Golden Girl edged past the second horse, and was biting at the tail of the front runner. The Ascot rider, another girl, probably couldn’t believe her luck. Her mouth was open wide and she looked half terrified, half elated. Golden Girl edged forward, forward, forward … but just couldn’t quite make it – and Ascot were first over the line.

The Ascot kids went mental, half of them running on to the track and crowding round their winner. Golden Girl looked deeply pissed off. She was complaining to anyone who would listen and nudging her horse over to where Arno Fletcher was standing with the King. When she got there, she started a massive row, other kids joining in as a party from Windsor went over to argue their case.

Ed glanced up the track. Two of the Ascot guards were beating the sicko’s lifeless body with clubs. The boy on horseback with the shaved head who had ridden in with the King, and who Ed thought of as the king’s bodyguard, was sitting there, watching them expressionlessly, like a supervisor. Nobody else was paying them any attention.

The bodyguard turned round and clocked the commotion by the King and he galloped back. As soon as he got there, everyone backed off and stopped arguing. They were evidently scared of him. He was still blank-faced, though, and not looking directly at anyone. His presence there was enough by the look of it. Now Arno was able to get everyone quietened down and raised his staff to get the attention of the kids in the grandstand.

‘The King has made a ruling. Ain’t that right, Your Royal Bigness?’

The King wailed, nodding his head.

‘The result stands. Ascot win. Zombies on the track is a natural hazard. And what the King says goes. Now get back to your seats and prepare thyselves for the next event, loyal subjects and honoured guests and tossers! For now we present, in all its gory glory alleluia – the King’s Road!’

Ed looked at Kyle and they nodded to each other and stood up.

It was time to go to work.

Chapter 56

56

Ed and Kyle walked down the aisle towards the track with Sophie and a tall, well-built kid called Sean, who seemed to be the closest thing the Ascot camp had to a champion. They weren’t used to winning anything, but Ed and Kyle were hoping to change that.

Ed knew a little about the King’s Road event; it was a variation on British Bulldog. Sean ran through the finer points as they made their way to their start position – a section of track marked out by two ropes on the ground.