Part 11 (1/2)

As the doors swished open on the ground floor she flew out. Alarms were sounding somewhere, security men were scurrying forward but for the moment confusion reigned. She sprinted across the tiles and out of the gla.s.s doors, over the pavement, jigging back and forth between taxis, pedestrians, a patient transport vehicle. She flung her head back and forth, with no idea of how to get out of the hospital grounds she simply ran along the roadway. There would be no time, no second chance, she had committed herself. Now they knew she had something more to hide than being forced to protect herself from a crazed gunman. That she had left Samuel struggling against the odds in the Intensive Care Unit would speak volumes to them and from now they would treat her as any other fugitive criminal. She had entered the world of her father, but on a totally different level and from a different place. As she ran she let the tears flow freely down her face, all she could do now was run as far and as fast as she could. Away, just away.

Chapter 42.

Through the big stone gateposts and out onto the main road. Traffic was building as the morning headed towards rush hour. She turned right simply because she turned right, the city was an unknown landscape and the streets a maze of shops, offices and terraced houses. She ran upwards, it was a gentle incline but an animal instinct told her to run from the dead end that was the river and so it was. She skirted round the protestant cathedral, the majesty of it lost on her. There was building work everywhere, the old city being ripped apart to make way for hope and endeavour. Her track suit and trainers rendered her invisible; a city where girls ran to the shops in their pyjamas and a huge percentage of the population spent their day in casual clothes ignored a scrawny girl in sports gear.

Her heart hammered and each breath tore at her throat on and on, taking corners on a whim, turning and backtracking like the hunted creature she was, she tried to confuse the trail. Then there came a time when she couldn't run anymore. She was done, had no idea where she was or what to do next. She leaned against a grimy brick wall, bent forward and rested her hands on her thighs. Panic threatened again and she pushed it away. After a minute or so the st.i.tch in her side eased and she raised her head. All around her cars and pedestrians forged into their days, young mothers pushed buggies and dragged at reluctant toddlers, old women hobbled about with wheeled shopping bags and now and again a little invalid scooter would threaten her toes. It was too much, she had to find some peace, somewhere there had to be a place where she could curl into a ball and hide from this dreadful new reality.

She had no money, not a penny. The cheap grey tracksuit and a pair of paper knickers. That was what her life had been reduced to. She couldn't have Samuel, didn't have a family and had left her friends. What was the point of it all? She was overwhelmed with despair. For a while her brain refused to function usefully, how could this have happened, what was she going to do, what on earth was she going to do?

There was a small park up ahead, a little playground and a patch of gra.s.s, some benches. She made her way through the entryway and flopped onto the first bench. Birds sang and she was aware of the chattering and laughing of children, a couple of dogs barked. She heard it from a distance, removed and unreal, thoughts swirled unformed in her brain and her hands began to shake. She couldn't breathe now, gasping she leaned forward.

”You awright?”

She shook her head, go away, leave me alone, please don't make me try to speak.

”Are you sick?”

Again she shook her head.

”Stoned, drunk, what?”

She raised her face. A tall, skinny girl stood in front of her; there was interest on her face and slight concern.

”Only if you're stoned you shouldn't stay here, the bizzies come through here.”

At the mention of police Sylvie's head jerked up, she shot a look right and left.

”It's okay, don't panic, there's none now.”

”I'm not stoned or drunk. I'm really tired that's all, I'm just really, really tired.”

”Are you on the game?”

”What? No, no. I just, oh well I'm lost really and my friend is in the hospital and I don't have any money and...”

She couldn't carry on, the d.a.m.ned tears started again, stole her voice and left her helpless and hopeless sobbing on the park bench with the skinny girl watching, her head tipped to one side. After a moment or two she sat down and took hold of Sylvie's hand, it was a simple, honest gesture and as Sylvie leaned towards her the stranger wrapped her arms around the heaving shoulders and patted her gently crooning quietly.

”Aw now, come on now, it's okay, really it's okay. Come on now.”

”G.o.d I'm sorry, I'm really sorry.”

Sylvie pushed away making a small s.p.a.ce between herself and the stranger who now dropped her hands into her lap and was simply smiling , turned on the bench so she could look at this bedraggled and forlorn young woman.

”D'ya feel better. A good cry's the best thing, gets it all out.”

Sylvie nodded, no she didn't feel better, didn't believe there would ever be a 'better' but this person was so very kind she didn't want to cause offence.

”Tell ya what, I was goin' to the caf', get a cuppa, come on, I'll sub ya.”

”No, no, it's fine. I couldn't I'm sorry I don't know what came over me.”

”Where're ya from?”

”Well, down near London, but I've lived in a lot of places.”

”Yeah, I could tell ya weren't from round 'ere. Posh you are.”

”Posh, me, no, no I'm not.”

”Well you sound posh to me. Anyway, ya comin'? Ya might as well.”

She stood and dragged a short jacket tightly around thin shoulders, again that patient, slightly quizzical look and then she turned from the bench and took a couple of steps, looked back and jerked her head, an unspoken invitation. Sylvie stood up and matched her pace to the other girl's and they headed out of the park and back into the hurly burly of the main road.

Chapter 43.

Steam clouded the windows of the little cafe where the air was warm with the smell of breakfast. The lanky girl stalked up to the counter.

”Two teas and two egg on toast Phil.”

The sound of the familiar name swept through Sylvie like a cold wave, she began to s.h.i.+ver. For a while it seemed she may faint and so she caught her lower lip tight between her teeth, she tasted metal and the small pain brought tears to her eyes but beat back the encroaching darkness.

”There ya go, food'll be ready in a bit, they'll give us a shout.”

”I don't have any money, I can't pay you back.”

”No, I guessed. Don't worry, I got my Giro yesterday.”

The mug was heavy, thick and white and the tea was strong. The girl across the table trickled a couple of paper sachets of sugar into the liquid and stirred it round with a wooden stick.

”So, I'm Lennie.”

She stretched out a thin hand. A tattoo of a snake coiled round the bony wrist and disappeared into the beige cotton sleeve of the thin jacket.

”Sylvie, thanks Lennie, I really mean it, thanks.”

Tears started to her eyes again and as she brushed them away with the back of her hand. Sylvie shot an embarra.s.sed grin across the Formica towards her new friend.

”I'm sorry about all this, I've got stuff going on and to be honest I don't know what I'm going to do about it all. My boyfriend's in the hospital, he, well he got hurt, it's really bad and I feel rotten about leaving him but I didn't have any choice.”