Chapter 9 coming soon...

8

JAKE OPENED his eyes to see a room, the room he knew so well: four plain white walls, except for a crooked painting of one of the Boss' old colleagues, on his left. Small wooden doors were situated regularly around the room. A huge circular rug covered all of the floor, except the corners. A table sat in one of them, and a glass coffee table rested in the center of the mat, with someone pacing around it. Someone...Boss! He watched the Boss came round in a circle, then realized Jake was up.
          "Aha, you're awake... Jake." Jake coughed a smile. His Boss looked at him with narrowed eyes. He was not the sort of person that you smile at.
          Just then, Jake realised he was sitting on a wooden chair, in the corner opposite the one with the table in it.
          Boss paused, then stared at him. "So, you have it?"
          "What?" Jake said, even though he knew, of course. He would leave it until the last moment to tell him.
"You mean..." he said softly, "...YOU HAVEN'T GOT IT?" The Boss said, his face twisting with rage. He was now rushing at Jake, his huge, hairy hands outstretched, ready to break the neck of Jake. Jake wrenched the green crystal out of his pocket and held it up, squeaking, "alright, I have."
          Mr Sweetman screeched to a halt when he saw the crystal. "Aha. Right, there's the money I promised you, on that table. Jake now saw the table had a wad of cash on top of it. Now, off you go. Jake slowly got up, grabbed the cash, and walked out of one of the wooden doors. Sweetman checked that Jake had gone, then walked over to another wooden door, and opened it - his office. Scrunched up papers lied everywhere, and plans were pinned everywhere on the walls of the small, messy, cluttered room.
          "I must clean this place up," Mr Sweetman mumbled, but he knew he never would any time soon. He heaved himself into his office chair and plonked the crystal down on his messy desk, next to his computer. He pressed the 'power' button on it, then stared at the crystal intently. Finally, he got up, rubbed his hands together, and said, "Now, let's try and figure out... the crystal's secret."

7

NATHAN'S FRIEND, Derek, came in, looking completely out of breath.

          "Wh - hap - when -" Derek managed to string his words together, "ar - are you all okay? I mean, I saw the ambulance and I - I thought you -"
          "Yes, we're fine, thanks" said Elizabeth.
          "You don't sound - you don't look fine,"Derek said, staring round at them, "are - are -," Derek stuttered, then collapsed onto a chair. "I saw the ambulance go past my house. I watched it fade away into the distance, but then I saw it turn into your drive. I ran out of my house and ran all the way over to yours, and here I am now! I thought someone had been hurt or something, and-"
          "I will tell you what happened," said Nathan, standing up.
          Elizabeth smiled weakly. And then Nathan started his story, about the policeman and everything else, in great detail. When he had finished, Derek thought for a while, then said,"Oh, well, that's sad the crystal's, like, gone. It was a very cool crystal. And a very interesting story. But why is this so sad? Like I said, an awesome crystal, but-" Derek trailed off, realizing he was just saying the same thing again.
          Nathan looked at his mum for support. She nodded at him. "Are you sure?" Nathan mouthed.
          Again, Elizabeth nodded. Nathan brightened a bit. Nathan's mum knew he loved telling this story, even though he had only told it twice.
          "That crystal is no ordinary crystal", Nathan said, shaking his head and looking at Derek, who was sitting facing him over the table. "It is important, very very important that it doesn't get stolen."
          His mum nodded at him one last time, then he took a deep breath and started the story of the crystal's secret.

click here for chapter 8

6

NATHAN FROZE. He collapsed onto his bed and lay there for half an hour. 

Elizabeth was worried. Very worried. Her mind was clogged with thoughts, unlike Nathan. They were streaming through her constantly. How could any robber manage to know the crystal's secret? Only very close friends and family have known this! Now it will be in the papers everywhere. People would be swarming round her house - people coming from near and far just to see this amazing - plan. And now - Nathan, oh, my poor son! How he can deal with this I don't know. What would life be like now? Oh boy oh boy... she went to lie on her bed as well. 

