-HUNTED-

Chapter 15 - Directions

When they reached the next town, Robbie pulled over and asked an old woman for directions to Portsmouth. She shrugged. "Sorry dear. I'm not sure. You could buy a map on the high street, I suppose."

"Thank you anyway." Robbie said, driving off into a car park. JJ was already waiting for him on the top floor. He was staring out across the town, at all the people going about their daily lives.

"JJ?"

JJ turned and looked at Robbie.

"Are you ok?"

JJ nodded. "Yeah. Just, you know, I'm worried about Lucy and everyone. Major Davis probably has troops posted in every town and city in the UK!"

"Exactly. Which means they will be in smaller groups. And even if they DO find us, then it will take ages to get the other groups to where we are, by which time we'll be long gone."

"I suppose so."

"Hey, JJ, you said you used to do a bit of free running." Robbie said after a moment of silence.

"Yeah. Why?"

"That building over there. Hit the roof of it."

JJ turned around and stared at the 30ft gap between the buildings, and at the 100ft drop to the solid concrete pavement below him.

"Uh, no WAY am I ever jumping over that!"

"If you do it, I'll tell you everyone's crushes... Including Lucy's!"

"Hmmm..." JJ thought about it. "Anything else?"

"Teach you how to fight properly with the swords."

"Deal."

"Cool. Try getting some speed up before you jump. That way you'll have more momentum and you'll go further. But go back to normal speed before you hit the ground. Otherwise you'll turn into super-fast soup."

JJ gulped. "Way to give me a confidence boost Robbie!"

"You'll be fine." Robbie slapped JJ on the back, and JJ sped up, running in circles until he got enough speed up, and then jumped. He looked down and saw the road below fly past, scaring him witless. Just before JJ hit the roof of the next building, he slowed down again, and rolled to a stop.

From the car-park, Robbie cheered.

"Nice one!" he shouted across the street.

"Yeah, thanks!" JJ called back. "But how do I get back down?!"

"Go over the rooves. You'll find a way down."

JJ sighed and set off across the rooftops, gradually making his way down until he reached the ground. He ran back to the car park to find Robbie waiting for him, his arms folded.

"Took your time roadrunner!" tutted Robbie.

"You know that I haven't been able to go uber fast since the fight!"

"Whatever. Right, we'd better find a newsagents and buy a map if we're going to get to Portsmouth. Otherwise we'll be running around in circles. You literally."

Combined, it took JJ and Robbie less than 20 minutes to find a shop which sold maps. JJ ran in, grabbed one, and ran out again.

Robbie leant against his bike as he unfolded the map.

"So where do we go?" JJ asked. Robbie stabbed the map with a sword.

"We are there. We need to get-" he stopped and stabbed it with his other sword. "to here. The best way is along the motorways. Memorise where we need to go, and lead the way."

JJ nodded and stared at the map for a minute. He scribbled down the information on the back of his hand.

"Right. Let's go." JJ said, switching into speed mode and running off, Robbie leaping onto the motorbike and following him.

Behind them, unnoticed, an uninteresting black van turned on it's engine and started along the road behind them. The driver spoke into his radio.

"We have the sword boy and the fast boy. In pursuit now."

After a few seconds, a voice replied.

"Affirmative. Do not intervene, wait for back-up."

"Roger that sir."