War Kids: Books 1 - 3 ( Young Adult Thriller Series

by HJ Lawson

  “This way… we’re nearly there.” Brandon lights the path in front of us.

  The air is thinner down here, and a hot, burning sensation fills my lungs. “Two more turns, if I remember correctly.” Every few minutes, he shines the light behind us, checking to make sure no one is following.

  “Jesus, you really knocked Big Red out.”

  “Yeah, I used the flashlight… it was all I had,” Brandon says proudly. He shines light onto a door. “Louis’s house is just down here.”

  This is not what I was expecting. The empty darkness increases my anxiety and my sense of isolation. Finally my eyes adjust and I can see a wooden door with writing on it. “No crack heads allowed.” I like this sign; I should’ve put one on our front door when I was a kid.

  Brandon knocks, and I wait for the door to fall in, but it stands its ground. He knocks again, but there is no answer. “He must be out.”

  “Do you know anyone else down here?” I ask quickly.

  “Not really.”

  “If we cannot find him, we have to find a way out of here!”

  “Agreed,” Brandon says, as he knocks once more. There is no answer; it’s clear he’s not home.

  In the suffocating darkness, it’s impossible to know which way to go. My senses are heightened, and I can hear the tapping sound of the rats' footsteps as they scurry along the water pipes above us.

  I hear roaring laughter coming from one of the houses. One of the laughs sounds strangely familiar.

  Then I gasp, as I remember. “Brandon, its Meemo! She’s in there,” I squeal in excited relief.

  “Who the hell is Meemo?”

  “The woman from the train station bathroom.” I frantically start knocking; we have to get in before Big Red can get to us.

  The door flies open. “You trying to break my door?!” a toothless old man asks.

  “Is Meemo here?”

  “Jerry, who’s there?”

  It’s her… Meemo. I push past the old man before anyone can see us.

  “Sorry, long day, mate,” Brandon explains to Jerry as he also makes his way inside.

  “Sweetie pie, what are you doing here?” Meemo opens her arms to hug me. I fall into her embrace and begin to sob uncontrollably.

  Meemo hugs me tightly. “Sweetie pie, it’s okay. Meemo’s here.” She rocks me gently, as if I’m a baby she’s trying to help fall asleep. “What’s happened?”

  I compose myself just enough to explain the last 24 hours, leaving out the part about my being a murdering thief.

  “There, there, sweetheart… we will look after you,” Meemo says.

  “We will?” Jerry says, as he stands next to Brandon with a look of concern in his eyes.

  “We will!” Meemo snaps loudly, causing me to jump. “Look at this poor girl. Has she not been through enough?”

  “All the crazies are going to follow them down here, then what for us? They will take our home for sure!”

  He’s right. We’ve led them down here to the one safe place.

  “Jesus, Jerry, they would’ve found their way down here at some point!” Memo exclaims.

  “They are not welcome here!”

  “Are you throwing them out?!” Meemo questions.

  “Yes!” Jerry roars, and opens the door again.

  “Jerry, how could you? Come on, kids!” Meemo orders, as she marches out. She stops for a moment, looking up and down the tunnels first.

  We follow her lead. “Sorry, Meemo,” I say.

  “Sweetie pie, it’s okay. That crack head Jerry won’t remember a thing in the morning, but I’ll have the pleasure of reminding him every day what an idiot he is!” Meemo begins to laugh, and the sound bounces off the tunnel walls.

  I frantically shake my head. “No, Meemo, we have to be quiet. They’ll be here soon, if not already.”

  “Oops.” She shrugs her shoulders.

  “Is your place far away?” Brandon asks quietly.

  “Just down there.” She points toward a door.

  Brandon and I instantly pick up the pace, and Meemo does the same. She grabs the keys from her pocket and quickly unlocks five bolts on her front door.

  “Hurry, kids… inside.” Meemo ushers us in, then she locks the door several times. “Welcome to my home.” She waves her arms in the air, with her underarm hair in full view. It looks like hundreds of spiders are trying to escape.

