Gabe held the knife in one blood-slick hand. His arms were spread wide and he was crouched low, bouncing on the balls of his feet, a look of cold calculation in his eyes.
The three of them stood in a tense triangular formation – Zoe still too near the edge of the roof, Allie across from her, afraid to move any closer but desperate to protect her. Gabe, by the chimney facing them both.
He focused on Zoe. ‘Listen little girl. You should take her advice. Otherwise, I’m going to kill your friend Allie and then I’m going to kill you.’ His tone was so casual, he might have been telling her what he had for dinner.
She cocked her head with bird-like curiosity. In her pleated skirt and white blouse, she looked younger than fourteen.
‘You’re Gabe,’ Zoe announced. ‘I saw you in London.’
His lips curved into a cruel smile, but then she finished the thought. ‘You were unconscious.’ She studied his head. ‘Did that leave a scar? It looked like it hurt.’
‘Enough.’
With a sound like a snarl, he rushed at her, knife raised. Her centre of gravity was low and she danced out of his reach, ducking with such speed and smoothness he nearly lost his balance. At the edge of the roof, he swung his arms hard until he regained his footing.
Zoe stood next to Allie.
‘You’re bleeding,’ she said, eyes on her neck. ‘It looks superficial to me. It’s not arterial. But you should apply pressure.’
Allie blinked. Then she remembered Zoe’s new-found fascination with all things blood. She must have been hanging out with the nurses. Asking them questions. Collecting information whenever she wasn’t working in Dom’s office.
Allie didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t keep herself safe, much less take care of Zoe, too.
‘Come on, little girl,’ Gabe waved his knife. ‘Don’t be afraid.’
‘What a wanker,’ Zoe murmured, eyes following the blade.
Allie watched the knife, too.
‘He’s good, Zoe,’ she said. ‘Fast.’
‘I’m fast, too,’ the other girl kept her voice low. ‘Break left when he comes. I’ll break right.’
Allie had no chance to argue.
Gabe ran at them, scrambling up the steep roof.
At the last possible second, Allie sped left, her eyes on Zoe the whole time. The younger girl was a bullet, flying low and fast away from Gabe. They met together near the edge of the roof.
It was steep, and Allie had to work to keep her balance. They were momentarily safe, but now Gabe had the advantage of height. He glared down at them with open irritation.
‘I’m sick of your games.’ He waved the knife. ‘Allie. Come here or I swear I’ll kill the other one.’
‘Don’t,’ Zoe warned her.
None of them was lowering their voices. Allie couldn’t understand why nobody had heard them and come up to see what was going on. A guard. A teacher. Someone to help them.
She didn’t know what to do. They could hold Gabe off, but they couldn’t beat him. Eventually he’d get what he wanted.
She couldn’t feel the wound in her neck anymore. All she could feel was panic for Zoe. She couldn’t bear for Gabe to hurt her. Couldn’t stand the idea that he would do to her what he’d done to Jo. She’d rather die than see that happen.
‘Fine.’ She held up her hands. Zoe shot her a furious look but Allie ignored her. ‘I’ll come to you. But first you have to let her go.’
Gabe’s stance relaxed. He glanced from Allie to Zoe, and tossed the knife into the air. It spun twice, deadly beautiful in the moonlight.
Catching it with practiced ease, he pointed the tip at Zoe and motioned towards the sloping section of the roof that lead down to the ledge and escape.
‘Fine. Get lost kid. You’re saved.’ He turned to Allie and smiled horribly. ‘She’s the one I want, anyway.’
Zoe didn’t move. Her lips were set in a tight line.
‘Zoe, you have to go.’ Allie had begun to shake again but she was resolute. ‘I won’t lose you.’
Zoe looked up at her, eyes too bright. ‘You lose me if you die.’
But it would hurt less, Allie thought, holding her gaze.
Grabbing Zoe’s narrow shoulders, she gave a forceful shrug, propelling her down the roof.
‘Just go,’ she said again, raising her voice.
Zoe shot Allie a betrayed look, and took two reluctant steps away.
Gabe rolled his eyes and tossed the knife in the air again.
‘I can’t handle the emotion,’ he said.
Something about that seemed to make up Zoe’s mind. Allie saw the sudden determination in her face. But Gabe didn’t know her well enough to notice it.
Without warning she pivoted and shot up towards him – a slim arrow of muscle and bone, flying across a century-old roof, her hair streaming behind.
Too late Gabe realised what she was doing. ‘What —?’
She loosed a high, brutal kick, straight to his midsection. Taken by surprise, he grunted from the blow and lost his balance, rolling twice on the roof before stopping himself with sheer, brute strength.
Zoe whirled back towards him. Fast and light.
‘Zoe!’ Allie cried, and ran after her. Knowing what would happen next. Knowing how quickly Gabe recovered. Knowing Zoe had never seen him fight.