Hunted by Sophie McKenzie Read Free Book Online Page A

flashing, was parked out front of the building. There was no sign of the officers. Presumably, they were both still inside.
    Harry tugged at my arm, pulling me onto the street. I followed him across the road. We took a left, then a right, running all the way past the underground station at the top of the road and across the much bigger, busier road at the top into a park.
    Harry vaulted the park railings without any problem and darted into the shadow of some trees. I followed him, then bent over, trying not to pant too hard, as Harry leaned against the nearest trunk.
    I stood up. ‘Who the hell are you?’ I demanded. ‘How do you know my name? How . . . jeez . . . how did you know I was in that building?’
    ‘Hey, Red.’ Harry pushed himself up from the tree with a grin. ‘Didn’t your aunt and uncle teach you to say “thank you” when someone rescues you?’
    I stared at him, dumbfounded again.
    Harry pulled back his hood. The street lamp on the other side of the park railings shone across his face. High cheekbones and dark hair. He was more interesting-looking than conventionally handsome . . . His features weren’t precisely symmetrical and his nose was a little long while his eyes were set slightly wide apart. But there was something about him. Something that kept me looking.
    Harry took a step closer, into even brighter light, and I could see that his eyes were a startling blue.
    He raised his eyebrows. ‘You look good when you’ve been running, Red.’
    I curled my lip. ‘Don’t call me Red,’ I said. ‘And will you please answer my questions.’
    ‘Sure.’ Harry sat on the ground and patted the patch of grass next to him. I hesitated a moment, then sat down opposite.
    ‘My parents worked with your dad,’ Harry said matter-of-factly. ‘Dad was in IT . . . Mum was one of your dad’s research assistants. She was doing a PhD. They met, fell in love and had me.’
    I stared at him. ‘How old are you?’
    Harry grinned. ‘Exactly one year older than you.’
    ‘Your birthday is the same?’
    ‘Yeah . . . well, it’s at the beginning of February,’ Harry said. ‘Just like yours. My mum was made up when your mum got pregnant . . . said they’d have so much fun being mothers together.’
    ‘Your parents knew my mom as well as my dad?’ I said. ‘What are their names?’
    ‘Laura and Jason Smith,’ Harry said. ‘Actually, our mums knew each other really well. They were good friends.’
    I nodded. I couldn’t place Jason, but the name Laura definitely cropped up in my mom’s diary as one of her regular lunch dates.
    ‘I think my mum introduced your parents to each other,’ Harry explained. ‘And they went out together as couples, too . . . before and after we were born. There’s a picture at home of us playing together.’ He paused. ‘You look a lot better now than you did as a baby.’
    I blushed, remembering the photos and the red-raw skin I’d suffered from when I was little. Then I felt annoyed that he’d made me blush.
    ‘Well, all that’s an awesome nostalgia fest for you, but would you mind telling me how you knew I’d be—’
    ‘At the Hub?’ Harry interrupted. ‘My dad rang me . . . He . . . er, he lives abroad now. He said you’d hacked into the file on William Fox – your dad – in the murder database. He has some ace software that tells him when stuff like that happens. He said he knew it was you from the cameras in the street outside the public records office. He hacked those as well.’
    I shook my head. ‘How did he know I would come to the Hub?’
    ‘He guessed that once you learned your dad was murdered, you’d ask more questions and find out that all the recordings detailing who your dad thought was after him were held in the Hub archives.’
    My mouth fell open. ‘And he sent you along to . . . to help me?’
    ‘More to rescue you before the police arrested you actually. And to tell you that you won’t find what you’re looking for in that old MoD