28 Clover Lane

Chapter 8

1:45am. Sirens. I'm sure I can hear them. Is it my imagination? I groan as I sit up in bed. I'm so tired. I look out of my window through the blinds and yes, sure enough, three police cars are speeding down my street, heading towards Clover Avenue. No, wait, they've gone past Clover Avenue. They're driving down Clover Lane. I watch, my breath catching in my throat - no. Please, no. They stop outside twenty-eight Clover Lane. I watch as about six policemen jump out of their cars and run onto Lily's driveway, out of sight. Hang on, what's that? It looks like a van, parked on the pavement in front of the house. A white van. What's that doing there?

I jump out of bed, my mind racing with questions. Is it something to do with Victoria? Has Lily called the police because she's worried about her mum going missing again? I can't understand it. She never rang the police in the past, she said she didn't want them involved when I suggested them to her.

I grab my mobile and switch it on. I'll call her, find out what's happening. When the homepage loads, I'm about to select Lily's name in my contacts list when it beeps. The words 1 New Voicemail: Lily x flash on the screen. She tried to ring me. Something must be up. I select Hear Voicemail and listen to her voice. What I hear sends a chill down my spine.

"Please, Nathan... there's a man outside my bedroom... I'm so scared... come quickly..."

My heart feels like it's stopped. Everything goes into slow motion as I shove on my jeans, put my phone in my pocket, grab my coat and car keys and rush downstairs. She only lives down the road but the car will be quicker. I climb in, rev the engine and drive towards Clover Lane. I turn into the street and swerve as the white van zooms towards me. The man must be trying to escape. That means the cops must be with Lily, and a rush of relief sweeps over me. I wonder why there are no police in pursuit of the van, though.

As I pull up at the pavement outside the house, a horrific sight fills my eyes. Six policemen, lying dead on the floor. Some in the garden, some on the drive. I look up at the house and my chest tightens when I see no lights on, no sign that Lily is safe, that she's... alive. I scramble out of the car, down the lawn, dodging the police and eventually reaching the house. The door is open, so I run straight into the hall and shout for Lily. My heart races when she doesn't answer.

"LILY!"

I run in and out of all the rooms, searching for her, unaware of what I might find. When she isn't anywhere to be seen, dead or alive, the horrible realisation settles in on me. The police are dead, and the van was speeding off down the street a minute ago. Lily's gone. That can only mean the man has taken her.