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Johnson nudges me and then gestures towards the door to first class. ‘Think we could make it?’ he whispers.

The Non-Ape sits down in the row of seats we’re hiding behind and the chair squeals loudly in protest at his massive weight. He’ll have his back to us and we might just be able to
crawl away without him hearing.

‘What’d he do to Billie?’ asks the Ape.

‘You don’t know?’

Johnson gestures at Billie to get ready to move.

‘I don’t like talking about it,’ says the Non-Ape, and the heaviness in his heart takes me by surprise.

‘Go, Rev,’ whispers Johnson, who seems less than keen to hang around and discover what horrors his alter ego might be capable of.

I take a breath and start to edge on all fours as quietly as I can towards the door. It means coming out into the aisle but it’s the best chance we’ve got while the Non-Ape’s
back is turned.

The Non-Ape shifts in his seat and the springs in the upholstery squeal again. I freeze, not even daring to look back.

‘You found anyone on the train yet?’ says our Ape.

Thanks a million, Ape
, I think as I edge closer to the door, desperate not to be heard.

‘I’ll look in my own time.’ The Non-Ape sounds like he has fallen into a pit of sadness as he thinks of his version of Billie.

I carry on edging slowly forward.

‘Listen, there’s no point coming back to town,’ the Ape says.

‘How come?’

‘It’s all empty.’

‘You’re there.’

‘But I’m not going to be.’

I can feel Johnson crawling behind me. It’s taking every ounce of self-control I possess to not just get up and run for it. Because she has waited for us to pass, Billie is going to be
last out of the carriage and I can see she is tense and coiled like a cat, ready to move when she can.

The Non-Ape shifts in his seat and again the springs squeal. He’s going to turn round any second now, I know it.

‘I’ve got to go, got another call coming through,’ says the Ape, obviously tiring of the brainpower this phone call is taking.

I dare to edge faster towards the door connecting the carriages and Johnson is doing the same behind me. I gently reach for the handle and turn it as carefully as I can. The door is slowly
opening when it makes the tiniest click.

‘Hang on,’ says the Non-Ape to the Ape. ‘Think I heard something.’

The Non-Ape gets to his feet. Johnson and me are now totally exposed. I look quickly back expecting to see Non-Ape looming over us, but he’s still facing away. All he needs to do is turn
his head and he’ll see us.

I don’t know what to do until Johnson touches my ankle. ‘Quick,’ he mouths.

Johnson and I move as swiftly and as silently as we can behind the last seat in the carriage before the Non-Ape turns. Johnson heaves me back into his lap as the Non-Ape calls out.

‘Anyone there?’ he bellows.

The Non-Ape waits a few seconds for a response. Billie has clasped her head in her arms – she can’t bear to look or listen.

‘Tickets please!’ He laughs again and I can’t believe the joke hasn’t grown old. ‘You still there?’ he says into the phone, but the Ape has hung up on him. It
seems like an eternity passes until finally Non-Ape tosses my phone on the nearest seat, then turns and heads for the rear of the carriage where he climbed on board. Johnson is already blowing out
a long silent sigh of relief when there’s a gentle shunt that stops him mid sigh.

We wait. The train has definitely moved. I dare to sneak a look and see the Non-Ape turn back and frown. There’s a clunk from outside, followed by a steamy hiss. GG has uncoupled our
carriage and is going to try and escape with Carrie and the Moth. Our carriage starts shuddering as the Non-Ape charges down it, heading for the departing train. He tears through the door and leaps
out on to the track.

‘Hey! HEY!’

Johnson’s phone vibrates with a text. It’s from GG.
GO!

We don’t get what he means at first. Another text follows swiftly. This one’s from Carrie.
Going to lead him away.

I understand GG’s thinking, but all he’s done is enrage the Non-Ape, who lumbers down the track after them. He might be incredibly strong, but thankfully he doesn’t change into
some sort of speedy animal like Moth Two did. He tries to run and for a second I think he’s going to catch the first-class carriage, but GG hits the accelerator and pulls the train out of his
reach. The Non-Ape swipes mightily but hits thin air and then goes into an ungainly tumble and crashes to the ground. He bellows after them, his great voice booming down the line.

