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‘C’mon, gang, let’s go back,’ he urged.‘Gotta speak to Jacko somehow. He’ll tell us what’s goin’ on here.’
    That was easier said than done. The A.C.E. athletes were now doing stretching exercises further away from the fence, so Adam began jumping up and down, waving his arms, to attract Jacko’s attention.
    It wasn’t only Jacko who noticed him. Adam’s antics were spotted by a number of the athletes, making them point and laugh. The coach turned to detect the source of the distraction, but Adam had already dived for cover in the undergrowth.
    â€˜Did he see you?’ Tom demanded from his hiding place behind a tree.
    â€˜Jacko? Yeah, think so.’
    â€˜I meant the coach.’
    Gareth peeped through the bushes. ‘It’s OK. He’s making them do press-ups now. Punishment for laughing, I bet.’
    â€˜Don’t this lot have any free time?’ said Eddie. ‘I mean, it
is
Saturday afternoon.’
    â€˜Probably lucky if they even get time to eat,’ Adam said with a smirk. ‘Pity poor old TomTom if
he
got sent here!’
    After about ten more minutes of exercises,the coach ended the session and the group broke up. Most of the athletes wandered off, but two of them began to play with a tennis ball, tossing it back and forth as they jogged around the track.
    â€˜Jacko’s headin’ this way,’ Adam grinned. ‘Knew he would.’
    â€˜And look who’s coming with him,’ Eddie muttered.
    Jacko deliberately let the ball go past him and then kicked it into the long grass near the fence so that they would have to go and search for it.
    â€˜Watcha, Jacko!’ Adam greeted him.
    â€˜Thought it was you, Foxy, dancing about like a nutcase.’
    â€˜What the hell are you doin’ here?’
    â€˜I’ve been here since Easter. Thought they were going to throw me out for calling that old man “the prowler”, but they brought me here instead. I’ve been doing loads of running,’ he said, and then nodded towards Eddie. ‘Just like your new mate, I gather.’
    Eddie hadn’t taken his eyes off the other lad, who had now found the ball.
    â€˜Hey! Wonder Boy!’ said Adam. ‘Bet you can’t beat Jacko over 400 metres.’
    â€˜Maybe not,’ Eddie replied sourly, ‘but I’d like to have another race against his pal.’
    The black-haired boy chuckled, flipping the ball casually from hand to hand as they all stared at him.
    â€˜We met before, man?’ said Adam. ‘You look kinda familiar.’
    The boy spoke for the first time. ‘You most likely heard my name,’ he said in a lilting voice.

    â€˜And what’s that?’
    â€˜Taffy Jones,’ he replied, enjoying their surprised reaction. ‘But everybody calls me YT.’
    â€˜YT?’ repeated Tom.
    â€˜Yeah – Young Taffy!’ he giggled.
    Gareth was the first to respond. ‘So are you Old Taffy’s grandson or something?’
    â€˜Or something…’
    Eddie wasn’t satisfied with that answer. ‘And what does that mean exactly?’
    Young Taffy grinned. ‘Don’t know if you lot are ready for the
exact
bit yet. What do you think, Jacko?’
    Jacko shrugged. ‘Might as well tell ’em, YT.’
    â€˜Yeah, why not?’ he agreed. ‘Don’t suppose they’ll believe me, anyway.’
    â€˜Try us,’ grunted Tom.
    â€˜OK, then,’ he said. ‘I’m not his grandson – or even his son. I
am
Taffy Jones…’
    Adam butted in. ‘You’ve already told us yer name.’
    â€˜You’re not listening to what I’m saying,’ he replied calmly. ‘I’m
him
and he’s
me
.’
    â€˜That don’t make no sense, man.’
    â€˜It does if you’re a clone!’
    Beeeeeeeppp
!
    The intruders had no chance to recover from their shock at such a revelation, nor