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.I pushed myself to my feet, psyching myself up for a chase.But as soon as I started moving, Mike spotted me.He ran straight over, looking even more panicked than he had when he’d found us in the cave.‘Peter,’ Mike demanded.‘Where is he?’‘They took him to the medical centre,’ I said.‘Don’t be stupid.Where is he?’‘Mike, seriously, he’s –’ ‘He’s not,’ said Mike.‘Not anymore.Someone’s taken him.’Chapter 19SATURDAY, JUNE 2054 DAYS‘What?’‘You swear it wasn’t you,’ said Mike, raking his hair back out of his eyes.‘You didn’t, like, break him out last night or something?’I grabbed him with both hands.‘What are you talking about? When did this happen?’‘I just came from the medical centre,’ he said, shaking me off.‘We went in to see Pete yesterday after school, but they said he wasn’t having visitors until this morning.So we go back, and the whole place is in freaking chaos.Pete’s parents crying, nurses running in and out, the doc shouting at people to figure out where he’s gone …’I pictured Peter being taken into the medical centre, raging and screaming.Shackleton standing over him, smiling.Deciding he was too big a security risk.Phoning in the order to take away more than his legs.‘How long ago was this?’ I asked.‘I dunno,’ said Mike.‘Fifteen, twenty minutes?’I started running.‘Wait,’ said Mike, chasing after me, ‘they’re not letting anyone in –’He broke off, focusing on keeping up with me.I dashed along the row of cafes, the too-white walls of the medical centre already in my sights.‘Why were you looking for me?’ I asked, when it was obvious Mike wasn’t going to give up and leave me alone.‘We thought you guys –’‘No, I mean, why do you care?’I twisted sideways, edging between a cafe table and a couple of bikes zooming past in the opposite direction.‘He’s my – mate,’ Mike puffed indignantly, still following.‘Sure he is.’I turned left, up the road between the mall and the medical centre.The only asphalt road in Phoenix.There was a truck parked at the end of the road.Two guys in white jumped out of the back and I almost had a heart attack.But they were just delivery guys, bringing in supplies from ‘out of town’.I threw a glance over my shoulder, checking that Mike hadn’t caught my overreaction.‘Look,’ he said, starting to fall behind now.‘We need him, okay?’I shot past the truck and veered around the corner, onto the main street.I stopped for just a second, scoping out my surroundings.There were two security officers standing at the top of the steps to the medical centre, blocking the way inside.Mike caught up, panting.‘You know what?’ he said, catching sight of the guards.‘Bad idea.’I ignored him, dashing up the steps two at a time.Mike didn’t follow.One of the guards held out a hand.‘Sorry, Miss Burke.Emergency access only.’I recognised the voice.Officer Miller, the guard from the lake.‘It’s an emergency,’ I said, pushing the hand out of the way.Through the glass, I saw Peter’s mum sitting on a waiting room chair, pale and gutted.Peter’s dad was parked in his wheelchair, holding her hand.They stared up at a nurse who I thought might have been Mike’s mum, and whatever she was telling them, they weren’t liking it.‘Miss Burke,’ said Miller.‘If you don’t head back downstairs, my orders are to send for Officer Calvin.’I stood my ground, knowing I couldn’t let it get that far but wanting to find out as much as I could before I backed off.More nurses rushed around inside.No sign of Dr Montag.The nurse talking to Peter’s parents walked away, and Mrs Weir’s head fell to her knees.She shook with tears.Mr Weir put a hand on her back.‘Miss Burke,’ said Miller again.‘Trust me.You really don’t want to mess with the chief right now.Why don’t you just head on home?’I wanted to argue.But even if I did get in there, what was I planning on doing?I started back down the steps.Find Luke, I told myself.Work this out –There was a bang on the other side of the glass doors.I looked back, but from this angle all I could see was a reflection of the security centre across the street.The guards peered through the glass.Miller reached over and unlocked the doors.They slid open.Mr Weir glared down at me from the top of the steps.He’d seen me watching him.I stared back, wondering if I really wanted to have this conversation.‘Excuse me,’ Mr Weir muttered, pushing past Miller to the ramp leading down the side of the building.I faltered for just a second longer, then leapt down the rest of the stairs and went around to meet him at the bottom.Mike had disappeared.Probably off to find his friends and figure out how something could possibly go wrong in this town without us being behind it.Peter’s dad braked at the bottom of the ramp.He’d grown a beard since the last time we spoke, though it didn’t look intentional [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]