‘Yeah, good one. OK?’ he said to Tamzin.
‘OK,’ she said, as if it didn’t matter one way or another.
‘So, are you into Indie pop?’
‘Oh, like, yeah,’ Tamzin breathed.
‘My band’s playing a gig on Friday. How about you come? We’re Jenneration.’
‘Could do. I’ll visit my mum in the afternoon then I’ll be free in the evening.’
George banged open the kitchen door. ‘So we could meet up for pizza, if you don’t mind hanging around while we sound check? See you, Diane.’
‘Bye, Diane. Yes, that would be OK. I’ll give you my mobile number and you can text me …’ The door shut behind them.
‘Bye, then.’ Diane plunged the plates into white, glistening suds, letting the tangy smell of Fairy Liquid rise around her in a cloud of steam. Maybe a little attention from a looker like George would do more for Tamzin than doctor’s pills.
It was brilliant to see Tamzin looking so much like a normal twenty-year old.
Even if it meant that Tamzin hadn’t needed James to accompany her to Diane’s house when, actually, Diane had been looking forward to seeing him. Even though she knew it was quite the wrong thing to do.
Chapter Fifteen
Chadda-chadda-chadda. The now familiar sensations of lift, the seat kicking against his legs and back as the helicopter pauses in hover and the rotor chops the air.
Then they’re being snatched up and hurled towards the trees as if by a giant trebuchet. He bellows, ‘Put us down! Put us down! You idiot, why are you flying like this?’
Valerie, chewing gum, turns. Gareth’s image is reflected in her aviator glasses but she ignores his howls.
‘Watch out, Alpha Zulu, you’re close to the Eastern perimeter trees,’warns the unseen air-traffic controller.
Higher, closer come the trees, thrashing, tossing in the wash from the rotor. ‘Climb. Climb. Climb! Climb now! Valerie, climb!’ Gareth clutches his seat and thinks of Diane, what she’d say if she could see him perched in this mechanical dragonfly.
‘Shut up. There’s only one pilot on this aircraft.’
‘Alpha Zulu! You are too CLOSE –’
Abruptly, Valerie yanks the cyclic lever back until there is only sky. With horrible inevitability she shoves it forward again and grenades and rifles fill his head as the helicopter hits the trees, plunging and lurching like a furious horse. It pauses … then pitches earthwards as if spat from a cyclone.
Valerie screams and screams …
Gareth’s head snaps helplessly forward, back, and his legs and arms flail into Valerie’s as Valerie’s limbs windmill uncontrollably into his.
The engine shrieks and the machine thrashes itself to death against the unforgiving earth.
Sirens. Shouting, closer. Running feet. Panted words. ‘There’s fuel every-bloody-where. Valerie North has managed to miss the sky.’
Gareth can hear himself groaning.
A flash of high-viz clothing appears in a gap in what was left of the acrylic bubble. ‘All right, mate. You’re all right. The paramedics will have you out. Can you hear me? We’re the fire crew, and we’ll see you’re OK. You stay with me, all right? The paramedics will get you to a hospital.’
The groans get louder. Hospital! Sensation floods in – the cage of his chest is on fire, his fingers have been slammed in a car door, his arms wrenched from their sockets, a giant has stamped on his legs before giving his head a proper kicking.
Diane’s going to find out — !
Gareth smashed into sweaty consciousness with his lips stretched into a silent squeal of fear, not the rotor but his heartbeat’swhump-whump-whumpfilling his ears.
He couldn’t move – his fingers or his arm or his legs; he was fast in a giant spider’s web. He was paralysed, he was stuck, he was helpless … No. No, he was hurt.
