by Malcolm Rose
‘I said I didn’t want to hurt anybody …’
He grabbed me by the shoulders. ‘You fool! I told Beth one of us should – But she wanted someone else to take the blame. Someone who didn’t matter.’
‘What? But I –’ I couldn’t speak any more.
‘Why else would she have got you to do it?’ Robin sneered at me for what seemed an age. Then he said, ‘You’ll pay for messing up.’ He drew back his arm, ready to thump me with all his strength.
I was drained. An easy target. I began to fall even before his fist landed on my battered face.
It’s all a bit of a blur now, but I guess he was off balance on that sloping verge. I guess he wasn’t expecting me to crash into him. Maybe, in some desperate attempt at self-defence, I gave him a shove. I’m not sure. Anyway, we both collapsed. I grabbed hold of the bottom of the fence and stuck fast, but he tumbled down the bank. All arms and legs, he toppled towards the road.
I wonder if Robin heard the siren as a fire engine came into view and sped towards the scene of the blast. I wonder if he was dazzled by the headlamps and flashing lights. Out of control, he rolled on to the tarmac. The last thing I remember was the sound of screeching tyres and a stomach-churning thud.
I’d stopped the fireball. I’d saved myself from Robin’s fury. But I hadn’t saved the planet and I’d done nothing to save Robin. The failed protest had claimed his life.
And that was the end of the Cooler, as well. I don’t mean I changed my views. Sprawled out on the verge, I realised I’d crossed a red line. On one side of it, people didn’t get hurt. On the other side, they did. On one side of it, you’re a protester. On the other, a terrorist. The tricky part is knowing where to draw the line.
More great reads in the SHADES 2.0 series:
Witness by Anne Cassidy
Shouting at the Stars by David Belbin
Blitz by David Orme
Virus by Mary Chapman
Fighting Back by Helen Orme
Hunter’s Moon by John Townsend
Animal Lab by Malcolm Rose
Tears of a Friend by Jo Cotterill
Danger Money by Mary Chapman
A Murder of Crows by Penny Bates
Doing the Double by Alan Durant
Mantrap by Tish Farrell
Coming in to Land by Dennis Hamley
Life of the Party by Gillian Philip
Plague by David Orme
Treachery by Night by Ann Ruffell
Mind’s Eye by Gillian Philip
Gateway from Hell by David Orme
Who Cares? by Helen Orme
Cry, Baby by Jill Atkins
The Messenger by John Townsend
Asteroid by Malcolm Rose
Space Explorers by David Orme
Hauntings by Mary Chapman
The Scream by Penny Bates
Rising Tide by Anne Rooney
Stone Robbers by Tish Farrell
Fire! by David Orme
Invasion by Mary Chapman
Copyright
SHADES 2.0
Four Degrees More
by Malcolm Rose
Published by Ransom Publishing Ltd.
Radley House, 8 St. Cross Road, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9HX, UK
www.ransom.co.uk
ISBN 978 178127 473 6
First published in 2008
This updated edition published by Ransom Publishing 2013
Copyright © 2013 Ransom Publishing Ltd.
Text copyright © 2013 Malcolm Rose
Cover photograph copyright © halbergman
A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.
All rights reserved. This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
The right of Malcolm Rose to be identified as the author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988.
MORE GREAT SHADES 2.0 READS
Animal Lab
by Malcolm Rose
Jamie Littlewood is as bald as the monkey he’s looking after at the local animal lab. He is happy that the monkey may be the key to curing his baldness. But Jamie’s animal rights activist sister makes him think again about what is happening in the lab. What will Jamie do? Who is in the right?
Shouting at the Stars
by David Belbin
For singer Layla it’s all a dream come true. Her first album hits the big time and her concerts are all sold out. But a heckler starts to show up at gig after gig and quickly turns everything into a nightmare. Is this just the price of fame for Layla?
Asteroid
by Malcolm Rose
What can one group of friends do when all of humanity faces extinction? An asteroid is hurtling towards Earth and it will destroy everything on the planet. Josh, Dave and Zack are determined to save planet Earth and the human race. The trouble is, it’s impossible – isn’t it?
Fighting Back
by Helen Orme
Amita and her family relocate to a new town after her father’s business is destroyed in a fire. Hoping for a better life in her new home, Amita is sad when her bitter father refuses to allow her to mix with her white neighbours. She becomes the victim of racial abuse at school. Will she always be hated for being different?
Danger Money
by Mary Chapman
As a World War One recruit onboard the fishing boat the Admiral, all Bob Thompson can think about is how much he will earn. Bob gets danger money, as the ship defends itself against German subs. But by the time Bob realises what he has taken on, it’s too late to go back.
A Murder of Crows
by Penny Bates
Only-child Ben moves to the country with his mum and befriends a crow for company. When a local boy sees this and jeers at him mercilessly, Ben very soon becomes a laughing stock. The bullies want him to hurt the thing he loves the most. But none of them have reckoned on the power of Crow Law!
Doing the Double
by Alan Durant
Twins Dale and Joe are the sons of fallen football ace Nicky Green. They have always joked about swapping their identities for a day, but that was a joke. Now Dale wants Joe to do the double and take his place on the football pitch – for real. How can Joe refuse his twin?
Coming in to Land
by Dennis Hamley
Jack is one of the young cadets chosen by the RAF to learn to fly gliders. The good pilots will go on to fly real planes in the war. But Jack has a fear of coming in to land. Star pupil Cecil thinks Jack shouldn’t be flying – and when Jack makes a dangerous mistake, Cecil’s determined he’ll pay for it.
Invasion
by Mary Chapman
Jack is in hospital – there’s something wrong with his leg. But when he catches a glimpse of his X-ray, he doesn’t expect to see a huge, squirming thing writhing around inside. It turns out two of his best mates have the same problem. The doctors won’t tell them anything. Then the burning and hissing starts.
The Messenger
by John Townsend
When Chris sees a Christmas glass angel smash at his feet, he thinks nothing of it. But then a trip to the moors with his girlfriend brings strange events. They even seem to be moving in time. Was the angel an omen? And what connects past, present and future?
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