Chapter 6
I wanted to make our journey easier by crushing the roots and trip hazards into the ground but I had my hands full with two children clinging to me. Sam was taking the most; One on each arm and another on his back. The children weren't small; none of them were younger than around eleven. They weighed next to nothing though, and that was the scariest part. I don't know what Caine was thinking not feeding them. I found a squashed breakfast bar in my pocket and had to split it into 13 pieces and still some went without. It made me sick. Caine is desperate, devious, power craving but he isn't, he isn't this. I don't need two guesses to know who is behind these poor famished kids.
Drake is such a sick psychopath. The fact that he is 14 with this sort of evil motives astonishes and revolts me every day. But with every step that a lug these poor lost souls I can't help but think we are one and the same. I knew they were planning this but I was too late; far too late. And it was my fault that these kids have suffered. I can see the others thinking it, Quinn tries to hide it but the others stare at me with steely eyes.
An hour goes by, and then another, and another and still no one has said a word. We swap the kids, motivate them, beg them, threaten them until we can hear the slow rumble of a land rover. We all sigh with relief, and the kids flop beside us and wait. As it gets closer, I see that something's wrong. Sam starts to get to his feet and pulls up the kids too. They all stare questioningly, me included. "It's not our van" he hisses, and then I see too. Not he dirty white, a shiny black. Brighter lights, cleaner windscreen. "Caine!" I whisper back as we start down the hill again. We make tantalisingly slow progress and we all know that the van will be on top of us in minutes.
I start to lead the group into the wilderness, and we crouch behind a large shrub. I hear the van slow to a stop and footsteps resound in the tense silence. We can all hear him getting gradually closer. I try to get to my feet but Quinn grabs my hand. "Don't you dare Elvie!" He whispers "I'm sure he'll just turn around and drive off now" We both know that's not true but I squeeze his hand and whisper back "You know I can't let anything happen to these kids. Let's make a date for when we get out of this hell hole" He nods in a meek response and I get to my feet to face Caine.
He stands, dark brown hair stuck up in strange angles, his eyes squeezed into a permanent glare. I look inside the van but it's empty. "Drake" I breathe, stepping back onto the track. He takes out a long piece of gaffa tape and grins. A disgusting, twisted smile.