Blaine bolted down two flights of stairs and emerged from the building as if leading an invisible stampede. Outside, he hurried away towards more steps, with the aim of losing the coats in the Botanic Gardens. Ascending the stairs two at a time, he continued looking over his shoulder to ensure he wasn’t being followed—and collided smack into someone, nearly tumbling backwards with the force.
‘Sorry!’
A hand shot out, grabbing Blaine’s arm to prevent him falling. Without really looking at the man, he tried to dodge away, his focus locked on the exit from where Drs Hartfield and Jonick would very soon emerge. But the hand held firm.
‘Blaine? Blaine Colton?’
Blaine whipped around and recognised the guy who had put Melissa Hartfield off during the lecture.
‘Wow! The Professor said you’re doing well, but look at you! You’re ... you’re running. You’ve grown—a heap!’
Blaine was puzzled by the guy’s enthusiasm. ‘Dude, who are you?’
The guy stopped gawking and offered his hand. ‘Luke Kastenholz. I was part of the research team that developed your gene therapy.’ He seemed unable to tear his eyes off Blaine’s face. ‘You never saw me, but I saw you—many times as we reviewed your progress and tracked you through the stages of therapy and the first six months of your recovery.’
This is a dream. Someone who knows Professor Ramer. ‘Did you know the approval wasn’t right?’
Luke stared, a deep frown furrowing his brow. ‘We didn’t look after the approvals, the Professor did. What do you mean by “not right”?’ He followed the line of Blaine’s darting eyes and looked back towards the building from where they’d both come. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Dr Hartfield says there’s a problem with the therapy.’ As soon as Blaine mentioned Melissa Hartfield, he saw Luke tense.
‘Dr Hartfield?’ His tone grew clipped and he clasped Blaine’s shoulder, as if it unsettled by the gravity of his words. ‘What sort of problem?’
‘She said it’s failing and—’ Movement caught Blaine’s eye. He wrenched away from Luke’s hold and stumbled up a couple more steps. ‘I’ve got to go!’
Luke glanced from Blaine to the building exit where Dr Hartfield’s silhouette was becoming clearer behind the glass of the main door. ‘Blaine, wait!’
But Blaine ignored the plea and kept moving. There wasn’t a chance he was going to just stand around while Melissa Hartfield snapped a collar on him and dragged him back to his kennel like a runaway dog.
By the time he’d reached the Botanic Gardens, Blaine was exhausted. He knew then he’d seriously underestimated the impact of his reduced dosage of Ramer’s Cure. Going to the toilets nearer the centre of the grounds, he hunched down behind them to catch his breath. He was afraid for Sophie. It was highly likely Dr Hartfield had recognised her as the girl on his phone.
He only had half a dose of Ramer’s Cure left and already his body was starting to weaken. There was no help for it; he had to get in contact with his mother soon. But he was determined to hold off for another day at least. Undoubtedly Melissa Hartfield and her associates would be waiting for him to do just that. He had to stay away for as long as he could.
‘Blaine! Blaine!’
Blaine peeped around the wall of the ablution block. It was Sophie. Dr Jonick and Dr Hartfield were with her. Whatever they’d told her, it seemed she now believed it important for him to be found.
He ducked back behind the toilets and tried to work out a plan. It couldn’t involve too much running or he’d be caught for sure. Blaine glanced towards the Alice Street exit and remembered the bicycles. A cycle along the river would do just nicely. If only he’d accepted Sophie’s offer!
Now, to lose the white coats ...
He moved away from the toilets. Of course they would think of looking there. How could he have been so stupid?
Ensuring the toilets blocked their view, he headed for the northern boundary of the gardens, eventually finding himself on the river. But what now?
Deciding the cycle path was far too exposed, he kept walking about the periphery of the Botanic Gardens until he reached a loop to the footbridge that crossed to the southern bank of the river. He wished he could cut back through the campus to intercept Sophie. But it was too risky with the coats hanging around. With a glance at the taller university buildings peering over the tree line, he set off towards South Bank Parklands.
Initially he kept up a brisk pace, but the slight rise in the bridge felt like a climb up Mount Everest. It was tempting to collapse on a bench and sleep for hours. But he pushed on until he was following the wide path through The Arbour at South Bank.
Finally he stopped to rest. Although it was winter, the bright sunshine had brought people out. Some braved the Aquativity playground with their children, a few even paddled at the adjoining Streets Beach. No one paid any attention to him as he lay on a large deck bench to doze in the afternoon sun.
As he got settled, Blaine noticed an ice cream cart beachside. The attendant wasn’t doing a great deal of business, though. Jett would consider that a travesty!
He smiled. Sophie’s twin was addicted. His hankering for ice cream made South Bank a favourite hangout. Besides the Streets ice cream carts, there were New Zealand Natural Ice Cream stands and a Mr Whippy van. Should they fail, supplies could be obtained from the Cold Rock ice creamery and a number of other cafés.
Jett could go an entire outing eating nothing but ice cream! Chocolate restaurants were more Sophie’s style.
The smile tilted Blaine’s mouth further as these thoughts reminded him of his most recent New Year adventure with Sophie and Jett. He drifted off into a pleasant dream he never wanted to end.