by Jess Keating
But when we erupted from the building, coughing and shaking, our friends were nowhere to be seen.
Mary rushed over to a guard who stood on alert by one of the doorways. Crowds of tourists were still being evacuated from the building, but since no one was allowed to leave the premises, we were surrounded by a confused, disoriented crowd.
“Please help us!” Mary told the guard. “We’re looking for our friends! They were in the jewel room—did everyone get out okay?”
The guard glowered at Mary, then looked past her shoulder to stare at me. A glimmer of recognition crossed his face.
Shoot.
“Mary!” I hissed. I grabbed her hand to pull her away. “We’ll find them ourselves—we should go!”
That’s when a pair of vises gripped my shoulders, cementing me to the spot. No, not vises. Hands.
“Nikola Tesla?” My captor forced me to turn and face him head-on. His cheekbones sliced sharp corners on his face. Between that and his muscled frame, he looked like he was made of granite. Despite the commotion around us and the dust still floating in the air, there wasn’t a speck or wrinkle on his gray suit.
“Um,” I started. “No?”
He scoffed at me. That’s when I heard the three words nobody ever wants to hear when their friends have possibly been killed in a horrible explosion in a foreign country.
“You’re under arrest.”
“What?!” Mary gaped at him. “You can’t arrest her! You think we had something to do with the explosion? We’re looking for our friends!”
To my surprise, Mary began hitting the man’s thick forearms with her fists. Clearly she needed to spend some more time in the Academy gym, because he didn’t even blink. Instead, he gestured to one of his uniformed colleagues with a flick of his chin.
“And there’s the Shelley girl,” he said. “Arrest her, as well.”
Now it was my turn to protest. “Hey!” I shouted, using the man’s weight to hold me up while I lifted my feet from the ground and kicked at the other officer. “Leave her alone!”
I should have been embarrassed to be making a scene like that in front of a huge crowd of tourists. After all, I probably looked like some horrible brat who’d been caught red-handed destroying a national monument. But couldn’t they see that beneath my snarky exterior beat the heart of do-gooder?
“That’s enough!” the man who held me yelled in my ear, wrenching my arms so my feet landed back on the ground with a thud. “You’re both coming with us.”
“What, exactly, do you think we did?” I demanded, still desperate to free myself from his grip as he led me to a small squad car by the entrance of the castle grounds. To my dismay, it wasn’t a local police car. If they weren’t cops, who were they?! I started to kick again, clumsily hoisting myself against his shoulder.
“We’re being kidnapped!” I screamed as loud as I possibly could, trying to get the crowd’s attention. “Help us!” I twisted again, and this time managed to catch my abductor in the kneecap.
“Watch it!” he bellowed. “Oi, kid! Relax! I’m a British Intelligence agent!” He stopped dragging me long enough to produce a badge from his wallet, practically stuffing it up my nose.
You’d think I’d be slightly relieved that I wasn’t being manhandled by regular, run-of-the-mill attackers. But out of the two options, my chances of escape were significantly lower with these trained agents.
There was only one course of action: talk my way out of trouble. Whatever they thought we did—it was nonsense. “Why are we being arrested? You have to tell us.”
“You know bloody well why we’re bringing you in,” the agent said. He shoved me toward his car. My sneakers caught on the cobblestone, nearly sending me tumbling to my knees.
I craned my neck to stare him down, aiming for my most sarcastic tone. “If you’d just listen, you’d know that my friends and I are trying to protect people!”
“We’ll sort out just exactly what you’ve been up to at headquarters, Nikola.” He drew out my name like a curse. Then he cupped the back of my head with one hand and opened the back door of his car with the other. “In you go.”
The swagger on his face was easy to read as he sank into the driver’s seat and turned to face Mary and me. “We know exactly who you are. Both of you.”
“I doubt it,” Mary quipped. “That information is top secret.”
I couldn’t help but grin at her attitude. Apparently getting arrested was all she needed to let out a little bit of snark.
“Oh, is it?” The agent asked. “Nikola Tesla. Mary Shelley. And we already have your five friends in custody. You’re Genius Academy kids, and you’ve been running around the world causing trouble. But this time, you’ve gone too far. That’s why we’re arresting you.”
I rolled my eyes but had to force a nervous glance at Mary. How did this guy know about Genius Academy? And more importantly, if he knew about our school, why was he treating us like criminals? We tried to protect the world not harm it.
“You’re arresting us because you think we blew up some fancy jewels?” I barked at him.
He wrapped his hand around the steering wheel and shifted the car into drive, sending Mary and me lurching back in our seats. “No,” he said. “We’re not arresting you for blowing them up. We’re arresting you for stealing them.”
I’m not sure what it is about traveling abroad that always lands me in police custody.
Is it that foreign law enforcement officers don’t like the look of me? Did I steal candy from babies in a previous life, or laugh at tiny puppies who couldn’t climb up the stairs on their own? This could be karma’s way of settling the score. Or maybe—just maybe—I’ve got horrible luck because I hang out with certified geniuses who get into trouble for a living.
