Page 34 of Runner 13

Stella

Where is Rachid?

Ali has gone to look for him, while I stand inside the finishing zone, capturing images of exhausted fun runners dragging themselves over the line. Normally Boones would be there to greet them, but it’s Henry doing it this time. Strange.

At least today’s stage seems to have passed without incident. I hardly left Dr Emilio alone for a moment and I got used to his scowl in my direction.

The biggest news of the race is a fun runner who’d kept up with the elites.

Runner 501. One of the guys on my Runners for Hope list. Matteo Poddighe.

He had moved through the checkpoints so fast I didn’t even see him.

Doubtful if he can keep it up for three more days but impressive nonetheless.

The most anticipated stage is the fifth day – nicknamed the ‘long day’ – where the runners will have to complete one hundred miles in one go.

Most of these fun runners will be running through the night, in total darkness.

It’s the challenge within the challenge. As if it wasn’t already hard enough.

But this is what the people who signed up want .

They want to be pushed.

They want to be tested.

That’s what my dad is counting on.

I hope Pete can find out information about Nabil’s death before then. I won’t be able to stay on Dr Emilio’s tail all that time. I hope my suspicion is wrong. But I can’t take that risk.

Through my lens I catch sight of Ali gesturing for me to come over. I don’t waste a minute. I jog over straight away.

‘Any news from Pete?’ I ask.

‘Yes. He is on his way to the bivouac.’

‘Wow, OK. He must have found something out. Did he tell you?’

Ali shakes his head. ‘Only that he must speak to you in person. But – there is a problem.’

‘What?’

‘The security in the camp. It’s so tight – they won’t have any chance of sneaking in until it’s dark.’

I glance down at my watch. ‘Still got a few hours then.’ I bite the edge of my thumbnail, my mind whirring, wondering what Pete knows.

That he’s coming at all is a big part of why I love him. That the moment I need him, he leaps to my aid – no debate. No rejection. No ridicule. No expectation that I should figure it out on my own. No secret tests.

Maybe I should have told Pete about Yasmin when it happened.

Given him the whole story about Ibiza. We’d been a couple, after all, and I know he would have been so supportive.

But I was too consumed by my grief to think about bringing him into it – not to mention how complicated Adrienne had made things by inserting herself into the story.

Instead, I’d reached out to Boones. I don’t even know why. I guess I needed my dad in that moment.

Fat lot of good it did me.

He’d let me down, just like he always did.

Henry waves me over, so I say a quick goodbye to Ali, agreeing to meet him at sunset. Then I jog over.

‘Can you get some photos of runner 501?’ he asks me. ‘He’s one of your “Runners for Hope” guys who absolutely killed it this stage. I know they’ll want his story documented.’

‘Sure,’ I say. I might as well do something while I’m waiting for Pete. I already feel useless, rattling around the bivouac like a spare part.

I find runner 501 sitting outside his tent, apart from the rest of his fellow runners.

He’s shovelling food into his mouth out of a bag – one of those meals you hydrate with hot water.

With his sunglasses still on I can’t get a good read on how he’s feeling.

But he looks tense. Like he’s still in the zone.

‘Hey, congrats on your run today.’

He looks up sharply at the sound of my voice.

‘Mind if I take a few pics?’ I continue.

‘Who are you again?’

‘Oh, I’m Stella. I’m with Runners for Hope.’ I fumble for my security pass.

‘Stella …’ He lifts his sunglasses, his eyes searching my face. ‘Have we met before?’

‘Yeah, I took a video of you on our first day in the bivouac.’

‘No, I mean, before this race?’

‘I don’t think so.’ But I frown. There is something familiar about him. I can’t place it.

‘Oh, OK. Well, go ahead.’ He gestures to my camera.

I don’t get him to pose or position him in anyway. I just wait for him to get back to his food and take pictures of him going about his business.

If Yasmin were here, if she was still alive, she would be the one I was taking pictures of.

If she hadn’t received an invitation on her own merit, she would have bought a place at the race.

Maybe she would have done what Matteo did.

Run so fast and so hard that Boones couldn’t deny her a place with his elites.

‘You think you can keep this up?’ I ask, tucking my camera to one side.

‘I want this more than anyone else out there. I want a chance to compete against the elites officially. To chase them down one by one until it’s only me out there. But that’s up to Boones.’

‘You deserve it. You’ve earned it.’

He snaps his fingers. ‘I like the way you think. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.’

‘Think I’ve got everything. Good luck in the race.’ If he gets promoted, at least that would be one elite not running to fulfil my dad’s agenda.

It’s almost dark and I wave as I walk away.

‘Hang on a second,’ he says and I turn back towards him. ‘Do you have a sister?’

The question hits me, closing my throat. It takes everything in my power not to cry.

‘Not any more,’ I reply.

I can’t stay a moment longer. I power away, keeping my head down. As I move through the bivouac back to my tent, I see Adrienne deep in conversation with Dr Emilio. Goosebumps rise on my skin. I think about going to her.

Warning her about the drugs I found on him – about what I suspect he did to Nabil.

Warning her that anyone connected to my dad is not to be trusted.

But I don’t know anything yet. Not really.

I need Pete to get here. And somehow we can put an end to this nightmare together.