The Dust: Book Two - Pursuit Read Online Free PDF Page B

but my mummy used to cry a lot. She doesn’t cry so much anymore but she does get cross very easily.’
    ‘My Daddy is still alive but I can’t find him. Angel is helping me though.’
    ‘How could you lose your Daddy?’ Alice squished her eyebrows together.
    ‘I didn’t lose him he just doesn’t live with us anymore. I went to find him but some horrible people picked me up in this stinky old truck but it was okay because then I met Angel.’
    ‘She is pretty, like an angel.’ Alice giggled again.
    ‘I think all the boys fancy her.’ Lou laughed but put her hand in front of her mouth to try and soften it.
    ‘We live here mostly with Uncle Charles. He’s okay but he can be a bit grumpy.’
    ‘Hello I’m Uncle Charles.’ Lou pretended to put on a deep man’s voice and used Rufus the teddy bear as a puppet.
    Alice laughed out aloud. ‘That’s so funny.’
    Lou placed Rufus beside her and rolled onto her back to look up at the old slated roof. ‘I wish I could stay here with you.’
    ‘Please do.’ Alice pleaded. ‘It gets so boring on my own. My cousin Henry just thinks I’m a stupid kid, I wish he was a girl.’
    Both girls burst out laughing.
    ‘Hello I’m Henry and I’m a girl.’ It was Alice who used her teddy bear this time putting on a high pitch voice.
    Again both girls giggled and Lou kicked her legs against the hay, she hadn’t had such a funny time since that horrible dust had landed and ruined everything.
    ‘There you are.’ Angel’s head popped up out of nowhere as she had heard the two little girls laughing and climbed the ladder that was in the big barn that led to the hay loft.
    The girls both screamed with fright and then simultaneously started laughing once more.
    ‘Come on honey we have to leave, we have all been looking for you.’ Angel held out her hand for Lou to take.
    ‘Can Alice come with us?’
    ‘No honey she has to stay here with her Mummy.’
    Lou looked at Alice and tears welled in her eyes. ‘I have to go now.’
    ‘It’s okay, you can come back soon though?’
    ‘Yes we can, can’t we Angel?’
    ‘Of course honey, we will be back very soon.’
    Then all three girls descended the ladder and made their way back to the truck.
    ***
    ‘It’s secure now.’ Iris tied the bootlace with the gold ring dangling on the end of it around Hannah’s neck.
    ‘Thank you.’ She replied quietly.
    ‘What’s that?’ It was Archie who appeared in front of the two women holding his air rifle.
    ‘None of your business.’ The teenager sneered clutching her dad’s wedding ring and went to walk away from the young lad.
    ‘Don’t walk away from me I was fucking talking to you.’ He went to grab Hannah’s arm.
    Iris pushed the boy back and he stumbled. ‘Leave her alone.’
    Archie regained his stance and then lashed out with the butt of his gun cracking Iris across the cheek bone. The woman fell to the ground.
    ‘Don’t you ever touch me again you fucking Irish slag.’ He spat embarrassed by how he had been shown up in front of Hannah.
    Hannah then ran back towards the boy and tried slap his face. ‘Stop it, stop it!’ She then crouched down to help Iris.
    ‘Next time I will fucking kill you.’ This time he actually spat in their direction.
    ‘Hey, hey, hey what the hell is going on over here?’ Lonny Gold jogged over from the main group to see what the fracas was about.
    ‘That Irish cunt tried to assault me.’ Archie gritted his teeth and clenched his left fist anger seeping from every pore.
    ‘What?’ Lonny looked over at Iris who with the help of Hannah was getting up off the floor.
    ‘Next time I'll 'ave her.’
    ‘Go back to the truck.’ Lonny ordered Archie.
    ‘Boss she tried to hit me.’
    ‘Get back to the fucking truck!’ Lonny bellowed.
    Archie jumped with fright and then skulked back.
    ‘I am so sorry for my acquaintance’s behaviour.’ He held out his huge hand to help Iris. She didn’t take it.
    ‘He’s unhinged.’ Hannah