‘Sure.’ Sonya dug about in her backpack and took out a bottle of water and a plastic box filled with what looked like trail mix, dried fruit and nuts and stuff. When Ella went to take it from her, Sonya held on to it tightly and put her face very close to Ella’s.

‘Are you holding out on us?’ she said.

‘What?’ Ella was trying not to get scared.

‘You’re all nervous and jittery. Like you’re hiding something. Like there’s more here than you’re letting on.’

‘I’m just scared of the grown-ups coming. That’s what we should be thinking about. Not … you know …’

‘Yeah, you’re right.’ Sonya let go of the box. ‘I keep forgetting about the grown-ups, like everything’s OK, and then I suddenly remember, and I’m like, Oh-My-God. This is not happening. Isaac is gonna think we’ve forgotten about him. You take this up.’

‘OK.’ Ella walked slowly away, carrying the box and the bottle of water.

When she climbed back up to Isaac, she found him sitting on the platform, reading a book.

‘Can you see anything?’ she asked.

Isaac looked up from the book and scanned the surrounding countryside.

‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘No sign of them.’

‘No.’ Ella got the water and the food out of her backpack. ‘I meant, can you see your book? It’s getting very dark.’

Isaac laughed. ‘Not really. But I was bored. There’s nothing to see, nothing happening. Maybe they’ve all gone another way. Maybe we’ll be OK. That’s what I’m praying for anyway. What’s going on down there?’

‘Getting ready.’ Ella handed Isaac the stuff and he started to tuck in.

‘What are you reading?’ she asked and he flapped the cover at her.

‘It’s the first Alex Rider book,’ he said.

‘Is it good? I think Sam read it. My brother.’

‘Yeah. I’ve read it before. Loads of times. We need to get some new books. I’d go into Windsor, but … you know.’

‘What’s Windsor?’

‘Where the big castle is,’ said Isaac. ‘It’s the biggest town around here. There’s a load of kids live there, but they don’t like anyone else coming close. Don’t like strangers.’

‘Where are you from then?’ Ella asked.

‘Bracknell. It’s quite far from here. On the other side of the grown-ups. We were stuck. Windsor kids one way, who’d probably have beaten on us, grown-ups the other. It felt like we had no options. No choice. It’s kismet.’

‘What?’

‘Fate. Do you believe in fate?’

‘I don’t really know what that is.’

‘It’s like there’s a big book somewhere with your whole life written in it. Everything that’s going to happen to you.’

‘I’ve never really thought about it like that,’ said Ella.