I said I wasn't going to update for a while, but I had a night off from studying to upload this. Huge chapter ahead. Please note: I mention two geeks called Daisy and Jane in this chapter- I don't think any of the other geeks in the movie had names, so I just made them up. And of course, I don't own St Trinian's, yadda yadda yadda, usual disclaimer applies.

KELLY

Flash is pacing back and forth through what must be his flat- if all this wasn't going on I'd be thinking there are possibilities here, but right now I've got to get to the bottom of whatever's happening.

I realise Flash is running from something- or someone, but who or what that might be still remains to be seen. I approach him slowly.

'Flash?'

He doesn't even acknowledge me- something must really be wrong, that's not like him. He's muttering at an incredible speed, clutching something small and green- something stolen, maybe? Valuable? I can't get close enough to see what it is- could even be drugs for all I know.

'Flash? Oy, Flash!' I click my fingers.

No answer again. I can't stand it any more- I cross the room and grab him roughly.

'FLASH! WHAT. IS .GOING .ON!'

That gets his attention. His eyes meet mine, they're bulging and frightened- I never thought I'd see Flash looking and acting this way. Yeah, he's often nervous around me, I think, remembering the countless date offers he's stuttered at me over the past few years, but then he'd just seemed awkward- more embarrassed than anything else. But when it comes to his dodgy dealings and trouble with the law he always seemed pretty self-possessed. What could possibly have caused this?

Flash stops ranting and runs a hand across my face. 'Oh, Kel. What've I done?'

Are those…tears at the corner of his eyes?

'What 'ave I done?' he repeats, almost a whisper. My heart knots into a funny shape- seeing Flash like this is like seeing Andrea in a pink dress- a bit scary and just…not…right.

'Well, what have you done?'

I see the lump in his throat, he makes a little choking sound. 'I…I…' he's so tense he looks like someone's thrown starch over him and he might break. 'I tried to do summat,' he slumps down onto the sofa, burying his face in his hands, 'fought I were doin' the right thing an' it shoulda bin…but now they're gonna kill me an' I've dragged you into all this…'

That makes very little sense to me. 'What did you do? Who are going to kill you?'

He looks up at me like he's trying to explain something simple to someone stupid. 'I can't tell ya.'

First, he's 'dragging me into this' and now he can't tell me? What kind of logic is that?

I point this out to him and instantly regret it when the expression of pain crosses his face.

'What've I done to you, Kel? They saw me today, they're gonna be here- soon, and I've led 'em right to it, and you, an' I've failed you and everythin'…' the words come quicker and quicker, but only six of them make a click in my mind.

I've led them right to it.

That thing Flash is holding, no, clinging onto, is the cause of all this. And as soon as I notice this, I have only one desire, and that's to know what it is- maybe it's my St Trinian's curiosity, or the fact that I hate to be left out of things and always have, or the fact that I'm beginning to discover how much I care about Flash, maybe even all three.

I have an urge to snatch it out his hand, but he's holding it so tightly I know that one wouldn't work. Plan B probably won't get me anywhere either, with the mood he's in, I know it, but I try anyway.

'What have you led them to?'

I get a response, of sorts, but not an answer.

'Is there anyone out there?' his gaze is directed toward the window. I walk across and peer through the Venetian blind. 'No.'

'You sure? You certain, Kel, I mean, you absolutely positive?'

From my vantage point I can see nearly the whole street, it's illuminated by two or three bright streetlamps, houses on each side of the street, and there's no-one anywhere near the building.

'I'm positive, Flash- see for yourself?'

The spiv glances toward the window again, but makes no move, and then, in yet another swift, jerky move, jumps to his feet.

'I might still 'ave a chance, then- I gotta get this away from 'ere, to somewhere better…they can't get it, they can't…'

And the next thing I know we're back in his car, speeding in another direction.

FLASH

Not a clue where I'm going or what I'm doing, but if I can ditch 'em somehow, I can get the USB as far away as possible- maybe another country, and go from there. But what about Kel? That's the million-quid question, ain't it? Can't just tow her round the world, on the run from the mafia, possibly forever.

'Where are we going now?'

