Page 93 of A Long Way Back
Where were the fucking police? The guy was lashing out, but heading toward the shop where Tay stood at the door. But someone yanked Tay inside and the door closed. The knifeman turned back to Ink. Ink brandished the crutch and went for him again.
A man shouted, “Look out!” Then someone punched Ink in the back really hard and he lurched forward.What the fuck?Ink swung the crutch round as hard as he could, which didn’t seem to be that hard somehow, but it caught whoever was behind him in the mouth and he went down.
Everything turned chaotic. More screaming. Police sirens. Ink jerked as he was punched in the back again and the crutch fell from his fingers.It was only when he saw the blood running down his hand that he realised he’d been stabbed, and only when he realised he’d been stabbed that it started to hurt. A lot.Shit. Oh God.He tried to stay on his feet, but his legs gave way and it was hard to breathe.
Was Tay all right?Why didn’t I just go with him and find us a place to hide?Ink tried to push himself up, but his body felt too heavy.Have. To. Get. Up.But all he could do was lie there. The police had restrained one guy only yards away from where Ink lay. The attacker was face down on the ground with policemen holding his arms. Ink tried to crawl away, get to Tay, but there was another guy on the ground on his back with more policemen around him. One policeman was pointing a gun.Shit!Someone tugged at Ink’s arm and he cried out in pain.
“Hold on. We’ll get you help,” someone told him.
As Ink was half-pulled, half-carried across the street, he heard the bang of a gun and whoever was pulling him, let go and dropped to the floor.Oh Christ!
“Shit! Sorry,” whispered the man who’d been dragging him away.
For a moment, Ink thought it was that guy who’d been shot but it was one of the attackers. Ink felt as if he’d suddenly been dropped into the middle of a film set. It had all happened so fast. Nothing seemed real, except for the pain in his back and shoulder and his chest. He looked for Tay, but couldn’t see him. Too many policemen.Please be safe.Then he couldn’t see anything at all.
TAY COULD BARELY BELIEVE WHAT had just unfolded in front of him, what Ink had done, how brave and stupid he’d been. There were police everywhere now and he could no longer see Ink. Tay still stood in a candle shop, next to the guy who’d yanked him inside and locked the door, both of them watching through the window. When he heard a gunshot, he sucked in a breath, but moved towards the door.
“Hey, stay in here,” the guy said.
“I have to find my friend.”
Tay emerged with his one crutch and a policeman blocked his path.
“Head left. We need to clear the area.”
“I need to find my friend.”
“Sir, you have to leave.”
“But I just need—”
“Move away.”
Tay look a step with his crutch and wobbled. If he could justseeInk, he’d at least know he was okay.Heisokay, isn’t he?He’d just been made to move along with everyone else. Tay’s heart gave a painful thump.
“Is that your wheelchair?” the same policeman asked.
“Yes. My other crutch is somewhere. My friend was—”
“Get in.” The policeman had opened up the wheelchair.
“Please, I’m worried about my friend.”
“You have to vacate this area until the threat’s contained.”
“The threathasbeen contained.”
“Stop arguing with me. You’re wasting my time when I have more important things to do.”
Tay sat in the chair and laid the crutch across his lap. As he started to wheel himself, his hands flew forward as the chair was pushed. Tay looked over his shoulder to see it was the policeman who’d been talking to him, and he gave up. But he wasn’t leaving the area until he’d found Ink. Why hadn’t he come back to the shop? Tay grew increasingly concerned that he’d been hurt. He’d have come back if he could. Unless the police were propelling Ink in the opposite direction.
The policeman dumped Tay beyond a tape barrier.Police Line Do Not Cross.Despite continued pleas to disperse, a crowd behind it were watching events unfold. Many of them were filming on their mobiles.
Fuck, I can phone Ink!Tay took out his mobile and called him, but there was no answer. Now he wasveryworried.
“Did you see what happened?” Tay asked the guy standing next to him.
“It was crazy. At least two men with knives just walking through the crowd from opposite directions and lashing out. They stabbed a lot of people. A young guy kept hitting one of them with a crutch.” He looked down at Tay. “Your crutch?”