  Her home… looks like it could be on the show “Hoarders.” Everywhere I look there are piles of newspaper and empty food cartons. The stench of the rotting food is worse than the smell of the sewers. I quickly pinch my nose and try not to gag.

  “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting guests,” Memo says sadly, as if I knocked the joy out of her.

  I quickly recover and pretend to sneeze instead. “Ah Ah…choo!” I don’t want to hurt her feelings!

  “Sorry, Meemo, what did you say? I had a sneeze.”

  “Oh, nothing, sweetie pie. Make yourself at home,” she says with a happy grin.

  “Thank you, Meemo, this is very kind of you,” Brandon says. “But we need to find a way out of here. Can you help us?”

  “Yes, I can draw you a map,” Meemo cheerfully says. “Let me find some paper… take a seat.” She points over to a sofa, completely covered in crap. It reminds me of Jamie’s apartment. Is this what Jamie has to look forward to?

  Brandon and I head over to the sofa; we both want to leave as quickly as possible, but we need the map first.

  “Would you like a drink?” Meemo asks.

  “No, thank you,” Brandon says.

  “Meemo, let me help you find some paper,” I say. I don’t think she understands that we are in a hurry.

  “Sorry, sweetie, I don’t often get guests down here,” she says softly. She looks so lonely.

  “I will come back again, once everything has calmed down,” I tell her.

  Meemo’s face lights up. “Do you promise?”

  “Yes, I promise.” That is, if we get out of here alive...

  “Top drawer under the sink, there is a pen and paper.” I cannot believe she has a sink down here. It looks like it's moving… Oh, Jesus, it's full of cockroaches.

  She even has TV down here. “Does this work?” I ask, pointing to it.

  “Yes, would you like to watch a show? We have everything you need down here, best thing is there are no bills!” Meemo laughs again, and the sound fills her home and bounces off the tunnel walls. If they hadn’t heard the last outburst, they’ll have heard that!

  The room turns silent once she realizes what she just did. Brandon’s face turns white.

  Oh no…

  It sounds like an army of people are heading down the tunnel. They are here.

  Brandon goes to the window for a better look.

  “Meemo, the map…we need it quickly!” I order, as I shove the pad and pen into her hand.

  “Sorry, sweet child,” Meemo says as she quickly scribbles something, then rips it off and passes it to me.

  “Is there another exit out of here?” Brandon asks. He looks scared. They must be close.

  Meemo shakes her head. I peer out the window next to Brandon. The tunnel we came down is filled with lights bouncing off the sides of the walls, creating menacing shadows.

  “Oh God, they are all here.” The words fall out of my mouth. It looks as though there are a hundred prisoners coming for us.

  “Turn out the lights!” Brandon says frantically.

  Meemo quickly shuts everything off, and Brandon clicks off the flashlight.

  I can’t breathe. My heart is racing uncontrollably. In the darkness Brandon reaches for me. His palm is sweaty, and my hand is shaking.

  As we sit in the darkness, I can hear the cockroaches running around.

  “What are we going to do?” I whisper.

  “Hope they run past us.”

  My heart sinks. We are sitting ducks.

  He squeezes my hand reassuringly, but it does nothing to calm my fears. We cannot see them, but we c
an hear their awful taunting.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are…”

  “Annabel, Big Red said I can have you first,” one of the prisoners yells. High-pitched laughter follows.

  “Don’t listen to them,” Meemo whispers. My hands feel as though someone has taken over my body; they cannot stop shaking.

  “They’re at Jerry’s house,” Brandon says quietly.

  “Hide, kids… over there.” Meemo points to the back of her house. At first all I see is just a pile of junk, and then I see a gap behind the rubbish.

  I grab my knife out of my bag… I’m not going down without a fight!

  Brandon looks at me and nods. “Good idea.”

  He takes another knife and we both squeeze down, pinned between rubbish and the wall. Meemo throws her body onto the sofa.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Brandon asks.

  “Pretending to sleep, why else would my lights be off,” Meemo whispers.

  Smart thinking.