I've pretty much given up trying not to say anything to her, mainly 'cause when she speaks I lose my head and end up spouting stuff I shouldn't anyway. She knows enough now, without me mentioning the Black Jaguar, to know that I'm in summat up to my neck, and we're in massive trouble.

'Dunno, Kel. I'm so sorry.' All I can think of.

'Those men in the bar, Flash, they weren't following you- they were after that other guy.'

Yeah, I know, but… 'they still seen me, don't they?'

'And might have had no idea who you were!'

I falter, I didn't think of that. She talks good sense, but there's still a risk…

'Flash, stop the car a minute and try to think things through…properly.'

I do what she says- dunno how she does that to me but I physically can't resist.

'Okay, listen. I still don't know what the hell is going on, other than that you think you're in some sort of trouble and you need to lie low for a bit, right?'

I swallow.

'Right?'

'Uh, yeah.'

'Well, it's obvious what you're going to do, isn't it?'

It's not to me, actually.

'You're going to hide out at St Trinian's.'

KELLY

Now I've done it. The minute the words leave my mouth, I panic- I have just told Flash he can lie low at our school- suggested he stay there! The problems this could cause are endless- with Flash living at the school there's no way the girls won't find out about us. Not to mention the fact that there are dangerous people out there who want to bring him down, for reasons I can't fathom, and who knows what they might do to us all? But now I've said it I can't just take it back. I don't want to take it back- I really do care about Flash, and I don't want to see anything happen to him.

We slip in through the back door and I direct him to the private room JJ French once had, which I declined in favour of staying close to the girls, and now stands empty- Flash can stay there until we sort all this out properly with Miss Fritton. The memories of tonight buzz round my head as I creep back to the dorm, and I lie awake with two concerns pressing on my skull- how I'm going to explain Flash's presence here to everyone and how I'm going to find out about these people who are after him.

POLLY

'I knew it! Ooh, give us a closer look!' The exuberance of the Posh Totty, even at four in the morning, is still in full force, and their high-pitched voices are like drills into my brain. I'm tired. I want to go to sleep. I have new programmes to download tomorrow, and right at this moment in time I don't care about what Kelly and Flash are up to!

The probability of actually being able to say this to Peaches, Chelsea and Chloe, though, and actually get the message to sink in, is quite low.

I'm getting a headache trying to look at the screen without my glasses- I couldn't find them in the dark, and I doubt in any case the Posh Totty would have let me look properly- they were in such a hurry for me to fix everything up for them.

I'd just been drifting off when they'd shaken me.

'Polly! Wake up!'

'What did I tell you, something's definitely going on! Come on, Polly, start up your laptop! We need to check the HATCAM!'

I'd groaned. 'At four o'clock in the morning?'

'Kelly's gone!' Peaches says, her eyes, like those of her friends, wide with excitement.

'She's not in her bed!'

I look across- they're right. 'That doesn't necessarily mean…'

'If she's not sneaking out to see Flash, what else is she doing?'

I open my laptop, and, at their request, pop up three screens at once- the HATCAM and two of the other cameras in the halls.

The camera on the stairs picks Kelly up first.

'Look, she's very dressed up, isn't she?'

'Looks like she's been on a date.'

'No, Chloe,' Chelsea says sarcastically, 'She's dressed like that to get in some extra hockey practice.'

Kelly walks up another few steps and vanishes from the screen.

Interested as I am, my eyelids are drooping, and so I don't notice when the others turn their attention to the HATCAM.

'Ohmigosh!' they're too flustered to do their usual chant and hand actiaons. 'It's true! Look!'

The third section of the split-screen, which shows the view from the camera in Flash's hat, shows a view of the stairs, looking up from roughly where Beverly's desk is. Flash is inside the school. He ascends and after a few seconds, Kelly comes into view, looking down almost directly at the camera.

Her lipsticked mouth moves, and the HATCAM follows her up the stairs.

'What did she say?'

'Shh…we're missing it!'

They make a left turn, a right turn, and they're outside a room we all know too well- a room which has been disused all term- or so we thought.

