The sharp retort of a twig snapping behind her made her spin around, but she could see nothing but inky darkness. Then the wind blew through the trees again with a rush, and she assured herself that the roaring sound of branches brushing into each other was all that she’d heard.
But she didn’t really believe it. So she ran.
Willing herself not to turn around, she ran as fast as she could. There was somebody back there – she knew it. And she could imagine them following, their footsteps in time with hers.
Right behind her.
Her breath burned in her throat as she hurtled pell-mell down the footpath through the trees, ignoring the protests from her muscles. Only when she rounded a bend and the forest thinned enough so she could see students running in the distance ahead of her did her nerves steady enough for her to look behind her.
The footpath was empty.
The end of the run was signalled by a student with a pale blue fluorescent light stick silently waving the runners to the school building. Limping down the stairs to the basement, Allie clutched at the stitch in her side with her hands as she headed straight to Training Room One and Raj Patel, who stood talking to Zelazny at the back of the room.
‘Saw,’ she gasped. ‘Man. Woods.’
Bending over double, she put her hands on her knees and watched her sweat drip on to the dark blue padding covering the floor. She closed her eyes to try and steady her nerves.
‘What?’ Zelazny’s voice was sharp as a razor. ‘What is it, Sheridan? Out with it.’
‘She said she saw a man in the woods.’ Mr Patel’s voice was too calm, and Allie turned her head sideways to see his face. He was watching her alertly. ‘Get your breath, Allie. Can you describe him?’
‘Short … hair,’ she panted. ‘Wore … suit.’
Mr Patel stiffened, and she knew she’d said something important.
‘Did you recognise him?’ As he spoke he reached out and gestured to somebody behind her. Her hands still on her knees, Allie shook her head. ‘Too dark.’
She was catching her breath now. The pain in her side was subsiding. The intense attention he was paying to what she’d seen made her nervous – it had been dark and she’d been spooked. What if it was all her imagination? But she didn’t know how to say that without looking like a total flake.
Two muscular men in running clothes and a woman whose long blonde hair was pulled back in a braid flanked her, facing Mr Patel expectantly. He didn’t introduce them. ‘Allie saw somebody in the woods,’ he told them. ‘Wearing a suit.’
They exchanged glances as he turned back to Allie. ‘Where were you precisely?’
She described as best she could the location. When she’d finished, he nodded to the others and they slipped out of the room as quickly as they’d appeared.
‘If anybody’s still there they’ll find him.’ Mr Patel’s words were a kind of dismissal, and Allie walked back to Carter and dropped down on the mat beside him.
‘You OK?’ His face was flushed from exertion as he handed her a bottle of cold water. Beside him, Lucas, Jules and a boy she didn’t recognise were sprawled in various poses of exhaustion.
Holding the cool bottle to her forehead, she nodded.
‘What were you and Patel talking about?’ His eyes studied hers. ‘It looked a bit intense.’ As she told him about the man in the woods, his lips tightened. Jules and Lucas moved in closer to listen.
‘You didn’t get a good look at him?’ Lucas asked before she’d finished.
She shook her head. ‘It was super dark there. I only saw him for a second. When I doubled back he was gone.’
‘And you’re sure it wasn’t just your imagination?’ Carter asked. ‘Nobody could blame you for being a bit paranoid after all you’ve been through.’
His question revived her own self-doubt and she felt a twinge of defensive anger. ‘I can’t be certain, Carter. But I had to tell Raj what I saw.’
‘Carter’s not saying you did anything wrong, Allie.’ Jules adopted a soothing tone. ‘I think he’s just trying to decide how worried to be.’
‘Well, don’t be worried.’ Allie knew she sounded snappish but she couldn’t seem to help it. If somebody else had just seen the freaky banker in the woods they wouldn’t be having this conversation. Everybody would just believe it. ‘Raj sent some of his manimals out to look for him.’ Her gaze skittered off Carter’s. ‘And we’re all here, safe and sound.’
‘Everybody up.’ Mr Patel stood in the middle of the room. His tone brooked no opposition and the students climbed to their feet, groaning. ‘Find your training partners and prepare for basic self-defence techniques.’
Carter bounded to his feet but Allie didn’t move. ‘He must be joking,’ she said.
Across the room Mr Patel snapped, ‘Right now, people!’
With a sigh, Allie stood gingerly – all her muscles ached.
‘You’re sort of out of shape.’ Zoe’s piping voice came from right behind her; Allie paused to take a calming breath before turning to face her. She looked none the worse for wear after the run. Her ponytail hung limply down her back and a sheen of perspiration covered her face, but she looked as energetic as ever.
‘No,’ Allie said. ‘I’m not.’
Zoe shrugged, doubt clear on her face. ‘Are you ready?’ No, Allie thought.