Everyone except Sam.

Ryan had parked the car outside the museum gates and Ed, Kyle, Macca and Will had spent the last hour or so getting it ready. Packing supplies into the back and strapping their weapons and any larger items to the roof rack. They’d put in as much food as Justin would allow them, plus spare clothes, water, sleeping bags and a decent first-aid kit. They were just about ready to leave now. Ed was delaying setting off, though. Hoping against hope that someone else would volunteer to come with them.

He looked up towards the main doors of the museum. A small crowd of curious museum kids had gathered there to watch. Ed couldn’t really blame them for not helping. This wasn’t anything to do with them, and anyway he’d heard that Justin had told them all not to go. He needed his fighters here.

But the Holloway kids: Ella was one of them. Sam was one of them. Hell, none of Ed’s crew even knew what Ella looked like.

He was just about to turn away when he saw movement. A small delegation was coming down to speak to him.

Was it going to be good news or bad news?

A step forward or a step back?

Chapter 31

31

Ed recognized the red-haired boy, Ollie, but the other three he hadn’t got to know yet. There was a round-faced black kid; a dozy-looking guy with an Afro, who was wearing what looked like bits of samurai armour and carrying a katana; and a younger, pale-faced girl, who had a haunted look about her. When they arrived, she stared at Ed with scared, black-rimmed eyes, her lips pressed tight together. He noticed she was carrying a big leather-bound book under her arm and was keeping close to Ollie, who put a protective arm across her shoulders.

‘What’s up?’ Ed asked, trying not to sound aggressive. ‘You come to wave me off or join up?’

‘I would come with you,’ said Ollie. ‘But I’ve promised to look after Lettis.’

He gave the pale-faced girl a squeeze. Ed realized who she was now. He’d heard about how she’d been left abandoned in a church and all her friends had been killed. Ollie had saved her and now it looked like she wouldn’t leave his side.

‘No way she’s ever going back out there,’ said Ollie. ‘Not after what she’s been through. But Ebenezer here, he’s good. He wants to come.’

‘I don’t like it here,’ said Ebenezer, the round-faced kid. He had a strong African accent. ‘Too many dead things in glass boxes. And those Twisted Kids. I don’t like them being here. They are not right. They are not in God’s image. They are not right.’