The hand gestures make their appearance, followed by the Totty's chant. If I were one of them, and not sensible, I'd probably take the Lord's name in vain too. This is completely unexpected- I'd never figured in my calculations that they might…

'You mean…you mean…' I don't know if Chelsea's actually speaking to the camera, but it sounds like it. 'You mean he's staying the night with her!'

They all let out a scream as one.

'Ssh!' I hiss. 'You don't want the other girls to wake up, do you?'

I can see an emo head stirring- it might be Andrea or Janey- I can't tell in the dark, and the four of us freeze. My heart pounds- it hasn't done that since the last time I did any running- too ling ago to remember as I'm so busy now- and it scares me- but the emo is still after a few moments.

We turn back to the laptop. Judging by the HATCAM, Flash is well and truly inside the room by now- but Kelly has gone from the screen again.

'Aww, we've missed something!' Chloe says, and we shush her again.

Footsteps are sounding. It couldn't be…surely she's in there with Flash- she couldn't be…but there she is, suddenly appearing on the hall camera.

'It's Kelly! She's heading this way!'

I slam the laptop shut and we dive into our beds just as the dorm door opens. A thin strip of light shines through the crack of the open door, and a shadow that's definitely Kelly clicks gingerly into the room.

I watch through one half-open eye- she sneaks across the floor, one small step at a time, climbs into her own bed and settles down.

What's the point in that- is she putting on an act- pretending to come back in here in case anyone might still be awake- and then going back to Flash when she's sure no-one's watching?

I force my eyelids to stay up- I'm as bad as they Totty are now-I have to know how this ends. The minutes drag on, I squint at my digital watch and see nearly an hour has passed since she came in, and Kelly is still and silent, her chest rising and falling steadily. It looks like she's actually asleep, and not, in fact, going anywhere, and it's all beginning not to make sense.

MISS FRITTON

I know even before Kelly knocks on my door what she's coming to talk to me about. I'm a lot more perceptive than my girlies give me credit for- not that they won't all see dear Harry's car is here sooner or later.

'Come in, girlie.' I must say, she looks rather nervous- not herself at all. I put on my most diplomatic face. 'What can I do for you, dear?'

Kelly tries to regain her composure, and that strong, unfazed look she carries about the day, but her face is flushed and she shuffles her feet.

'Er…'

Oh, cut to the chase, girlie, or I will.

'Is there anything you'd like to tell me about? Concerning Flash Harry, perhaps?'

I chuckle at the horrified expression that crosses her face- they always look like that when it dawns on them- everything gets back to me.

'He's…in trouble,' she begins hesitantly.

Oh. Maybe not everything. Not quite the explanation I was expecting.

'There's some organisation, or group, or something, after him- not the police, I don't think…by the sounds of it some real crooks- pretty dangerous…I think maybe he stole something from them and now they're on the warpath…' she spills all this at me, interspersed with pauses and stutters- if I didn't know better I'd be wondering if I was speaking to Kelly at all- pr just a stranger who looks like her.

'And so he plans to stay here until the heat's off, so to speak?'

She doesn't answer me, and I look up to see her shaking just a tad. Finally, she speaks, so quietly I have to ask her to repeat it.

'I don't know what to do.' Those words sound so wrong, coming from confident, natural-born leader Kelly, but through my vast experience I do know what sometimes crises of the heart can shake even the strongest of women. Poor sweet. A short recollection of my younger days with Geoffrey springs to mind.

I hum sympathetically.

'If…I…I thought letting him stay here…for a bit…safer for him, but-' she brings a hand to her forehead, 'what about the girls? I've put them in danger!'

I think she's near tears. Oh, girlie, what can I say?

'Flash gets into all sorts of scrapes, dear. Every time he comes here there's a risk of some sort- and, Kelly, you're forgetting one thing…'

'What?'

'This is St Trinian's, dear. The girls can look after themselves.'

'I'm Head Girl- what about my duty to…'

'Girlie, has it ever crossed your mind that Harry is just as much a part of St Trinian's as the girls and the teachers?' I feel incredibly wise for having said so, but, of course, it's true. Harry is a part of us- he has been since before he was born (there was a Flash Harry here since my schooldays) and naturally we wouldn't want anything to happen to him.

'Just think about that, Kelly. I wouldn't have expected you to turn him away.'

