Billy Mack's War Read Online Free Page B

said. ‘Fine, thanks … Yes, that’s perfectly all right … I’m sorry … No, I understand that, and I appreciate it. Thanks for taking an interest … No, he’s a good lad … Well, thank you. Bye now.’ He hung up.
    â€˜Well?’ Danny asked.
    â€˜Well what?’
    â€˜What did he say?’
    â€˜Nothing much. He’s going to pick you up, take you for a drink and a chat, and drop you home afterwards. And there’s no need to be nervous.’
    â€˜I’m not nervous,’ Danny protested.
    Dad grinned. ‘Of course you’re not. You always look like you’re going to vomit when you get off the phone.’
    â€˜Can I call Caleb now?’
    â€˜Of course.’
    â€˜What do you think he wants?’ Caleb asked when Danny had told him all about the phone call. ‘Maybe he’s going to give you a reward!’
    â€˜Why does it always have to be a reward with you?’ Danny asked.
    â€˜Well, what else could he want?’
    Danny fought down the weird mix of excitement and fear he’d felt bubbling around in his guts ever since he’d spoken to Mr McAuliffe. ‘I’ll tell you after I’ve seen him tomorrow. I’ll catch you at school.’

Chapter 4 Danny

    Danny groaned and rolled over to look at his alarm clock. It was seven o’clock, and he could hear his father rattling around in the kitchen downstairs. For a long moment he couldn’t remember what it was that was making him feel so scared. It had been a bad night, full of dreams. And not the good kind, either. Dreams of traps and ambushes, dreams of panic and struggling, dreams of being rescued by kind old women from angry, shouting men. Dreams of walking naked into a café full of Shaun Gilmores who looked strangely like William McAuliffes. And these Shaun Gilmore-McAuliffes were all laughing and pointing, and taunting him with little medals on stubby red ribbons. And behind the counter was a tall, slightly hunched man in a tartan dressing gown, an eye-patch over one eye. He was laughing too, so hard that tears rolled down his cheeks.
    Now Danny remembered why he was feeling so awful, and it had nothing to do with walking naked into a café. It had everything to do with meeting a man he’d only ever known to be unfriendly, cranky and rather rude. He took a deep breath and sat up on the side of his bed. He was starting to wish he’d never agreed to meet Mr McAuliffe after all. He wanted to phone him and say, ‘I’m sorry, but I’ve changed my mind. I don’t even want to think about the medal any more. I just want to forget about the whole thing. I wish none of it had happened at all.’ But he knew that couldn’t happen now, no matter how much he wished for it, so he pulled his uniform on and went downstairs.
    Dad looked up from his paper as Danny walked into the kitchen. ‘Morning, Dan,’ he said. ‘Are you all right?’
    â€˜Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?’
    â€˜No reason, except that you look absolutely shattered. Didn’t sleep?’
    Danny shook his head. ‘Not much.’
    â€˜All ready for this afternoon?’
    Danny rolled his eyes and slumped into a chair. ‘I wish I knew what he was going to say.’
    â€˜If you knew that, there’d be no point going, would there?’
    â€˜I wonder if there’s any point anyway.’
    Dad glanced at his watch. Then he folded his newspaper and put it into his briefcase. ‘There is a point, Dan. There’s definitely a point.’ He finished the last of his coffee, stood up and kissed Danny on the top of the head. ‘I’ll be home a bit early this afternoon. Have a good day, and don’t be nervous —’
    â€˜I’m not nervous.’
    â€˜Don’t be nervous, and I’ll see you later on.’
    â€˜Nervous?’ Caleb asked Danny as soon as he saw him.
    â€˜Will everyone stop asking me