Blood Ransom Read online

  4

  Theo

  My mood improved as soon as I walked inside the diner. Living in America does have some compensations, and the way every indoor space seems to be fully kitted out with aircon is one of them.

  Cheri, one of the waitresses who knew me quite well, bustled over.

  ‘Hi, hon.’ She smiled. ‘How’re you doin’?’ I smiled back. ‘Good, thanks. Can I use the computer?’

  ‘Sure, when Jack’s done.’ Cheri nodded towards the counter, where the diner’s only terminal stood between a stack of magazines and a shelf of salt and pepper pots. She let me use the internet for free when her boss wasn’t around, which was most mornings.

  The guy on the computer was middle-aged and huge. I’d seen him in the diner before, with his equally outsize wife and kids.

  ‘Jack’s having a bad time,’ Cheri said, lowering her voice to a whisper. ‘Wife’s left him and taken the kids. Taken everything. Jack’s emailing his attorney, trying to get a handle on it all.’

  ‘Right.’ I glanced at the clock. Five minutes before Rachel would be expecting me online. ‘No worries,’ I said.

  ‘Strawberry Shake while you wait?’ Cheri asked.

  ‘Yeah, thanks.’ I settled into the leatherette booth closest to the computer terminal and waited.

  5

  Rachel

  The rain was coming down even harder now. Milo wheeled himself across the street to shelter under a deserted doorway. I followed him in a daze.

  ‘Cloned from the same person?’ I said, unsure I’d heard him correctly before. ‘You and Theo?’

  ‘Yes, we were both cloned from Elijah Lazio.’ Milo nodded, his face serious. ‘I’m guessing that if you know about Theo, then you know about Elijah too. Which means you must be Rachel, right?’

  My legs felt like they might give way. ‘How do you know about me?’ I gasped. I stared at Milo. Another clone of Elijah, this one older than Theo. How was that even possible?

  ‘Elijah’s mentioned you,’ Milo said.

  ‘You’ve spoken to him?! Is he here . . .? Oh my God . . .’ I stopped, panic filling me. Was Elijah nearby? Did he know I was here?

  ‘Elijah cloned me three and a half years before he cloned Theo.’ Milo explained, seemingly unaware of the effect his words had had on me. His face clouded over – an expression I knew well from Theo. In fact, the look he was giving me was such a powerful reminder of Theo that my heart actually skipped a beat.

  Milo’s eyes flickered to his wheelchair. ‘As you can see, I didn’t work out so well. I was born with a degenerative disease. My body’s wearing out too fast. It’s a genetic weakness caused by the cloning process. Elijah worked out how to stop it happening before he cloned Theo, but I can’t walk and my heart and kidneys don’t operate quite as well as they should.’

  He looked up at me – an expression of defiance and humiliation on his face.

  Again I was so strongly reminded of Theo that, for a second, I couldn’t think straight.

  ‘I’m . . . er, I’m sorry,’ I stammered.

  Milo shrugged. ‘At least my heart was never strong enough for Elijah to want to steal it,’ he said.

  I huddled into the doorway. The rain had slowed to a drizzle and people were walking past again. No one gave us a second look.

  ‘But where is Elijah?’ I asked again, questions tumbling out now. ‘When did you last see him? Does he know that you’re here? That I’m here?’

  ‘I live with him,’ Milo said. ‘And no, he doesn’t know you’re here.’

  ‘But you weren’t in Washington D.C.’ I frowned, remembering how I’d gone to Elijah’s underground headquarters, hoping that while RAGE destroyed the building, Lewis and I would be able to find Theo and escape.

  ‘Elijah sent me away to college,’ Milo said bitterly. ‘He sent me to school before that – and to camp in the holidays. He used to visit me occasionally but I don’t think he could . . . that he can . . . stand the sight of me. It’s like he feels he has a duty towards me, but underneath I remind him of his failures.’

  ‘But you said you were with him now?’ That meant Elijah must be nearby, surely?

