Terror Kid (12 page)

Rohan gently put his hands on Rico's shoulders and turned him towards the stairs, then led him straight to the bathroom.

‘Do what you like. There are towels, shampoo; we even got nail cutters in the cabinet next to the mirror. It's all yours. Just give us a shout if you need anything else – and take your time.'

Rico spent forty minutes in the bathroom, and when he came out he felt and looked like a different person, but he sensed there was something wrong. Rohan and Dean were being too nice to him. He asked to watch some TV again and the subject was changed quickly. They showed him old family photos in an album, and newer family photos on a laptop computer. Rico feigned interest in order not to upset his hosts.

Back in the cabin they started to talk about the obvious.

‘They're looking for you everywhere, you know?' said Rohan.

‘I know,' replied Rico.

‘You're a bit of a hero, you know?' said Dean.

Rico shook his head.

‘No, you got that wrong. I'm no hero.'

‘What are you saying?' said Rohan. ‘You're the man, you're the one everyone's talking about. Terror Kid, that's what they're calling you, and everyone's scared of you.'

‘“Terror Kid,”' Rico said, surprised.

‘Yes. The most dangerous kid in the country, public enemy number one. If they get you you're going away for a long time, a very long time, but you're safe here. We have a plan.'

Rico raised his eyebrows and looked at the pair, his eyes darting from one to another.

‘What plan?'

Rohan went and stood by the door; Dean went and sat right next to Rico and began to speak.

‘We'll help you as much as we can but if you want to survive out here you're going to need some money. We haven't got much but we know where to get some.'

‘I've got some money,' said Rico.

‘How much?' asked Rohan.

Rico wasn't sure if he should tell them, but he had already said too much.

‘About a hundred pounds.'

Rohan laughed.

Dean continued to speak quietly and calmly.

‘You can't survive out here on a hundred quid. You need more. We need more, and we're not even on the run. We have a plan to raise our financial status, but we need you.'

‘What do you need me for?'

‘You know how to make big bombs, and we need a little one, a little tiny baby one.'

Rico jumped out of his seat.

‘I don't make bombs!' he shouted. ‘That wasn't me. Do you hear me? It wasn't me!'

Dean was unmoved. ‘So what you on the run for?'

‘It's complicated, I can't explain now.'

‘There's no need for you to explain. Sit down, and let
me
explain.'

Rico sat down slowly and Dean continued.

‘There's this shop you see, and in this shop there's sweets and cigarettes, and chocolates and magazines, and there's a cash point. This cash point is a bit stubborn. It's not the cash point's fault. The problem is they put it in the wall, and it's concreted in.'

‘Why are you telling me this?' asked Rico.

‘We've done a dry run so we've got a way into this shop,' continued Dean. ‘So we want to go in, and take that cash machine away. But we need you to make a little baby bomb, just enough to blow it off the wall, and trust me, everything will be all right.'

Rico shook his head and spoke firmly. ‘I told you, I don't know how to make bombs.'

Then Rohan joined in.

‘Hey, man. Whatever you call that thing you made that ripped the cop station apart, that's what we want. That was top class, but we're not in that class. We don't understand politics, we're not freedom fighters or anything like that. We're just poor people who need a bit of money to make life better for us, and at the same time we can help you. You just make the thing, tell us how to use it, and then you wait here. We'll go, do the job, come back, give you a cut, then you do anything you want. If you want to stay here, you can; if you want to move on, you can. You can do whatever you want to do – you'll have the money for it.'

Dean took over.

‘It's easy. Come on, look what we've done for you.'

Rico jumped up again. This time he really shouted.

‘Yes, you helped me, thanks, but I didn't make a bomb, so forget it.'

Without warning, Dean lost control. He punched Rico on the side of his head. Rico went to the floor. Dean jumped straight on him, put his hands tight around his throat, and shouted at him as he shook Rico's head violently from side to side.

‘After all we've done for you! If it weren't for us you'd still be walking the streets. We could turn you in any time, we could grass you up, but we just ask you for a bit of help. You don't help us but you help your Muslim friends.'

Rohan hurried over and pulled Dean off Rico.

‘Cool down, Dean. Just chill, man. Go and see if Mum and Dad are back.

Dean got up and left the cabin, cursing as he went.

Rico was stunned by the attack. Rohan helped him to his feet and sat him back down. The inside of Rico's head was spinning, the outside felt as if a brick had been implanted in it. After sitting in a chair next to Rico and giving him a bit of time to recover, Rohan began to try to persuade Rico again.

‘Sorry about that. Sometimes Dean just goes crazy, and he's got a bit of a temper on him. Listen, everyone in the country knows how good you are. We just need a bit of help. We're not big-time, we do a little job here, a little job there, make a bit of cash here, a bit of cash there, we're just small-time hustlers. Now, you can help us, can't you?'

‘I can't,' said Rico very quietly.

‘Well,' said Rohan. ‘I always try to be reasonable. I like to talk things through, but Dean's not like that. You've seen how he can just lose his temper. He's desperate, and when he's desperate he's dangerous. I don't know if I can protect you if he loses it again. That's all I'm saying. Come on, do this for us.'

Rico sat looking at the floor. He thought so hard he could feel the electricity in his brain. He was trapped, and he could see only one way out. He nodded his head. ‘OK.'

‘Good,' said Rohan. ‘Now what do you need?'

‘First of all I need to rest my head,' said Rico.

