Once again, Lukas took the lead. They followed him along the corridor. Max had a good sense of direction. He knew they were heading south, and his memory of the school plan was clear. As they passed the classrooms and alcoves, he realised that the kitchen was up ahead and the toilet block was at the end of the corridor on their left. Their feet echoed as they hurried in that direction. Anxiety rose in Max’s gut like bile. It went against every instinct to head towards danger rather than away from it. But right now, that was their job.

They reached the door to the toilet block. It had stick drawings of both a boy and a girl on it. Lukas pushed it very slightly to check it was unlocked.

The door remained firmly shut. It was locked.

The recruits stared dumbly at it. What now?

Jack pointed to the end of the corridor. There was a door marked ‘Kitchen: Staff Only’. They knew from the school plans that the kitchen led directly into the dining hall where the hostages were being held. Lukas and Jack looked at each other, as if silently conferring without any input from the others.

‘I don’t think we should go in via the kitchen,’ Abby said. ‘There could be guards in there.’

Hector’s voice came over the comms.

– Cadet Force, what’s your status?

‘The toilet block is locked,’ Jack said.

– Wait.

There was a short pause. The cadets stood silently, unsure what to do. Then Hector’s voice came over the comms again.

– The caretaker must have forgotten to unlock the toilet door. You’re going to have to access Block Green through the kitchen. Enter the kitchen one by one. When you’re all in there, we’ll create a distraction in the south-east corner of the school. Move, now.

The recruits looked at Lukas. He didn’t seem so keen to be the first one in any more. ‘I’ll do it,’ Max offered. But that seemed to change Lukas’s mind. He shook his head and led them all to the kitchen entrance. Cautiously he opened the door and peered inside. Max couldn’t see through the gap in the door, but he caught a faint whiff of yesterday’s lunch. He felt a bizarre pang of hunger as he realised he hadn’t eaten since the previous night.

Lukas entered the kitchen. The other recruits heard him say, ‘It’s clear.’ Then, one by one, they slipped in after him: Abby, Sami, Jack. Max was preparing to head in after them when his heart almost stopped.

– What are you doing in here? Who are you?