Page 119 of Runner 13
And so, hand in hand, we stagger across the finishing line.
55
Stella
I almost can’t bear to watch.
My eyes feel shrivelled inside their sockets; I’ve cried so many tears that I’m wrung out. Spent. But I force myself to stand in the crowd, shoulder to shoulder with Ali, watching Adri and Ethan. Jason and Mac are next to us, the Ultra Bros together again. Jason’s got a bandage on his head, and he’s leaning on a cane. He looks like he’s dressed for a Halloween party.
‘You made it,’ I’d said when he first arrived.
‘Wouldn’t miss it even for a hole in my head,’ he says, his lips set in a grim line.
Farouk is here too, witnessing Adrienne fulfil her promise.
We’re all spectators to history.
Ali touches my arm. ‘You OK?’
I nod but turn away from the tender scene. Mother and son embracing. Pete fist-pumping in the background, a fierce look of pride on his face. His parents had been the ones to bring Ethan out to Morocco. Originally they’d planned the trip as a surprise for Pete so Ethan could watch his dad cross the finishing line – but, as it’s turned out, he’s witnessing something even more important.
I can’t quite believe she’s done it. No, scratch that. I can believe it. But the feat is so immense it’s hard to wrapmy mind round it. Two hundred miles in one go – on top of the fifty miles she’d run the two days before. Battling heat, sandstorms and a man with a gun. Helping runners like Mariam and Hiroko – not to mention Rupert. He’s in surgery right now. Rachid, who not-Dale had knocked unconscious, is coming round too.
Applause – cheers, whoops, gasps – explode from the crowd round me. She must have crossed the line. When I look back, I can’t see her. Henry blocks my view, stepping forward to congratulate her. Pete envelops her and Ethan in a hug.
The first woman to finish a Boones race.
The first person to win Hot & Sandy.
She’s been to hell and back. She’s passed the true test of human endurance. I can’t help but think my dad would be proud.
‘Shame her win isn’t valid,’ says a voice from behind me.
I glance over my shoulder. It’s Boones, sitting in a wheelchair pushed by Emilio. His skin is grey, his moustache limp, but the sparkle in his eyes has returned.
‘What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the hospital?’
‘And miss this? I don’t think so.’
‘You let him leave?’ I direct the question at Emilio.
‘You honestly think I – or any of the doctors and nurses in the hospital – could stop him?’
I shake my head. Of course Boones would drag himself from the brink of death to witness first-hand the conclusion of his ultimate race. Not even a bullet could keep him away. That was Boones through and through. He had a deeper, more vast pain cave than anyone on the planet. Inthe dark hidden corners of the cave were the inspiration for his signature twists. This is just one more surprise to add to the list.
‘What do you mean about Adrienne?’
‘She used her emergency beacon. That’s automatic disqualification.’
I stare at him for a few moments, then I throw my head back and laugh. I can’t help it. Adri didn’t win. No one won.
I think of the contract. Who’s the money going to go to now that Steve is dead? Probably no one. Probably exactly what my dad planned. What an asshole.
‘So that’s really it for the Ampersand races? You’re going to leave them to Henry and Blixt to ruin?’
‘Unlessyouwant them.’
I stiffen. I never wanted that. Never imagined following in his footsteps. But before I can answer, there is another question I have. ‘So if Adri didn’t officially finish, does that mean you’re not going to show her the footage?’
