فرار!

Chapter fifteen

Escape!

Mark didn’t lie, but he wasn’t ready yet to tell the truth. When the court met again on Friday afternoon, no one was really surprised when he again refused to answer the judge’s questions. ‘I’m not going to answer that,’ he said, time after time.

But everyone was shocked by the recording that was played. Reggie’s eyes opened wide when she heard Muldanno speak of killing her. The judge agreed that Mark was in great danger, and returned him to custody.

There was a surprise, though, when Slick Moeller came before the judge. True to his word, the reporter refused to name the person who gave him private information.

‘Well Mr Moeller,’ said the judge. ‘If I can send a child to prison for refusing to tell what he knows, I can do the same for you.’

Slick knew more than anyone about crime in Memphis, but he had never been inside a prison. Now it was his turn.

Back in his prison room, Mark was ready for his plan. For half an hour he ran around his room, until his heart was going very fast and his face was red and hot. When he heard Doreen’s key he lay on the floor, closed his eyes, and put his thumb in his mouth.

‘Mark,’ shouted Doreen, when she saw him. ‘Mark - oh you poor kid!’ She ran from the room to get help, and was back in a few seconds with another guard.

‘Mark was worried about this,’ said Doreen. ‘He’s in shock like his little brother. Look - his skin is all wet. And his heart is going so fast!’

‘Stay here I’ll call an ambulance,’ said the other guard. ‘We need to get him to hospital.’

Everything was confused after that. Nobody wanted a boy to die in prison. When the ambulance came the guards signed papers to send Mark to hospital and he was taken at once to St Peter’s. More papers. There were nurses everywhere, and everyone was in a hurry. A nurse moved Mark to a bed.

‘Sign this,’ said the ambulance men, ‘and be quick. We have another case waiting.’

The nurse signed, the men left, and the nurse went to answer a phone. Mark opened his eyes and saw he was alone. He jumped off the bed and ran into a hall. Nobody noticed him. He disappeared into an empty office and found a phone.

‘Reggie’ he said quickly when she answered the phone ‘I’m in St Peter’s. I can’t talk now. Please come and get me. Don’t tell anyone. I’ll be in the car park.’

Mark knew how to hide in the hospital. He moved quickly and quietly, and found his way to the car park. When Reggie’s car arrived he climbed in and hid on the floor.

‘Drive, Reggie,’ he said. ‘Drive anywhere. Let’s go. I’ll explain later.’

When the nurse came back, Mark was not there. ‘Someone’s moved him,’ she thought, and hurried off to another job.

When Foltrigg’s men arrived with papers to take Mark to New Orleans they checked the prison, and then checked the hospital. Only then did people realise that he was gone.

‘He’s what’ cried Dianne.

‘Go find him,’ said McThune.

But by then Mark and Reggie were on the road.

‘Where are we going’ asked Reggie.

‘Listen, Reggie,’ said Mark. ‘I’ve been thinking. What if Romey told me a lie? What if the body isn’t where he said? Then I’d be safe. We need to check. We need to go to New Orleans.’