Page 27 of Mercury Rising

Mercury regarded him. “You sound very knowledgeable.”

“It’s no secret,” Nick replied. “I’ve been to prison.”

Once again, Mercury tried not to be shocked. “Oh, right,” he said.

“Don’t worry. I’m not an axe murderer.”

Mercury desperately wanted to ask what Nick had been convicted of but knew better. “How come you’re allowed to run this place?”

“Good question and a very long answer. Let’s save it for another time.”

Nick signalled they were at the end of the conversation by sitting up to his desk. Mercury stared at his strong back for a second more before doing the same.

You’re a man of many layers, Nick Campbell.

Mercury found himself relishing the prospect of peeling them away while at Bodhi House.

The week passed without incident. Mercury had begun to make a dent in the logbooks and Nick had finally begun to drink all of his tea.

The kids had been great for the most part. Mercury had stumbled into the middle of a fight between Olena and Anna.Much to his own surprise and everyone else’s, he’d broken it up and made them go into separate rooms.

By the time he’d finished talking to them, they were firm friends again.

It was lunchtime on Thursday and Mercury sat in the kitchen with Nick, Cath, Brooke, Eddie and Hassan. He had made them fattoush, a Syrian salad dish. Like most teenagers, they’d greeted the prospect of new food with trepidation.

Yet once Eddie had tried it and declared it “all right,” the others dug in. Mercury revelled in the sense of pride when they were all munching away, evidently enjoying it.

The only problem was he’d had to make a deal to get Eddie to try his food and payback was going to be terrifying.

“Can’t wait until Monday,” Eddie said with a twinkle in his eye.

Nick caught Mercury’s eye and chuckled.

“I still think it’s an unfair deal,” Mercury muttered. “You get to eat a delicious salad and I have to climb a wall.”

“A five-metre wall,” Eddie added.

Mercury shuddered. “I’ve hated heights ever since I froze on the diving board in Antibes.”

“You don’t have to do it,” Cath said.

“Yes, he does,” Eddie cut in. “A deal is a deal.”

The little mercenary was having a great time.

“Have no fear, I won’t back down,” Mercury said. “I never refuse a dare.”

“What’s Antibes?” Hassan asked.

“Where’s Antibes,” Nick corrected.

“It’s a place in France,” Mercury explained. “One of our security guards took me to a water park.”

Eddie frowned. “Didn’t your mum go?”

Mercury smiled. “No. Once my mum gets involved, everything gets complicated. Can you imagine Madeline Morrison wandering around Marineland?”

“My dad took me on all the rides at Chessington,” Hassan said. “It was ace.”