And I wouldn't. After all, we're all in this together, aren't we?

FLASH

I lie awake for hours, my heart going like I just run a marathon, I'm getting that jerky sensation you get from driving fast for ages and then stopping, where the room keeps moving even though you're not.

Im sick and exhausted but my mind is just going and going and I can't drop off. There's too much to panic about, like the USB, hidden childishly under my pillow, and the fact that one of these days I'm gonna die, and the fact that right now I'm at St Trinian's and shouldn't be. I toss and thrash and the sheets stick to me, and it's some time before I drop off- but I must do at some point, because when I open my eyes it's day. I'm tangled up in the blankets- probably from whatever tormenting dreams I had, what I've forgotten now except blurs and faces and fear, and the clock my the bed says- what? Eleven?

By now the rest of the girls are bound to know I'm here- dunno what to do, and I don't really wanna show my face to 'em at the moment, 'cause I got no idea how to explain my being here.

Summat or someone taps on my door. I don't say nothing, maybe they'll go away.

Some hope. The knocking gets louder. 'Flash?'

That's Kel, that is. 'It's me, are you awake?'

KELLY

All the way up the stairs I replay my conversation with Miss Fritton in my head. Everything she said was right, I know it was, so why can't I shake off this feeling of guilt that's clawing at my stomach? Everyone is staring at me as I walk past- this is worse than after the date they knew about.

'Girls!' I snap at a group of third-years leaning on the railing and gawping, in my best Head-Girl-voice, 'Get to class!' they flee- well, at least some things haven't changed.

I hesitate outside Flash's door- it's eleven thirty almost, he should be awake.

And I need to talk to him.

I knock gently, and when I'm ignored, I knock harder. 'Flash? It's me- are you awake?'

A pause. 'Yeah, yeah, come in if you want.'

Flash is sitting up in bed- by the look of it sleep didn't come easily to him- the bedclothes are knotted and cascading off the edge, and his shirt clings to his chest.

'Hey, Kel,' he pats the bed beside him, and I sit.

'You okay?'

His arm curls round my shoulders and I feel him sigh. ' 's much as I can be, suppose.'

'Tell me,' I demand.

'Tell ya what?'

'Everything,' I say, 'we can't help you unless we know what we're up against…'

I feel him tense. 'Kel, no, no, this stuff is dangerous- top secret, I can't get you all in danger too…'

'Flash.' I say clearly, firmly, repeating Miss Fritton's words of wisdom, 'You're one of us, you know- we can help.'

Silence. I look into his eyes. 'Flash?' I say quietly.

'Mm?'

'What was that thing you were hiding?'

'What thing?'

I narrow my eyes at him. 'Don't play dumb with me- those people who were after you- you've got something they want.'

'Kelly…'

'You know I'll find out one way or the other…'

'Kelly…' he says again, his eyes turned downwards as if he's in pain. I rest my hand on his chest and assume a sympathetic expression, allowing all traces of my strict Head Girl persona to fall away. 'I want to help you,' I say gently.

Flash hesitates, then slides his hand under the pillow and brings out something- I see a flash of green and know it's the thing he'd been so desperate to protect last night. His hand is shaking as he opens it, and shows me the small oblong lying flat in his palm.

Now I'm really confused.

'But…it's just a USB drive-' I take it from him and turn it over. There's a logo on the back- the same rearing animal the guys last night had on their blazers. I trace the design with my finger. 'What is this? Some sort of club?'

He snatches it back- I notice he won't look at it until he's flipped it, and the insignia is hidden. 'You don't need to know abou' the Black Jaguar, Kel.' His voice quavers, but I have a name to put to this now- that might be useful should I feel the need to look this up. Not that I would, if Flash would be a bit more co-operative.

'What's the Black Jaguar?'

He curses under his breath, aware he's just told me something he didn't intend to. 'Kelly, the more you know 'bout it, the worse off you'll be- they're a bad lot, Kel, trust me.'

Time for a different approach.

'How'd you get mixed up with people like that?'

