Saving Katie - HollyS (i am malala young readers edition .txt) 📗

the moment he spoke to her and kicked himself for not getting her number or something that meant he could talk to her again. Starting his van he made his way out to the main road across town. Luckily he hadn't far to go and within minutes he pulled up to the drive way of his first house, checking the number on the post at the beginning of the drive he slowly made his way up the gravel. Pulling up to the front of the garage of the house he jumped out his van and collected his clipboard and phone, and made his way up to the front door.

Searching for the bell Karl didn't find one so he gave its wood a sharp knock instead and as he waited for an answer he gazed about at the rose bushes and fir trees that lined the garden. He noticed the beginning of some steps to the side of the house and figured it was a basement of something a long those lines.

Turning as he heard the door unlocked Karl was faced with an tidy but plump, middle aged lady, her gray hair was neatly tied back and she had the whitest apron on he'd ever seen. "Hi I'm Karl the handy man," He flashed his I.D card at the lady, "I'm here to do a couple of jobs for you today." She gave him a warm wrinkly smile and Karl felt himself ease "Of course come on in". She guided him into the hallway "Let me show you what we need doing and then I'll make us a nice cup of tea". "Oh no tea for me thank you but I would love a black coffee". Karl gave her a cheeky grin and the lady responded with a chuckle and nod.

First he was taken to the kitchen where he plumbed in the washing machine while the lady, obviously a cleaner or house keeper chatted idly to him while she washed the breakfast plates. She asked him about his job and did he enjoy the usual simple chit chat that he endured most days. Karl gave all the correct answers and smiled, nodded and used his pleases and thank you's in the right places, thoroughly enjoying the coffee she had made for him to drink while he worked.

Once the washing machine was in and working the house keeper took him upstairs to the office and explained what the boss of the house wanted done it was a simple fix no more then half hours worked and he went off downstairs again to grab the tools he would need and of course the lock for the door....

***

Katie woke well aware of the voices in the house one was definitely the house keeper Mrs Higgins but who was she talking to. Getting up and walking to the door she pressed her ear to it, was a male voice but wasn't her daddy then the penny dropped, the handy man was here. "Lucky Mrs Higgins" Katie thought to herself. Going to her bathroom she showered and got dressed as she wasn't going anywhere today, "As usual", She thought to herself bitterly she pulled on a white hoody and a pair of black sweat pant and trainers. Looking herself over in the mirror she shrugged "That will do I guess".

Feeling hungry she wondered if she could escape her room and sneak to the kitchen, she knew Mrs Higgins would be where ever the handy man was, the problem was she didn't know where he was. Hunting around her room for the key to the door and then doing an overly enthusiastic dance when she found it, she then proceeded to leave her room and creep along the hall way.

To her surprise Mrs Higgins was not in the hallway, but the handy man was. He making his way to the stairs when he stopped suddenly. He had his back to her and she stared at him admiring his dark hair. So like the man she had seen yesterday. He turned, to come back down the stairs as though he had forgotten something and she continued to watch... looking at his face as he spotted her and she him. It was the man from yesterday she was sure of that, in the same instance he had recognized her, his face lit up as he approached her, he gave a quick glance back then turned to her again "Hello Katie", He smiled at her. She knew she should run back to her room in the basement, but she couldn't he held her captivated by his gaze, without a second thought she smiled back, "Hello..ummm Mr Handyman". He laughed, "That's right I didn't tell you my name yesterday... I'm Karl".
"Wow" she smiled at him "I thought the name the man with the beautiful smile suited you, I guess Karl is ok though".

The two stared smiling like idiots at each other unaware that Mrs Higgins was slowly approaching the pair and their time together would be short lived. Karl heard it first and Katie watched him as he looked away from her, over the top of her head, first he was smiling and then his smile dropped to a frown, on that note she turned herself to see Mrs Higgins behind her. "KATIE!, you know you are not to be out of your room young lady your father gave you orders last night" She roared at Katie. "Get back in there NOW!" Not sure what else to do Katie side stepped Karl and made her way back to the basement. Behind her she could hear Mrs Higgins telling Karl to pay "No mind to her" and then she asked him how long it would take to finish the job.

