3. A Second Chance Read Online Free PDF Page B

escape.
    Avoiding this bunch of alcohol-soaked ne’er-do-wells – or students, as they’re generically known – we turned right. Bloody students. Why were they always hanging around pubs when they should be at their studies? I never did that. We swerved down an alleyway, fortunately going in the right direction. Because I knew where we were. We were behind Holy Trinity church, somewhere in the maze between Sidney Street and Trinity Street and luckily hurtling the right way. A hand grabbed my cloak. I turned, closed my eyes, and squirted. He fell back with a cry, both hands to his face. The shouting intensified.
    At the bottom of the alleyway, we should go right. I could see a corner of the pod, just to the left of an archway.
    Someone seized me again. The professor spun around and delivered a left hook that sent him reeling. My assailant fell sideways onto three stacked boxes of fruit. They and he fell across the alleyway.
    ‘College boxing champion in my day,’ panted the professor.
    The alleyway was full of people, all shouting at us. But our way ahead was clear. I pulled over two barrels, fortunately empty, and sent them rolling down the alley.
    ‘Go, Professor, go.’
    He didn’t argue, he knew he was the slower. I could catch him up later. The alleyway was lined with all sorts of useful detritus. Broken chairs, crates, piles of rubbish, the odd dead dog … I threw everything I could in my wake. Anything to slow them down. I’m not a bad sprinter and all I had to do was stay ahead of them.
    A huge, red-faced man wearing a stained leather apron stepped out ahead of me, his mighty arms outspread. He should be so lucky. I gave him a quick squirt and he bellowed with pain and, as he covered his face, I managed to squeeze between him and the wall.
    Eddie stood by the pod at the end of the alley. Bless him, he’d armed himself with a stick and, from the look on his face, was prepared to use it. Ignoring Major Guthrie’s careful training, I cast a quick glance over my shoulder. Not a good idea. I could hear the Major’s voice now. ‘Never mind what’s going on behind you. You’ll find out soon enough if you stop to look.’
    There weren’t as many of them as I had thought from the noise. But they were close. I couldn’t afford to be caught. Without me the professor wouldn’t be able to get into the pod. And in the seventeenth century the penalty for theft was hanging. In my case, they’d probably chuck in a few charges of witchcraft as well. I really should get an office job.
    Something whizzed past my ear. Great! Now they were throwing stones.
    No, they weren’t. Professor Penrose was throwing stones. And old vegetables, bits of wood, pots, anything he could lay his hands on. He’d probably bowled for his college as well. The threatening shouts behind me became warning shouts.
    Ignoring everything going on around me, I ducked my head and raced for the pod.
    And then, just as I thought we were safe, two more men appeared from behind the pod and seized the professor’s arms. He struggled. They weren’t gentle and I feared for his ancient bones.
    Time to bring out the big guns.
    I reached behind me for the stun gun under my cloak. We’re really not supposed to do this. I zapped one man and he fell backwards, twitching.
    I tossed the pepper spray to the professor, shouting, ‘Point it away from you, Eddie,’ because he was a physicist and you never know.
    Hands seized me. I twisted away and zapped blindly. I heard another cry and clatter as someone else crashed to the ground in a convulsing heap. It was only a matter of time now – yes, here we go – ‘Witch! Witch!’
    You couldn’t blame them, I suppose. From their point of view, I stretched out an arm and a man fell to the ground. Predictable, but given that this was supposed to be a world-famous seat of learning in the Age of Reason, I was a little disappointed. On the other hand, I’m a Thirsk graduate myself, and nothing other