BooksBarbecue
Back Grow
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Title Page
  5. Intoroduction
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EITHT
  14. NINE
  15. TEN
  16. ELEVEN
  17. TWELVE
  18. THIRTEEN
  19. FOURTEEN
  20. FIFTEEN
  21. SIXTEEN
  22. SEVENTEEN
  23. EIGHTEEN
  24. NINETEEN
  25. TWENTY
  26. TWENTY-ONE
  27. TWENTY-TWO
  28. TWENTY-THREE
  29. TWENTY-FOUR
  30. TWENTY-FIVE
  31. TWENTY-SIX
  32. TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. TWENTY-NINE
  35. THIRTY
  36. THIRTY-ONE
  37. THIRTY-TWO
  38. THIRTY-THREE
  39. THIRTY-FOUR
  40. THIRTY-FIVE
  41. THIRTY-SIX
  42. THIRTY-SEVEN
  43. THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. THIRTY-NINE
  45. FORTY
  46. FORTY-ONE
  47. FORTY-TWO
  48. FORTY-THREE
  49. FORTY-FOUR
  50. FORTY-FIVE
  51. FORTY-SIX
  52. FORTY-SEVEN
  53. FORTY-EIGHT
  54. FORTY-NINE
  55. FIFTY
  56. FIFTY-ONE
  57. FIFTY-TWO
  58. FIFTY-THREE
  59. FIFTY-FOUR
  60. FIFTY-FIVE
  61. FIFTY-SIX
  62. FIFTY-SEVEN
  63. FIFTY-EIGHT
  64. FIFTY-NINE
  65. SIXTY
  66. SIXTY-ONE
  67. SIXTY-TWO
  68. SIXTY-THREE
  69. SIXTY-FOUR
  70. SIXTY-FIVE
  71. SIXTY-SIX
  72. SIXTY-SEVEN
  73. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  74. CLIMATE EMERGENCY
  75. Copyright

From down the street, we see Carl’s car parked outside Dana’s. We edge closer and soon make out the shape of a body in the driver’s seat. It’s Alan. Asleep.

‘This way.’ Dana pulls me down a side alley that leads behind the row of terraced houses.

At her back gate, I help her onto the top of a wheely bin and she peers carefully above the wall.

‘I can’t see anyone. There’s no lights on either. There’s a security light on the back wall, but it only comes on if the kitchen light’s on.’ She whispers.

As delicately as I can, I lift the latch on the back gate and ease it open. There’s a creak and a groan from the rusting hinges, and we slip through into the garden.

About twenty yards from the back door, a yellowish glow starts flickering through the kitchen window like an eyelid fluttering. Half a second later, the whole garden fills with a flood of dazzling white light. There’s slight movement inside, and in a second, beneath the glare, the back door opens. Vince stands there, looking like he’s just woken up, bare toes poking through holes in his socks. It doesn’t take him long to regain his senses though.

‘Carl! It’s them!’

Vince is after us as we spin round and sprint for the gate and back into the alleyway. I’m following Dana, who pulls the half-full bin sideways as she passes. I just slip through as it tumbles, but there’s a huge crash as Vince collides with it. It barely seems to break his stride and he’s just a few feet behind us when he stops, suddenly, swearing. I chance the quickest look back and see him hopping on one bare foot, pulling something out of the bottom of the other.

Back on the road, neither of us turn when we hear the shouts, or the engine start up, or the squeal of tyres on tarmac. Dana darts across the road, running wildly, me following, and we sprint down another alleyway which links one street to the next. It has bollards at both ends. A screech of brakes, then the engine guns again as Carl seeks another way around.

When she hears this, Dana pulls up. I run into the back of her and we fall. I manage to get an arm around Dana as we go down, roll her on top of me so I land first. I hit the pavement hard.

‘Other way, now,’ Dana gasps. ‘Back past my house. There’s a path to the main road. Quick, before he works it out.’ Of course, she knows exactly what she’s doing. And I thought I was rescuing her.