Page 60 of A Simple Mistake
He disappeared down the ladder, leaving Daniel alone.The urge to hide clawed at him, but he ignored it.He might have forgotten his phone, but Nico was getting their headsets.Gareth… Gareth would be at the other end.And Jack was coming home.
Daniel headed to the corner to turn on the monitor and caught a waft of sugar and vanilla as he moved.It eased the shaking by a tiny bit.
Nico didn’t bother to push the window all the way open before he jumped through, rolling to his knees.His phone was on his desk, where he’d been working.He didn’t need it, not when they wore the headsets, but he grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket.Now where…
There.On the side table where they usually left them.Nico crammed the bud into his ear.“Gareth!”
“Fucking finally!Are you okay?What’s happening?”
The brisk, no-nonsense tone steadied Nico’s nerves.“Glass shattered.Then the alarm went off.”Nico grabbed the ladder and swung out of the window as they’d practised.He’d thought it fun at the time, showing off their escape route to deliver chocolates, and had rolled his eyes when Jack and Gareth had made them climb in and out of the house over and over and over again for the next week.He knew why now.His hands and feet moved with no need for direction, and he could keep talking while he climbed.“There’s a car in the drive.Like… a black SUV.”
“Where are you and where is Daniel?”
“In our bedroom.”
“Why are you gasping?Are you hurt?”
“No.I… We forgot our headsets in the workroom.I just… I just got them.”
“Good lad.Pull up the ladder and close the window almost all the way.”
Nico crawled across the windowsill and did as he was told.When he turned, he froze.Daniel was curled up in the farthest corner of the bed, back to the wall, and arms wrapped around his updrawn knees.
“Daniel.Daniel, what is it?”
“It’s him.”
Nico turned and stared at the TV screen on the wall, which showed two strangers in their home.The surveillance cameras Jack had dotted around the house were top-shelf kit, and the men’s faces were sharp and in focus.Even if he’d wanted to, Nico couldn’t persuade himself these two were only random thieves who’d got lucky.
“Nico.Talk to me.”
“Two men.From Goran.”
“What?”
Nico kept talking.It was that or throwing up.They’d watched Daniel.Maybe followed him home.They’d found them.“The guy in the red baseball cap is Goran’s brother.He… he had a thing for Daniel.”
“Did you grab both headsets?”
“Yes.”
“Get Daniel to wear his.”
Nico crawled onto the bed and pushed the earpiece into Daniel’s ear.
“Listen to me,” Gareth’s voice came across the line.“We’re almost there.Don’t panic now.They won’t get you.Not ever.Get up to the roof as you’ve practised.If the police get there first, get their attention and take the ladder down once they’ve seen you.Do you hear me?”
Daniel didn’t make a sound.He trembled and his eyes were wide and dark with fear.Nico knee-walked around him, blocking Daniel’s view of the screen.Then he put his arms around Daniel and hugged him tight.“Let’s get up on the roof,” he urged.“If they only find empty rooms, they’ll leave.”
Daniel didn’t respond, and Nico shook him a little.“Daniel.Come on.Let’s run.”
Daniel’s lips moved.Nico felt the movement against his neck, but he couldn’t hear any sound.“Daniel?”
“Incapacitate and run.”Daniel repeated the mantra Jack and Gareth had taught them over and over, as if it would help steady him.“Incapacitate and run.”
Nico tightened his arms around Daniel, fear churning hot in his belly.“Not this time.”He didn’t want either man close to him, and he was sure Daniel felt the same way.“If you can’t handle something, it’s perfectly fine to remove yourself from the situation,” he quoted Jack.“Come on, Daniel, let’s go.Jack would hate it if we just sat here and waited for them.”
That made Daniel raise his head.“Jack’s on the way home.”
