Chapters (96)

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96

‘There was a bit left in the tank when I found it, enough to get it here with some left over. Since then I been collecting it from other cars when I can, but she’s a big old tank really; she uses a bare lot of gas.’

‘How far will it get us, do you think?’

‘I don’t know. See that?’ Robbie pointed to an illuminated display. ‘Forty-five miles till tank empty. That’s what the computer says.’

‘Forty-five miles? Forty-five miles, Robbie? That’s further than Blue went, further than Heathrow. That’s out of London. That’s the countryside. That’s all we need.’

Robbie looked unsure. Turned off the engine. Sat there in silence.

‘Don’t you believe it?’ Maeve asked. ‘Do you think the computer’s broken or something?’

‘No. But it’ll change when we start actually driving. I used to watch it on my dad’s car. It changed all the time, depending on how fast you were going. Or if you were going uphill.’

‘But still, Robbie, even if it’s only forty miles …’

Robbie brightened up, smiled at Maeve.

‘I figure if we keep going slowly to save petrol we’ll get far enough to find some other kids, and take it from there. Yeah?’

Maeve giggled and leant across to kiss Robbie. He blushed.

‘You’re the genius,’ she said. ‘You fixed it. Why didn’t you say anything about this before?’

‘Oh, you know, I kept it quiet. My little secret. Only a couple of my mates know about it, like Boggle. Didn’t want Justin finding out, thinking he needed to keep it for himself. It wouldn’t have been mine no more. He would have sent Einstein’s lot off in it. And they’d have ruined it like they ruined everything else. I always knew that one day – you know, like today – the time would come. So, we on then?’

Maeve’s mind was a blur, thoughts racing and falling over each other. This changed everything. ‘We’ll have to get ready,’ she said. ‘Pack what we need. Food, water, weapons …’

She stopped, overwhelmed by the reality of it all. She was going to get away. For the first time in a long while she was actually looking forward to the future.

She started to cry and Robbie put an arm round her.

This was their bus to freedom …

Chapter 88