‘I’ll get you!’ came the enraged shout from Andy.
By then, Jake had reached the first of the rows of lorries, and he dodged in between two of them.
He made his way between the massive trucks, searching desperately for a loose tarpaulin that meant he could climb up and hide, but most were fastened securely. Others were tankers, with no place to conceal himself. Then he saw one open flatbed truck piled with palettes. Quickly, he hauled himself up, and crawled in between the stacks of palettes.
He heard the sound of a car boot slamming shut, and then Andy calling out angrily: ‘I’m going to kill you for what you did to Woody!’
Jake peered out and saw Andy heading for the lorries. Something metallic glinted in his hand. A tyre lever, Jake guessed.
‘I’m going to find you and beat you to a pulp!’ roared Andy, and there was no mistaking the fury in his voice. Easy-going Andy was gone completely, in his place was an enraged and armed vengeful man with one thought in his mind: to get Jake.
Jake held his breath, terrified in case Andy might hear the rasp of fear in his throat. As he watched, Andy stood stock still, his head swivelling left and right as he scanned the lorries. He was obviously working out which ones Jake couldn’t be hiding in, and which were possibles.
Andy turned away from the tankers, and the closed container lorries, and then his eyes lit on the open flatbed piled high with palettes, and he headed straight for it, the weapon swinging in his hand.
Jake ducked down, frantically wondering what to do. He could jump down and make a run for it, but he was fairly sure that Andy was fitter and faster than he was. Andy was also driven by wanting revenge for Jake injuring his dog, but most of all, by the further twenty thousand pounds the book offered.
Jake pushed himself down as low as he could, his face pressed into the wooden boards of the flatbed. He heard Andy’s boots getting nearer and nearer. He’s here! thought Jake in alarm. He’s going to climb up and find me!
But suddenly the truck’s engine started up. The flatbed throbbed with the engine’s vibrations. The driver must have decided to get going.
The truck pulled away. Please don’t let him stop for fuel, prayed Jake silently. But the truck didn’t, it headed towards the exit, and the slip road on to the main route east. Jake took a quick glance back at the lorry park, and saw Andy was still searching among the lorries, bending down and looking beneath them. Which meant he wouldn’t be chasing after them.
Jake let himself relax briefly, but then tensed up again as the truck began to shake from side to side. He fixed himself firmly between two stacks of palettes, wedging himself in with the soles of his feet, to make sure he didn’t slide to the edge of the truck. Then he pulled out his mobile phone and dialled Robert. It took a while before Robert answered, and when he did, he didn’t sound happy.
‘Do you know what time it is?’ Robert demanded. It was obvious that Jake’s call had woken him up.
‘Yes,’ said Jake. ‘Robert, I’m in trouble.’
Quickly, he told him what had happened between him and Andy.
‘Where are you now?’ said Robert, shocked. ‘What’s all that noise in the background?’
‘I’m on the back of a lorry,’ said Jake. ‘I think it’s heading towards London, but I don’t know. I just hope it isn’t going too far away.’
‘You could end up on the Continent,’ said Robert.
‘In that case it’d have to stop at a port,’ pointed out Jake. ‘I could end up in Scotland. The point is, Robert, we can’t trust Andy. He tried it on me. He might try it on you.’
‘Oh no he won’t!’ said Robert determinedly. ‘Anyway, why should he? He knows you’ve got the book.’
‘Yes, but he might use you to get to me,’ said Jake.
‘OK,’ said Robert. ‘Thanks for the warning.’ And he added vengefully: ‘I have a score to settle with Andy.’
‘I’ll phone you tomorrow, after it’s daylight and once I know what’s happening,’ said Jake. ‘Don’t phone me. The driver might hear the ring tone coming from the back of his truck. In the meantime, tell Michelle what’s happened, and tell her I’ll be in contact.’
‘Will do,’ said Robert. ‘And phone me if you need help, or you want me to come and pick you up anywhere.’
‘Thanks, Robert. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed I get somewhere safely. I’ll talk to you later.’
Chapter 19
The journey seemed to take for ever. Jake felt exhausted but he was too scared to fall asleep in case he slid off the edge of the flatbed as he rattled along through the night. Dawn came, and Jake watched the sun rise. He wondered where the truck was heading. He was sure it had taken a turn northwards, but he couldn’t be sure. And, hidden as he was, he couldn’t see the road signs. Finally, the truck pulled into another truck stop. Jake waited until he’d heard the sound of the cab door opening and closing, and the driver’s footsteps leaving, before he clambered down from the back of the truck. Jake headed towards the cafeteria, where his first call was the toilet, and then a cup of much-needed coffee.