Back in her room Katie sat in her chair in the corner of the room not sure what to do then as the temper flared up in her she grabbed her rucksack from under her bed, not even sure why she filled it with clothes her hair brush tooth brush and anything else she could find that would be useful, then she shoved it back under her bed. Her thoughts full of Karl and the unfairness of it all. Making her head hurt she could hear a hammer in the house and still the talking from Karl and Mrs Higgins, Katie didn't move just stared at the wall from the chair.

***

Trying hard to concentrate on changing the stupid lock but failing Karl thought about what had happened to Katie and why the house keeper sent her flying back to her room. Why would a grown girl be made to stay in her room? He tried to finish the job as quickly as he could so he could get out of the house and get his thoughts straight. The chit chat from the house keeper more annoying now then pleasant. Karl packed up his tools and gave the instructions for the house keeper to write out the check in his bosses name he left the house and headed for the silence of his van.

Shoving his tools in the back and slamming the sliding door closed he was about to make his way round to the drivers side when he spotted the stair at the side of the house. Karl though back to when Katie went back to her room, it seemed like she had gone down some stairs at the other end of the hall but he wasn't sure. Its not like he could go and look in the door was it? Although he shouldn't he wanted to and before he thought more about it his feet had already led him round to the steps. He crept down them quietly and tried the worn door at the bottom it was locked and bolted.

Karl called out through the door "Katie?". He didn't hear an answer but there was a slight noise that sounded like clothes moving from inside the room. Standing back and looking at the door in puzzlement he was tried again a little louder this time "Katie?". Still no answer, shaking his head as though he was crazy Karl started to back away from the door when he heard it, it wasn't too loud but loud enough that he heard it and he recognized the voice. "Karl?". It was her!

"Are you OK in there Katie?" he called to her "I'm going to get you out". His head told him he was crazy his heart told him "Yes you are crazy in love". She called back to him "I'm OK Karl I'm OK daddy will be cross if I leave", She sounded scared but relieved at the same time. "Hold on Katie I'm going to get my tools". He shot of back to his van grabbing his tool bag out from the back and ran back to the basement door again.

Karl started to pick the lock to the door it wasn't hard, maybe Katie's father should of paid to have this one replaced, he thought. Calling out to Katie he said "just another minute or two". Years of criminal past had him well trained at picking all sorts of locks and within a minute or two like he said the door was open cautiously he made his way in to the room taking in the dull lilac paint, the books around the room on shelves the telly in the corner and last but not least his beautiful Katie.

Smiling he reached his hand for her and she took it, whispering into her ear "I don't know whats happening here but tell me Katie are you unhappy?" Tucked neatly into his arms the child like girl nodded "Very", was the only noise she made. His heart pounded, he was right he didn't know what was happening but his instinct to protect her kicked he, gently pulling her away from him he looked down at her lifting her head so her eyes met his, "Do you have a bag?". Laughing Katie scrambled to the floor under her bed and pulled out the rucksack she had thrown under there earlier. Karl laughed as he undid it and saw the contents, "Running away?" he chuckled. "I was mad" she replied " I wanted to run but obviously I couldn't". Taking her hand again he lead her out the basement door and the pair crept around the house to the van.

"We'll go to my flat" Karl told her and closed the door as she buckled herself into the passenger seat he ran round to the drivers side and started the van. As the drove off Karl noticed Katie looked back on the house with a slight smile, like she was relieved from something, he wondered what that something could be...

Chapter Four

Katie watched out of the window as the town passed her by on the way to Karl's place. "Maybe I am crazy" she thought to herself "This certainly seems crazy". Stealing a look across