Remote Rescue Read Free Page A

in and out of the rubble.
    Dawson tagged Em as she ran down the middle of the main street, her pink dress flapping about her. He then took off into what was left of the Transcontinental Hotel, the first building after the twin signs that welcomed visitors to the town – ‘Farina’ and ‘est. 1878’.
    He raced through the entrance and bolted down the corridor. There were crumbling doorways with frames rotted away on either side. Dawson caught a glimpse of the drop through the first doorway on the right – down into something that mighthave been a cellar. He stopped part way along the corridor and looked back. Em was way behind, running her hardest, but obviously tiring. He decided that he’d let her catch him. He leaned against the wall and pretended to be too puffed to continue.
    Em staggered into the corridor and stopped, trying to catch her breath. Then, as she walked towards Dawson, Sam snuck up behind her. Em had almost reached Dawson when Sam yelled out BOO! Em squealed, jumped around and chased her.
    Dawson pushed off from the wall after his sisters. Here we go again , he thought.
    Sam dashed off and jumped down through the doorway into the cellar.
    Dawson gasped. No , he thought, not that way. It’s too dangerous.
    Em, not realising there was an upcoming drop, chased after her sister.
    Heart pounding, Dawson leaped forward.
    Eyes widening, Em screamed as she began to topple.
    Dawson grabbed her and pulled her back … just in time.
    Em collapsed onto the floor, breathing hard.
    â€˜You idiot!’ Dawson shouted angrily after Sam, who was clambering up through a doorway on the other side. His hands were balled up into fists and his face was beetroot-red. ‘Don’t you think of anyone but yourself? You knew Em would follow you!’
    â€˜Oh.’ Sam looked guiltily into the cellar, as if only just realising what she’d done. She was lost for words.
    The floorboards had rotted away years before. Bits of wood and debris were strewn across the earth floor. Anyone falling into that mess would be risking serious injury. In fact, Sam herself was lucky not to have been hurt, given she had jumped blindly down. There was a set of steps leading up to the outside of the building, but they were blocked with rubble.
    â€˜S–Sorry,’ Sam said meekly. She walked around through the room she was now in, and back into the corridor.
    Dawson’s face was returning to normal colour, but he still looked furious.
    â€˜I really am sorry,’ Sam repeated, edging past Dawson and crouching down beside Em. She avoided his gaze. ‘I was caught up in the game. I didn’t think.’
    â€˜Yeah, well, we’ve had enough,’ said Dawson, hands on hips in an imitation of Dad. ‘No more chasey. Dad was right when he said no running through the ruins.’
    â€˜TAG!’ shouted Em suddenly, slapping her sister’s leg before jumping to her feet. ‘You’re it!’
    She took off down the corridor, pushing past Dawson. Dawson steadied himself against the wall, worried he might now fall into the cellar.
    â€˜I promise I’ll be more careful,’ said Sam. With a tentative grin, she tapped her brother’s arm and followed her younger sister. ‘You’re it,’ she called over her shoulder.
    â€˜I’m not playing,’ insisted Dawson, scowling as his sisters ran out through the back doorway.

    Sam dashed past Em and started scrabbling up over some rubble. Em was on her tail, giggling all the way …
    Until she slipped.
    Sticking out her arm to brace herself, Em grazed it along a broken brick. She burst into tears, howling as if the arm was broken rather than simply scratched.
    Within seconds, Sam was at her side, crouching down and examining the wound. She knew that loud crying might bring Dad running, and that would definitely end their games.
    â€˜Just a scrape,’ she reassured as she patted Em on her back. Her