The water slipped gently across my skin as I paddled slowly down the length of the pool, taking my time to enjoy the sensations. The spa was completely empty apart from me and Mitch, who was in one of the saunas or maybe even napping in the quiet relaxation room. I had debated going in there too but it was a little too quiet for me.

The whole room had been specifically designed to promote relaxation and mindfulness, from the padded, comfy looking loungers to the dim lights on the ceiling, designed to look like stars in the night sky. A fire crackled softly on one wall, which always relaxed me, but there was no other sound.

It set me on edge. Even a few minutes in the room had made my skin crawl and my breathing speed up. Mitch had sighed and left the room pretty quickly too, telling me he was going to find somewhere warmer for a nap and to wake him if I needed anything.

I didn’t want to though. I wasn’t sure if he’d gotten any sleep the night before and he started yawning before we even checked into the hotel. We’d gotten a few weird looks at that but I think booking separate rooms had helped convince the people working there it wasn’t anything weird going on. Also, the fact he had IDs for both of us with matching surnames.

I’d meant to ask him where he’d managed to get his hands not just on a fake ID for me but one that looked so realistic. It made sense though. He probably burnt through fake IDs pretty quickly so would need to be good at finding or making new ones.

I glanced out the window toward the rooftop pool not quite sure if I actually wanted to go swimming out there or not. It looked really nice and there were even places to sit built into the edge of the pool so I could look out over the city but…

I looked around the pool area I was in again.

There was no one else there. No one to tell me off for being a kid in a grown-up area. Or… maybe it wasn’t a grown-up area. I’d just always assumed that kids weren’t welcome in spas and no one had told me otherwise.

A smile came over my face and I swam towards the stairs, not even stopping to grab my robe in my rush to get to the other pool.

Even though it was late June, the breeze caused goosebumps to erupt on my skin and I quickly climbed into the heated outdoor pool. A sigh slipped through my lips as the warm water quickly heated me again.

The water was shallow enough to wade but still, I padded through the water towards the metal seats and sunk into one. A spray of water hit my foot and I jolted it out of the way, looking down at the dark footprints that had been painted onto the floor of the pool.

I edged my feet onto them again, sighing contentedly as the high-pressured water massaged my soles. I couldn’t stop myself from leaning back and letting my eyes flutter shut, the warm afternoon sun gently baking me as I sunk further into the water.

It felt like an eternity had passed but also no time before a soft splashing alerted me to someone’s presence. My head shot up and I blinked hard to try and clear the blue colour from my vision. Relief washed through me as I spotted Mitch wading towards me, the water splashing against his scarred body.

“So, you fell asleep too, kid?” he called.

“Yeah, not for long though I don’t think,” I said as he dropped onto the seat near me.

“I feel like a right dumbass,” he said, slicking a wet hand through his hair. “I didn’t even have my gun on me. I should have gone down to my room when I started to get sleepy.”

“It was fine though. No one even came in.”

“Mmm,” he replied, unconvinced. “Anyway, we need to talk about tonight.”

My heart started racing immediately.

“What do you mean?”

“We need to go over the plan and what you’re going to do. Probably not the best idea to do it here, even if they were nice enough to let us stash some of our clothes here for a few months.” He glanced up at a camera that I hadn’t even noticed. “Are you done in the spa? Shall we get changed and then we can go down to my room and work out where we’re going for dinner?”

His tone was light, very different to before, and I knew it was intentional.

“Sure, I’m starting to get hungry anyway,” I said, mimicking his tone and smiling.

He nodded and started back towards the door to the inside of the spa.

I followed him, only a little reluctantly.

It had been so nice and relaxing in the spa and, although part of me craved the adventure and the excitement of what was to come, I had really enjoyed the calm. I felt so much more at ease. It was as if all of the stress of my GCSEs had somehow dissipated.

“Oh my!” a woman exclaimed as she turned the corner and almost walked straight into Mitch.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Mitch said, stepping aside so that she had room to pass.

Her eyes scanned his chest, taking in the long gash that spanned the length of his side and what was clearly a scar from a bullet on his abs.

“Oh gosh,” she whispered, her eyes fixed on the scars.

It was a good thing she couldn’t see his back where there were two more bullet holes and a handful of other miscellaneous scars.

“Oh, yeah,” Mitch said, looking down at his body. “Appendicitis, liver transplant and… what’s this one kid?”

“Lung transplant,” I added solemnly.

“That’s the one. I always forget about that!” he chuckled cheerfully. “I’m real unhealthy!”

The woman looked startled and hurried away from us without saying anything more.

Mitch continued to laugh under his breath as we made our way towards the changing rooms before stopping outside.

“Alright, kid,” he said, with a casual look around the corridor. “Remember what to do?”

I nodded.

Stash the extra clothes in a bag in one of the lockers, make sure there’s nothing identifiable in there, and then text Mitch with the locker number and code that I used. Shouldn’t be too hard but still, a thrill of excitement went through me.

“Okay, good. Meet me in my room after and we’ll order some food and go over the plan. Do you remember the room number?” he asked.

