Reade. And let’s face it Owen, that’s the
last
thing we want. That’s why we can’t tell anyone about our plans, obviously.’
My stomach dropped.
‘We … we can’t?’ I muttered.
‘Course not!’ said Callum. ‘We don’t want any losers or wimps wanting to get involved, do we? This gang’s for the bravest. The strongest. The hardest.’
‘Of … of course,’ I squeaked. ‘But say, one of us accidentally mentioned it to someone else, say last night for example, and then …’
‘And on that subject,’ said Callum, cutting me off. ‘There’s one person I think we
should
invite.’ He quickly checked no one was listening, and leant in even closer. ‘…
Murderous Pete.
’
I almost leapt back in surprise.
‘
Murderous Pete?
’ I said. ‘Isn’t he supposed to be a psychopath?’
Callum shrugged. ‘Well, yeah. But a psychopath in our gang could be pretty useful. You know, in case we have to fight off any bears while we’re out chasing the tornado. I’m the leader, after all. I can’t afford to get my hands dirty.’ He tugged at my wrist. ‘Come on, let’s enrol him now!’
He dragged me into the crowd before I could protest any further. Finding Pete was easy – he towered over the crowd like a brick wall. Orlaith stood at his side, tied to his wrist. Callum jabbed her shoulder and she spun round. Her face immediately took on the look of someone opening the fridge to find nothing but a pint of old milk and a raw fish.
‘What,’ she muttered.
‘We need to talk to Murderous Pete,’ said Callum.
Orlaith fumed. ‘His name is
not
…’
‘Blah blah blah, whatever,’ Callum snapped. ‘Come on, we’ve got business with him and it doesn’t concern you! Go invent a machine that shuts you up for ten minutes. Something everyone can enjoy.’
Orlaith considered saying something, then just turned her back to us, shaking her head and muttering.Callum turned round to Murderous Pete, who gazed back down at him blankly. I wondered if he was going to rip Callum’s head off and start playing basketball with it. Callum’s eyes suddenly flooded with panic. He pushed me forwards.
‘Go on, Owen,’ he squeaked. ‘Tell nice Mr Pete about the plan.’
I looked up at Pete. It was like looking up the tree the day before, except this one could stamp your head into butter.
‘Er … Hi Pete,’ I said. ‘Well, we’re over here because Callum and I were thinking about starting up a gang. Remember the Tornado Chasers? The ones from my presentation the other day?’
Pete stared at me. His brow unfurrowed, ever so slightly.
‘You mean … like in those planes you said about?’ he said. His gentle voice always surprised me.
I smiled with relief. ‘
Yes!
That’s it! Well done, Pete!’
I stepped forwards.
‘We’d like you to join us. We’re going to have meetings in Callum’s storm shelter, and when the storm lands we’re going to break out of the village and chase after it. We’re going to be daredevils. Real-life daredevils, Pete!’
It felt exciting just to say it. Even my heart was beatingfaster. All my life I’d wanted to be like my grandparents – to laugh in the face of danger, to live without fear. And now here I was, planning to break the Storm Laws, and dodge bears, and chase a tornado, and …
‘That’s a terrible idea.’
Our heads shot round. Orlaith was shaking her head beside us, deeply unimpressed.
‘Oi!’ said Callum. ‘Why are you listening? This is none of your business!’
‘How are you going to do it?’ asked Orlaith.
Callum stumbled. ‘Er … what?’
‘
How
are you going to chase a tornado?’ said Orlaith. ‘You don’t have planes.’
Callum was scuppered. ‘Er …’
We looked at each other. We hadn’t really thought about that bit yet. Callum’s eyes suddenly lit up.
‘We’ll run!’ he said triumphantly.
Orlaith nodded. ‘Oh,
right
! You’ll run after it. Well,
that’s
a load off my mind. For a moment I thought you two didn’t
last
thing we want. That’s why we can’t tell anyone about our plans, obviously.’
My stomach dropped.
‘We … we can’t?’ I muttered.
‘Course not!’ said Callum. ‘We don’t want any losers or wimps wanting to get involved, do we? This gang’s for the bravest. The strongest. The hardest.’
‘Of … of course,’ I squeaked. ‘But say, one of us accidentally mentioned it to someone else, say last night for example, and then …’
‘And on that subject,’ said Callum, cutting me off. ‘There’s one person I think we
should
invite.’ He quickly checked no one was listening, and leant in even closer. ‘…
Murderous Pete.
’
I almost leapt back in surprise.
‘
Murderous Pete?
’ I said. ‘Isn’t he supposed to be a psychopath?’
Callum shrugged. ‘Well, yeah. But a psychopath in our gang could be pretty useful. You know, in case we have to fight off any bears while we’re out chasing the tornado. I’m the leader, after all. I can’t afford to get my hands dirty.’ He tugged at my wrist. ‘Come on, let’s enrol him now!’
He dragged me into the crowd before I could protest any further. Finding Pete was easy – he towered over the crowd like a brick wall. Orlaith stood at his side, tied to his wrist. Callum jabbed her shoulder and she spun round. Her face immediately took on the look of someone opening the fridge to find nothing but a pint of old milk and a raw fish.
‘What,’ she muttered.
‘We need to talk to Murderous Pete,’ said Callum.
Orlaith fumed. ‘His name is
not
…’
‘Blah blah blah, whatever,’ Callum snapped. ‘Come on, we’ve got business with him and it doesn’t concern you! Go invent a machine that shuts you up for ten minutes. Something everyone can enjoy.’
Orlaith considered saying something, then just turned her back to us, shaking her head and muttering.Callum turned round to Murderous Pete, who gazed back down at him blankly. I wondered if he was going to rip Callum’s head off and start playing basketball with it. Callum’s eyes suddenly flooded with panic. He pushed me forwards.
‘Go on, Owen,’ he squeaked. ‘Tell nice Mr Pete about the plan.’
I looked up at Pete. It was like looking up the tree the day before, except this one could stamp your head into butter.
‘Er … Hi Pete,’ I said. ‘Well, we’re over here because Callum and I were thinking about starting up a gang. Remember the Tornado Chasers? The ones from my presentation the other day?’
Pete stared at me. His brow unfurrowed, ever so slightly.
‘You mean … like in those planes you said about?’ he said. His gentle voice always surprised me.
I smiled with relief. ‘
Yes!
That’s it! Well done, Pete!’
I stepped forwards.
‘We’d like you to join us. We’re going to have meetings in Callum’s storm shelter, and when the storm lands we’re going to break out of the village and chase after it. We’re going to be daredevils. Real-life daredevils, Pete!’
It felt exciting just to say it. Even my heart was beatingfaster. All my life I’d wanted to be like my grandparents – to laugh in the face of danger, to live without fear. And now here I was, planning to break the Storm Laws, and dodge bears, and chase a tornado, and …
‘That’s a terrible idea.’
Our heads shot round. Orlaith was shaking her head beside us, deeply unimpressed.
‘Oi!’ said Callum. ‘Why are you listening? This is none of your business!’
‘How are you going to do it?’ asked Orlaith.
Callum stumbled. ‘Er … what?’
‘
How
are you going to chase a tornado?’ said Orlaith. ‘You don’t have planes.’
Callum was scuppered. ‘Er …’
We looked at each other. We hadn’t really thought about that bit yet. Callum’s eyes suddenly lit up.
‘We’ll run!’ he said triumphantly.
Orlaith nodded. ‘Oh,
right
! You’ll run after it. Well,
that’s
a load off my mind. For a moment I thought you two didn’t
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