The moment the doors of their pod slid open, Dad, Ben, Sophie and Lara leapt out and began to sprint towards the road. They had to reach that department store. There wasn’t a minute to lose.
‘We’ll get a taxi,’ said Dad, frantically waving both arms about in a windmill motion as he saw a black London cab driving towards them. The cab sailed by. There was already a passenger sitting in the back, reading a newspaper.
You have to look for one that has its light on, thought Lara. Dad’s in such a panic he’s not thinking straight.
She spotted a cab with the word ‘TAXI’ lit up on its roof and calmly raised a paw to catch the driver’s eye. The cab pulled to a halt, the driver astonished to be hailed by a black-and-white dog.
‘I’ve seen it all now,’ he said.
The family bundled into the back and they set off across the river. But the journey was painfully slow. It seemed like everyone in the world was out in London that morning. Cars, buses, motorbikes and taxis jammed the roads while groups of shoppers threaded their way through them. Every traffic light seemed to be stuck on red as gangs of people poured over the crossings, laughing and chatting.
Lara pointed at Dad’s watch. It’s almost quarter to twelve! We’re never going to get there at this rate. Then she pawed at the taxi door.
Ben took the hint. ‘Lara thinks we’ll be quicker on foot,’ he said.
‘Yes, I think you’re right, Lara,’ said Dad. He paid the driver and the family tumbled out and began trying to push their way through the crowded streets.
‘Which way, Dad? Up here?’ asked Sophie. The children had never been to this part of London before and had no idea where they were or where they were going.
Dad wasn’t really sure, either. ‘It’s a long time since I was last here,’ he said, putting on his glasses to look at the map. ‘I think we take the next turning on the right – or is it the left? Oh, sorry, I do beg your pardon!’ Ben and Sophie tried not to laugh. A man beside them was carrying a large Christmas tree over his shoulder and Dad had just apologized to the tree.
Lara’s training meant she could memorize a route in seconds. She took one long look at the map and began to run ahead, leading the family down a series of tiny side streets and alleys, away from the crowds. No time to lose. My pups are in peril. Lara was sprinting now and the others all ran as fast as they could to keep up with her, but soon Sophie started to get a stitch and Dad was puffing hard.
Lara was just as fit as she always had been; football practice with Ben and judo lessons with Sophie (Sophie was coming on well) kept her in tip-top condition. If I go on ahead I might get there in time, but I’d have to leave the others behind. She quickly assessed the situation. The children will be OK with their dad – even if he is beginning to go rather red in the face. With a wave of her paw, Lara began to run flat out like a greyhound. See you later, guys! The family were soon left far behind.
Lara couldn’t avoid the busy roads for long. Suddenly, the narrow alleyway became a broader road and before she knew it, she was out in the traffic again. The cars and buses were at a standstill and the pavement was jammed too. There were shoppers everywhere! A group of tourists were marvelling at the Christmas lights, all gazing upwards and taking photographs. Lara dived through their legs, only to come straight up against a double buggy carrying identical twins, both bawling loudly. This is hopeless!
Then Lara noticed one vehicle that managed to keep moving. It was a racing bike ridden by a messenger in Lycra shorts and a state-of-the-art helmet. He had a carrier box on the back of his bike and was darting expertly through the traffic at top speed. Now’s my chance! thought Lara as he drew near. With one great bound she leapt towards the moving bike and landed on top of the box. The messenger felt the weight increase and glanced sharply to his right; Lara leant quickly sideways in the opposite direction, ducking out of his line of vision. He glanced to his left and Lara ducked to the right. He too was in a hurry. He hadn’t time to stop and investigate. He put his head down and pedalled swiftly on with Lara riding triumphantly behind. What a perfect way to hitch a lift!
