Radio Gaga Read Online Free Page B

and my heart did a crazy little flip.
    “Where do you want us for the pictures?” Cagoule woman interrupted.
    Ben looked around, studying our small group and the walls of the castle. “Um, I think if we head on up to the top of the battlements where you’re all going to descend on Monday.”
    Oh crap, I hadn’t given any thought to where we would have to pose for the pictures today. I’d assumed it would be at the castle entrance or somewhere else that was safe, and on the ground.
    There was a rumble of assent and we all followed cagoule woman into the castle and up the narrow twisty stone steps of the tower. My palms grew clammier and my pulse raced faster with every step. Maybe if I didn’t have to get too close to the edge I would be okay, maybe it wasn’t too late for me to take one of Shelly’s tablets.
    We emerged through a low archway on to the top of the battlements. The wind felt even icier as it whipped over the jagged stones marking the top of the low wall. I took a quick peep over the edge and immediately squeezed my eyes tight shut while I held onto the coping stones.
    “Right, if we assemble here. Ladies at the front and gentlemen at the back. I’ve got some gear so we can pose.” I could hear cagoule woman dishing out orders but I was too scared to open my eyes for a moment to see where we were supposed to go.
    “Chloe! You too, dear!”
    I forced my eyes open and squinted in the direction of cagoule woman’s voice. The rest of the group were all aligned along the battlements with Ben checking the composition of the grouping through his camera lens.
    Oh God, I would have to let go of the coping stone and walk across to the group to join the other women crouching down in front of the men to brandish some rope and metal things.
    “Come along, Chloe, don’t be shy.” Cagoule woman marched over and took hold of my arm forcing me to walk along with her to join the others.
    Shakily I knelt down in front of one of the woolly-hatted men and picked up a piece of rope.
    “Now everybody say 'sex'.” Ben instructed.
    There was a ripple of laughter and I forced myself to try and look cheerful.
    “Great. We’ll have a few more for luck.” Ben snapped away, tweaking our poses for the various shots. I prayed he wouldn’t ask me to move, I didn’t think my legs would support me. The best I could hope for was that the others would all leave me alone once the pictures were done and I’d be able to crawl across the stone flags and back down the tower steps unnoticed.
    “Okay, that’s it. I’ll just get details of everybody’s names and things.” Ben fixed the lens cap back on his camera and zipped it into a case.
    Everyone broke their pose, the other women stood and started to joke with the men. Embarrassingly, I couldn’t move. My heart was racing like an express train and my knees seemed to have locked in position.
    “Are you stuck, Chloe?” The man in the woolly hat tugged me to my feet.
    “Pins and needles. Leg had gone dead.” I rubbed at my knee, anything so I didn’t have to stand up and look over the edge of the wall.
    Ben had noted down names and details on everyone and some of the group had gone back to the tower to make their way down.
    “Better get your info too.” Ben came over to join me. “Is everything okay?” He frowned as I continued to rub at my leg.
    “I think I’ve got a cramp from the cold stones. Could I borrow your arm just to walk over to the tower?” I was quite proud of the evenness of my tone as I made my request. It was a perfectly legitimate question to ask wasn’t it? If I could get to the tower I’d be okay, with the wall at my back I’d feel safe and no-one would be any the wiser about my fear of heights. By Monday I’d be dosed up on Shelly’s pills and everything would be fine.
    At least, I hoped everything would be fine. If the tablets didn’t work, I was in big trouble.
     
     

Chapter Four
     
     
    Ben obligingly loaned me his arm and I tried