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It’s why, when I’m shaken from my slumber in the middle of the night, it burns like a thousand scratches. I’m disoriented, groggy, confused. Unwilling to let go of oblivion.
The person doesn’t stop, unzipping my sleeping bag and agitating my shoulder until my consciousness finally surfaces. My eyes blink open and I find myself staring at Boones.
‘Time to get up, runner thirteen. The real race is about to begin.’
32
Stella
‘Boones will fire you,’ I say to the security guard standing in front of me, his large arms folded. Maybe he knows my threat is empty, because he doesn’t even blink.
Who knew the bivouac had a freaking jail? I didn’t. But we’d been frogmarched to a marquee at the far end of the bivouac, the inside of it partitioned into small ‘cells’ with heavy cloth dividers so I’m kept in a space hardly bigger than one of the toilet tents. Pete and Mac are taken to different segments. Though we can’t see each other, I can hear their protests.
I throw my hands up in the air. ‘Screw this.’ I move to push past him, but he blocks my path. ‘Let me go. You don’t understand. Boones is my father.’
The guard shifts awkwardly on his feet.
I spot a radio at his side. ‘There. Use that. Call Boones right now. If you don’t, you could be putting lives in danger. You could be using this jail for a real criminal.’
‘And who would that be?’ Henry walks into my ‘cell’ and the former guard sighs with relief. He steps through the curtain to leave the two of us alone.
I clamp my mouth shut.
It doesn’t faze Henry. ‘Look, by allowing unauthorized people into the bivouac, you’ve endangered everyone’s safety and broken our rules. You’ll stay here while wearrange your transport back to Ouarzazate. Hand in your security pass and –’
‘Before you go on, I really need to speak to Boones.’
‘Because he is your father, I know. I think the whole bivouac’s heard you by now. You’ll have your chance. But I have a few questions first. Like, why was this in your bag?’ He holds up the bottle of ketamine.
‘I took that from one ofyourdoctors – Emilio. He also had a racer’s water bottle in his bag. Have you asked him any questions? Presumably you must know by now that Nabil had traces of that stuff in his blood when he died.’
Henry nods. ‘We do know that. We’ve spoken to the Sûreté Nationale. They’re on their way.’
‘Good. So Emilio is the one you should be holding in these cells, not us. Pete and Mac have information to give to the police about how Emilio might have poisoned Nabil. We think he was targeting one of the other runners, Adrienne, and Nabil is collateral damage.’
Henry’s eyes search my face. He looks exhausted. ‘What the actual fuck?’
‘Not what you expected for your first time race directing?’
He shakes his head.
‘Look, Henry. Take me to Boones now and we can get Emilio into custody and wait for the police.’
‘Fine. Come with me.’
It’s not what I expect to hear, but I’m glad. I follow him out of my ‘cell’ – and with a clearer head I see that the private booths must normally be used for medical treatment. I try to see Pete, but he must still be inside.
It’s quiet outside the bivouac and it’s pitch black.Thankfully Henry has a heavy-duty torch he uses to light the way.
‘What time is it?’ I ask him.
‘Three a.m.,’ Henry answers. ‘I’ve got so much to do. Your father has us working ourselves to the bone to pull off his ultimate race.’
The phrase sets alarm bells off in my mind. Dad had used it with me too, but I hadn’t registered it then. I assumed it was his normal hyperbole.
‘I thought owning part of the Ampersand races would be such a – well, such a boon for Blixt. Now I’m beginning to think it’s a nightmare.’
I agree with him. I pick up speed, darting ahead of Henry and his light. I know the way to the trailer by now. I take the steps two at a time.