“One hundred and sixty-four,” I recited.

“Good. And, you know what to do if you see people you recognise?”

Sterling’s people.

“Yup,” I replied.

Run and scream.

He nodded, satisfied.

“Okay, kid. See you downstairs.”

Mitch turned and wandered into the men’s changing rooms.

I ducked into the women’s changing rooms, glancing around to see if anyone else was in there. Anxiety skittered in my stomach as I realised that there was someone in the showers where I would have to go.

I really didn’t like the idea of being ambushed in the shower or in the middle of getting changed but, in the back of my mind, I knew that I’d be able to just blink and leave the world if I needed to.

Crossing to my locker, I typed in the combination I’d used before with shaking fingers and pulled out my backpack. Rooting around until I found the plastic bag within, I listened carefully.

The person in the shower was humming a tune softly, one I didn’t recognise. I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse. Pausing, the plastic bag containing my shampoo and conditioner clutched in my hands, I debated skipping the shower. I could just get dressed really quickly and rush down to Mitch’s room. I could probably shower there and I knew I’d feel safer there.

But it felt weird. If I did that, I’d feel like a wimp. Mitch might change his mind about me being able to come with him if he realised I was too scared to be alone for even five minutes.

I could do this.

I could shower quickly, keep an eye on the door and my surroundings and then go down to his room and learn the plan for tonight. I had to.

I took a deep breath, glanced back towards the showers, and stuffed some clothes and my towel into the bag. I grabbed the phone Mitch had given me, almost as an afterthought, cursing myself out for being dumb.

If anything did happen, I’d need it to call him.

My hands trembling slightly in fear, I crossed towards the showers, eyeing the opaque closed door behind which humming could be heard. It was louder now but I still didn’t recognise the tune.

Ducking into one of the other cubicles, my heart hammering in my chest, I waited and listened. Water still splashed from the occupied cubicle and she hadn’t even stopped humming. Part of me wanted to crouch down and make sure that it wasn’t some kind of ploy to make me feel more comfortable. Maybe there were 5 of Sterling’s people crammed into that tiny cubicle, just waiting for me to let my guard down enough to attack.

It felt wrong but I had to know. I leant down on the clammy tiled floor and peeked under the light blue wall, spotting a pair of feet. I stood immediately, feeling guilty and not wanting to see anything more.

I was getting paranoid. There was no one there. I just needed to shower and get dressed quickly.

I grabbed the shampoo and conditioner out of the plastic bag and hooked it by the door, pausing to listen before turning the water on and stepping under it. The boiling hot water scalded my skin and caused me to jump back, my breath hissing out of my lips. Tentatively, I reached a hand to test the temperature of the water and, finding it less skin-meltingly hot, stepped back underneath it.

Washing quickly and stopping every few seconds to listen carefully, I was done before long. I turned the water off and finally stripped out of my swimming costume, wanting to be naked for as little time as possible, just in case the Sterlings were there.

Mitch had instructed me on what to wear for tonight. I had to wear dark colours to blend into the barely lit graveyard but also I’d need to wear a hoodie or something that I could discard if it got too dusty when we were digging up the grave. I needed to be able to move well and run if required so I’d settled on black leggings, a black slightly oversized top and a plain black hoodie.

It felt a little as if I had just googled ‘burglar costume’ but I could imagine someone wearing it for non-nefarious purposes. It wasn’t that abnormal to dress head to toe in black, I’d look like I just preferred to wear dark colours hopefully.

The other shower stopped and I froze, waiting anxiously just in case, but the woman continued moving around in her cubicle. My heart pounded in my ears and I realised I had to make a decision, leave now and stash my bag or just hide until she was gone.

The second option felt wrong. She would have heard me in the showers too so it would be strange if I didn’t go out soon. Or maybe she’d just assume I had anxiety and wouldn’t think too much of it.

No, I had to go out. I couldn’t keep Mitch waiting too long, he might leave without me.

Slipping the shampoo, conditioner and wet towel back into the plastic bag, I hauled my shoulders back almost painfully. I needed to look relaxed, confident and like I fit in. If I did, then the woman wouldn’t look twice at me.

Pushing the door open, I marched out into the changing room and quickly realised that I hadn’t needed to faff for so long or even worry. The woman was already gone.

My face burning with embarrassment, I unlocked the locker again and pulled the backpack out, making sure that I hadn’t left anything I shouldn’t in it. There were a couple of changes of clothes in it but nothing else. I grabbed my trainers out and slipped them on before shoving the bag back into the locker and sending Mitch the locker number and code.

I’d just started out the door when fear gripped me and my steps faltered.

What if I’d mistyped?

What if I somehow sent him the wrong number and then we came back in a couple of years and I couldn’t get any clothes out? Would I just be stuck without anything because I messed up and didn’t think to double-check that I’d typed the code correctly?

Sighing, I turned back into the changing rooms and traipsed over to the locker, typing in the code once more. Anxiety bounced in my stomach as I waited for the light to flash. Green. I hadn’t mistyped, I was just being dumb.