'I were in trouble- needed money…it don't matter now, fing is, came across their plans a few years back,' he holds up the drive, 'only copy they 'ad- bit of a twatty thing to do when ya fink 'bou' it- I ain't never looked at it in full but they were plannin' a way to destroy some old place withou' bein' implicated- guy wot wrote 'em died after, so they couldn't redo 'em…'

Realisation begins to set in. 'Flash- taking it must've been pretty brave…'

He laughs- it's strangled, bitter. 'Yeah, trust the one decent fing I ever do in me life to land me in 'ot water- but I can't let 'em get it- I gotta keep it away from 'em, no matter what 'appens ter me…'

'Well why don't you just get rid of it- destroy it?'

'Wot, you don't fink I tried?' he holds it up close to me, to the light, and I can see all sorts of scratches of different thicknesses- clearly done with different implements.

'It's strong stuff- I couldn't break it up.' He turns it round and I see the plastic coating is melted in one corner.

'Set it on fire once. Didn't work.'

I can see what he means. 'Oh.'

'All I can do is hold onto it and hope…pray they ain't gonna find it.'

He tightens his grip on me. 'Hate to admit it, Kel…I'm scared.' He speaks softly, a voice I've never heard him use.

I'm struck with a wave of feelings for him, and move closer, sliding my arms round his neck and laying my head on his shoulder.

'It's ok,' I murmur instinctively, the way I do when the first years have nightmares, 'we'll protect you.'

He rests his head on top of mine and we sit like that for a long time, swathed in uncertainty and a hope that everything will be all right.

ANNABELLE

None of us have seen Kelly all day, and the rumours are spreading through the school so fast, and changing so fast, that I have no idea which to believe. The Posh Totty have been beside themselves with excitement at the fact that Flash apparently spent last night in the school, although Polly is adamant that Kelly wasn't with him. The chavs have added their own version of events to the mix, but as they could sleep through an explosion, and in fact, often keep the rest of us awake with their snoring, we ignore them.

Come five o'clock, Aunty calls a few of us up to her office- Polly and I among them.

'Girlies,' Aunty says as we assemble in front of her desk, 'it won't have taken a genius to notice by now, that Flash is here- and Kelly…hasn't been around…'

It hits me at the same time as the others- the second the words leave her mouth, and I voice my realisation.

'Something's…wrong, isn't it?' Until now the general assumption had been that Kelly had finally given in and mixed business with pleasure- one way or the other- and her absence from classes was from spending time with Flash- and from what Kelly had told me earlier I was quite content to accept this explanation. It hadn't even crossed my mind that…

'Harry…needs to lie low for a little while,' Aunty tells us, 'and girls, you have to understand now, don't over-excite yourselves, but Kelly does hold…feelings for our dear Flash Harry…'

'Like we didn't know,' Taylor scoffs from beside me.

'Well, yes, jolly good, Taylor. So, until this gets sorted out, Kelly might need of a bit of time, and emotional support- she's trying to help him, see, and if she feels the need to leave for a little while, I'd like you eight girls, as prominent influences in the school, to…help her out a bit with her duties, look after the younger girls, and so forth.'

We all nod in understanding- Polly and I, Celia, Andrea, even Taylor is unusually co-operative, the Posh Totty sans their usual exuberance, and at that moment we all know that, whether we're aware of all the facts or not, something important's going on and we have to be there if Kelly needs.

FLASH

The longer we sit here, the more relaxed I feel, but my nerves ain't completely gone. I know, however much I might want to, that I can't just hide in here with Kelly for the rest of my days. Some point I'll have to come out- whether it's for work, 'cause if I lose my connections I'll be out of a job, and I can't live off St Trinian's forever- or for any other reason, and they'll find me.

Me and Kelly, we sit together nearly all day- I don't realised and neither does she until we discover it's five o'clock and we're both starving. Most of the time we're silent, thinking, but every so often Kelly makes suggestions I don't like to hear.

'We could get the geeks to run a few tests on it…' she muses,' you know, to see what sort of materials it's made of, find something that would corrode it or react with it..'

My hand clenches round the USB. It's a bit moronic but I don't wanna let it outta my sight.

'Kel…'

'You want to get rid of it, don't you?'

