Page 115 of Butterfly

“What if he dies?” Ollie blurted. “He can’t die.”

“You said Rory’s in the ambulance. They’re taking him to hospital. He’s getting the best care he can. He’ll be okay, I’m sure of it, but you’re my priority right now.”

“Me?” He shook his head. “I’m fine. I wasn’t inside the house.”

Ollie watched the flames. Every window at the front of the house had broken.

“We think you’re in danger.”

“What?”

Ollie gasped at the pain in his neck. He stiffened, heart in his throat. There was something in his neck; something had slid straight into his skin, stinging as it went.

A hand squeezed over his hand, and he let it take the phone, brushing it against his ear. Ollie stared straight ahead, too afraid to move. His breath hitched when his phone clattered to the ground. Warm breath brushed his ear. “You’re wearing his jacket.”

Ollie frowned, trying to place the voice, but he didn’t recognise it.

“You’re wearing Rory’s jacket,” the voice clarified.

He wanted to call out, but the thing in his neck was still there. “Yes, he…he gave it to me.”

“We’re going to take this nice and slow, okay, Ollie?”

The person, whoever it was, knew him.

Ollie didn’t reply. He couldn’t see who stood behind him. He didn’t recognise the whispered voice.

“Start walking.”

Ollie took a step. He hissed at the scratch to his skin.

“No, no, no,” the voice whispered. “Not that way. We’re walkingawayfrom the fire, not towards it.”

Feet shifted behind Ollie, and an arm slid around his stomach. He was turned away from the fire, away from help.

“There we go… Now start walking.”

“Where…” Ollie paused. When he spoke, he felt the sting in his neck. “Where am I going?”

The arm around him lifted, and a gloved finger pointed at the apartment block still under construction. “That looks like a good place for a chat.” Ollie gasped at the sharp pain at his neck. “Get moving.”

19

Olliewalkedstiffly,overlyaware of the thing still stuck in his neck. They passed behind the wire fence around the building and crossed creaky wooden boards. The windows and doors hadn’t been fitted, giving the place an abandoned, desolate feel despite being brand new. Ollie stepped inside, breath catching as a plastic sheet flapped in the wind.

“Easy,” the voice said. Ollie winced at the squeeze to his shoulder. “That way…”

He was pushed towards one of the stairwells.

“I won’t be able to see where I’m going,” Ollie said through gritted teeth.

“Then you’ll have to be extra careful.”

There were rectangles in the stairwell wall where windows would eventually be placed. Wind howled through them, sweeping down the stairs. A perimeter light outside shone through enough of a haze for Ollie to place his feet. The light got fainter the further they climbed.

“This one.”

Ollie didn’t take the next set of stairs. They’d stopped on the fourth floor. Only pillars and supporting walls had been put inside. Ollie had heard Sebastian grumbling about them having to stop building work due to some box he’d forgotten to tick or a document he’d forgotten to sign; Ollie wasn’t sure.

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