The Nightmare Man by Joseph Lidster Read Free Book Online Page B

house. All the power he could find was flowing through him and into K-9. It was more power than either of them had used before, but it was necessary if it meant K-9 could talk to Luke in a different dimension. Sarah Jane stared at K-9, terrified as his red eyes glowed brighter than she’d ever seen.
    ‘K-9? Is it working?’ she gasped.
    ‘Affirmative!’ he squealed.
    Luke, alone and terrified in the nightmare corridor, was hugging himself. ‘I can’t stop him. It’s just me.’
    ‘Negative, Master Luke,’ said a familiar voice. ‘It is never just you.’
    Luke opened his eyes and looked up. And there, in front of him, was K-9! He grinned. ‘How did you get here? Did Mum send you?’
    ‘Affirmative,’ K-9 nodded. ‘She wanted me to tell you that this is a dream and that you need to wake up.’
    Luke’s smile fell. ‘I’ve tried, K-9. But I can’t.’ He fell back against the wall. ‘I was so scared about leaving home I started having nightmares. This is all my fault.’
    In the attic, Sarah Jane crouched down next to K-9. ‘Mr Smith?’ she said, turning to the computer.
    ‘The dog is communicating with Luke,’ Mr Smith confirmed.
    Sarah Jane almost cried with relief. At last, something was working. She would get the kids back and, together, they would stop the Nightmare Man!
    Rani was still sitting behind the desk in the news studio. The lights were bright and burning. She turned to Louise.
    ‘Why do you want to destroy Sarah Jane?’
    ‘Why do you think?’ the newsreader replied. ‘The woman’s a menace to society!’
    Rani stared at her, confused. ‘What are you on about? She saves the world!’
    Louise dabbed at her lipstick. ‘But at what cost, Rani? You, Clyde, even her own son! How many times has she put you at risk?’
    ‘It’s not like that.’
    Suddenly, Louise’s voice was harsh as she turned to face Rani. ‘Answer the question!’ She spat out the words. ‘How many times have you nearly died because of Sarah Jane Smith?’
    Rani shook her head. She didn’t know what to say. She was so scared. ‘I don’t understand what’s happening.’
    Louise calmed down. ‘You’re just a child, Rani. It’s not your fault. But if we don’t expose her, she’s going to get you killed.’
    ‘No, she’s given me a better life,’ replied Rani. ‘She’s my friend.’
    Louise was suddenly harsh again. ‘Oh, grow up! If you’re going to be a journalist, you’ve got to stop worrying about people’s feelings. Don’t you want to be a journalist?’
    Rani nodded, terrified.
    ‘Then there’s nothing wrong with us telling the world! The public have a right to know, Rani. And it’s your responsibility as a journalist to tell them!’
    Rani stared into the TV camera. She was terrified. She didn’t know what to say, or what to do. And she was even more terrified because what Louise Marlowe was saying was starting to make sense!
    Sarah Jane was now parked against one of the tables. Clyde brought over her burger and sat down.
    ‘I don’t want this,’ he said. ‘I mean, I was doing my art. I was good at it. Wasn’t I?’
    Sarah Jane gave him a cold smile. ‘Oh, you are sweet. Stupid, but sweet.’
    Clyde shook his head. He knew that wasn’t true. ‘I’m not stupid!’
    ‘You were never as good as my Luke,’ Sarah Jane replied. ‘That’s why you ended up here.’
    Clyde couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It wasn’t true. Yes, Luke was cleverer but that didn’t mean he was stupid. They had different skills and abilities and they both worked hard. He stared at the old woman sitting opposite him. Sarah Jane was someone who had always taken him seriously. She’d always said that he could do whatever he wanted to do, that he could be whoever he wanted to be.
    ‘You’d never say that,’ he muttered.
    ‘What do you mean, dear?’
    He stood up, strong and determined. ‘This isn’t a burger bar. These aren’t real burgers, and you’re not the real Sarah Jane.’
    He left her