‘Hey! Where you going? Hey! It’s me! Dazza!’

The train disappears around a curve in the track with Non-Ape still in hot pursuit and I lean back into Johnson as a wave of relief washes over me. But Johnson is already on his feet and
dragging me upright.

‘Rev, Billie, move!’

I grab my phone as Johnson reaches for Billie, who is still wrapped in her ball of fear. He takes her hand and speaks gently to her. ‘C’mon.’ Billie looks up, takes a second to
register, and then when she sees Johnson her eyes light up. He gives her a gentle smile. ‘We’ve got to go.’

He takes her hand and together the three of us hurry to the opposite end of the carriage, Johnson all but pushing me on to the tracks before turning and lifting Billie down. We head straight
down the steep embankment, slipping and sliding and skidding until we are well out of sight. Ducking into the undergrowth, Johnson holds Billie close as we wait to see if the Non-Ape is following
us.

Seconds tick by.

‘You OK?’

‘What’s OK?’ I manage to grin.

‘Billie?’ he says.

‘Yeah,’ she says, but she’s still weak and she’s still in a daze. ‘Yeah, I’m good.’

We wait in silence until we’re sure the Non-Ape didn’t see us escape from the carriage. Johnson pulls Billie to her feet and dusts her down. She smiles at him and then whispers
something that I can’t hear. He nods though and then offers her a cigarette
.
Billie has never smoked in her life, but Johnson lights one for her in his mouth and then hands it to
her. She takes a long drag and turns to me. I thought it was just my imagination before, but this time I know it’s real. Her eyes have turned black again.

As we make our way towards town, careful to keep out of sight of the Non-Ape, Johnson phones our Ape. ‘Where are you?’

‘Tesco. Can’t get out in case Rev Two sees me.’

‘Me, Billie and the real Rev are coming to you.’

‘Be quick, there’s a sale on in the fruit aisle.’

‘Will do.’

‘That was a joke, Johnson, you’re meant to laugh.’

‘I am, inside.’

‘Is Rev Two still crying?’ I ask the Ape.

‘Dunno.’

‘You must know.’

‘Got distracted.’

I shake my head at the Ape and wonder if it’s going to be his curse in life to have such an all-consuming fascination for staring at girls’ chests.

‘We’re going to talk to her, but if it turns bad, you’ve got to be ready,’ says Johnson.

‘I’m always ready.’

We’re sticking to the trees and the undergrowth as best we can but when it gets too thick or overgrown we have to keep edging out onto the trackside, which leaves us visible and
vulnerable.

The Non-Ape is still nowhere to be seen as we reach the small train station. Billie, Johnson and I haven’t spoken much along the way. The only sound is the vibration of Johnson’s
phone as he shares texts with GG and then whispers updates to us.

You get away?
texted GG.

Yeah. U? Where r u?

Lost Giant Ape. Heading to London. Hope to find people!

Good luck.

U2. We will keep in touch.

We walk up the ramp towards the platform, wary of anything that might spell trouble. The empty town that awaits us feels alien now. Hostile.

‘You really think you can talk to her?’ I ask Johnson.

‘I’m hoping.’

‘She might be really aggressive or violent.’

‘Or she might be like you,’ he says simply.

Billie is finding it hard to keep up and she looks vacant, like a shell of her former self.

‘Not far now,’ I tell her and try to forget that Johnson just paid me a compliment. At least I think he did.

GG texts Johnson again.
Moth says find the thesis thingy.

?
Johnson texts back.

Rev’s dad’s science paper.

‘Does he think my dad has something to do with this?’

‘He’s thinking something.’

‘I don’t want to go back to my flat. We’ll have to cross through town. We’ll be lucky to get to the supermarket as it is. These things could be anywhere.’

Johnson debates for a second and then texts GG back.