‘I understand,' said Rohan smoothly. ‘I'll go and have a word with Dean. I'll make sure he won't be doing that again, but you will help us, won't you?'

‘Yes,' said Rico. ‘I'll do it. I just need some petrol and some – some – some fertiliser. I'll do it.'

Rico didn't really know what he was talking about. He thought that petrol ignites, and he had heard on the news that fertiliser can blow up, so he said the first things that came into his head to make Rohan go away. To Rohan it was music to his ears. Rico sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Rohan smiled a smile of satisfaction.

‘We can get that stuff. You get your head together and we'll come back and have a chat. How does that sound?'

‘OK,' said Rico. ‘Yes, we can do business.'

As soon as Rohan left, Rico grabbed a bread roll and gathered his few things together. He opened the curtain just enough to see Rohan enter the house. He thought quickly. Getting out of the entrance at the side of the house was risky; the gate was too near the house. Climbing over the side fence was also risky; he could be seen from the house. So he got his bag, opened the door and slipped round the back of the cabin where he couldn't be seen. Then he jumped over the fence and ran through the garden that backed onto the house behind. He ran to the side entrance gate, but there was a dog. It was small dog, a very small dog, but it was loud and angry. Rico ran with the dog barking at his heels, but when he got to the gate it was locked. Panicking, he threw over the bag, climbed over, picked up the bag and ran along the side of the house, down the street. Once he hit the street he just ran as fast as he could, as far as he could.

 

When Rico could run no further he stopped to get his strength back. He saw a phone box, picked up the handset and put it to his ear to make it look like he was making a call, and used the time to rest. When he was fully recovered he took out the mobile phone that Lola had given him and turned it on. This time there was a message. He felt weak with relief. It was from Lola, and it was a simple message, and she was using a name that only Rico would know.

It's Woodpecker. Meet me 2nite @ 9 outside the potters house. CU. X

 

Rico had no idea what the ‘potters house' was. He ate the bread roll that he had and spent the next few hours walking from one phone box to another, until he found one with Internet access. He was tempted to check the Internet and chat rooms to see what everyone was talking about, and he thought of checking his emails, but he knew that was dangerous and would leave a trail, so in the end he just put the coins in and searched for ‘The Potters House'. It was a church and community centre, and he worked out that it wasn't too far away, so he carefully planned a route and began his journey. Once he had checked the road names and direction of travel he put his head down and went purposefully on his way.

He arrived at The Potters House and waited outside the main entrance. He wasn't sure how Lola would arrive, but within two minutes she pulled up in her Mini. The passenger door opened and he got inside. Lola leaned over, put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, whispering in his ear.

‘I'm really sorry – Kim just doesn't understand. She's a good friend but sometimes she just thinks about herself.'

‘It's OK,' he whispered back.

Lola released him and he put his bag in the footwell of the car and buckled his seatbelt.

Lola spoke as she began to drive.

‘After you left, the police surrounded the house and questioned us. It was scary. It wasn't normal police. They came with guns and everything. We didn't say anything though – well, we couldn't, we didn't know where you went – but, Rico, they're serious. I'll help you as much as I can, but you're in big trouble. They're now saying that you might have left the country and gone to an Al Qaeda training camp in Yemen.'

‘What, Al Qaeda! This is really out of control. What next? Where are we going?' asked Rico.

‘Not far.'

Lola drove down a few side streets, checking her mirrors to make she wasn't being followed, and after a short drive they arrived at a hotel. She parked the car in the car park.

‘OK,' said Lola. ‘I've already checked in, we have a twin room, you're my brother, and your name is Alex Robinson, and my name is Jill Robinson.'

Rico was nervous. ‘Is it safe?'

‘It's easy. You don't need to check in. Just go where I go but look like you know where you're going. It's a big hotel, with a big reception, so no one's going to notice you – unless you draw attention to yourself.'

‘OK.'

‘Right. Let's do it,' said Lola.

They entered the hotel and Rico stuck with Lola as she walked past the reception to the elevator. Their room on the fifth floor was small, with two single beds, a television and a small table with two chairs squeezed in. Lola's bag was already on her bed. Rico threw his bag on the floor and jumped onto the other bed, lying down and stretching as far as he could. Then, sitting up swiftly, he said, ‘I need to watch some TV.'

‘Why?'

‘Because I want to know what's going on. I'm so out of touch.'

‘You're supposed to be. Where have you been sleeping?' Lola asked.

‘I was in a horrible shed one night, and in a slightly nicer shed the next night. Turn the telly on.'

‘In a while – but tell me more.'

‘The first one was someone's garden shed. I don't know whose. Then last night I slept in a kind of cabin thing at the bottom of some guys' garden.'

‘Which guys?'

‘Just some guys I met. They recognised me and took me in, but they wanted me to go robbing with them.'

‘Rico! As if you're not in trouble already. You didn't say yes, did you?'

‘Of course not. Well, I said yes just to give me a chance to get away. Look,' Rico said, pointing to the bruise on the side of his head. ‘One of them punched me. They were weird.'

‘Are you OK now?'

‘Now that I'm away from them, yes.'

‘As long as you're OK. Do you want something to eat?'

‘Yes, at last, some real food. Where from?'

‘Room service. Just make sure you're in the bathroom when they bring the food in. We don't want to risk any staff recognising you.'

Lola ordered a large meal and when it arrived Rico did as he was told and hid in the bathroom. As they ate the meal Rico told Lola everything that had happened over the past couple of days, and how he had felt worried that she had not made contact earlier.