“Get out of my van!”

Lindi peeled a banana too.

Una watched.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The banging echoed round my ribs.

“We’ve got to get back to Fennis Wick,” I said. “Mum and Dad and Trig – I’ve put them all in terrible danger.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“I don’t know what to do.” I picked at my thumbnail. “We’ve got a van but we can’t drive and if we don’t get back to—”

“Hold on.” Lindi spoke through a mouthful of banana. “Who says we can’t drive? Pass me that lamp.” She took the keys and the billy lamp and crawled over the crates to the front of the van.

“Get out!” Cal snarled through the dark window. “You think I haven’t got spare keys?” Thud! Thud! Thud!

Lindi climbed over the back of the driver’s seat and sat down. “I used to sit in Dad’s tractor all the time,” she called back. “He let me do the controls. Can’t be that much different, can it? Look, this is where the key goes. Just got to turn it—”

Trrrrrrrrrrut. The engine stuttered.

She tried again.

Trrrrrrrrrrut.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

I crawled forwards and leaned over the seat, looked out of the window. The trees were outlined against the sky, but the road was a blur of darkness.

Trrrrrrrrrrut.

A whole panel of buttons and dials spread behind the steering wheel. One of them must turn the lights on. I scanned across them. That one, there, with the picture of a beam. I leaned over Lindi and pressed it. The driveway lit up. Cal twisted his head away from the glare.

“Brilliant – thanks, Maggie,” said Lindi.

“Right – that’s it,” Cal shouted through the window. “I’m going to get the spare keys. Stupid kids.”

The van had mirrors on each side. I could see him and his lamp disappearing back into the police station.

Lindi turned the key again.

Trrrrrrrrrrut.

The engine stuttered.

“Hurry up, Lindi. Please hurry up.” I squeezed the back of the seat. Cal was going to get us. He was going to get us for sure.

“Hang on,” said Lindi. “Maybe if I…”

Grrrrrrowl. The engine caught.

“There! Now for the gearstick. Pedal down and…” She grabbed a long handle that stuck up from the floor.

Crunch.

Crrrrrrrrrrunch.

“First gear! Here we go!” The van jerked forwards. A crate of bananas slid into me. Jed moaned.

The engine stopped.

“Heck.” Lindi turned the key again.

Grrrrrrowl.

She wiggled the gearstick.

Crrrrunch.

“But…” Lindi stopped. Her hands slid to the bottom of the wheel. “We can’t just leave.”

The engine hummed and spluttered.

“What d’you mean, we can’t leave? Lindi, we have to!” I looked in the side mirror. Cal – coming out of the front door. “He’s coming back! We have to go now! Hurry up, Lindi! Hurry up!”

“But what about the others?” she said.

“What others?”

Cal loped towards us.