  ‘I was,’ Milo said. ‘He contacted me after the Washington compound was blown up. Said I’d have to leave college, that he was going on the run.’ Milo sighed. ‘I guess I could have gone off on my own, but I was pleased he wanted me with him . . . so I met him and came with him here . . . to Scotland.’

  ‘Here?’ I said, shocked. Elijah was in Scotland? ‘Where exactly? Why?’

  ‘Elijah’s set up a private research base on a deserted island off the west coast,’ Milo explained. ‘It takes a few hours to reach it by boat. Roslinnon is the nearest port.’

  A shiver snaked down my spine.

  ‘And he really doesn’t know I’m here in Roslinnon?’ I said, hardly able to believe it.

  Milo shook his head. ‘To be honest he’s stopped looking for you . . . for either of you . . . He’s got other things on his mind.’

  I looked round. The rain had stopped now, though the air remained heavy with moisture. Rosmore Row was still buzzing with shoppers. A woman laden down with bags and a buggy marched past, scowling, a little boy trailing in her wake.

  ‘What about Daniel?’ I said. ‘Is he OK? Does Elijah still have him?’

  Daniel was the five-year-old clone of Elijah who Theo and I had met in Washington at Elijah’s complex last year. When Elijah had escaped from the police and the FBI, he’d taken Daniel with him. No one knew what had happened to the little boy afterwards, but I could still picture his solemn little face and big brown eyes.

  Milo looked away. ‘Daniel’s the reason why Elijah’s stopped looking for Theo. He’s the reason why I’ve run away too.’

  I frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’

  Milo sighed – a deep, heavy sigh. ‘Elijah’s worked out a way of adapting Daniel’s heart so it will work inside him, even though it’s not adult-sized – which means he doesn’t need Theo’s heart any more.’

  I stared at him, unable to fully take in what he was saying. ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes, Elijah’s so arrogant he thinks killing Daniel is justified because he’s such a goddam genius.’

  I nodded, feeling numb, remembering Elijah giving a similar reason to excuse his plan to take Theo’s heart back in Washington D.C.

  ‘Once I realised what Elijah was planning, I couldn’t stand to be around him any more,’ Milo went on. ‘I told Elijah I needed a break for the day. If I could have brought Daniel with me I would have, but there was no way I could get him out. Elijah sent me off in the boat with one of his guards. We moored a way along the coast – there’s a car parked there that they use when they come to town to buy food and supplies for Elijah’s research. I’m supposed to be hanging out here while the guard goes to the store, but I’m going to take a bus . . . get away . . .’ Milo tailed off.

  ‘Get away to where?’ I said, my head reeling. I could still barely take in what Milo was saying. Elijah had Daniel – the sweet little boy that I’d thought about so often since our escape. And Daniel’s life was now in terrible danger.

  The urgency of the situation suddenly hit me. Never mind Milo’s plans. We had to get help.

  ‘Dunno where I’ll go.’ Milo shrugged. ‘Edinburgh or Glasgow first, I guess . . . It’s easier to get lost in the big cities . . . then a flight back to the States . . .’

  ‘But what about Daniel?’ I said. ‘When’s Elijah planning to do this transplant?’

  ‘Tomorrow morning, first thing.’

  ‘What?’ I leaped up. ‘We have to call the police. Get him stopped.’

  ‘No.’ Milo shook his head in another gesture that reminded me of Theo. ‘Elijah’s back working for the government. They know exactly what he’s up to, though it’s all under cover, of course. They’re letting him use Daniel because Elijah’s work is so valuable – they don’t want to lose him.’

  My mouth fell open. ‘That’s terrible.’
>
  Milo grimaced. ‘Yes, but there’s nothing we can do.’

  I stood silently for a second. Shoppers were still bustling around us, but I felt completely detached from my surroundings.

  It was obscene that Elijah could consider taking Daniel’s heart to replace his own. But somehow it was even worse that the governments which were supposed to be protecting me and Theo were turning a blind eye.

  ‘We can’t let this happen,’ I said slowly.

  Milo looked sadly up at me. ‘How can we stop Elijah?’ he said. ‘He’s too powerful.’

  ‘I don’t know exactly,’ I said. ‘But we have to try.’