  “Leave me alone!” we hear Jerry yell. And then there is silence. A few moments later, we hear the army marching toward us.

  “Be silent,” Meemo urges.

  “Come out, little piggy,” one of the prisoners yells. He is right outside Meemo’s house.

  Fists start banging loudly, shaking the door.

  “Meemo….We don’t want you, we want the kids.”

  Meemo doesn’t make a sound.

  “Get out here!” he shouts angrily. And then there is the sound of glass shattering.

  Oh God, they broke the window in. I place my hand over my mouth to prevent my screams.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Meemo yells.

  “Send them out, and we will spare you.”

  “Send who out?”

  “The kids! Your neighbor told us.”

  “Who, that crack head Jerry? Give me a break, he talks to the rats.” Meemo lets out her bellowing laugh again.

  “You will not be laughing for long…. Big Red, we found them!” he calls out.

  This is it… we’re dead.

  Chapter 33

  Rock the Boat.

  JADA

  We all stop running once we get to the dock at mid-town. Gérard had told us he had a boat waiting. But this was not quite what I was expecting; this is not boat, it’s more like a yacht for famous people.

  “Damn, Gérard, you are Batman… what secret toys do you have waiting for us at the other side?” Haytham jokes.

  Haytham is really unpredictable. He hasn’t said a word to Gérard since we left the hospital because he was in a bad mood about Hanna. Now he is cracking jokes with him!

  Gérard turns toward Haytham and smiles. I’m glad they are friends again.

  “You’ll have to wait and see,” Gérard says.

  A man Gérard’s age comes walking toward us. They shake hands and begin to speak French to each other. I hate it when people speak in another language that I cannot understand!

  They continue talking for a little longer, then Gérard says my name.

  That’s it!

  “Gérard, in English please,” I snap, all my patience gone. It washed away with the bridge.

  “Sorry, my dear, how rude of me. I’m André, a friend of your parents and now a friend of yours.” He holds out his hand to me, and I do the same. But instead of shaking it, he turns it over and kisses the top. I can feel my cheeks glowing red.

  “We don’t have much time; everyone on the yacht, the plane is getting ready to go,” André announces in his dreamy French accent.

  “You coming?” Zak asks.

  We all pile onto the yacht, and its whiteness is almost blinding.

  “Gérard, we cannot go yet… where is my father?” Kyra asks frantically.

  “And my family, where are they?” Haytham asks.

  André and Gérard quickly speak in French to each other. Then André and Gérard look up and down the street and we all do the same. They are not here.

  Other people are, however, and they’ve just realized that the yacht is about to leave.

  “Hey, can I come on your boat?” a person on the dock asks Gérard. And then another, then more.

  “I will pay you,” someone shouts. The crowd of people moves toward the yacht, panicking that they’re going to be stranded with no way to get home.

  “Haytham, Kyra, André will come back for them,” Gérard explains.

  André quickly unties the boat and starts the engine.

  “No, I want to wait for them!” Haytham cries.

  “Haytham, if we don’t go now, they will get on the boat.” Gérard points at the angry mob closing in on us, shouting abuse.

  “Haytham, Gérard’s gotten us this far… we have to trust him,” I say. Haytham frantically runs his hand over his temple, and I softly rub his arm. “They’ll be okay.”

  “Come on then, André, let’s see what this yacht can do!” Haytham says, smiling down at me.

  André salutes to Haytham, and the boat slowly begins to float along the river. At this rate, we’re all going to miss the plane. But suddenly, before I can finish my thought, the yacht takes off, flying over the waves, then dipping down as though it's testing the water's temperature with its toe.

  We all crash into one another, and our silence is broken with laughter as water laps over us, washing away our worries as if we are being reborn. Even Ashton lets out a giggle, as he still holds on tightly to Gérard.

  “Is that fast enough for you, Haytham?” Gérard asks. Haytham’s face is alive with real joy. I’ve never seen him this excited.

  “Can it go any faster?” he asks, laughing.

  “Only if we get rid of some extra weight… you jumping off?” Gérard says playfully.

