The Secret Child (DI Amy Winter #2)(88)

‘Keep your head down!’ Deborah shouted, crouching over him as the flames licked her heels. He bounced in her strong arms, wondering if they would make it out. Was Mama safe? Was she waiting for him? The plan was that Deborah would sneak them both out when Stuart was on his break. There had been no mention of a fire when she had explained earlier in the day. A rush of fresh air hit his face as they reached the sanctuary of outside. But they were at a part of the building he did not recognise. Peeping from beneath the blanket, he was jolted from Deborah’s arms, and he realised he was being deposited in the back of a car. ‘Cover yourself up.’ Deborah’s words were breathless, her face holding a determination he had not seen before. ‘You need to keep your head down.’

Luka frowned. He did not understand. Shaking Deborah’s hands from his shoulders, he wanted to run back the way he had come. ‘Mama!’ he cried, rasping for breath, his words punctuated by a series of coughs. ‘We need to go back! Mama!’ All he could hear was the roar of flames and distant sirens growing closer. Luka trembled, the feeling of dread coming in waves until he could hardly breathe.

As he tried to escape the confines of the car, Deborah tightened her grip. Her face was red and blotchy, her eyes bulging as she spoke. ‘Lie down. I’ll come back to find your mama as soon as I’ve taken you somewhere safe.’ She brought her hand to her mouth as her breath erupted in a cough.

‘No,’ Luka cried, his throat scratchy and dry. ‘We need to go back now!’

‘Listen to me!’ Deborah clutched his shoulders and delivered a gentle shake. ‘The sooner I get you somewhere safe, the sooner I can find out where Stuart has taken Sasha. But we need to get to her before the doctor does. We can’t afford to wait.’

The journey to the house took minutes and, under cover of darkness, Deborah sneaked him in. There was a bed, a television, even toys. This was a little boy’s room. Luka’s face wrinkled in confusion. As she laid him on the duvet, Deborah stroked his hair. Why wasn’t she rushing back, like she had promised? The ring of her phone in the hall made them both jump. Her words were short as she took the call, simply saying she was on her way. Briefly, she returned to Luka. ‘I need you to be a brave boy. Can you do that for me?’

Luka nodded, but inside his belly it felt like there was a host of rats clawing to escape. Minutes later she returned, wearing a change of clothes, her face clean, her hair brushed. ‘I’ll find your mother and bring her here. Can you stay until I get back? There’s a fridge . . . food and drinks. A television you can watch.’

Luka’s eyes danced around the room. As if reading his thoughts, Deborah spoke. ‘It’s a safe house. I did this for you both.’

‘What about Mama?’ Luka said. ‘I want her here with us.’

‘I know.’ Deborah stroked his hair. ‘You can both hide here until we get you home. I’ll be back soon. Can you hang on until then?’

Luka nodded.

‘That’s my boy.’ Deborah smiled, concern evaporating from her face. She pointed to a door in the corner of the room. ‘There’s the bathroom. You can clean yourself up. There’s pyjamas and clean clothes in the wardrobe too. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be back soon. This is your home now.’

It felt like a lifetime before she returned. The room was windowless, just like the place he had come from, but for the first time in months Luka felt safe. At least now there was hope. Deborah cared about them both and would help them start again.

As the door slowly opened and Deborah walked in, Luka’s heart fell like a stone.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she wept. ‘Sasha . . . she didn’t make it. I’m sorry, sweetheart.’

Luka’s screams eventually gave way to giant, shuddering sobs. Taking him in her arms, Deborah did her best to console him. The fire was a tragic accident. It seemed a two-bar heater Sasha had been using set light to her bedclothes. She was asleep when it happened and the faulty electrics deactivated the alarms. Stuart had not been at his post. By the time he discovered the fire, he was beaten back by the flames. If it hadn’t been for Deborah, Luka would be dead too.

For a while, he blamed her for Mama’s death. She should have let him back inside. But it was not Deborah who insisted on locking the doors at night. Not Deborah who made his mother take those drugs. It was not Deborah who had neglected her duty, leaving the institution when she should have been doing her rounds.

But Luka wished he could have gone back inside – even if it had meant risking his life. Later, when he was older, Deborah told him about the darker side of the experiments and how Dr Curtis had blackmailed her into keeping quiet about their use of drugs. If the truth came out about the pharmaceutical company, then Deborah would go to prison too.

As for Sam? The truth was, he had died in his room. The fire chiefs mistook his body for Luka’s because nobody was looking for Sam. When Luka asked about his father, Deborah had more bad news to share. ‘I should have told you sooner,’ she said, imparting the news that Ivan had been killed when the mine he was working in collapsed. Almost overnight, Luka was orphaned. It was too much to bear. Through the weeks and months of his grief, Deborah remained steadfast. He would live the life she had promised him. She would help him begin again. That was when Luka Volkov died and Maximus McCauley was born.