“Maybe they haven’t been alerted yet?” Harry reasoned. He leaned forward. “Hey. Hey. Alex, it’s okay. It’s passed. We’re almost there.”
Yet again I was amazed by his calmness. He sat there on the back seat like it was a totally normal scenario. But my heart was beating like a drum. We went through two more roundabouts.
“Nice and slow.” Harry said mellowly. “Nice and slow, mate. Nobody knows. You won’t get caught.”
I turned the music up, Californication. The sign for Cannich and Dingwall appeared ahead. We were almost out, but there was a three-lane queue in front of us, and the traffic lights were red.
We slowed into the middle lane. The engine juddered. The fumes from the cars in front billowed up into the air. Cars behind us. Cars to the side. We were boxed in.
Alex breathed out deeply, his huge hands clutching the wheel in a death grip. Six foot three and built like a horse and he was trembling like a leaf. “I’m fine.” He told himself, “I’m fine. It’s okay, Alex, you’re okay. What were you guys saying about an institution?!”
Harry opened his mouth, but I stopped him. “Nothing.” I said. “It’s nothing. What music do you want? Let’s put No Code back in.” I changed CD and flicked to the last song- the calmest, most tranquil one. A nursery rhyme lullabied
“III’m wishing you all well,
Find-ing peace within your-self.”
We waited. The light stayed red. The cars all around us rattled gently in their stillness. We stayed quiet. The tension was unbearable.
The seconds felt like hours.
“Off to sleep, my lit-tle child.” the music sang.
A siren wailed behind us. We all looked back to see the blue lights flashing.
“No! No! No!” Alex’s face pained. “Leave us alone! Shit! I can’t stop. I can’t stop. I CAN’T RISK IT! THE LAW MAKES NO SENSE!”
“WAIT! It might not be for us.” Harry pacified. “Just keep at the same speed.”
The lights turned green. Alex revved at the same pace as the other cars. We went through the roundabout and joined the other side, but the police car sped up and cut into our lane, overtaking two cars until it was right behind us. Its headlights flashed. I felt sick with dread.
“WHAT DO I DO?!” Alex wailed.
The headlights flashed again. The two male officers eyed us warningly. One of them waved his hand, “TURN IN. TURN IN!” I saw him mouth, but Alex stepped down on the accelerator and the meter went 70,80,90. The engine roared at its capacity as we pulled away and accelerated down the right lane. With every blink we were overtaking another car. But the police were catching up. Alex undercut to the middle lane, then back to the right, then he sped straight over to the left and down the turn off for Loch Uich.
Thick splotches of rain landed on the window and in seconds it was pouring down. Alex turned on the wipers as we went flying round a corner, the blur of fields and trees and houses racing by at a hundred miles an hour. The engine groaned for mercy. If we weren’t in trouble before, we were fucked now. The meter said 110. My heart was in my mouth. I just wanted it to stop. We flew up a hill and shot round a bend and blasted through a wood, trees thick about us, green green green flashing in the window. We’d pulled clear. I couldn’t see the police. “We’ve lost them!” Harry exclaimed. Then ahead I saw the road curving sharply to the right, we were at it in seconds. The wind went underneath me. I felt the car spinning. It’s a cliché but time really does go in slow motion as your life flashes by. And as the car whirled around, it was only my body and my mind that was still. Finally, it’s over, was, to my surprise, my only thought.
We went over the embankment, backwards, and careened down the hill. I heard the violent clash and clatter of mechanics, and then nothing.
PART 4
Chapter 68
Blackness. Everything was black.
There was the low rumble of what sounded like an engine.
It was the only sound.
Am I dead? I thought.
I wiggled my toes. I felt my feet. Then I was aware I was lying on my back, a hard floor beneath me. No, I’m not dead. Unless this is the afterlife?
No. I’m moving.
No, it’s the ground that’s moving. And shaking. I can feel it shaking.
I groggily smoothed my palm across the floor. It was rough, with little chips in it. Like wood, but I couldn’t feel any grains.
I stood up and whacked my head against a three-foot-high roof. I cried out and squatted in the dark, rubbing my hand against the pain. It was hard to keep my balance. I was confused, disorientated. I got down on the floor and tried crawling, feeling my way across until I came to a wall. I felt it then knocked on it softly. It was metal and hollow. The wall it joined into was too, and the others. Four small walls, a moving floor, I’m in-
I heard incoherent voices behind me. In deep monotones. Men’s voices.
I crawled the five yards and listened through the wall.
“Hrhmfh money. Hrmmfhgm..person. Hrihmgh.” I couldn’t make it out. Then there was a sudden sharp movement, and my body toppled over and I hit the ground hard. The floor bumped several times against my back.
A cold panic seized me, and I sprang forward and banged my fists against the opposite wall from the voices. The metal thudded dully but it didn’t move. I felt for a handle but there was none. I kicked out with my legs.
“HEY! STOP THAT!” one of the voices commanded.
I kicked