I shook my head to myself and left the room again. This was my fantasy. I didn’t need to worry about something as trivial as whether or not I’d written four numbers correctly. It would be fine.

I breathed out an annoyed sigh as I hammered the lift button, hoping that I hadn’t taken so long that Mitch had gotten bored and left me there. My phone buzzed and I fumbled to pull it out of my pocket, my sweaty hands making it much more difficult than it needed to be.

Got it, Mitch had written. Followed by, Dinner order?

I chewed my lip as my stomach growled.

I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to taste anything in this world, I hadn’t been able to before. But then, things were feeling more real. I had felt the pool water against my skin, the sun on my face and the lift moving around me. Maybe it would be possible now?

Not sure, I typed back. What’s on the menu?

I glanced up at the changing floor numbers before looking back down at my phone.

I’m almost at your floor, can I have a look at the menu when I get there? I asked.

Anxiety bubbled in my stomach and I almost wanted to text him again to say that he could just order me whatever and I’d be happy with it but the speech bubble appeared to show that he was typing.

Sure, kid, read his response.

I chewed my lip again, my teeth digging in even harder as I tried to work out if he was mad at me. He could be annoyed that I hadn’t just decided on something but I didn’t know what room service offered! I couldn’t just choose something because if they didn’t have it, he might get even more annoyed.

My fingers twitched over the screen and I forced myself to lock my phone and put it in my pocket as the lift came to a stop.

If he was annoyed at me, it was fine. He probably wouldn’t abandon me in Edinburgh… right?

I stepped out into the corridor and scanned the numbers quickly, hurrying to his door before knocking softly.

He pulled the door open before long, his hair wet and dripping but a bright smile on his face.

“Damn, kid. You really were almost here, your text only just came through. Come in, come in,” he said, turning and leading me into the room.

Technology and tools were scattered everywhere. Pickaxes and shovels were placed on a towel on the bed, guns, knives and other weird-looking weapons were on the table in front of the mirror and two iPads and a laptop were on the small circular table by the window.

Mitch crossed to the table and sunk down into one of the chairs, squinting at the satellite image on the computer screen.

“Sit, look at the menu,” he instructed distractedly. “Scan the thing at the bottom to open the website then you can order dinner. Do you mind ordering for me too? I already know what I want and you can pay with the card that’s linked to the phone.”

I nodded, my eyes already scanning the menu before landing on the vegetarian burger.

Two different types of cheese and a hash brown? Done.

I scanned the picture and ordered it before looking up at Mitch.

“What did you want me to order for you?” I asked.

“There was a risotto there that looked good,” he said, surprising me.

I’d expected him to go for steak or something similar.

I scrolled down the list until I found it.

“Roast vegetable risotto?” I asked.

“That’s it! What are you having?”

“The veggie burger!” I said with an excited smile.

“Oh, that sounded good but you gotta get some vegetables with it too. Remember what I said about us eating more fruit and veg?” he asked, looking up over the computer briefly at me. “Have a look in the sides, there were a few options there.”

I scrolled down to the section he mentioned.

“Oh,” I gasped, spotting something delicious sounded. “Honey roasted carrots!”

My mom used to make them sometimes. Back before she started drinking so much.

I looked up at Mitch hopefully, worried that he’d say I couldn’t get them, but he was too busy looking at the screen. It took him a minute to notice my gaze but when he did, he smiled.

“Get them, kid. Let me know when you’ve ordered, I want to talk to you about the plan for tonight.”

I swallowed, fear spiking in my stomach and making me queasy.

My palms were slick with sweat as I confirmed the order and put the phone down, my foot wanting to bounce to get rid of some of my nervous energy.

“Okay, all sorted?” he asked, looking up from the screen again.

I nodded.

“Great. So, I’ve been looking into the laws surrounding listed building in Scotland and it turns out that the monuments are most likely listed. I thought they might be but now I’m pretty sure. Do you know what that means?”

“Mmm, kind of. It means that they’re, like, old and protected, right?” I said, pulling on some trace of a memory that I wasn’t sure where I’d found it. “It’s a crime to, like, tamper with it, isn’t it? Oh…”

I trailed off, realising that what we were going to do would probably count as tampering.

“I see you’ve spotted the problem,” he said, smiling slightly and nodding. “It is a crime and if we were to get caught, we’d be able to get out of it but it might mean spending some time in a police station.”

I swallowed, fear warring with the knowledge that I’d definitely be able to get out of any trouble we got into.

“So… that being said, you’re welcome to stay here and I can swing by and pick you up on the way out of the city,” he offered.

“I still want to come with,” I said immediately.

He laughed.

“Kid, think about it. It could be risky.”

I was already shaking my head before he’d finished talking.

“It’s worth it,” I insisted.

A smile grew on Mitch’s face and he nodded slowly.

“Alright. Let me hide all this stuff,” he gestured at the tools and weapons, “so we don’t scare the poor person who brings us our food and I’ll tell you what the plan is for tonight.”