We were almost there. If we could just get outside …

‘Damn!’ he muttered, rattling the key in the lock. ‘It’s sticking. Probably rusted.’

My heart sank.

He pulled the key out and crouched down to look through the keyhole, rattling the door loudly as he went.

Too much noise. We were making too much noise. I felt my fear grow stronger, my legs tremble.

Shoving the key back in the lock, he jiggled it and fought with it, swearing loudly.

‘Hurry, please!’ I said as he rammed at the door with his shoulder, trying to force it open.

A noise from my left-hand side distracted me. I spun around, pointing the torch to the opposite end of the corridor, and saw my captor bearing down on us, his eyes wild with fury.

Twenty feet away.

Fifteen.

Ten.

Then a tug at my arm as I was pulled through the now open door, onto the stone steps outside. The security man followed, pushing the door closed as quickly as he could, putting the full weight of his body against it to hold it shut while he turned the key in the lock from the other side.

I could hear Aaron scream and curse, smash his fists against the door, but he couldn’t get out. Not now. Not from that door, anyway.

But I knew he had his own way in and out, and it wouldn’t take him long to reach it.

‘This way,’ I shouted to the security man as he spoke quickly into his radio.

He followed me down the stone steps and we turned to run up towards the front entrance of the school grounds, where we’d be easily seen by passing traffic.

A white security van was sitting by the entrance and a woman in the same uniform as the man who’d found me jumped out, pulling off her jacket as she ran towards me, wrapping it round me when I reached her.

‘He’s still here,’ I called. ‘He’ll get us.’

‘Help is coming,’ she shouted.

And I could hear the thrum of the helicopter blades overhead again and the distant wail of sirens. My legs finally buckled and the two security staff led me to their van, just as the first police car turned into the grounds.

Chapter Fifty-Four

Elizabeth

The ward was quiet when I woke. Cliona had left and Constable King had gone for a break. She’d assured me she’d be back with any news. I’d managed to drift off for maybe half an hour, but although I was exhausted to my very core, I was too filled with adrenaline to sleep any longer.