Read Online Hater 1: Hater by David Moody - Free Book Online

tattooed man's arms and legs are thrashing and even from this distance I can see that the table and both men are covered in blood.
        I drag Josh out of his chair and then push Lizzie towards the nearest door. I'm trying hard to stay calm but I'm fucking terrified. Come on, get a fucking move on… There's a crowd of drinkers all trying to push their way out through a narrow doorway at the same time and, for the second time in less than a day I'm stuck at the back of a load of people trying to get away from trouble. I hold Josh close to my chest and look over my shoulder to see where the lunatic with the knife is. If he's finished with the man on the table who knows who he's going to come after next. I don't want to be his next victim. I just want to…
        'Danny!' I hear Liz scream. I look up again. She's been pulled further along with the crowd and there are a couple of meters between us now. She's almost through the door. She's looking back and shouting something at me. I can't make it out.
        'What?'
        'Ed,' she yells, 'get Ed!'
        Jesus Christ. There's no time to think. I hold on to Josh tightly and make a sudden change in direction back towards the fun-barn. The way through is clear. The people in there can't have heard what's happening yet. I push through the swinging double-doors and look around for Ed but I can't see him. The lighting is low at this end of the room and there are kids and their parents everywhere.
        'Edward!' I shout over thumping party music. People turn and look at me like I've gone mad. 'Ed!'
        'Dad!' I hear him shout back. I can see him now, down by one of the climbing frames at the far end of the room with a friend. I run towards him.
        'Get your shoes and your coat,' I tell him, 'we've got to go.'
        'But Dad,' he starts to protest.
        'Get your shoes and your coat,' I tell him again.
        'What's going on?' someone asks. I turn round and see that it's Wendy Parish, the mother of one of Ed's friends.
        'There's some trouble in the pub,' I tell her, watching anxiously as Ed disappears to find his stuff. 'I'd get out of here if I was you. I'd get everyone out of here.'
        I look up and see that staff from the pub have reached the staff of the fun-barn and they look about to make a tannoy announcement to clear the building. Ed's back with his coat on. He sits down and starts putting on his shoes.
        'Come on, son,' I yell over the noise. 'Do that outside.'
        Confused, he jumps up and holds onto me as we run towards the exit, weaving around the suddenly scattered tables and chairs. We push our way out into the car park and I can see Liz and Ellis standing over by the car. I run towards them. Ed hobbles along beside me, one shoe on and one shoe off. I can hear sirens approaching.
        'You okay?' Liz asks.
        'We're fine,' I answer, rummaging through my pockets for the keys. I open the door and between us we bundle the children inside. I gesture for her to get in and she does. I finish strapping Josh into his car seat and then get into the front and lock the door.
        'Should we wait for the police?' Liz wonders, her voice little more than a whisper.
        'Bollocks to that,' I answer as I start the engine and reverse quickly out of the parking bay. Cars are already queuing up to get out of the car park. 'No-one else is stopping,' I say as we join the back of the queue. 'Let's just get out of here.'
        
        
    7
        
        It's half-past nine and I've been trying to get out of Ellis' bedroom for the best part of the last hour. Poor kid's obviously been shaken up by what she saw earlier. I'm not surprised, it scared the hell out of me too. Outwardly she doesn't seem too upset but she won't stop talking about what happened. You don't know how kids are affected by seeing things like that. I've been sitting on the end of her bed answering a constant stream of questions since