We’ll get it.

I think I knew he was going to respond that way even before Johnson did himself. I’m starting to work him out, to see him a lot more clearly. He is all about the go-forward. He isn’t
going to hesitate, he’s going to act. Then, almost as if he’s reading my mind he looks at me.

‘Today is today,’ he says. ‘And our choices are limited.’

His ability to stay in the moment is borderline eerie.

‘You never read your dad’s paper?’

‘Never.’

‘Was it read by many people?’

‘I guess not.’

‘Which begs the big one. What’s in it that no one was allowed to read?’ he says.

I don’t get to respond because the Ape phones Johnson.

‘She’s gone.’

‘Rev Two?’

‘Duh?’

‘Gone where?’

‘How would I know?’

‘She leave the burned man?’

‘That’s gone too.’

‘You were supposed to be watching her.’

‘I was doing stuff.’

I snatch the phone from Johnson. ‘What stuff??’

‘You know. Stuff.’

My hand tightens around the phone and I wish it was the Ape’s neck because I’d squeeze it until he choked.

‘So she’s out in town?’

‘Easy to spot though – she’s dragging a burned dead man with her.’

I hand the phone back to Johnson before I burst a blood vessel. Finding Lucas dead, the weird doppelgangers, the missing world population, the Ape’s stupidity – it’s just not
fair to expect a sixteen-year-old to be able to deal with all of that.

‘Ape, we need to get to Rev’s flat.’

‘Cool. I’ll show you my new weapon.’

‘Can’t wait,’ I sigh sarcastically.

‘And tell you about this woman that phoned me.’

Johnson and I almost freeze solid. Even Billie stirs from her weary trance-like state.

‘Say again,’ Johnson says.

‘This woman. She cut in when I was talking to uh— I can’t be sure, right, but I think it was me.’

‘A woman?’

‘Yeah.’

‘What did she say?’

‘Johnson,’ Billie whispers. He tries to shush her, but she makes him look to where she’s pointing. ‘I mean it’s you. Johnson,’ she says, even though she
doesn’t need to because we’ve all seen him now. Other-Johnson, sitting in the town square, long lean legs stretched out, black pointed boots up on the bench, a trilby pushed back over
his dark curls.

‘I can’t remember what she said,’ offers the Ape. ‘Used loads of big words.’

But we’re no longer listening, as we duck quickly out of sight behind a builder’s skip that’s been left beside some scaffolding. What do we do now?

‘The Ape spoke to a woman, as in an adult, as in someone else,’ whispers Billie not knowing whether to be excited or scared.

I’m trying to take it all in but something else is taking my attention. I touch Johnson’s shoulder.

‘That Other-Johnson . . .’

‘Yeah?’

‘I think he’s reading my dad’s science paper.’

Johnson leans forward, peering at Other-Johnson. He’s the second one of us to actually see his own double and it has got him spooked. Even Johnson, the King of Cool, is thrown by this.

‘Is that what I look like?’ he whispers.

‘Yeah,’ sighs Billie.

‘Thought I was bigger.’

‘Bigger?’ I ask.

‘Bigger built. More muscle.’

I look at Other-Johnson and then at the real Johnson and they are identical apart from the fact that Other-Johnson is wearing a trilby.

‘You look great,’ I say without thinking. And then find myself blushing. ‘I mean, you look, uh, like you normally do.’

Billie raises an eyebrow at me. I pretend not to notice and look away, but clearly she’s starting to sense that I like Johnson and in that raised eyebrow there are all sorts of messages
being sent my way. One of them is very clear:
Back off, he’s mine
.

Johnson doesn’t notice any of this because he can’t take his eyes from Other-Johnson. ‘I don’t wear a hat,’ is all he says.

‘You should. It suits you,’ says Billie.

‘Why’s he reading your dad’s work, Rev?’ he asks.

‘No idea.’

‘That’s helpful,’ says Billie.

‘But it’s not
my
dad’s work though,’ I say. ‘Or is it? I’m confused.’