Never expecting to die at any time in such a gruesome way.
The three went on, choking with the smoke, now and again falling to be picked up by the others, moving all the time, finally leaving the dead or maimed behind. Suddenly, Henry stopped, causing Jenny and Violet to bump into him.
‘What is it?’ asked the older woman anxiously.
‘Just ahead. There’s something there. I saw a gleam.’ He followed a silver rail with his torch-beam until it fell upon four black objects. Four giant rats. Waiting for them. Lurking in the dark, waiting for them.
Neither party moved for a few frozen seconds, then the human trio began to slowly back away. The rats just stared. Henry heard Violet gasp behind him and her grip tightened on his arm. ‘Behind us.
There’s more,’ she managed to say.
He whirled around and saw them. Two. Advancing stealthily towards them. He realised they were trapped. Now the four in front had begun to move forward, taking tiny crouching steps, the back muscles tensing, ready to spring.
Perhaps I could make it on my own, he thought. Jump over the ones ahead and keep running. The girl and the woman would never make it - but on my own there might be a chance.
‘Against the wall, ladies.’ He pushed them back, shutting out thoughts of escape from his mind. ‘Keep behind and if they try to get past me, kick out, hard as you can.’ He took off his jacket and wrapped it round his arm keeping the light from the torch on the rats now gathered before him. The girl hid her face against the wall, the woman began to weep for’ her children.
One rat moved forward, its chill gaze never leaving Henry’s eyes.
A light flashed from ahead in the tunnel. They heard voices. Footsteps. More lights. The whole tunnel lit up as the footsteps and voices grew louder.
The rats and the three people looked towards the sounds, neither group stirring. Scuffling noises brought Henry’s eyes back to the rats in time to see them disappear towards the burning train. Allexcept one. The one that had been closest was still there, studying the man. Not moving, seemingly unafraid,The solicitor’s clerk felt icy cold as though his very soul was being scrutinised. He became paralysed with fear.
Almost contemptuously, the large rat turned its head towards the approaching men, looked once again at Henry, and then fled.
‘Over here, over here,’ Henry called.
Soon they were surrounded by uniformed men: police and underground staff. As Henry told them of the appalling events, they stared in disbelief.
‘Come along, sir. Rats couldn’t - and wouldn’t - attack a whole train-load of people,’ a police sergeant said, shaking his head. ‘Giant or not, they couldn’t get into a train. Perhaps it’s the fumes, sir. They’ve made you a bit muddled.’
Violet Melray pushed roughly past the little clerk and shouted angrily. ‘Well go and bloody look then!’
and turned back, taking his hand into hers, said more softly, ‘Thank you. Thank you for helping us.’
Henry blushed and dropped his gaze.
‘Er, yes, well,’ the sergeant said, ‘we’ll go on. Two of my men will take you on to the station.’
‘No,’ Henry said. I’ll come back to the train with you.
You’ll need all the help you can get.’ He looked at the woman still clutching his hand. ‘Goodbye. I’ll see you again.’
Before he could pull his hand away, she stepped forward and kissed his cheek.
‘Goodbye,’ she whispered.
Chapter Eleven
Harris felt happy as he walked into the noisy classroom. The weekend had done him the world of good.
Must do it more often. Fresh air, open spaces. Green. Can’t beat it.
‘All right, you lot, shut up!’ he barked above the din.
‘Scalley, sit down and blow your nose. Thomas, away from the window, back to your seat. Maureen, put your mirror away now. Right. All had a good weekend? That’s enough! Let’s call the register.’
The pupils sensed he was in a good mood and knew they could get away with a little more cheek than usual. This morning, anyway.
‘Only two absentees. Not bad for a Monday morning. Yes,
Carlos, what is it? Toilet? But you’ve only just got in. Go on then, you’ll never concentrate if you don’t.’
Carlos, a thin dark-skinned boy, thanked-him-sir, and left the room, a smirk on his face when his back was to the teacher.
‘Carol, give out the paper - Shehgh, give out the pencils.
We’re going to draw some animals today,’ Harris told the class.
‘Can I draw a pig, sir?’ a boy at the back asked.
‘Why a pig, Morris?’
‘I can copy tubby Toomey, sir.’
The offended fat boy swivelled round in his chair as the class erupted into laughter and swore at his tormentor.
‘Come out here, Morris,’ Harris said, firm-mouthed. The boy slouched to the front of the class. ‘Any good at drawing monkeys, Morris?’ ‘No, sir.’
‘Well try copying from a mirror,’ Harris told him knowing the class expected and enjoyed his bringing-down of a loud-mouth, even though any one of them could be next. Feeble, Harris thought, but not bad for a Monday morning. ‘Right, get on with it. Any animal you like, but I don’t want any to look like me. When you’ve finished, we’ll choose the best one, then I’ll explain why it’s the best one. Remember your light and shade.’ He walked up and down the aisles, talking to them individually, giving answers, posing questions. He came to a boy named Barney, small for his fourteen years, but very bright, good at drawing but still needing to learn the techniques of painting. He was especially good with pen and ink, a skill he’d taught himself by copying comic books.
Harris looked over the boy’s shoulder and stared at the picture taking form.
‘What made you draw a rat, Barney?’ he asked.
‘Dunno, sir,’ Barney said, sucking the end of his pen, then adding, ‘Saw one the other day. Big one, like Keogh saw... ‘
His voice trailed off as he remembered his classmate who was now dead. The rest of the class became silent at the mention of Keogh’s name.
‘Whereabouts?’ asked the teacher.
‘By the canal. Tomlins Terrace.’
‘Did you see where it went?’
‘It jumped over a wall and disappeared into the bushes.’
‘What bushes? There isn’t a park down there.’
‘Where the lock-keeper used to live. It’s like a jungle now thecanals been shut down.’
Harris vaguely remembered the old house that stood well back from the road, where, as a kid, he used to go to watch the barges passing through the lock. The lock-keeper liked the kids to watch him work provided they weren’t cheeky, and used to encourage them to come. Funny, he’d forgotten all about the place. He’d been down Tomlins Terrace a few times recently and hadn’t remembered the house had been there. It must have been because of the ‘jungle’ in front.
‘Did you tell the police?’ he asked the boy.
‘Nah.’ Barney turned his attention back to his drawing adding a few more strokes to his strikingly evil-looking rat.
Might have known, Harris thought to himself. Kids around this area don’t get involved with the law through choice.
At that moment, Carlos burst into the room in a state of extreme agitation.
‘Sir, sir, in the playground! There’s one of them things?
He gesticulated towards the window, his eyes wide, smiling in his excitement.
The whole class rushed as one towards the windows.
‘Back to your seats? Harris roared, and strode quickly to a window. He drew in a sharp breath at what he saw.
There wasn’t ‘one of them things’ but several. As he watched, more joined the first bunch. Huge black rats. The rats. They crouched in the playground, staring at the school building. More, then more.