  “Think I’ll pass,” Haytham yells over the crashing waves.

  “Hey, how are you doing?” I ask Kyra. She’s been quiet since we left the bridge, only breaking her silence to cry occasionally.

  Kyra pulls her knees up to her chest and hugs them. I place my arm around her. “The pain will fade a little after time,” I lie.

  Kyra sobs into my shoulder. We sit there for the whole journey, and I listen to the waves crashing against the board.

  “Kids, get everything together. We are here,” Gérard instructs. “Kyra, your father will be with you soon… Jada, can you carry Ashton for a minute?”

  “Sure.” I reach out for him, and a faint smile appears. He reminds me so much of Lucas.

  Kyra stokes Ashton’s hair and heads off toward Ali, as everyone exits the yacht.

  “André, are you sure? I can drive the yacht back,” I hear Gérard saying.

  “Gérard, after all the years of you saving my life, it's the least I can do,” André explains. I stay silent, hoping they don’t realize that I’m here.

  “Does Jada know you are her father?” André asks.

  “How did you know?”

  “Christian told me,” André answers, like its common knowledge.

  “Bloody hell, he’s got a big mouth!” Gérard snaps.

  Suddenly they appear around the corner. Oh no, Gérard will know I’ve heard them!

  “Jada...mmm… I thought you were with the others,” Gérard says nervously.

  “I know.” My mind has gone blank. I cannot think straight.

  “Jada, are you okay?” he asks me, concerned.

  I feel sick. This is just too much.

  “Can you take him?” I pass Ashton to Gérard before he can answer, and then I drop to the ground. The world is spinning around me. I’ve spent the last year planning how to get my father back, and all this time he’s been right here! But he is not my father… not really! Gérard wasn’t there on my first day of school or when I needed him! Gérard is not my father, I don’t care what anyone says! My father is trapped in Syria. I have to find him, and he will tell me the truth.

  “Jada, Jada, are you okay?” I can hear voices, but they all become a blur as everything goes dark.

  *****

&
nbsp; “Ahhh...” My body jumps as I wake up. Where am I?

  “Jada, here, drink some water,” Faith instructs me.

  “You gave us a scare,” Gérard adds, as he bends over and stares down at me.

  “What happened? Where am I?” I ask, confused.

  “We are in a car on the way to the airport; we will be there in a minute,” Zak says softly, as he strokes my hair. My head is on his lap.

  “You passed out… it's been one long day for you kids,” Faith explains.

  Does Faith know that Gérard thinks he’s my father? Have they both been lying to me?

  Quickly I raise my head from Zak’s knee. “I’m fine now!” I snap. Everyone in the car turns and stares at me.

  “Just thirsty, thank you, Faith,” I add as politely as I can.

  Faith and Gérard go and sit back in their seats.

  I rest my head back down on Zak’s lap; he strokes my hair once again. I close my eyes for a moment, remembering back to when it was just me and Zak playing in the fields back home, sharing our single moments of happiness. Will I ever lead a normal life?

  Before my body allows itself to drift into a peaceful sleep, the car stops. “We are here,” Gérard announces.

  “Haytham, Kyra, have you been able to get in touch with your parents?” Gérard asks, as he waves his phone in the air. “I’m not getting an answer from anyone.”

  “The last time I spoke with Dad, he was on his way to the docks,” Kyra answers as she plunges her arm into her bag, pulling out her phone.

  “Mother said they were stuck in traffic, but nearly there,” Haytham adds in a panic, with his phone to his ear.

  “Great! They cut the phones again, everyone out!” Gérard exclaims. We all exit the car quickly.

  “Gérard… Gérard, hurry, the plane is about to go without you!” a man comes running over, yelling.

  “Without me! It’s my plane!” Gérard shouts.

  “It’s been on the news… The President has addressed the country… everyone knows,” the man says frantically.

  “Kids, run! Run to the plane!”

  There is a small Cessna waiting on the runway, with its front propellers spinning. Zak grabs my hand and we all sprint toward it as Liquorice bounces behind us.