Every Second Counts Read Online Free PDF

into his coma and Mum started spending all her time at his bedside, while Dad buried himself in work.
Before then, we’d been a real family. But for the past year or so, our house had just been the place where my twin sister Jas and I looked after ourselves, occasionally passing our parents as
they came and went.
    Heavy rain started to fall as I passed the next coach signed for London, a huddle of passengers waiting to get on board. I hurried into the ticket office and joined the short queue. My phone
rang, suddenly loud over the background chatter.
    I yanked it out of my pocket. Was that Charlie? Surely it had to be.
    Number withheld
flashed up on the screen. I hesitated. The phone rang again. The people in the queue ahead of me shuffled forwards. Absently, I stepped after them, still staring at the
screen. My mobile rang a third time.
    I held it to my ear. Outside the rain streamed down. ‘Hello?’
    ‘Is that you, Nat?’ The voice was male and vaguely familiar.
    ‘Yes,’ I said suspiciously. Only a very few people had this number. ‘Who’s this?’
    ‘They’ve taken your sister.’ The voice filled with emotion.
    ‘
What?
’ My head spun. Last time I’d been in touch – a few days ago – Jas had been safe at home with our parents. ‘What do you mean?’ The queue
was moving again but I was frozen to the spot. ‘Who’s taken her? Who
are
you?’
    ‘It’s Aaron Latimer.’
    I gasped. Aaron was the Mayor of London’s son. Instantly, my hackles rose. No way could I trust either him or his dad.
    ‘How did you get this number?’ I demanded.
    ‘I found it where your parents hide it – the only place it’s written down, in your house.’
    ‘What?’ I asked, bewildered. ‘How do you know what my par—?’
    ‘They delete the number once they’ve called you. They don’t carry it around with them. They’ve never even told Jas where they hide it. But Jas once told me where her . .
. your . . . mum and dad used to keep a bit of emergency money under a floorboard and I was guessing that’s where they put the number and – and it was.’
    My head spun. ‘Wait. You’re saying you broke into our house and stole—?’
    ‘You’re missing the point, Nat.’ Aaron’s voice rose with anxiety. ‘I did it to reach you, because Riley has taken Jas. His men kidnapped her on her way to my house
earlier today.’
    Suspicion swirled inside me.
Jas kidnapped?
‘I don’t understand. Why . . .?’
    ‘It’s about as simple as it can be,’ Aaron went on, bitterly. ‘Roman Riley thinks Jas knows where you and Charlie are and he’s determined to get the information out
of her, whatever it takes.’
    I stared through the ticket office window. The sky outside was growing darker, the rain now pounding down against the glass. I gripped my phone tightly, feeling sick. ‘Whatever it
takes?’ I echoed, blood thundering in my ears. No way could Jas stand up to being bullied by Riley’s men. ‘But my sister doesn’t
know
where we are.’
    ‘I know,’ Aaron said. ‘That’s what I’m saying. She doesn’t know
anything
. That’s why we’ve got to save her before Riley realises
she’s useless to him – and kills her.’

Charlie
    The back garden of Riley’s house was large and full of shrubs with a fishpond in the middle. I skirted the lawn, keeping close to the bushes to avoiding activating the
light sensors on the back wall, and took shelter from the rain under a large weeping willow tree. I sat, motionless, watching out for lights to come on in the house. I didn’t want to think
about what I’d do if Riley didn’t come home. I had bought myself a sandwich a few hours ago but hunger was already gnawing at my stomach. I huddled under the tree, wishing for the first
time since I’d left the safe house this morning that I’d brought my sleeping bag with me after all.
    An hour passed. The rain grew steadily heavier. I was now cold and my feet and shoulders felt damp and uncomfortable. Anxious