Hello dearest readers. Thanks to my very enthusiastic reviewers. I urge you to check out my other stories while you wait between chapters, as it will almost certainly be a long wait...
"Stop!" Tory shrieked. Ben swerved through two lanes of traffic, nearly killed several pedestrians and screeched to a halt on the side of the road.
"What?!" Ella demanded, eyes darting around frantically, searching for the source of the commotion.
"The black car," Tory whispered. "Chance is following us."
Ben swivelled around, scanning the streets. The car in question zoomed past, then turned into a side street just ahead.
"What?" Ella demanded again. "What does Chance have to do with any of this?"
"Long story," Ben informed her briefly, "but it's not good."
Tory handed Ben's phone back to him, tensing in determination. "I just called Aunt Tempe. She says she can't be sure, but she would identify the element on the knife that Hi touched was hydrazine, which is bad. But Hi's already gone to hospital, so we should focus on this now. We have to find out what Chance knows."
"But why?" Ella persisted. "I mean, come on. We're going to have to speak to the police sooner or later, he's going to know everything soon anyway."
Ben grunted. "That's not what we're worried about."
"Maybe we should just take Ella home," Tory suggested, drumming her fingers nervously against the window. Ben agreed and they pulled back out into the flow of traffic, staying away from Chance's stolen car.
Ben pulled up outside Tory's house, leaning out the window to grant her a final few comments. "Tory," he told her seriously, "be careful, okay? You never know what creeps are hanging around in the middle of nowhere these days." He gave her a slightly rueful half-smile and reversed away from her driveway.
Tory clattered up the steps, keeping her expression neutral for the sake of Kit and Whitney, should they happen to be around. Kit was working on some papers in the lounge room, barely looking up when Tory entered. Whitney was flipping through a fashion magazine as she casually stirred a pot over the stove.
Tory slipped past the adults and headed for the stairs.
In her room, she fired off a quick text to Shelton. U ok? Think Chance followed us home... lost him near Ellas place. What to do?!1?!
He almost immediately texted back. hi going for cosmetic surgry. Or smthing. he says hospital has abomnable lack of donuts. r u sure it was C?
Was his car, Tory responded, but tendrils of doubt began to creep into her mind. Sure it was an expensive car, but it was impossible that other cars didn't look exactly like it sometimes. Plus, if it had been Chance, he might not have been following them.
Shelton's only reply was G2G cya.
Tory switched her phone off, crashing on her bed. It had been a long day and she was tired, but unable to fall asleep. Her mind returned to the issue of Hawfield. Should they call the police? They couldn't just leave him there. But to tell the police would mean more attention, which was not what they wanted. Tory rubbed her eyes with a sigh. Life used to be so simple.
She couldn't make a decision without the boys, but she could decide on her own input to their impending discussion. That meant she had to settle on a decision.
After about two hours and a lot of lemonade, Tory settled her decision. Finally.
They would go to the police, and make everything look like an accident. Her cover story went something like this.
The day before Ella's abduction, she had taken a sudden interest in Drayton Hall - Ella could cover that for herself. Following the kidnapping, Tory had been frantic for her friend, and she vaguely recalled the mention of Drayton Hall, so had taken the boys to look around. They'd heard screaming/ whatever, and had gone to no phone coverage, they'd - stupidly - taken on Hawfield himself, 'persuading' him to change places with Ella and had gone straight to the police. She supposed they'd tell the truth about Lucy and Peter, who were possibly also chargeable.
It wasn't much, but there was nothing else. Yet.
Tory dialled Ben's number.
That's enough for now. I'll continue - later. I don't own Virals.