Although he had patrolled, inspected and at one stage even had a hand in building the tunnels, it still seemed to Will that this one would never end. His knuckles throbbed, his head ached, and he was seconds away from blacking out. Not that he would let them see this, oh no. Everybody was watching him, waiting to see what he would do, what he would say, now that Davey was gone.

So when they finally reached the last doorway he did not collapse into a heap, but turned, bringing his left hand down firmly into his right palm.

Stop.

The children stopped. Alex doubled over, panting hard and holding her chest as if every breath was stabbing her through the heart. A red trickle of blood was running out from under the bandages across her right eye, round the curve of her jaw, down her throat and soaking into her shirt. She smiled weakly at Will. He held his finger to his lips and looked out through the branches, glad to be out of the dark at last.

A sudden flurry of wings became a blackbird bursting angrily out of some nearby bushes. It flew across the river and perched there, eyeing them suspiciously. He flinched instinctively, throwing his arm up and letting out a little squeak of panic.

Just a stupid bird, the box said.

Will lowered his arm. Just a bird. This one was not going to start talking.

He beckoned the children forwards, watching for other, more unpleasant surprises.

They emerged, blinking and a little out of breath, inside an old boathouse, hidden around a quiet bend of an idly chuckling river. The building had been neglected for years, and was so overgrown even the most keen-sighted observer would be hard pushed to see anything other than thick jungle and unwelcoming thorns.

Alex collapsed, still panting, against the boathouse wall, savouring the fresh, clean air. Will counted heads. The children waited, shuffling and whispering, some holding hands, some crying with fear and fatigue.

'You think they got in?' Alex gasped.

'Nah, nobody's coming through the tunnel now,' Will said, crouching beside her and leaning against the wall, breathing slowly, carefully, eyes half closed. Willing the noise in his head to subside.

The girl nodded, but without much enthusiasm. The failsafe - only to be used in a dire emergency, or if the Man in Black ever came calling - was a network of explosives in the tunnels half a mile from the village. Will had activated them once they were a safe distance away, and even if their pursuers spotted the dent in the field above, or heard the muffled rumble, the tunnel meandered enough to ensure there was little chance of the boathouse being found. Not to mention the elaborate traps and other surprises Davey had designed down there.

Will squeezed Alex's hand. 'He'll be okay,' he said. 'He always is.'

'Hmpf.'

'He knows the drill. We can't travel together. Not with the children.'

'I know,' she replied quietly. 'But I didn't want to leave him.' She wrapped her arms protectively around her chest and avoided his gaze.

Ah, the old guilt game hey? Don't fall for it, kid.

Will ignored the little voice and shoved the box deeper into his pocket. He tried to think of something more optimistic to say, but sensed movement in the trees and tensed, ready for action, motioning for the children to remain concealed in the undergrowth.

The bow of a small cabin cruiser nudged quietly through the bushes. A young man, about Will's age, stood proudly astride the bowsprit, a long pole in his hand.

'Ahoy!' he called, waving.

'Ahoy,' Will and Alex chorused, revealing themselves cautiously. The man's face fell when he saw their expressions.

'Problem?' he asked. 'Radio. Silence?'

The refugees did not answer as he helped them aboard.

'Bunker,' the man said. 'Toot sweet.'

He paused, as if the few words required great effort. Smiled at the group of children and waved cheerfully. A few waved back, mostly confused and scared, looking to their rescuers for reassurance. He nodded to Alex. 'Nari. Where?' he said. Then, seeing her dark look, 'oh God.'

'Don't worry Dan,' said Will, 'Nari's fine. You know him, disappointed if he's taking on less than thirty at once. He'll be along later with some new friends. No, I'm afraid it's worse.'

'Worse?' Dan scratched his head, then realisation dawned. 'Oh,' he said.

'Yeah.'

Alex sobbed suddenly and buried her face in Will's shoulder. He felt the trees closing in around him, the Shadow waking, and realised he was still clutching the box tightly in his hand. He unclenched his fingers and looked at the white imprints on his palm.

Don't worry, kid. At least now we've got something to do, it said. At long bloody last, it added, as an afterthought.

'Get us out of here, will you?' Will said. Yeah, he thought, for the box's benefit. If we can even get close to the place.

Dan pushed off from the shore and began to punt along the river. He would not turn on the engines until they were at least another mile downstream. He said nothing, as was his way.

Will wondered what Davey had hidden at the house. He remembered the clock from his childhood of course. A huge clumsy thing lurking in the corner like an unwanted house guest, all brass and iron. He could not imagine what the old man meant for them to do there. Not to mention the army of Secs guarding the place. He almost shuddered. The stories Dan told them about those guys beggared belief.

Dan had been one of the first of the Hunters. The oldest and the quietest, he had looked on little Billy as a brother, protecting him when Alex could not. He said little, but knew much.

Nominally in charge of facilities, he made sure they did not run out of important things like food and guns. And boats, if they needed them. He was their only link to the modern world, providing them with tall tales and toys while they lived out their lives off the grid. 'No technology,' Davey used to say. 'It's how they find you.'

Nari and Alex had been great friends from the beginning. And even better lovers a few years later. The Indian was some years older, and his passion for violent exercise and the mystic arts made him a formidable enemy. Davey told Billy that little Nari had not really needed rescuing, but he could not stand by and watch him massacre a whole platoon of Seekers. After all, he was just a child.

Over the years there had been others, but in the end they had to divide up into small self-contained cells, living off the grid like hermits and feeling like terrorists. Until the Seekers came, they had been living quiet, comfortable lives in the outskirts of the village, with the strange old man, practically worshipped by the villagers, who seemed to know an awful lot of things that nobody wanted to hear about.

Now Davey was gone. Now it was time to move again. Now Davey was gone, the others would look to him for leadership. Or fight him for it. He did not plan to take on the Indian, and quite frankly he could have the job if he wanted it. Will only wanted to be left alone. He wanted to be normal.

Normal hey? Good luck with that, time-boy.

Thanks. I can dream, can’t I?

'We've been waiting for this,' he said, giving Alex's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. 'We'll go get the Big Man, then sort out a plan.' Alex choked back another sob and nodded.

'Plan? Excellent,' said Dan.

'So you know what to do when we get there then?' asked Alex.

'No idea,' said Will, thoughtfully. 'But first, we have a job to do.'