‘Left!’ shouted Albert as they came up to another opening, and they ran through. Their pursuers were even closer now, he could hear them shouting behind them. He looked at the wall on the left, trying to spot the next opening. It came soon enough, and they dashed past. Albert tripped, and almost fell as his foot hit a group of loose rocks and he stooped, hand on the ground to keep his balance. He felt a large stone under his hand and picked it up as he continued running, his eyes never leaving the wall as they searched for the next opening. And then he saw it, and they dashed through, into a long, low cavern.

‘Hey!’ said Theo. ‘Wait a—’

‘Keep moving!’ shouted Albert. ‘There!’

He pointed to the right, to a gap in the rock there. They ran through, into a long corridor.

June was shouting at him, in his ear.

‘Now where?’

‘I don’t know!’ he yelled back. ‘I couldn’t—’

‘I know!’ screamed Theo. ‘Ahead! On the right!’

They ran forward, and went the way she indicated, their attackers gaining on them.

‘Ahead!’ she shrieked. ‘Up ahead! There’ll be a left!’

Albert could see it, a yawning gap in the earthen wall, almost like a doorway. As they reached it, another man jumped out of the shadows in front to block them, a long steel rod in his hands, which he swung at them, forcing them to skid to a halt in front of him.

As they stood there, panting, they heard the sound of feet thumping behind them, sliding against the mud floor. Albert turned, and saw two more men. One was the pug-nosed, squeaky-voiced guy, the other a scrawny, emaciated weasel of a man. They both brandished knives. They grinned at Albert, as if relishing the moment.

‘Wait! Wait!’ cried Squeaky, his flat nose waggling and eyes glinting. His voice seemed even higher-pitched than it had earlier, but maybe that was due to the exercise.

‘’Member, Cillian said it’s extra for the girl alive!’

The man with the steel rod shifted uneasily. ‘There’s two girls ’ere. Which one?’

‘How’s the hell I know? Take ’em both!’

Albert turned back to the man with the rod as he stepped forward, throwing the stone in his hand as hard as he could at the man’s face. It hit him flush and he dropped to his knees, screaming, cradling his smashed nose as the blood pooled down near his knees. He heard shouts from behind as Squeaky and his friend started towards them.

‘Run!’ shouted Albert, pushing June and Theo towards the opening. ‘Run!’