The Rescue Read Free Page A

shade of a single tree. Next to the bus was a huge wooden well, with a fenced area beyond. This area was strikingly lush and green compared to the arid desert all around us. Tattoo Man was talking in Spanish. His speech was too rapid for me to catch any of the words, but he was clearly barking out orders.
    I turned back to Nico and the girl.
    ‘Que?’ she was whispering. ‘Quien eres?’
    Nico turned to me. ‘I don’t understand what she’s saying,’ he whispered.
    I barely heard him. I was staring, transfixed, at the girl. I wasn’t looking into her eyes – that would have meant automatically mindreading her – but I’d already seen they were beautiful: a sea-green colour that stood out against her tanned skin. And it wasn’t just her eyes. She was beautiful. About my age, with a worried, oval face, a long nose and silky dark hair that curled onto her shoulders.
    ‘ Ed ,’ Nico hissed.
    ‘She asked who we were,’ I explained.
    ‘Ed,’ I said to the girl. ‘Me llamo Ed. Este es Nico. Y tu? Como te llamas?’
    The girl was trying to look into my eyes, but I kept my gaze averted.
    ‘Luz,’ she whispered. ‘Me llamo Luz. You . . . Eds, English . . . please, help . . .’
    ‘What are you saying?’ Nico hissed beside us.
    ‘Just our names,’ I said. ‘She’s called Luz.’
    ‘Loos?’ Nico said.
    ‘Luz, donde estas?’ Tattoo Man shouted from round the corner.
    Luz froze. Nico grabbed my arm with one hand and Luz’s with the other and dragged us into the WC marked Senors – the men’s toilet.
    We stood in the narrow, dimly lit corridor. A stench drifted out from the toilets.
    ‘Ask her what the hell’s going on here,’ Nico demanded.
    A second later, a shadow fell across the doorway. I held my breath and pressed my back against the cool concrete wall.
    ‘LUZ, ven aqui!’ It was the man, even angrier than before. He swore in Spanish, then said something I just about understood about there not being time for a toilet break.
    He thought Luz was in the ladies’ toilet next to this one.
    Luz took a step towards the door. I grabbed her arm. I didn’t dare speak in case the man heard us. If I wanted to know what was going on here, I was going to have to mind-read. I pulled Luz round until she met my eyes.
    In a second I was inside her mind. People always freak when that happens the first time, and Luz was no exception. Her mind was jumping around, full of fear and confusion. Mind you, my own thoughts were jumping about just as badly.
    Hola , I stammered – not knowing what else to thought-speak. It’s okay. Who is that man?
    Que? Luz’s mind was still all over the place, her thought-speech tumbling out.
    How this? A single strand of thought stood out above the rest: We must quick . . . Eds, English . . . you just come in camp, no?
    Si. I tried to make my mind settle.
    This place no es good. Senor Fernandez es bad man. You go. Tell persons . . . help . . .
    Where are you going in the van?
    Que?
    Donde vas en el . . . el coche grande?
    Damn it, why did my Spanish have to desert me now?
    No se . . . I don’t know . . . Ed. Por favor. Ayudame.
    Ayudame. Help me. My stomach turned over.
    ‘ Luz! ’ The man outside sounded very close. ‘Are you in the men’s toilet?’ he said in Spanish.
    Need go , Luz’s thought-speech grew panicky. Help.
    ‘Ed, leave it,’ Nico hissed, right in my ear.
    I will help, I promise. I broke the connection.
    Luz burst through the door. We waited, holding our breath. I could hear the man yelling at her, then the slap of a hand, presumably making contact with Luz’s head. I raged silently at the thought of her being hurt.
    A few more seconds passed, then Nico peered out after her. ‘They’ve gone, come on,’ he said.
    He slipped outside and raced across the courtyard.
    I followed, more slowly, a large part of me wanting to find Luz. I could hear the bus revving up round the corner.
    What was happening to her? Where was she being taken?
    And then a large hand