Nathan rubbed his eyes. He could think now. So... the plan was gone, along with the crystal. There is a severely harmed policeman in a police car beside the driveway. The robber - assuming that is what happened, was probably long gone by now, and must have been involved with the policeman. He shakily got up and went into his mum's room. Then he uttered about the policeman and how he and Harriet had found him. His mum immediately ran outside and shortly rushed inside again. She grabbed the First Aid and the phone on the way. Nathan heard a faint 111 call outside and sat down on a chair.
           Elizabeth came back inside five minutes later and said to Nathan, "The ambulance is on its way. I am now going to ring up John and tell him what has happened ."
           Just then, Nathan heard the sirens. An ambulance turned into the drive and three men dressed in white, with medical gloves and a mask, jumped out. They immediately walked over to the police car. Soon they appeared again, emerging with the policeman on a stretcher. Then they retreated back into the emergency vehicle. Nathan saw his mum looking through the window. He went back inside and his mum informed him,"John is stopping work right away. He says we should have a family meeting, when he gets back here. I think I'm going to go to the police station now, and get some information. I'll report this, too. Is that okay by you?"
          Nathan was about to say 'yes' when one of the people in white came inside and informed, "He is getting better, He'll live. He has brain problems, will need some surgery, but he's okay. Everything is under control."
          Hearing this, everyone in the house breathed a sigh of relief. Then, just when Elizabeth was picking up the phone, the door once again opened.

click here for chapter 7

5

JAKE STOOD IN the bright moonlight once again, wondering whether to go back into that smelly bog - he didn't want to. The road would be dangerous though, he might be seen... 
          That was when the light washed over him. 
          Jake looked around in panic to see flashing red and blue lights mounted on top of a police car. The car crunched to a stop. He cursed. A door opened, and a foot peeked out. One word formed in his mind: RUN! He ran. As he reached the easily see-able marsh, he took a deep breath and jumped in. The cold slapped him as he permeated the water.
          The policeman shouted into the radio, "I found him, Micheal!"
          "Do you have him?" Micheal didn't want this to happen again.
          "No. Damn! I've lost him."
          "Be careful. Can you see Johnathan?"
          "Er... No. Aha!"

          Oblivious to the conversation, Jake's lungs compressed. His mouth was burning. Just as he was about to black out, he rose to the surface and took four rasping breaths. That was when he got temporarily blinded by a strong torch.

         Jake struggled further into the swamp, not bothering to look behind. The now familiar reeds brushed past him as he made his way further into it. His head turned to the left slightly, and he saw a car. There was still someone chasing him, too. It was an ambush. He felt light-headed, he had held his breath all that time for nothing. He felt like he was swimming in jelly. Then, suddenly, his feet hit hard ground. Struggling not to dive into unconsciousness, he worked his legs further into the lit-up forest. No use in stealth now. He saw the blurry image of a man on his left, and could feel and hear another man right behind him.
          "Surrender now," the hazy policeman on the left said, "and you will not be harmed."
          Jake's eyesight was not working very well at all now, and he could feel his legs going to jelly. Maybe... sorry, Mr Sweetman, but I will never get out of this one, he thought. He half collapsed. Then his eyes focused for a moment, and he saw the 'copter, twenty metres in front of him. His legs suddenly put on a burst of speed, and in no time he was up and in to the chopper. Then his legs collapsed below him, and he fell onto one of the hard, springy beds.
          Then everything went black.

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4

MICHEAL LIFTED his foot off the accelerator and looked again into the dark forest in between houses 488 and 486. He had been sure he'd seen a light. Sighing, he pressed his foot down once again and barked into the radio,"Remember, If you see or catch him, radio it through. Then question him - or them. We need to work out who is behind this business. Now, to your stations." There was a pause as he thought. "Johnathan, you take 488. I have a suspicion..."

          With nothing forthcoming, the voice came through,"Affirmative."

          "Bill, park next to 490." A 'yes, sir.' was heard.

          He organized, "Allan and Paul, take 484 and 486. He may come through that way too." He heard two 'yes's and smiled. With these places covered, we can hopefully get - whoever it is...

