Goylegate - One Gargantuan Scandal 1

Part I
What does a kid really remember?
CHAPTER 1
The fastest pace throughout the chase.

TIME: TODAY
LOCATION: ENGLAND

Davina hated being chased. So why was she in that situation? She glanced behind her. The men dressed in black were catching up. She gritted her teeth, put her head down and ran her absolute fastest. Effortlessly she wove through the crowds at such speed and agility she was barely noticed. It was like a warm breath had been exhaled, then she was gone.
In all directions the men yelled into small lumps of black.
‘Cut her off!’ Screamed the voice in charge.
Davina couldn’t understand how it had grown so out of hand: one minute she was eating from the large black container on the street, the next she was being chased. What was the problem? Earlier she had watched a hairy man with a long jacket do the same. So why were they picking on her? Had they been sent? Had they been informed of her arrival?
The chase kicked off a few seconds after she had taken her first mouthful.
‘Stop right there!’ A person dressed in black had hollered.
Instinctively she had scarpered. The chase began with one angry looking man and now there were already ten pursuing her. She had done nothing wrong! Well certainly nothing she could remember.
Across an expanse of dark grey, screeching sounded from the wheeled, metal cages carrying the men in black. They intended to surround her.
Davina shook her head; there was no way she would let that happen! She was at that designated place for a reason. She just wished she could remember exactly what that reason was.
Davina rounded a corner searching for an escape or somewhere to hide. The crowd parted, all watching her curiously. She wasn’t panting or making a noise; so why were they all staring? Maybe it was because she was running, climbing and jumping at a speed none of them could manage. Or was it that she was far more agile than many children her age? Actually what was her age? That was a completely different matter.
Davina could see trouble approaching. Ahead of her two burly black-suits were gaining their positions, intending to cut her off. What did they think she was? Some kind of wild animal to be tamed?
Davina glanced behind her, there was no turning back. Four male black-suits were closing in. The onlookers expected her capture. They stopped in the street gawking, trying to work out what all the fuss was about. What was all the fuss about? Why couldn’t people mind their own business? She had to survive and that was it! What did it matter what she had eaten or where she had obtained it from? Maybe it wasn’t just the food. Had they been monitoring where she had been sleeping too? Had they followed her to the place where people pulled down their trousers and sat for a while before they left again? Or maybe another watcher had reported her when they saw her at that same place during the night? Why would they? All she did was climb through a small, square window each time the moon rose. It was completely opposite to her usual routine, but she had to blend in with the masses. During the hours of darkness she stayed in that warm environment until the sun climbed back onto the horizon. What was wrong with that?
Sprinting towards the two male black-suits blocking her path Davina grinned mischievously to herself. ‘Idiots!’ she muttered under her breath as they swiped at her. Davina smirked, ran sideways up a wall and used a dustbin to jump clear over them.
Some of the onlookers applauded.
Davina didn’t respond, she kept running. As she raced along she glimpsed a reflection in a window: the two male black-suits were aggravated. They huffed at each other, puffed out their chests and lolloped back into a heavy footed run.
Davina had to find somewhere to hide, somewhere she could blend in. She instinctively, without understanding what she was doing, ran towards the church. The same church she had woken up outside of on that first day; the place where she had slept when she first arrived. She didn’t know why but all her senses told her she would be safe there. She hurdled the wall, sprinted the graveyard but ground to an abrupt halt. Something about the figures leaning out of the church jogged her memory. Why was that? Why did she recognise the stone shapes jutting from the building? Were they associated with her mission? Were they a sign? She darted to the nearest wall and used all her upper body strength to navigate the carvings up to a balcony. Hurriedly she climbed past all the strangely familiar faces and wedged herself into a tiny alcove on the roof. When she stepped on one of the stone Gargoyles she could have sworn she heard a growl of welcome. Was she mad? Davina looked down; behind her a small pile of steaming stones appeared. They tumbled heavily to the ground. Plop, plop, plop! Davina frowned, what were they? No she couldn’t think about it; she had to seek safety, think later. Once she was safe she intended to piece together all the strange happenings. Maybe then she could work out what was going on.
Davina cautiously traversed the edge of the church and found a small nook where she could hide. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to hide her from what was over head. Davina heard the whirring of blades from a metal flying machine. She gazed up to the sky, the men were shouting into the dark talking machines calling in her location. Davina caught her breath and clung to the ledge. Why were they so desperate to catch her? The wind from the machine was strong; her hair blew across her face. Davina flicked her hair and erratically scanned the area planning her next moves. She considered fighting the black-coats directly, but that would give her away. She wasn’t supposed to draw attention to herself during the visit. If she slay the black-coats they would know she was something else... Davina sighed, if only she could remember. Davina squinted and scanned her mind. All she found were the following words: ‘whatever you do Davina- do not draw attention to yourself. She will send people to catch you. This is all you are supposed to remember.’
What had she done? She had already drawn attention to herself without even trying. She was in trouble.
Davina gazed up at the whirring flying machine; it communicated her location to a mass of black coats beneath her. They followed the directions and circled below like starving dogs. Davina chewed her lip, a sense of panic welled in her stomach. She had to take action. She had to take it now! Her only possible escape was to leap to a nearby tree then across the adjacent field. Could she make it?
Davina took a breath and launched herself, swung to the end of a branch and descended to the ground. From there she frantically scrambled to a nearby field, hoping an escape route would draw her attention. It didn’t.
In all directions the black coats swarmed, each screaming her location into their communication devices. Before she could react Davina was surrounded. Whether she liked it or not she was going to have to surrender. She had been caught fair and square. If she went without a struggle or a fight she might manage to get to her destination at the right time. Maybe she should play innocent; she could use the fact she didn’t have proper memory, that would work in her favour wouldn’t it? Maybe her memory loss was a blessing. It would to keep her safe and stop outsiders discovering her mission.
The mass of black coats herded her towards an armoured van. She stood still. Silent. Had she been set up? Davina shook her head and stared at the ground, she had an enormous amount to work out: who was she? Who was the person trying to capture her? Once she knew that then maybe she could finish what she had started. What had she started? If she explained her predicament the black-coats they would never understand. All Davina knew was time was running out, she was there for a reason and that reason was greater than any outsider would ever understand. Why did she keep calling them outsiders?