Blood Ransom Read Free Page A

quite as well
as they should.’
    He looked up at me – an expression of defiance and humiliation on his face.
    Again I was so strongly reminded of Theo that, for a second, I couldn’t think straight.
    ‘I’m . . . er, I’m sorry,’ I stammered.
    Milo shrugged. ‘At least my heart was never strong enough for Elijah to want to steal it,’ he said.
    I huddled into the doorway. The rain had slowed to a drizzle and people were walking past again. No one gave us a second look.
    ‘But where is Elijah?’ I asked again, questions tumbling out now. ‘When did you last see him? Does he know that you’re here? That I’m here?’
    ‘I live with him,’ Milo said. ‘And no, he doesn’t know you’re here.’
    ‘But you weren’t in Washington D.C.’ I frowned, remembering how I’d gone to Elijah’s underground headquarters, hoping that while RAGE destroyed the building, Lewis
and I would be able to find Theo and escape.
    ‘Elijah sent me away to college,’ Milo said bitterly. ‘He sent me to school before that – and to camp in the holidays. He used to visit me occasionally but I don’t
think he could . . . that he can . . . stand the sight of me. It’s like he feels he has a duty towards me, but underneath I remind him of his failures.’
    ‘But you said you were with him now?’ That meant Elijah must be nearby, surely?
    ‘I was ,’ Milo said. ‘He contacted me after the Washington compound was blown up. Said I’d have to leave college, that he was going on the run.’ Milo sighed.
‘I guess I could have gone off on my own, but I was pleased he wanted me with him . . . so I met him and came with him here . . . to Scotland.’
    ‘ Here? ’ I said, shocked. Elijah was in Scotland? ‘Where exactly? Why? ’
    ‘Elijah’s set up a private research base on a deserted island off the west coast,’ Milo explained. ‘It takes a few hours to reach it by boat. Roslinnon is the nearest
port.’
    A shiver snaked down my spine.
    ‘And he really doesn’t know I’m here in Roslinnon?’ I said, hardly able to believe it.
    Milo shook his head. ‘To be honest he’s stopped looking for you . . . for either of you . . . He’s got other things on his mind.’
    I looked round. The rain had stopped now, though the air remained heavy with moisture. Rosmore Row was still buzzing with shoppers. A woman laden down with bags and a buggy marched past,
scowling, a little boy trailing in her wake.
    ‘What about Daniel?’ I said. ‘Is he OK? Does Elijah still have him?’
    Daniel was the five-year-old clone of Elijah who Theo and I had met in Washington at Elijah’s complex last year. When Elijah had escaped from the police and the FBI, he’d taken
Daniel with him. No one knew what had happened to the little boy afterwards, but I could still picture his solemn little face and big brown eyes.
    Milo looked away. ‘Daniel’s the reason why Elijah’s stopped looking for Theo. He’s the reason why I’ve run away too.’
    I frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’
    Milo sighed – a deep, heavy sigh. ‘Elijah’s worked out a way of adapting Daniel’s heart so it will work inside him, even though it’s not adult-sized – which
means he doesn’t need Theo’s heart any more.’
    I stared at him, unable to fully take in what he was saying. ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘Yes, Elijah’s so arrogant he thinks killing Daniel is justified because he’s such a goddam genius.’
    I nodded, feeling numb, remembering Elijah giving a similar reason to excuse his plan to take Theo’s heart back in Washington D.C.
    ‘Once I realised what Elijah was planning, I couldn’t stand to be around him any more,’ Milo went on. ‘I told Elijah I needed a break for the day. If I could have brought
Daniel with me I would have, but there was no way I could get him out. Elijah sent me off in the boat with one of his guards. We moored a way along the coast – there’s a car parked
there that they use when they come to town to buy food