Ella led them to the gate, carefully avoiding catching Scarface’s eye. He hung back, letting them get ahead, and she heard him making some noise behind them. She knew he’d be pulling the dog off the spikes and resetting the trap.

‘You must never try to open the gate,’ she said when they got to it. ‘Always climb over. And don’t go in the bushes. There are traps everywhere.’

Once safely inside the farmyard the kids stood around awkwardly, taking it all in, unsure of themselves, trying to act tough. Obviously scared. They were older than her, the boy with spots being maybe fifteen. He introduced himself as Daniel, the quiet boy was Isaac and the other girl, who looked like Sonya’s sister, was called Louisa.

‘So what you got here?’ said Harry. ‘We gonna be safe?’

‘You got food?’ asked Sonya.

‘Oh yes,’ said Ella. ‘Lots …’ She stopped herself. ‘Well, not lots, some.’

Stupid. She’d wanted to show off. What if the kids were lying, though? What if they’d only really come here to steal stuff? What if they found out about the barn full of chickens? They might come back with friends, with their own army. She wished Scarface would finish what he was doing and come back. She didn’t feel like she could deal with this by herself.

‘He got weapons?’ Harry went on.

‘Oh yes,’ said Ella, the words coming out in a rush. ‘Loads. He’s really good at hunting, he hunts grown-ups and he kills them, he’s very good at killing, every day he kills people …’ People like you, she wanted to add as a warning, but thought that might be going too far.

‘Do you live here then?’ asked Louisa. ‘With Ghostface?’

‘Duh,’ said Harry. ‘What do you think, Louisa? Oh, I forgot, you don’t ever think, do you?’

Louisa blushed and looked at her shoes.

‘I didn’t always live here,’ said Ella, coming to Louisa’s rescue. ‘I do now. Scarface saved me.’

‘Scarface?’ said Daniel. ‘Him? The Predator?’

Harry let out a burst of nasty laughter. ‘You can talk, Daniel,’ he said. ‘Are those your spots, or are you looking after them for a grown-up?’

Daniel swore at Harry, who just laughed again.

‘You are such an arsehat, Harry,’ said Isaac and Harry copied him.

‘You are such an arsehat. At least I’m not an arseface like your friend,’ he added, looking at Ella. ‘He’s ugly as the Elephant Man.’

‘He got kicked by an ugly bastard wearing ugly boots,’ said Daniel.

‘Whacked by the ugly bat.’

‘He won Britain’s ugliest man competition.’

‘Britain’s Got Ugly Talent.’

Sonya joined in with them. ‘Ugly Come Dancing.’

‘Ugly on Ice,’ said Louisa.

‘That’s crap,’ said Harry. ‘Ugly on Ice.’ He turned to Sonya. ‘Tell your dumb sister not to try to join in with the jokes.’

‘Actually I thought Britain’s Got Ugly Talent was lame,’ said Louisa.