Page 115 of Tell No One
“Tomorrow, six of us, Feely included, are going to be hunting three of you. Norbury is unhappy it’s an odd number, but he wants to get rid of Lincoln.”
Tag groaned. “And me and Ahsan?”
“Yes. You need to get away from Lincoln tomorrow. He probably won’t stick with you, but spreading out makes it harder for those following. I have personal body armour that you and Ahsan can split and share. It will only cover your backs, but it’s better than nothing.”
“How are we going to wear it without them noticing?”
“It’s thin and lightweight. You can wear it under your T-shirts. I’m going to go out tonight and hide it with a phone and a few other items behind that large rock on the shore where we were throwing stones. Tomorrow, set off in that direction. Pick up what I’ve left, carry it and run round the loch for about a mile, then head uphill. Try to get as high as you can as quickly as you can. Go over the top, keeping low, remembering everything I told you. Then you just run and run. You have thirty minutes before we follow. Just get as far away as you can but after thirty minutes wherever you are, put on the armour.”
“If Ahsan can’t run…”
“You save yourself.”
Tag sagged.
Delaney pulled him down to the floor of the shower and held him tight. “You save yourself. Promise.”
Tag nodded.
“If you linger to help him, you’ll both be shot. Try to be over the hill before we come after you. Hopefully two hunters will track Lincoln.”
“Are they all expert marksmen?”
“I don’t know. I’m pretty sure one is. The American. When I see their weapons, I’ll know for certain.”
“I do have another idea. I found a place where Ahsan could hide. There’s a sort of platform in the barn where they’ve stored planks. He could climb up and lie on top of the wood. Wait there until it’s all over.”
“They’re going to put trackers on all three of you.”
“Oh. Then I could take Ahsan’s with me and throw it off a mountain. How quickly is your boss going to have people here?”
“It had better be fast. Hopefully, once the hunters have set off and had the chance to get away from the castle.” Delaney sucked in a breath. “Okay, tell Ahsan to hide. Take his tracker. Take all the armour for yourself. Norbury mentioned giving all three of you a backpack with water and snacks. The tracker will probably be in there.”
Tag tipped his head back and laughed and almost choked on the mouthful of water he swallowed. “Sandwiches in a My Little Pony lunchbox?”
Delaney shrugged. “He wants you to run as long as you can. It’s not fun if you catch your prey too easily.”
“Christ. Why don’t I take our trackers and throw them in the water?”
“They’ll wonder how you found them. Who might have told you. It might not sound like it but you have an advantage if you make them follow you uphill. You’re fast, they won’t be and once you have a choice of direction, dump one tracker, and then later, the other. By the time they register both trackers are stationary, you should be well away.”
Tag was scared but tried to look as if he wasn’t.
“When we’re in bed, I’m going to show you a map of the area. We can work out a route or at least make sure you don’t head into natural danger.”
“Such as?”
“Sheer cliffs. Too great an expanse of open land. Plus, the weather is unpredictable. It might say it’s going to be warm, but it could just as easily rain. I doubt they’ll give you raincoats, but I’ll leave an emergency blanket with the body armour along with a phone. Whether you’ll get a signal, I don’t know. If the helicopter has—”
“Helicopter?” Tag gulped.
“They won’t hunt you with it, but if they can’t locate you, they’ll use it to find you. The helicopter has a thermal imaging camera, the blanket will fool it for a time. If there’s no cover and the helicopter is coming, get under the blanket anyway.”
“What if they catch me with the stuff?”
Delaney opened his mouth, then closed it again.
“Oh right.” Tag’s shoulders slumped. They were both done for then.
