Ellen Blake Destined To Return

63 - Wooden cornet

Before Ellen could finish putting on her second trainer she found the other four, with Thomas and Wilf, surrounding her in panic.

'What the –'

Brook shushed Ellen and bent to her ear to whisper.

'Victor's here. They just walked in ... although I don't think they saw us.'

'Everybody stay still and keep quiet,' continued Brook. 'Aaron, can you try and find any way out of this room ... and do it quietly?'

Brook peeked cagily around one side of the heavy curtain hanging over the arched doorway. Ellen, now with both trainers on, did likewise on the other side of the curtain.

Out in the Nave they could just about see and definitely hear Victor giving his orders. Adrianna was to search around the altar, Sebastien to search the Whispering Gallery, balconies and the floors above, whilst Victor was to check out the two chapels back by the entrance and block anyone trying to get out that way.

Ellen and Brook swiftly pulled back to avoid being seen, as the two larger Enforcers tromped past, following Victor's orders.

'Any luck?' Brook quietly asked Aaron.

Aaron shook his head.

'No. There's a small door back there, behind another velvet curtain, but that's bolted and padlocked. Other than that there is a small hatch in the ceiling, but we haven't got a step ladder and it's so tiny only Thomas and Wilf could get through there. Billy at a squeeze.'

'Well we're not going to get out the same way we came in. Victor's monitoring that exit,' considered Brook. 'We've two choices. We either stay here, and hope they overlook this room, or try to get across to the south aisle. On the right is the Chapel of St Michael and I found earlier that in its far corner is a wooden door that does open.'

'I don't think we can chance staying here,' said Ellen. 'If they think there is any possibility that we'd be here then they'll check every inch of the place.'

'My thoughts exactly, but I wanted to give you the option. That means we need to try and sneak across the width of the Nave, when the Enforcers are preoccupied. If we keep low we can use the pews to hide behind for most of the distance, but we'll still have to cross the central aisle. And that is where we're most likely to be seen.'

Brook and Ellen returned to peek around the curtain, for the right moment.

'Okay,' said Brook, giving the orders. 'Sebastien's upstairs and out of sight, Victor's just entered the Chapel of St Dunston and Adrianna's checking the choir stalls. It's now or never. Ellen. You and Aaron go first, as you need to get away the quickest, then Marianne and Billy. I'll follow up with Thomas and Wilf. Remember the door is at the back of St Michael's. Once you get outside go left and run to the far end of the cathedral and wait for us. We can then take shelter in one of the streets a little further away. Has everyone got it?'

They all nodded. Brook took one final peak in both directions and saw that it was still safe to leave.

'Right, let's go and remember ... keep low.'

They left the small room in the order Brook recommended. Squatting low they waddled or slid across the stone floor, between the pews, until they reached the central aisle. Ellen poked her head out a little, looked towards the altar to see Adrianna ducking in and out of the choir stalls. She sighed when she saw the pipe organ and thought how a way home felt as far away as ever. In the other direction, Victor was nowhere to be seen. Ellen tapped Aaron on the arm and they both hurried across the three-metre aisle and into the safety of the pews on the south side of the Nave. Whilst they carried on, along the opposite pews, Marianne and Billy repeated the same process.