'They could have…if the know you got it…'

'Flash.' She grabs my face and turns it so she's staring me in the eye. 'You can't just sit her watching it every minute of the day.'

I know she's right, but…

She stares me down- Kelly has some great talent for intimidating people and she's using it on me. 'Flash.' She talks slow, emphasises every word, 'You are overreacting. Give it here.'

What can I do when she's looking at me like that? Kelly's wrath is almost as scary as the Black Jaguar.

Almost, but not quite.

TAYLOR

Kel do turn up at dinner, and every bleeding head turns, the whole room goes silent but I know we all wanna go up and ask her stuff. Even them geeks will wanna- I see Polly trying to stand up. We ain't gonna get a chance to though, 'cause all wot she does is come in, get two plates and take 'em away. Going up to Flash, I'll bet. In fact I do bet, but only with Celia, 'cause no-one else is stupid enough to bet that she ain't.

Still, a tenner's better than nuffin.

I know Miss Fritton says Kel's protecting Flashy from some danger or summat, but I reckon she's seeing him on the side. And so do the other chavs, 'cause we is all smart like that.

I look across the hall and see Andrea, the Corpse Bride, putting her plate away. And that just reminds me of how Kel blackmailed me not to tell about her snogging Flash, or she'd tell the chavs about me being nice to her.

Well, she can't tell anyway now, 'cause the cat's outta the bag 'bout her 'n' Flash.

POLLY

'Polly!' the voice startles me and I turn to see Kelly standing in the doorway, gazing meaningfully at me. Behind her, Flash looks awkward, watching his feet and shifting his weight from side to side. I start, I have no idea how to react.

'I need you and the geeks to run a few tests on this,' she presses something into my hand, 'I want to know what it's made of, what materials could destroy it and if that fails, how to wipe its memory- but under NO CIRCUMSTANCES open the files on there.'

I look down at the object she's given me and examine it- it's a thumb drive, judging by the make, style and serial numbers I'd say about three years old. This definitely has something to do with Flash's presence here, but I don't dare ask- none of us want to cross Kelly even at the best of times, so I nod, my face businesslike, and stand up.

'Can do. We'll take it down to the lab now.'

I gesture to two of my comrades and they move to join me as I fill them in on our assignment.

'See, not hard,' I hear Kelly murmur to Flash as they leave, and I don't miss the wary expression adorning his features, or, I note with a little smile, that the HATCAM is still attached, still unnoticed and ready to record.

KELLY

An hour or so later we join three of the geeks in the science lab. They're hard at work, dressed in white coats and Jane is mixing some sort of solution. Polly holds the USB up to the light, jots something down and turns it over, and I feel Flash flinch as the Black Jaguar logo is exposed, and tighten my grip on his hand.

'Girls?' I ask, 'How're we doing?'

'We've managed to work out the core components,' Daisy says, 'and a list of the elements each one's made up of.'

She offers me the said list, and I skim it but nothing leaps out at me, it's just a mass of periodical-type stuff and makes no sense to me. Flash looks over my shoulder and makes a face.

'What's all that for?'

'It tells us,' Polly explains, sauntering over, 'what sort of metals the outer and inner layers are made of, so we can work out what'll melt or corrode them, or penetrate them- looks like someone's already tried. It's strong stuff- I've never seen anything like it- looks like it's been reinforced at some point. Jane's just looking up the model of USB so we can clear up the ways it runs, how data is added or erased. Optimistically, we should be able to write up a full report for you by tomorrow afternoon.'

'In readable English?' I can't help asking, and Polly looks offended.

'-No, but seriously, thanks,' I add quickly. Flash opens his mouth to protest. 'Tomorrow?'

I glare at him, this insistence on keeping the USB within his sight at all times is getting beyond ridiculous.

'Don't be so paranoid,' I growl under my breath, but ask the geeks anyway if they still need it.

'You should be good to take it- we've done all the physical tests and we've taken plenty of pictures and sketches of it. We can finish up without the USB itself.' She tosses it to me and I neatly catch it.

'Thanks.'

It seems like Flash is about to complain again so I yank him out of the room before he can say anything.

'For goodness sake, what's your problem now?' I snap, shoving the USB into his hand.

