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something, a single word. Rich could guess what it meant.
    â€œRebels,” said Jade.
    Rich nodded. “ Now Dad needs help.”

4
    Huge arc lights flickered on. They illuminated the whole area in a harsh, white glow. Dark figures emerged from the admin block and barracks at the far side of the base. The two trucks had stopped not far from them, and the newcomers returned fire.
    â€œLet’s hope he’s not caught in the middle of that,” said Rich.
    â€œHe’ll be in the hangar,” Jade replied. She had to shout over the sound of gunfire. “He’s looking for missiles, remember.”
    Yoshi was talking rapidly and urgently. But Rich had no idea what he was saying.
    â€œYou’d better get home,” he told the boy. He pointed back up the road, the way they had come. “Go! Stay safe.Me and Jade will try to help, OK?” He pointed to himself and Jade, then into the base as he spoke.
    Yoshi said something else, nodding the whole time. He grabbed Rich’s hand and shook it. He stood on tiptoe and kissed Jade on the cheek. Then he turned and ran, disappearing into the darkness.
    â€œThink he understood?” Jade asked.
    â€œI think he likes you.”
    Jade ignored him. “Let’s get to that hangar and find Dad.”
    Fortunately the fighting was well away from the hangar. The rebels were sheltering behind their trucks, firing on the troops from the base. But taken by surprise, the base soldiers were at a disadvantage.
    A streak of fire shot out from beside one of the trucks, then slammed into the brick-built admin block. The whole building seemed to light up as the rocket exploded. Windows were blown out and bodies went flying.
    â€œWon’t be long before they head for the hangar,” Rich gasped as he and Jade ran. “Come on!”
    They paused for a moment inside the hangar, and let their eyes adjust from the brighter light outside to the interior gloom. As soon as he got his breath back, Rich tried to push the heavy doors closed, but they wouldn’t move.
    Jade was crouching over a prone figure. “Looks like someone got here before us.”
    Rich hurried to join her. “I can guess who. Dad.”
    â€œYeah, the guard’s just out cold. The rebels would have shot him.”
    â€œSo where have Dad and Mr Chang gone?”
    The hangar was enormous, but it was almost empty. There was a jeep and a couple of other vehicles, but nowhere much for anyone to hide. In any case, they’d have seen Rich and Jade arrive.
    â€œThe way he’s facing…” said Jade. “When he fell, he was heading towards the main doors.”
    â€œLike he was coming to meet someone,” Rich agreed. “So trace his path back…”
    They both saw the large metal door set into the hangar wall, and ran over to it. The door was standing slightly open, and together they heaved on it. Once through they closed it again. They were standing in a dark stairwell. The only light was a faint glow from far below.
    â€œGuess where we’re going,” said Rich.
    The night was getting cold and Yoshi didn’t like the dark. He was alone and afraid, but he knew what he had to do. He kept to the darkest shadows, out of the palemoonlight that filtered through the clouds.
    He ran all the way, hoping he would recognise the point where he needed to turn off the main road and take the narrow track that led back to his aunt’s house. He was gasping for breath, but he kept going—he couldn’t let his father down. He couldn’t abandon his father’s friends, the boy and the girl and their father…
    It seemed to take an age, but at last he could see the dark shape of his aunt’s house ahead. Yoshi paused for a moment. He had to stop, to get his breath back. He stood gasping, hands on his knees, shivering from the cold and the fear. Gradually he caught his breath; slowly he straightened up. Only then did he see a man standing a