The Underground Palace

Chapter Seventeen - Trust Me

The transit van's sliding door slammed open and Alex shielded her eyes away from the sudden burst of sunlight.      

'Out!' barked a voice and immediately Alex crawled forward. Six hours she had spent sitting in that van, six long hours spent wondering how could she possibly face her mother after all what had happened. The mess involving Marco and James and everything else was all too much to juggle at once. Alex held her bound hands out to the man and watched him hack away at the rope with his dagger, the blade narrowly missing her flesh with every cut. The nurse at the Underground Palace had miraculously healed every single broken rib and Alex didn't want to crawl back with a missing hand. Without a doubt Marco would be most pleased.

'I guess you can find your way home from here?' asked the man as he cut through the last piece of rope. Alex peered out of the van and nodded. She had spent nearly every childhood summers in this park.

'Yes,' she said and looked up at the man, wondering if she should thank him or not. His name was Tom, Alex could sense that, Tom Waters.

'So what are you waiting for?' he asked and stepped backwards out of Alex's way. He crossed his arms and stared at her, wondering why she, out of all the other Seven Children, was allowed to walk free. His boss must be insane. 'Go!' he screamed and Alex jumped out of the van and ran. Ran away from the angry man and refused to look back, scared at any moment Marco would change his mind and order Tom to drag her back to the Underground Palace where Glen still sat waiting. Glen, Alex realised with a pang. He didn't know what had happened to her, he didn't know where she was, for all he knew she could already be dead. Giving her head a slight shake and focusing on ahead, Alex reminded herself that she was safe now. Here in York and nearly back home was a thousand times better than still stuck in the Underground Palace. She'll talk to her mum and persuade Richard to send in a team to save Glen and the others. That was the only thing she could do.

Alex ran harder and faster and in no time she was running past Glen's house and nearing hers, and saw Range Rovers, at least fifteen of them, were parked outside her house all belonging to Richard. Several men and women were standing outside in the cold, hugging flasks and mugs of tea and coffee as the temperature around them was at freezing level. Alex ignored the gasps and pointed fingers. Several of them even cried out and immediately rummaged around inside their pockets, hunting for their mobiles phones to alert the world of Alex's safe return. Alex turned away and leapt over her garden hedge, a pointless fifty centimetre bush which couldn't even keep a toddler out. How many times had she begged her mother to dig it out? But right now that didn't matter, she was home.

'Mum?' she called out as she threw open her front door. 'Mum!' Alex walked further inside, ignoring the shoe stand only a foot away which her mother always reminded Alex existed for a reason and instead kicked her snow covered boots off, leaving them to drip next to the radiator. 'Mum!' she called out again, staring at the kitchen counter lying straight ahead, laden with paper cups, glasses and mugs. It felt wrong to see. Her mother was one of those people who couldn't stand dirty dishes. 'Mum!' she called out again but this time with desperation.

'Alex?' whispered a voice from the lounge room, 'is that really you?' Alex looked up and saw her mother standing in the doorway looking incredibly exhausted yet thrilled.

'Mum!' cried Alex and she ran forward to embrace her. All anger and hatred she had for her mother was shoved to the side momentary as Alex felt her heart open up and remember what it felt like to be loved. 'I'm sorry,' she sobbed into her mother's shoulder, 'I'm so so sorry. I should have listened, should have stayed-'