'Pictures, Kel? If they ever found out you girls 'ad 'ad it wiv ya…'

I know Flash is worried, but his paranoia is really getting under my skin now, and I ca't stand to be around him when he's being this…stupid. I wish we could hurry up and destroy the damn USB already, I hate this unnatural hold it has over him.

I hold up my hands. 'Flash, I can't take this anymore- you are being over-the-top, you are being ridiculous- go for a walk, clear your head and come and find me when you are thinking RATIONALLY again!'

I turn and walk up the stairs, not looking back because I don't want to see the look of hurt on his face.

FLASH

Kel's words cut right through me- 'coure I'm being bloody over-the-top, I can't help it, if she'd seen the stuff I'd seen…

It does terrible stuff to my heart to have her angry with me, better go do as she says. I dunno what I'd do if she stayed mad. I don't dare go outside though, so instead I just wander aimlessly through the school, ending up in my workshop. I never seen the room without at least a few girls coming in and out, it looks way bigger and less friendly when it's empty. I sit down in my usual chair, shrugging out of my jacket and draping it over the back, and clear aside some empty Trinski bottles and a pack of them tampons what I am NEVER EVER EVER gonna sell.

I think long and hard, trying to fill my head with other memories, to push my fears to the back.

Come on, Harry, gotta come to your senses. For Kelly.

Last time I were in here, we'd been discussing our date- I can picture her clearly, standing in front of me, her hair falling over her face.

Aw, Kelly.

I sigh. I can't stay down here too long, I hate being in her bad books. I'm gonna go find her and grovel.

I stand up and am going for the door when a voice gets my attention.

'Harry.'

A voice I know too well, sens me paralysed with fear but I gotta keep walking, I tell myself, I can't react to my name, 'cause then they'll know for sure it's me/

'Harry, we know it's you.'

How? Why? How did they get in? ! WAKE UP!

I'm desperate enough I pinch my arm, again, harder, but it ain't a dream, it's real, it's NOW.

It ain't fair! I want more time! I wanna gather Kelly in my arms and hold her one more time and tell her I love her and buy one more batch from the twins and argue with the chavs one more time! I don't want this to happen! Not now, not ever.

'You knew we'd find you, Harry. We find everyone.'

'Fink you've got the wrong guy, mate.' Not gonna work but it happens automatic.

They ignore it, anyway.

'Very clever, the way your car mysteriously changes colour and number plates,' a different voice says- there's at least two of 'em behind me, but I don't wanna turn round.

'So, hiding out at a girls' school, eh? Letting a bunch of kids protect you?'

They can't hurt the girls. They can't. I've gotta try one more time.

'No, really, I fink yeh've got the wrong…'

The unmistakeable click of a trigger being pulled stops me mid-sentence.

'The boss will be very interested to see you,' the same bloke goes on.

The USB, in my pocket, seems to burn against my leg as I remember it. 'I an't goin' anywh-'

'Unless, of course, you'd rather we took one of your little girlfriends?' That stops me dead in my tracks. I turn around and face the two guys. The one holding the gun flicks it in a come-hither gesture. I swallow, and my heart takes off, 'cause I gotta do summat, and quick.

I reach out with my left hand, and try to make it look like an accident as I push the empty Trinski bottle off the table. The smashing noise distracts 'em just long enough that I fish the USB out and drop it to the floor. Just in time- one of 'em grabs my arm and they're massive, hulking blokes, mo point in fighting.

'Come along, Harry.'

I take a shaky step under their escort, and another one and another one, each one a bit further from the USB.

'Hurry it up!' the gun's waved in my face, and I quicken my step. My stomach takes a lurch, telling my brain: you're gonna die, you know, but I can't think of that message at this point, 'cause I got just one thought.

Oh, God, don't let them get the USB. Kelly's gotta find it. She has to.

Please.

I warn ye now, this story is about to get rather dark- in fact I may have to change the rating- I'll need your opinion on that in the forthcoming chapters. I probably won't be able to update for a while, I have exams coming up, but I've nearly finished writing chapter 5.

I know this one was long- 12 pages in Word, to be exact- but the pace kept picking up and I had to explain a fair few things.

Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter!