ‘Welcome.’

  Bird Girl grasped Sarema’s hand as if she would never let it go. ‘Thank you,’ she managed to say. ‘Thank you. Thank you.’

  Sarema took Bird Girl’s hand between both of hers and rubbed it. ‘Cold,’ she said. ‘You are frozen. Time for tea?’

  ‘Bird Girl needs to be made aware of everything we’re doing here,’ said Spartacus. He was clearly irritated at how Sarema seemed to have taken charge of the situation.

  ‘But food first.’ Kai sided with Sarema. Avoiding eye contact with Spartacus he sat down on the nearest chair.

  Grudgingly Spartacus sat down too.

  Bird Girl let go of Sarema’s hand. Her body started to tremble, her legs gave way and she flopped onto a chair. Kai pushed a plate towards her. ‘Try to eat,’ he said. ‘You’ll feel better if you have food in your stomach.’

  Overwhelmed, Bird Girl covered her face with her hands and began to cry. The dry sobbing tore at Kai’s heart. He leaned across to pat her shoulder but Spartacus pushed his hand away. ‘Best leave her alone,’ he advised, then sat staring into space until Bird Girl recovered herself. ‘I want to speak to a couple of people,’ he said. ‘I’ll be back shortly.’ He motioned for them to eat.

  They ate in silence until Spartacus returned. He spoke first to the twins. ‘Please fully explain the Cage Fighters for Freedom project to Bird Girl. From now on she is under your care. Show her the List of Rules. Make her understand how crucial it is that everyone obeys my orders for the next couple of days. If either of you, or’ – he glanced at Kai – ‘you, meet any of the Cage Fighters, tell them that I’ll update the whole group at the nightly Meet which will take place after Medusa and Boudicca’s fight.’ He lifted Bird Girl’s rucksack. ‘I’m going to lock this in the storeroom until Tech can check it out.’

  ‘Can’t we do something now?’ Bird Girl asked. ‘Is there a tunnel from here that goes to Langsdaine Park?’

  ‘No.’ Spartacus shook his head. ‘But I will find a way through there as soon as I can. Try to relax and trust us’ – he indicated Kai – ‘to do the right thing.’

  Bird Girl looked beseechingly at Kai. He gave a half-nod and shifted his gaze. What Spartacus had said wasn’t strictly true. There was a way to reach the tunnel which led to Langsdaine Park. Maybe Spartacus didn’t want to alarm Bird Girl by telling her that the roof was collapsing.

  ‘Raven should be back soon,’ Spartacus went on. ‘Beowulf is on monitor duty. When he spots her on the way in he’ll tell Leo to go and meet her.’

  ‘I could do that,’ said Kai.

  ‘I’ve just spoken to both of them to arrange it. With Raven still topside, Tech will need your help to film tonight’s fight between Medusa and Boudicca. You go to his den now and give him a hand to prepare his equipment.’ Spartacus stood up. ‘I’ll walk with you.’

  Before they reached Tech’s den Spartacus drew Kai aside. ‘Don’t go back to that skip,’ he said. ‘Not ever.’

  ‘I won’t,’ said Kai.

  ‘It will tempt you.’ Spartacus spoke earnestly. ‘From what Sarema and Gita told me they’d made it into a cosy nest with shawls as curtains. Yeah?’

  ‘It was OK.’ Kai nodded. ‘But I gathered up their gear and brought it here for them.’ He didn’t add that he’d replaced the girls’ shawls with postcards and photos cut from magazines, and made the shelter inside the skip wind-and waterproof.

  ‘It’s served as a safe place on two occasions so it’s go­ing to be oh so tempting for you to return. Don’t do it.’ He looked at Kai expectantly, as if waiting for him to agree.

  Kai said nothing.

  ‘This is good advice I’m giving you.’

  Kai shrugged. ‘Whatever you say.’

  Spartacus gripped Kai by the shoulders. ‘I’m talking about afterwards. When we’ve got the money and had the share-out. You’ll think it will be OK to go there and hide out before moving on. I’m telling you not to do it. The police aren’t incompetent. They’v
e got high-end tracking devices, plus it’s their job, so they can do that slow, dogged detective work where they pick up clues and follow leads. When this breaks it’ll have a big media hook. Amateur detectives will play super-sleuths, physically, but mainly on the Internet, hunting on Twitter and social networks. These guys have enough savvy to co-ordinate calls from mobile phone masts.’

  ‘You’ve got our mobiles,’ said Kai. ‘When I get mine back I won’t even switch it on.’

  ‘That’s what you say now. But you’ll want to check missed calls and texts. Or you might trust someone who blabs without meaning to. And when you leave the tunnels you’ll yearn to go somewhere familiar. When you’re living rough a place like that calls to you. You lie at night not sleeping and you think about it. What you might add to it to make it a home for yourself…’ Spartacus’s voice tailed off.

  Kai didn’t want the skip as a home. The Cage Fighters were to split up after the last fight, telling no one where they intended to go. It would be safer that way. When he received his very final pay-out Kai planned to head for an island off Wales, where his dad had come from. It was why he’d chosen his name: ‘Kai’ – like the Welsh dragon, breathing fire. But he’d need a place to stay until then, and if everyone else was on the move at the same time then he’d be safer lying low for a while. So, on the days he’d been allowed to go topside he’d started to prepare, taking some of his personal stuff to the skip, including his original phone – the one he used to text his mum.

  But Spartacus was right. The skip had served as a safe haven on two occasions. To use it three times might be a mistake. It was like being in an army tank with one entry, one exit. If he got caught in there he was done for.

  Kai shivered as he went into Tech’s den.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Beowulf lifted his head briefly from the monitors as Kai came in. He was on the lookout for Raven as he knew she didn’t like being in the tunnels on her own and he was keen to spot her as soon as she was underground.