  6

  Theo

  The clock on the diner wall ticked slowly to midday and big, sad Jack was still hunched over the computer.

  At one minute past noon, I went up to Cheri. ‘I have to use the computer,’ I said.

  Cheri glanced over at Jack. ‘I’m sure he won’t be too much longer.’

  At that moment Jack sighed. He shifted on his bar stool so that it creaked under his weight. Slowly he rolled the mouse over the shut-down button.

  I was hovering beside him before he’d even clicked it, though it was another full minute before Jack managed to ease himself off the stool and shuffle to the door.

  I glanced at the clock as I sat down. Three and a half minutes past twelve. Never mind. I was sure Rachel would wait. We’d both been a few minutes late before. Eager with anticipation, I logged on to the chat room we were using this month – we changed venues regularly – and searched for her user name.

  She wasn’t there. Oh well, maybe she was late too. I kept the screen up while I went to check my emails. A few minutes later I was back. Still no Rachel.

  I started to feel a little irritated. All the effort I’d made to be here on time and she wasn’t ready? It was probably her mum’s fault. Rachel’s mum was, basically, your worst nightmare. A hideous combo of martyr and snob. Rachel spent a lot of our time together online complaining about her. Recently Mrs Smith had been trying to force Rachel to play golf. Unbelievable.

  I finished my shake and checked the chat room again. Rachel still wasn’t there. It was now almost 12.15. I started to wonder if I’d got the place or the time wrong. But I knew I hadn’t.

  Cheri wandered over and I ordered another shake.

  It arrived.

  I drank it.

  I checked the chat room again.

  It was now 12.23 and Rachel wasn’t there.

  This was by far the latest either of us had ever been.

  For the first time in nine months, I started to wonder if maybe she wasn’t coming online at all.

  7

  Rachel

  ‘You don’t know what you’re saying,’ Milo said. ‘Elijah’s island is heavily guarded. Even if we could somehow reach Daniel, there’s no way we’d be able to get away without being seen.’

  ‘There has to be a way,’ I insisted. ‘We can’t just let Daniel die.’

  Milo shook his head.

  My mind whirled with all the possible options as we made our way back down Rosmore Row towards the high street.

  As we reached the corner, Milo looked up at me. It had stopped raining, but his hair was wet. The way the light fell across his face highlighted a deep crease in his forehead. Suddenly he looked much older than before – and a lot less like Theo.

  ‘I don’t want to go back there,’ he said simply.

  I bit my lip, realising for the first time how much courage it must have taken Milo to run away in the first place.

  ‘It’s only for a short time,’ I said. ‘And once Daniel’s safe, I’ll help you find somewhere to stay. My dad will help you.’

  I was certain Dad wouldn’t mind. Though, somehow, I’d have to talk to him without Mum finding out. I could just imagine her reaction. And I couldn’t talk to Dad till it was all over. Even if he was prepared to help Milo, he’d still be furious that I was planning to put myself in danger after all I’d been through last year.

  ‘I guess you could follow me back to Paul – he’s the guard who drove me here,’ Milo said, slowly. ‘I’m due to meet him in the car park in a few minutes, but if I went on ahead, I could maybe distract him somehow so you could hide in the trunk of his car. Smuggling you onto the boat to the island won’t be easy, but it’s possible, I guess.’

  I nodded. ‘We can do this, Milo,’ I said.

  ‘Okay.’ He smiled, his face lightening and looking more like Theo’s again. ‘I told Paul I’d meet him at five-thirty. It must be nearly that now.’

  ‘Five-thirty? You’re kidding.’ I checked the time, a sense of dread filling me. Milo was right – it was just a couple of minutes off the half hour. Thirty minutes since I was supposed to be online with Theo. The shock of meeting Milo had pushed the time right out of my mind. ‘Oh, no.’

  ‘What?’ Milo raised his eyebrows.

  I sped up, turning along the high street towards the internet café. ‘Theo and I are in touch,’ I said. ‘We meet up online every week. I’ve just missed our regular chat and I have to try him before we set off.’

