‘Allie.’ Katie waved for her attention.
It was annoying how she managed to look effortlessly beautiful even now. Exercise had brought a glow to her cheeks and sent her shoulder-length ponytail bouncing into copper curls.
‘This running thing…’ Katie cast her a coy look. ‘Do I have to?’
Allie rolled her eyes. ‘You’re going to fight this every step of the way, aren’t you?’
‘Of course.’
Taking her by the arm, Allie dragged her into the shadowy corridor.
‘Everything we do here? You have to do it, too.’
‘God. Running is so dull,’ Katie complained.
In that instant, her crisp, upper-class accent reminded Allie so strongly of Jo it made her chest ache.
‘Running is boring unless someone’s chasing you,’ she said. ‘Which around here is almost guaranteed. Let’s go.’
7
By the time Allie and Katie emerged through one of the old Victorian building’s many hidden doorways into a moonlit night, the other students had already disappeared.
Allie didn’t like this – the group shouldn’t be separating right now. Especially when the younger students were out for their first night run. She could only hope Zoe and Lucas would keep them together.
Katie peered around them. ‘Where do we go now?’
‘Let’s just take the usual route.’
Katie held up her perfectly manicured hands. ‘Which is…?’
‘Which is follow me.’ Allie took off at speed, and Katie followed, complaining under her breath as they hurtled across he smooth grass.
When they reached the woods, all light disappeared. Allie knew the forest footpaths like the back of her hand, but Katie didn’t. Almost immediately in her struggle to keep up, she tripped over a tree root and nearly fell.
After that, Allie reluctantly slowed her pace. It was a quiet night – the only sound the rasp of their breathing and the drumming of their feet against the hard ground.
Allie cast a sideways glance at Katie. She had an easy natural stride and moved lightly, but she was already breathing heavily.
Sensing her gaze, Katie glanced up – her eyes a flash of green in the gloaming.
‘Are we there yet?’
Allie snorted. ‘You wish. We’re just getting started.’
They still hadn’t seen any of the others. Allie squinted into the darkness ahead, straining for any sign that they were gaining on them. But they were alone.
‘Could we… slow… down…’ Katie was panting heavily. ‘… just a little?’
Reluctantly, Allie gave up on finding everyone else and dropped her speed to a gentle jog.
‘Thanks,’ Katie gasped, clutching her side. ‘Dying.’
Her face was bright red.
‘You’re actually doing really well,’ Allie said. ‘You should have seen me on my first run. I nearly passed out. Carter practically…’
The sentence died on her lips. Saying his name aloud reminded her where he was right now.
It hurt like a punch.
The look Katie gave her then was surprisingly sympathetic. ‘He’ll be OK, you know.’
‘I know,’ Allie said, her voice low.
‘Nathaniel will have taken him for a reason,’ Katie said. ‘He doesn’t do things just to be a wanker. He’s too smart for that. He only does what he thinks will increase his chances of victory. He knows how you feel about Carter so he’ll want him alive. To him, Carter is a weapon.’
If this was supposed to make Allie feel better it failed dismally.
Nathaniel was ruthless. Carter was his knife.
Allie desperately needed Katie to stop trying to cheer her up.
‘I think I see Rachel and Nicole ahead,’ she said. ‘Let’s catch up to them.’
She increased her speed.
Behind her she heard Katie say, ‘Oh bugger.’
From then on, Allie ran as fast as she needed to in order to be certain Katie didn’t have the breath to talk.
They really did find Rachel and Nicole near the old stone wall that surrounded the chapel. Rachel had stopped to catch her breath; Nicole, who didn’t even look winded, was waiting patiently in a pool of moonlight when Allie and Katie jogged up.
Katie slid down the stone wall to the ground next to Rachel, her face dripping sweat.
‘Can’t… breathe…’ she gasped.
‘Right there with you.’ Rachel looked exhausted.
Allie turned to Nicole. ‘Any sign of Zoe or Lucas?’
The French girl shook her head. ‘I think they took a different route.’
‘And I’ve been slowing us down.’ Climbing stiffly to her feet, Rachel pressed her foot against the wall to stretch. ‘As usual.’
Nicole’s smile was indulgent. ‘It’s not a race.’
It kind of was a race, but it seemed mean to say that.
‘We should get going,’ Allie said instead.
She glanced down at Katie who had folded her torso over her outstretched legs and was pressing her face to her knees with apparent effortlessness. ‘You ready, Katie?’