Tube Riders, The by Chris Ward

and the only way to unhook it is to push it in and flick it off in one motion.’
    ‘Kind of like undoing a bra,’ Paul said.
    ‘Didn’t realise you wore one,’ Simon scoffed.
    Paul grinned. Jess noticed how Marta watched them with a wry smile the way a mother might watch her kids. Marta was pretty, but the brief pang of jealousy Jess had felt when they had first met had gone. The Tube Riders were more like a family.
    ‘Try it on this pipe over here. It’s a little lower, but it’s nearer the wall so you can brace better. On a real train there’s only a slight curve on the outside of the carriage, so the rail you hang from is about the same level as your feet. This means you are leaning backwards, making the pressure on the clawboard greater. All of which means it’s easy to stay attached, but difficult to get off.’
    Jess hooked the pipe and braced her feet on the wall. ‘Okay, so up and out. How do I land?’
    ‘Usually on your back, but if there aren’t any breakfall mats there, you have to roll.’
    Jess stared. ‘You’re joking, right?’
    Marta shook her head. ‘I wish. If the train’s going slow enough it’s not a problem, but on a train going at speed, if you try to land on your feet you’re going to break something, or worse, damage your back with the impact. When you dismount, you have to turn your body in the direction the train is going and pull your clawboard into your body like a shield. Duck your head in to protect it. Keep your legs straight. If you do it right, it doesn’t hurt so much because your forward momentum is so great you just kind of touch down. Like a plane.’
    ‘It hurts?’
    Marta looked pained. ‘Always. But do it right and it won’t hurt too much.’
    ‘It’s the reason we have the big stack of mattresses at the end of the platform,’ Simon said, pointing towards them. ‘Something nice and soft to land on.’
    ‘I’ll catch you the first time,’ Marta said, going to stand behind her.
    Jess grimaced. ‘Okay, well here goes.’ She reached up and hooked the board over the second pipe, bracing her feet on the wall. She took a deep breath, then kicked up and pushed the board in and upwards as Marta had instructed. She kicked a little hard though, and fell back into Marta. For a moment Marta had a hold of her – Jess marveled at how strong the other girl’s hands felt – then Marta lost her balance and they both landed in a heap on the floor.
    ‘Ow!’ Jess muttered. ‘I banged my bloody elbow.’
    Marta, who appeared to be unhurt, laughed as she stood up. ‘Not bad for a first attempt. You don’t need to kick quite so hard, but it was good.’
    Simon helped Jess up. ‘Are you all right?’
    Jess brushed herself down and nodded. ‘I’ll live.’
    ‘Do you want to rest for a bit? Watch us do a few rides?’
    Jess smiled. ‘Nope. I want to ride with you.’
    ‘Well, I don’t know that you’re ready yet.’
    Jess shrugged. ‘Come on, let’s go see what–’
    She broke off at the sound of a shout and running feet in their direction. Switch was bolting along the platform towards them, his clawboard hung loose in one hand. ‘Quick!’ he shouted. ‘We’ve got a problem!’

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Seven
    Confrontation
     
    ‘Hurry!’ Dreggo shouted, waving an arm towards the entrance to St. Cannerwells Underground station. Spread out across the park like a net ready to close, the Cross Jumpers responded, slinking between the trees and along the cracked tarmac paths, closing on the small brick building at the top of the hill. Her scouts had seen the Tube Riders go inside a couple of hours ago. They had looked around for other entrances but found none. All the Cross Jumpers had arrived, and they had begun to close on the entrance when one of the Tube Riders had emerged at exactly the wrong time.
    With her keen eyesight she had spotted him from the other side of the park, stepping out from the station entrance, immediately tensing, his sixth sense