The Beacon Estate was quiet, with many people presumably still making their way home from the disastrous march. Poor Sharon, this was a terrible outcome for her. Kelly had been surprised when she’d answered her phone. She was ripping and raging, and still the immovable force that the estate had come to love. She told Kelly that it wasn’t the police who were to blame for things getting out of hand, but thugs looking for trouble who’d turned something quite beautiful into murderous panic. Only then had the police turned violent, as captured by so many people on their phones. She didn’t know what had happened to Thomas and Millie.

The darkening sky enveloped them. It was only four o’clock in the afternoon, but already night had settled in.

The warehouse was situated in wasteland adjacent to the estate, and they had to drive the long way around due to the barricades at the centre. The radio crackled intermittently as Kelly finalised details with the tactical and armed response commanders. Jackson and Tyrone were silent in the back, still reeling from the coolest thing they’d experienced in a long time: a ride in a police car with blue flashing lights, clocking ninety in the lanes, and they weren’t even under arrest. They sat transfixed, listening to the exchanges and checks between vehicles.

They’d been warned to stay inside the vehicle at all times and not do anything stupid.

Chapter 50

Johnny sat in the Penrith and Lakes Hospital, holding his daughter’s hand. In the panic, he’d dropped his phone, or it had been knocked out of his grasp. He didn’t know which. He blamed himself. He hadn’t seen it coming. Nobody had.

As they’d followed the protesters out of Potton Park, the mood had been light and cheerful. Musicians played and the crowds walked happily, waving at the cameras and taking their own video clips to post online. Some walked more quickly than others, and Johnny found his small group quite close to the front as they neared police HQ. A squeeze concertinaed the crowd and he thought they’d be crushed. He warned Ted, who grabbed Josie, who held on to Callum. But they were split up.

Johnny, Josie and Callum desperately called for Ted, who they last saw going in the wrong direction. Johnny knew they were in trouble when the first missile was thrown. They watched Sharon climb onto the car and witnessed her being attacked and falling off. Johnny ushered Callum and Josie to a gateway leading to a field and shouted for people to follow him.

Satisfied that the two youngsters were safe, he told them not to move and went to find Ted.