Let me in, I signed to him. But don’t let anyone know I’m here.

The boy frowned at me before he disappeared again, and I wondered if he was going to trust me, but a moment later the door clicked and swung open.

Thanks, I signed, giving Kian a brief smile, then realising Bradley was standing behind him.

What’s going on? Miss Marcek told us to stay in our rooms and not come out for anything. She said it wasn’t safe. The older boy gave me a suspicious stare as he signed.

Where is she? I asked, my heart racing, trying to keep the urgency from showing in my expression. Bradley’s eyes narrowed.

Why? What’s happened?

Leon’s safe, I told him, hoping to distract him with this information. But I need to know, where is Liz Marcek?

She went to talk to Cassie, he said, nodding in the direction of the girls’ corridor.

Is she still there?

He shrugged. I don’t know. Why?

Bradley, you have to trust me, I told him, looking him in the eye. The police are coming, and DS Singh is on his way over. You need to look after Kian, and go and find some other adults to stay with and make sure you’re safe. Is Sasha here?

He shook his head, panic now visible in his eyes. Miss Marcek sent her away, said she’d be here to keep an eye on us. Oh shit. It’s her, isn’t it? Oh shit.

I heard a noise from the end of the girls’ corridor; Cassie’s room. Swallowing hard, I grabbed Bradley’s arm and steered him towards the door.

Go, take Kian and go.

What about Courtney?

I’ll try her door on the way past and send her after you, I promised, steering him towards the door.

For a moment Bradley looked torn between his brother and his girlfriend, but then he made up his mind and ushered Kian out of the building. Left alone in the hallway, I peered through to the communal area. It was empty. I didn’t have anything on me that I could use to defend myself, so I ducked into the kitchen. Taking a bread knife from the side, I made my way up the girls’ corridor.

I couldn’t risk knocking on Courtney’s door in case the vibrations carried through to Cassie’s room, so I opened the door as gently as I could. The girl was sitting on her bed, watching something on YouTube, and she jumped when I caught her attention. Thankfully, she didn’t question me when I told her to find the others, but slipped outside to join Bradley and Kian.