{ELEMENTISTS OF WILLOW FOREST BOOK I} The Path of Fire

...And Almost Get Away With It

2: ...And Almost Get Away With It

Sasha couldn't believe the girl had been so incredibly stupid. Typical Country Dumpling. Not that it mattered now. The phone was hers. Mwah ha ha and all that.

She was a street away from the alley behind a pub where she 'lived'. Suddenly, something caught her eye. She darted round and thought she caught a glimpse of the girl who she had stolen off in an apartment window. But no, that was impossible. Sasha had taken three different short cuts. There was no way the girl could have got there so quick.

Sasha kept walking, faster than before. It was probably just her imagination, but a policeman was slowly edging towards her. And when you were a street child, you couldn't afford to take risks.

Shoot.

Shoot

Shoot

Shoot

Shoot.

There was a Policeman.

Almost there, almost there, so close, don't look behind you...

Words flashed through her mind as she realised how close she was to getting caught. The policeman had sped up. Sasha decided to loop round into a maze of alleys which led to behind a half-abandoned industrial estate. Surely, surely, she wouldn't be followed there.

She was followed. Sasha broke into a run, as did the man at her heels. She sprinted through the narrow streets, past towering piles of rubbish and barking dogs.

She stopped to catch her breath. Wait. She recognised this place. The computer warehouse was just around the corner. The back door was always left unlocked. If she could sneak in there, maybe she could hide out for a while and get away with it.

She slipped round the back. The building was unattractive, a cuboid of grey there to clutter up the industrial state. Cautiously, she opened the door. It creaked loudly in protest, as if it was aware that an unlicensed minor was attempting to break in. Sasha cursed whoever hadn't oiled it. The building was no more attractive on the inside than it was out. It was the same greyish colour and dimly lit with mountains and mountains and mountains of cardboard boxes. She noticed three security guards by the back wall.

Unfortunately, they noticed her.

Sasha dived behind a pile of Apple Laptops. It wasn't a great hiding place, but time called for truly desperate measures. The door creaked again, followed by footsteps on the concrete floor.

Damn, she hated that policeman.

Voices were murmuring. Sasha doubted the policeman and security guards were discussing when to meet up for coffee. More footsteps. This time there were four pairs, each going in a different direction. One was coming gradually closer towards her. Hiding was pointless. Hey, she knew karate. Maybe she could attempt an Indiana Jones style attack, then dash out the building the moment it blew up or something. Though, deep down, she knew it was hopeless. That left surrendering. Could she do that? If she was caught, what would they do to her? Probably send her back to the authorities, and then another care home. Care homes could be escaped from. Sasha had proved that nine times in the past. If she didn't have the phone on her, no criminal charges could be pressed against her. It wasn't too late to hide the iPhone. She considered her options. Certainly, the last one seemed the best.

Sasha slipped the iPhone between the nearest boxes, then crept a few blocks of boxes away. At least if they went to look for the phone where she had last been, they wouldn't find it. Then slowly, slowly, she strode out into the open.

Instantly, the guards and policeman reacted. This was what they had been trained for. They drew in on Sasha like a pack of lions, hungry for their prey.

Suddenly, all the anger, all the hatred she had felt over the years welled up inside her.

Then she let it all go.

There was a rush of heat and red.

Before it all went white.

Sasha was unconscious before she hit the concrete.

*

Olivia Green flicked the channel. There it was again. 'Mysterious Explosion in Warehouse', 'Explosion In Computer Warehouse- Four People Killed', 'Industrial State Blows Up- No Cause Found', 'Lone Girl Survives Warehouse Explosion'.

She punched the power button on the remote and span round to face the other six counsellors who were sitting on the sofas in the lounge. Part of their daily meeting included watching the news, in case something happened which signalled the discovery of one of them. Another elementist.

Rachael spoke first. "It's got to be one of us. It's got to be. There's no other explanation for it."

More silence.

It was Josie who asked the unspoken question. "Tech or Fire?"

"It's irrelevant", Olivia snapped. "This Sasha, she's really powerful. Maybe even councillor level."

"But still nowhere near Olivia Level." Luke grinned. Olivia tried to be modest, but the truth was she was probably more powerful than most of the other kids put together. "You're like, a whole level of your own."

Olivia pursed her lips and said nothing, as she often did when she was worried, frustrated or thinking. In this case, it was probably all three.

Ethan dared to speak. "I've already got Ash and Eve watching her. This girl had already showed a few of the normal traits. You know, parents disappeared, on the streets after escaping from various care homes, that type of thing."

"Actually, the last one you mentioned isn't actually a trait for everyone." Pebble Miner was Rock's younger sister. The two had the same abilities, although they looked nothing alike, Rock's hair was silver-brown, Pebble was a blonde. Pebble made a large thing of arguing with almost every statement. However, for some unknown reason, everyone liked her. Rock called it 'The Pebbley Force'. After you've met her, you just automatically wanted to be her friend. "I didn't actually choose to run away. That was Rock's idea."

"Hey!" Rock responded.

Olivia decided not to comment. Pebble would be Pebble. Rock would be Rock. Siblings would be siblings.

"Okay then," she decided. "It's definite. We've found one. Ethan, you go and join the twins. Bring Sasha back to Willow Forest tonight. Anyone got a bed spare?"

"Yep." Rachel confirmed. "She can temporarily sleep in Kirsty's old bed over at Death."

"Settled?" Olivia asked.

"Settled." The others replied.

"Meeting disbanded."

The seven councillors left the House of All and returned to their own parts of the forest.