‘No!’ Faye screamed. ‘Finn! NO!’

 

She scrambled to her feet as Finn dropped to his knees. She saw Cutter try to help him up. He had to let go as the stranger lunged at them again. Faye hurled herself out of her hiding place and was halfway down the slope before she saw Finn move.

 

He struggled to his feet, reaching down to grip his leg. Faye saw his hand come away covered in blood.

 

Then the stranger who had stabbed him raised his hand. It was an oddly calm gesture amid the madness of the fight that was still raging. But his companions immediately began to retreat, backing away towards the truck as they fought off the advancing bikers. They scrambled in, still kicking and punching as the pack tried to stop them.

 

The vehicle started to move off. Faye saw Finn lunge at one of the windows, but he couldn’t get a grip on the moving vehicle. He dropped back, his injured leg buckling beneath him.

 

One of the men leaned out as the truck roared out of the clearing. ‘You’ll never find your friend,’ he shrieked, in a voice that sounded like a thousand pieces of chalk scraping across a blackboard. ‘Never!’

 

Some of the bikers ran in pursuit, while others rushed towards their bikes, kicking them into life.

 

‘Stop!’ Finn shouted at them, still gripping his bleeding leg. ‘I’m coming with you. Wait!’

 

Faye ran towards him. ‘Finn?’

 

He turned to her, his face a mask of anger and determination. He was no longer shaking or pale, just furious. ‘I have to go, Faye. I have to get my men back.’

 

‘I know you do,’ she shouted over the noise of the bikers, who were gunning their engines. ‘But I’m coming with you.’ Finn opened his mouth, but she shook her head before he could say anything. ‘Don’t try to stop me. We can take my car – I can drive now, remember?’ She pointed at his injured leg. ‘You’ll slow them down if you try to ride very far. I can help. Don’t try to change my mind.’

 

Finn stared at her for a second, and then nodded once. Turning, he strode towards the bikers. Faye watched as he barked a couple of orders and then came back to her.

 

‘OK. We’ll go back to your place, pick up your car, and the rest of the pack will follow us from there. The scent they left is strong, so we should be able to track them. But we have to be quick.’

 

Faye nodded. ‘Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go.’

 

Finn limped towards his bike, Faye keeping pace with him all the way. It was parked at the edge of the forest, where he had left it as they headed for the clearing.

 

‘What about your dad?’ Finn shouted over his shoulder.

 

Faye pulled out her mobile phone and sent a quick text to Liz. pack in trouble, it said. going with finn in car. can you tell my dad i’m fine? call when i can. x

 

‘He’ll be OK,’ she shouted back, dropping her phone back into her pocket. ‘Liz will come up with something. She’ll sort it out with Aunt Pam too.’

 

They reached Finn’s bike and threw themselves onto it. Faye had barely done up her crash helmet when Finn gunned the engine and roared off towards the road. The pack was waiting for them at the turning for town. The noise of the bikes was incredible, but even so, Faye’s mind was elsewhere.

 

You’ll never find your friend. That’s what the stranger had yelled as they pulled away. Friend. Not friends, but friend . . .

 

Faye pressed herself closer to Finn. Trees rushed by, so fast that they were a blur. They reached town in record time. She could see people turning to look as they passed. Children put their hands over their ears, and dogs began to bark. Everywhere, people were stopping what they were doing to watch the Black Dogs ride by. It had been a long time since all the bikers had ridden through town together. She hoped no one called her dad – or Liz’s either – before they managed to get away. Her dad trusted her judgement and he liked Finn, but she could imagine what he’d say if he knew that they were about to follow a bunch of violent kidnappers into the unknown.

 

Finn pulled up outside her house. Faye slipped to the ground and was pulling out her car keys before he’d even killed the engine. She knew there was no time to pack, or even leave her dad a note. They had to get going immediately.

 

Finn jumped off the bike and rolled it into the driveway as Faye unlocked her car door. She had already started her engine when he opened the passenger door and slid in. They looked at each other for a moment.

 

‘Are you sure about this?’ Finn asked her seriously. ‘I don’t know where we’re going, Faye. I don’t know what’s going to happen next.’

 

‘I’m sure,’ she said. ‘Wherever we’re going, I want to be with you.’

 

He smiled. ‘Faye McCarron, I—’

 

There was a sudden screech of tyres behind them. They both turned to see Liz’s car juddering to a halt, blocking their way.

 

‘Oh no,’ Faye said, undoing her seat belt and opening the door.

 

‘She can’t come with us as well,’ Finn told her. ‘It’s too dangerous!’

 

‘I know,’ she said, climbing out of the car. She ran towards Liz, who had got out and was rummaging around in her boot.

 

‘Liz!’ Faye said. ‘I don’t have time to explain, but—’ She stopped as her friend reappeared, dragging a huge suitcase behind her.

 

‘It’s OK,’ Liz said breathlessly. ‘I know – I mean, I don’t know what’s happening, but you didn’t think I was going to let you go unprepared, did you?’

 

‘What’s that?’ Faye asked, staring at the case as Liz deposited it at her feet.

 

‘Just some things that might be useful.’ Liz hugged her briefly. ‘Now go. Call me on the road, explain what’s going on. OK?’

 

Faye nodded as Liz ran back to her car and jumped in. A second later she was backing out, leaving the exit clear. Faye didn’t waste time. She threw the case onto the back seat and jumped into the car, reversing out of the driveway so fast that gravel spun into the air, clinking off the wheel arches of her little blue car.

 

She waved to Liz as they zoomed past.

 

‘That’s some best friend you’ve got there,’ said Finn.

 

Faye smiled, watching in the rear-view mirror as Liz disappeared from view. She didn’t think she could love her best friend more than she did at that moment. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘She’s amazing.’

 

The stream of bikes formed a V behind them, and Faye gunned her engine. She let out a breath, and felt Finn’s hand touch hers, where it rested on the gear shift. She glanced at him. It was only for a moment, but the look in his eyes was enough to confirm that she’d done the right thing. Where else should she be, right now, but by his side?

 

It didn’t take long for them to reach the town limits. Soon, Winter Mill was nothing but a receding dot, quickly obscured by trees.