The voice in Max’s earpiece was harsh and foreign. Max shrank back from the kitchen door. He looked around. His eyes fell on the alcove next to the nearest classroom. It was a mess of bags and coats. He ran towards it, squeezed himself into the corner and covered himself with coats. As he hid, he could hear events unfolding in the kitchen over his comms.

– I said, what are you doing in here?

It was Abby who spoke next. She sounded terrified.

– We were trying to escape. We sneaked into the kitchen when you weren’t looking.

It was a good call, Max thought. Make the terrorists think that they were trying to break out, not break in. With so many children inside the hall, they surely wouldn’t be able to recognise them all.

– How many others?

– None.

That was Sami’s voice.

It’s just us.

– Stupid children.

Max heard the door open. He held his breath and kept very still. His skin prickled. He could tell the owner of the voice was looking out into the corridor.

Ten seconds passed.

Twenty.

He heard the door close and exhaled very slowly. Then he heard the foreign voice again.

– Get back in there with the others, or I’ll shoot you here!

There was a scuffling sound over the comms. Max pictured his four companions being bundled into the dining room. Even now he didn’t move. His brain was all over the place. What should he do? Run away? Go after them? Could he really risk trying to enter from the kitchen now?

He spoke quietly. ‘It’s Max. The others have been captured.’

Hector’s voice was tense.

– Where are you?

‘Hiding in the corridor.’

– Stay there for now. The rest of you, listen up. I know you can’t reply at the moment, but I want you all to keep an eye on the door to the kitchen. If any of you see that it’s not being watched, cough three times. Max, when you hear that signal, move into the kitchen. When you’re in position, let us know. Wait until you hear another three coughs, then enter Block Green. Is that understood?

‘Weren’t you going to create a distraction?’

– This is better, now we have people on the inside.

‘If you say so.’ It hardly sounded foolproof to Max.

– Then stand by. And Max?

‘Yeah?’

– This is not a time for errors.

Thanks for the warning, Max thought, but he didn’t say it.