          Five minutes later, another voice was heard.

          "Micheal, I can hear a strange humming sound. It sounds like it's in the forest."

          "Are you sure it's not from the house - a fridge, maybe?" Micheal asked.

          "No, it's a lot louder - here..." There was a loud scraping, then he heard a weird whirring sound. 

          "Well, I've heard it, and I agree, go and find what's happening." Then he added, "and fast."
          A few seconds later, someone else spoke. "Sir, I've found him - it's Johnathan, by the way, I've found him at 488! He's just coming through that marsh we saw before. Wait, I'm going out to give him a 'surprise.'
          Micheal smiled. He knew what Johnathan's 'surprises' were like. He sank back into his chair and shouted into the walkie-talkie, "We have found one. We do not know if there are more, but I doubt it. Keep on the lookout though, and Bill, you go help our John. We'll sort this one out!'
          Bill answered, "I'll be there in five."
          Now he could hear Johnathan coming in again. He suddenly said,"It's Jake Wilson!"
          Micheal growled, "Ah, him! Well, he's asked for it. That's two years of jail for him!"
          Johnathan said, "He's vandalized the car too, I'm handcuffing him now."
          Suddenly a hard cracking sound was heard, a cry of pain, and then a noise like a slamming door. Then there was complete silence.
          "John?" no-one answered. "Johnathan? Are you there?" Silence.
          "Bill, something's wrong at 488," Micheal shouted
          "Yes, I'm halfway there."
          "Well, get there." Then he added, "and fast."

click here for chapter 5

3

THE MAN WAS clad in a blue and black uniform with a walkie-talkie shifted onto the right shoulder. He had an assortment of instruments on his belt and a ID tag that said 'Jonathan Will'. He had heard that name before, definitely. One word rang in his head: Police. The man grabbed him by the waist and tried to hoist him into his car with blue and red streaks on the side.Well, he didn't get Jake in his flash automobile at first, because Jake grabbed the wing-mirror. Before the policeman could notice, though, he ripped a bit of metal off it. "Wrecking the car now, are you?" 'Jonathan' grunted. He'd finally managed to get both of them in the car now. He started the ignition. The engine growled in the background as Jonathan intoned,"A lot on the records: Jake Wilson, age 15, committing crimes for someone to earn money. Now tell me," he said, turning to him while now brandishing a pair of handcuffs,"who is that someo-" He stopped because Jake had smashed him over the head with the wing-mirror-plate, sharp edge down. The policeman fell, clutching his head. He whimpered a "no!" but Jake didn't even hear.
          "That should give you a 'split'-ting headache" Jake joked. And he gave him another smash on the head, just to be sure, then opened the door and ran outside.

His feet made nearly no sound as he looked around. He stared up and down the wooden boards and walls of the house. No lights, he thought. Good. He laughed and whispered, "Not that anyone would be up at three anyway." He took in a deep breath of the fresh, cold air. So different from HQ... He snapped back to consciousness.  Come on, he remembered. He walked to the door. Locked, of course. He walked round the whole building before finding a small window slightly open. He tried to find any hand or footholds. None. He figured he could just reach the windowsill if he jumped high enough. He tried once - but his hands scraped against the wood. The second time his hands found nothing but air. The third time he grabbed the windowsill! Yes! The metal scraped off a layer of his skin. He panicked and started to swing. He'd now managed to get one leg on the cold metal. With one last pull he went up and over. He shoved his bloody hands in his pockets. He looked around and found he was in a small dark room . On the other side was a rectangular object. He  walked over to it and found a body on it. Then it struck him that he had climbed into a bedroom. There were shelves beside the bed and on one, a giant crystal. Aha, he thought. Being careful not to make a sound, he picked it up. Just then he saw flashing lights from outside the window.  He ran to where he had come in, and looked down. Better get outta here... Jonathan will be on my tail soon.
          But he was wrong. In the police car lay a man slumped over his seat.
          Unconscious.

click here for chapter 4