Hunted by Chris Ryan Read Free Book Online Page B

the building.
'They're like aliens,' said Hex. 'They look like they're in low gravity.'
Amber dug him in the ribs. 'Poor Hex. Didn't you pack Safari Simulator for Nerds?'
Amber and Li were given a room together in the upstairs extension. As they were unpacking there was a knock at the door, then Alex popped his head round. 'Anyone coming for a swim? We can christen the new pool.'
'Wow, definitely!' Amber's face lit up. 'It'll do my ankle good. I must start using it now that it's more or less healed.'
Li looked sceptical. 'But isn't it starting to rain?'
'What, worried you'll get wet?' teased Alex.
'Anyway, swimming in the rain's fantastic,' said Amber.
'OK, we'll be down in five,' said Li.
Alex left them to get changed.
Li and Amber wasted no time in digging out swimwear. As they stripped off, Li noticed something silhouetted against the window.
She giggled. 'Amber, we've got a peeping torn - look.' She was looking behind Amber, out of the window.
Amber turned and saw a giraffe's head, silhouetted in three-quarter profile against the sky. The tips of its horns almost reached the top of the window. 'My God, how tall are those things?' She giggled as she shook out her dark red bikini bottoms. 'I hope it's female.'
The giraffe swayed out of view. Li stepped into her blue tie-dyed costume as Amber put on her bikini briefs and rummaged in her case for the top half.
'It's back - look!' squealed Li.
Amber looked round. The giraffe head glided back past the window again.
'It must like that bikini,' said Li.
Amber wriggled into her bikini top - a tight-fitting vest with crossover straps. Halfway, she got stuck. 'Li, can you give me a hand with this? It seems to have been designed for a contortionist.'
Li pulled up the straps of her swimsuit and went to help Amber.
The giraffe returned a third time, its head floating into view serenely. A voice boomed, 'Say cheese!' There was a flash like a camera going off. The giraffe capsized out of view like a tree falling.
Li and Amber shrieked and ran to the window. Hex and Paulo were below, staggering under a tall pole like a broom handle. On the end of it, they saw now, was a wooden cut-out head of a giraffe. Lashed to the pole was a length of plastic tube that ended just below the neck of the giraffe. The two boys were convulsed with laughter, which rather interfered with their efforts to make a clean getaway.
'I see you, Hex,' yelled Amber. 'You boys are so dead.'
Paulo gave up dismantling the creature and put his mouth to the plastic tube. His voice boomed out of the other end: 'Remember, girls, to keep your curtains closed in future.'
'Have you taken a picture of us?' shouted Li.
Paulo took his mouth away from the tube. 'Who knows?' He gave them his most enigmatic smile. 'Hex rigged that up.'
'Right,' said Li. 'This means war. At the swimming pool.' She ducked back into the room, snatched up a towel, crossed to the door, and was out in the corridor in a flash.
'Ow,' said Amber, hobbling after her. 'I can't run.'
Amber went slowly down the stairs, using the banisters as a crutch. But when she got to the bottom, Li was already outside, pursuing the boys into the pool. Amber heard big splashes and shrieks of delight. She cursed her ankle yet again. 'When I'm better,' she muttered, 'there'll be no stopping me.'
Someone was coming in from the pool, a slight figure lurching on a walking stick. She was visible only in silhouette, the pool an inviting bright rectangle of turquoise behind her. One of the girl's legs was slim, the other was enormous - twice the size. She walked painfully and slowly towards Amber.
'You must be the elusive Amber. I'm Tessa.' She held out her hand. 'It's irritating, this rain, isn't it? Now I've got to sit indoors because of my bandage; I'm not supposed to get it wet.'
Amber looked down and saw that the thicker leg was heavily bandaged, all the way down to the toes. Above the dressings it looked swollen, and yellowed with bruising. Amber shook Tessa's hand. 'I heard all