and climb the ladder, my fingers clamped around the spray-slick rungs. Then I help Myo up. He falls to his knees, breathing hard again and clutching his side. But when I step towards him, he waves me away.
Trying not to listen to his ragged breathing, I turn and look at the docks again. Everything is washed in moonlight, just like it was the first time I was here seven years ago.
That was the last time I was on the mainland
, I think with a chill, as memories of that night come flooding back. Those ships are still in their dry docks, rust blooming on their sides like sores, and beyond them is the jumble of warehouses and buildings we ran through with Mum.
Myo limps towards me, grimacing. ‘I’m sorry, I need to rest for a bit. I can’t carry on like this.’
‘Oh. OK,’ I say, although inside, I’m screaming,
What about Jori? If we don’t go now, we’ll never get to him in time
. I chew my lower lip. I’ll never find my brother on my own. I wouldn’t even know where to start. Like it or not, I’m relying on Myo, and if he needs to rest, then I have to let him.
‘I’ve got the rest of my stuff in one of those buildings,’ he says.
I look at the warehouses, which are half-lost in inky shadow. ‘Is it . . . safe?’
‘Aye.’
I wish I could feel so sure.
Perhaps he lives here
, I think. Is his friend here too? I wonder what’s so wrong with their baby that Myo was prepared to risk everything to get onto Hope and try and find someone to help her.
As he limps past me, I reach down and take the knife out of my boot, my stomach tightening with nerves as I unwind the oilcloth from around the blade. At the end of the pier is a towering stack of shipping containers – cargo for a ship that never arrived, or was never able to leave – and nearby, weeds tangle through the arm of a toppled crane, which lies along the ground like the skeleton of some gigantic, prehistoric animal.
I follow Myo across to the containers. He holds up a hand, peering at the entrance to a large warehouse. ‘Do you want a lamp?’ I whisper. He shakes his head. I grip my knife tighter.
Myo gives a low whistle. ‘
Don’t!
’ I hiss.
He looks round at me, a half-smile playing on his face. ‘Why? Who d’you think’s gonna hear me?’
Inside the warehouse, something moves. A wave of terror crashes over me. Myo’s tricked me into getting him off Hope and lured me over here by promising to help me. Inside the warehouse, the Fearless who took Jori are waiting, and now they’re coming to get me too.
Every muscle and nerve ending in my body is on fire with adrenaline, my mind screaming at me to run. I take a step back. Then another. Myo glances at me again, but this time he’s frowning. ‘What’s wrong?’
Out of the shadows pads the biggest dog I’ve ever seen.
The top of his head reaches Myo’s elbow, his wiry, dark grey fur hanging in shaggy fringes over his eyes and along his muzzle, legs and tail.
‘His name’s Lochie,’ Myo says as the dog nuzzles him, his tail sweeping from side to side. ‘He’s a Wolfhound.’ He rubs Lochie’s ears. ‘You waited,’ he murmurs. ‘Good lad.’
When he lets him go, Lochie comes over to me. I freeze, hardly daring to breathe. I didn’t even know you could get dogs this big.
Myo smiles. ‘He won’t hurt you. Hold out your hand.’
Nervously, I do as he says. Lochie sniffs my fingers. It takes all my willpower not to snatch them away as he swipes at them with a huge, wet tongue. Myo makes a strange sound, and I realize he’s trying to stifle a laugh.
‘What?’ I say.
‘Your face.’
‘I’ve never had a dog, only a cat,’ I say, and feel an unexpected twist of sadness. It’s the first time I’ve thought about Kali in years. ‘Anyway, when I heard him coming, I thought—’ I stop, feeling my face heat up.
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’
‘No, what?’
‘That those Fearless were in there, and you were calling them to come and get me.’
Myo’s amused
Trying not to listen to his ragged breathing, I turn and look at the docks again. Everything is washed in moonlight, just like it was the first time I was here seven years ago.
That was the last time I was on the mainland
, I think with a chill, as memories of that night come flooding back. Those ships are still in their dry docks, rust blooming on their sides like sores, and beyond them is the jumble of warehouses and buildings we ran through with Mum.
Myo limps towards me, grimacing. ‘I’m sorry, I need to rest for a bit. I can’t carry on like this.’
‘Oh. OK,’ I say, although inside, I’m screaming,
What about Jori? If we don’t go now, we’ll never get to him in time
. I chew my lower lip. I’ll never find my brother on my own. I wouldn’t even know where to start. Like it or not, I’m relying on Myo, and if he needs to rest, then I have to let him.
‘I’ve got the rest of my stuff in one of those buildings,’ he says.
I look at the warehouses, which are half-lost in inky shadow. ‘Is it . . . safe?’
‘Aye.’
I wish I could feel so sure.
Perhaps he lives here
, I think. Is his friend here too? I wonder what’s so wrong with their baby that Myo was prepared to risk everything to get onto Hope and try and find someone to help her.
As he limps past me, I reach down and take the knife out of my boot, my stomach tightening with nerves as I unwind the oilcloth from around the blade. At the end of the pier is a towering stack of shipping containers – cargo for a ship that never arrived, or was never able to leave – and nearby, weeds tangle through the arm of a toppled crane, which lies along the ground like the skeleton of some gigantic, prehistoric animal.
I follow Myo across to the containers. He holds up a hand, peering at the entrance to a large warehouse. ‘Do you want a lamp?’ I whisper. He shakes his head. I grip my knife tighter.
Myo gives a low whistle. ‘
Don’t!
’ I hiss.
He looks round at me, a half-smile playing on his face. ‘Why? Who d’you think’s gonna hear me?’
Inside the warehouse, something moves. A wave of terror crashes over me. Myo’s tricked me into getting him off Hope and lured me over here by promising to help me. Inside the warehouse, the Fearless who took Jori are waiting, and now they’re coming to get me too.
Every muscle and nerve ending in my body is on fire with adrenaline, my mind screaming at me to run. I take a step back. Then another. Myo glances at me again, but this time he’s frowning. ‘What’s wrong?’
Out of the shadows pads the biggest dog I’ve ever seen.
The top of his head reaches Myo’s elbow, his wiry, dark grey fur hanging in shaggy fringes over his eyes and along his muzzle, legs and tail.
‘His name’s Lochie,’ Myo says as the dog nuzzles him, his tail sweeping from side to side. ‘He’s a Wolfhound.’ He rubs Lochie’s ears. ‘You waited,’ he murmurs. ‘Good lad.’
When he lets him go, Lochie comes over to me. I freeze, hardly daring to breathe. I didn’t even know you could get dogs this big.
Myo smiles. ‘He won’t hurt you. Hold out your hand.’
Nervously, I do as he says. Lochie sniffs my fingers. It takes all my willpower not to snatch them away as he swipes at them with a huge, wet tongue. Myo makes a strange sound, and I realize he’s trying to stifle a laugh.
‘What?’ I say.
‘Your face.’
‘I’ve never had a dog, only a cat,’ I say, and feel an unexpected twist of sadness. It’s the first time I’ve thought about Kali in years. ‘Anyway, when I heard him coming, I thought—’ I stop, feeling my face heat up.
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’
‘No, what?’
‘That those Fearless were in there, and you were calling them to come and get me.’
Myo’s amused
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