Miss No One Mark Ayre (children's books read aloud TXT) 📖

he stared at the car. The black smoke grew more voluminous with each passing second. Winston glanced over his shoulder, then sighed and stepped towards Moore.

"Moron," he shouted. "Do as I say, and do it right now before—"

The car exploded.

In the corner of the narrow room, Ndidi clutched his daughter close and kissed her head. She held onto him. Long before he'd arrived, Isabella's tears had run dry. When they'd reunited, Ndidi had broken down, but his little girl had only clung to him, gripping so tight in her fear. She hadn't said a word.

Ndidi had run out of hope. Orion had gloated, telling father and daughter the plane was minutes away. When it arrived, he would kill Isabella. The siblings would make Ndidi watch his daughter die, then Rachel would put him out of his misery.

The clock was ticking. Time was running out.

When Ndidi first heard the engine, he clutched his daughter tighter than ever. This was it. Here came the plane. All the awful things he'd done, and it had been for nothing. Abbie had called it right when she said Orion had always planned to kill both remaining Ndidi's. Idrissa had let down his wife, and now he had failed his little girl. The detective should have remembered Abbie's words when Orion had called. Rachel was his leverage. What a waste of space. He deserved to die.

But Isabella did not.

Winston had moved from the wall. Orion and Rachel stood. That was when Ndidi realised this wasn't a plane’s engine but a car's. A car Orion and Rachel weren't expecting. A car that made them worry.

And that could only mean one thing.

Hope sparked and flickered but failed to grow. Winston and Franks departed, both armed. Then there was the crash, right after the shotgun blast. Abbie had ridden to the rescue but fallen at the final hurdle. That crash surely spelt her end.

Another engine, and this time Ndidi knew it wasn't a car. Here came The Becker getaway plane.

Hope was extinguished as quickly as it had sparked. Once again, Ndidi clutched tightly to his daughter. He whispered in her ear.

"I love you. I'm sorry."

She said nothing in return. Orion was still on his feet, was pacing, and now he grabbed the radio.

"Moore, plane's incoming. Are those lights on?"

He waited. There was a crackle over the line but no answer. Orion turned to his younger sister.

"It'll be fine," said Rachel. She had been calm since she arrived. Never as worried as Orion. Maybe she had practised meditation in prison.

The elder Becker tried Moore again. Nothing. He grabbed a gun from the table and squeezed it tight in his grip. He glanced at Ndidi and Isabella; there was murder in his eyes.

Calm as ever, Rachel intervened.

"Try Xavier."

Ndidi didn't know the name but guessed it had to be Winston's watchtower man. The sentry's position would enable him to see the crash, the control room, and what might be up with Moore.

Orion nodded. Radioed Xavier to ask what was going on.

"Moore's out of his box," Xavier said. "Don't worry, boss, Winston's talking to him. Pointing back. He's going to send him—"

Something exploded. Ndidi heard it through the walls and the radio. Orion cried out and stumbled as though the blast had hit him, though they were too far away to be affected. He roared into the radio.

"What the hell happened?"

"The car's gone up," shouted Xavier. "Both Winston and Moore down. Don’t know if they're moving."

The radio slipped through Orion's fingers. It was a lot like his plan in that regard.

"Without the runway lights," he said, "without communication, all the pilot'll see is a flaming wreck. He won't land."

Rachel met her brother's eye, took this in, then nodded. She had a gun of her own and grabbed a coat, throwing it on.

"What are you doing?"

"Dealing with it," she said. "Just make sure you're ready to go."

Orion watched as Rachel went to the door. Ndidi saw the elder Becker’s desire to argue, to force her to stay. He'd sacrificed so much to see them reunited; he didn't want her to rush into the fray unnecessarily.

Except it was necessary. Orion knew it, and this knowledge killed the argument before it began.

Still, as Rachel reached the door, he did call out.

"Wait." She turned. Orion nodded to Ndidi and Isabella. "Take a hostage. I won’t lose you again.”

Given a head start by Ana, Abbie had travelled the long way around the airfield's perimeter, and waited. When Ana got close enough to draw the watchtower guard's attention, Abbie had progressed towards the long, tube-shaped building. She was sure it was in here Orion was holding Isabella and Ndidi.

She worried about Ana but had to focus on Isabella. That meant even when she heard the shotgun blast and the car flip, she had to put Ana's safety from her mind. That was near impossible, though slightly easier when PC Franks distracted Abbie by appearing from the building.

"Looking for me?

Frozen by fear, Franks said nothing in return. Stepping away from the trembling cop, Abbie pointed back to the building out of which Franks had just emerged.

"In."

Franks didn't hesitate. She was a coward, focused on her safety above all else. As she opened the door, Abbie grabbed her gun, and the cop didn't resist. Then they were inside.

Keeping her voice low, her gun to the back of Franks' head, Abbie said, "In which room are the Beckers and the hostages? Lie to me, and I'll kill you."

Franks pointed to a room on the right-hand side towards the centre of the corridor.

"Both Beckers and both hostages in there?"

Franks nodded.

"Anyone else?"

A shake of the head.

Because Abbie believed Franks’ cowardice precluded her from lying, for fear of what it might mean for her longevity on Earth, Abbie came forward, put her arm around the cop's throat, and rendered her unconscious in much the same way as she had with Evans; Franks' partner.

The corrupt constable collapsed. Abbie raised her gun, aiming for the door Franks had previously indicated.

Outside, on the runway,