  Milo pushed his wheels faster. He was, I noted with the small part of my brain that wasn’t consumed with worries about reaching Theo and what Milo and I were planning next, extremely dextrous at weaving his way through the throngs of shoppers still crowding the street.

  ‘You’ll have to be quick online, Rachel,’ he said as we reached the café. ‘If I’m late, Paul will worry about getting into trouble with Elijah and just want to get going. It’ll be harder to distract him.’

  I disappeared into the café, leaving Milo on the pavement taking out his mobile.

  I hurried to a free terminal and logged on. My hands were shaking as I accessed the chat room. Would Theo still be there?

  8

  Theo

  I sat, nursing my third strawberry milkshake and feeling sick. Cheri had kicked me off the computer so that another – paying – client could use it. I was waiting impatiently for her to finish so I could log on again.

  Where was Rachel?

  I tried to focus on the most likely possibilities.

  1: She’d forgotten.

  No. No way. I mean, she’d never forgotten before. Not one single time in nine months.

  2: Something or someone had prevented her from coming.

  More likely. Except Rachel had always had huge problems with her parents, especially her mum, and she’d never missed an online session with me before.

  3: She was deliberately avoiding me.

  I couldn’t believe that was true. I mean, even if Rachel didn’t want to call herself my girlfriend any more, we were still friends, weren’t we? She wouldn’t just break off all contact without saying something.

  Unless she’d fallen for someone else, big time, and couldn’t face either telling me or lying to me . . .

  My stomach twisted into knots as I thought about this. The truth was, though I wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone, Rachel was more than just a girlfriend to me. She was the only person I could truly be myself with. And the only person – apart from Mum, and a few government officials – who knew about us being clones. The idea of her not being in my life was too horrible to think about.

  ‘You feeling all right, hon?’ Cheri wandered over, a look of concern on her face.

  ‘Sure.’ I attempted a smile. ‘But I need to get back on the internet as soon as possible.’

  Cheri smiled back sympathetically. ‘Problems at home?’

  I nodded. Cheri knew all about my mum and her overprotective ways. Mum was better than she used to be, of course. Back before I tracked down Rachel and ran off to find Elijah, I’d had a bodyguard who never let me out of his sight. I understood later that Mum had been trying to protect me from RAGE, but even so it was a bit over the top. I guess Mum had no one to stop her from getting completely hysterical. There was never another man around and I’d been told my dad was dead. At least here in Philly she let me go out on my own – thoug
h I still had ridiculous curfews most nights.

  A couple of minutes later the woman using the computer logged off and I raced over.

  My hands shook as I accessed the chat room.

  Please be there, Rachel. Please be there.

  9

  Rachel

  I stayed in the chat room for a couple of minutes, but there was no sign of Theo. I could see he’d been there, though. I caught sight of one of his usernames on a couple of threads.

  He’d obviously assumed I wasn’t coming and logged off.

  I sat back in my chair, my heart sinking.

  Wheels turned beside me. I looked up to see Milo’s concerned face – so like Theo’s – gazing at mine.

  ‘He’s gone,’ I said. The words came out like a sob and I blushed at giving away how much my contact with Theo meant to me.

  ‘Hey,’ Milo said, awkwardly. ‘You’ll be able to try again later. Er, but if we’re going we have to go now . . . I’m already late for Paul.’

  I nodded, staring at the screen. I wanted to leave some kind of message for Theo but I couldn’t think what to say.

  Milo nudged my arm. ‘Seriously, Rachel, we have to go.’

  He wheeled himself to the door and looked over his shoulder expectantly.

  Sighing, I switched off the terminal, paid at the counter and rushed outside to join him.

  It took a few minutes to get to the car park. At least it wasn’t raining.

  I hung back as Milo approached Paul – a burly guy with blond hair wearing jeans and a rugby shirt. I watched them talking. Paul nodded, then the pair of them headed for the public toilets.

  It suddenly occurred to me that if Milo couldn’t walk, he probably had to be helped to get to the loo. I’d never really thought about that before – all the things I took for granted that he had to deal with because he was disabled.