Whatever the reason, I didn’t care. My only priority was getting out of that stupid interrogation room so I could make sure my friends were okay. Even Pickles, who had been with Charlie in the Tower, was missing. Had she gotten caught in the explosion as well? I needed answers, but the MI6 agent staring me down wasn’t exactly keen on letting me out of his sight.
“My name is Agent Donnelly. We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way.” He loosened his gray tie and shifted his collar. Judging by the beads of sweat at his hairline and his reddened cheeks, he was overheating in this muggy room even more than I was.
“Seriously?” I let my hands drop loudly to the arms of the metal chair, which clattered against the cuffs on my wrists. “You guys actually say stuff like that? Look, this is all a huge misunderstanding. My friends and I didn’t have anything to do with that explosion.”
A small grin of triumph appeared on his face. “It could have been an earthquake, you know. Construction, even. But you’re certain it was an explosion. Seems to me like you know much more than you’re letting on, Nikola.”
I couldn’t believe this guy. “Oh please! An earthquake?! You know as well as I do that an earthquake wouldn’t only impact the Tower, duh.”
It was his turn to gawk at me. “Now you’re an expert on earthquakes, are you?”
He was getting more arrogant by the second. Why wouldn’t anyone listen to me?!
I took a deep breath. “I know that in 2015, there was a four-point-two magnitude earthquake that hit Kent. And that the strongest known earthquake to hit the UK was in 1931, near the Dogger Bank. And I know that the earthquakes here rarely do any damage. Especially not damage that results in a massive evacuation of one of London’s biggest paid tourist attractions. So between that and your ridiculous construction theory, there is really only one other option, so arewedonehereyet?”
That got his attention.
“You know why I don’t like you kids?” His lip curled in annoyance, sending my stomach twisting. All I’d done was anger him further.
“I guess you’re going to tell me.” I shifted awkwardly in my metal chair.
“Because you interfere.” He pointed a long finger at my face, and a muscle
in his jaw jumped. “Wherever there’s trouble, I don’t have to look very hard to find evidence that you kids have been there. Thinking you’re saving the world when you should be staying out of the way and letting grown-ups do their jobs.”
I licked my cracked lips. “Maybe if you so-called grown-ups would actually do some of the world-saving yourselves, then we wouldn’t have to,” I sneered. “You think we want to do all the dirty work for you?”
If Grace were here, she’d give me a look and tell me to chill out and hold my tongue. But she wasn’t—none of my team was—and until I found out where they were being held, I couldn’t help being more reckless than normal.
“And what work is that?” Agent Donnelly asked. “Stealing a priceless diamond?”
“You think I could steal the Crown Jewels from one of the most highly secure vaults on the planet?” I asked incredulously. I mean, there were approximately seventy-seven flaws in the Tower security system, but he didn’t need to know that.
“You tell me,” he said.
“I’m telling you,” I said through gritted teeth. “You’re making a mistake here. We’re on the same side.”
“We’ll see about that,” he said. “First, you’ve got a visitor. But don’t get too excited. We’re only giving her a chance to speak to you as part of a deal.” He was trying to act casual, but I could tell by the way his chest puffed up that he was proud of whatever he’d gotten out of the arrangement.
“Who?” I asked. My thoughts raced. Everyone I knew had already been arrested or was on another continent.
He nodded his head slightly, gesturing to someone behind the metal door. “Bring her in,” he instructed.
I heard a sharp knock, followed by a metallic creak. As the door opened, the first thing I saw was the shiny black leather of her shoes, reflecting the fluorescent light. Her hair was frazzled, and her usually smooth complexion was dotted with a sheen of sweat. But she appeared to be unharmed.
“Martha!” My voice cracked, and instantly a huge weight of anxiety and fear lifted from my chest. Agent Donnelly clamped his huge hand on my shoulder as I rose, catching me by surprise. My head jerked back and slammed him near the temple.
“Oops.” I glared at him.
“Stay put,” he barked, rubbing his eye.
Like I had a choice with these handcuffs.
I sat taller in my chair and fought the giddiness in my chest.
You guys are in trouble now! I practically beamed at Agent Donnelly. We were all going to get out of here.
I expected to hear Martha’s calm, measured voice tell me that everything was going to be all right. That she had already arranged for our release. We’d be on our way back to the Academy within the hour.
Unfortunately, that is not what I got.
“Nikola Tesla,” she said. Her voice was low but sharp as glass. A small vein in her forehead that I’d never noticed before throbbed angrily.
“M-Martha?” My cheeks were hot, and my stomach plummeted. Her tone was all wrong. The anger emanating from her was palpable.
“Don’t you Martha me!” She barked, causing me to wince in surprise. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re all in?! You’re going to return that diamond,” she said, slamming her hand on the table with each word. “Right. This. Minute!”
I stared in shock at the faint dents that Martha left on the metal table.
“Wait.” I held up my hands in protest. The handcuffs felt tighter than ever, and Agent Donnelly’s stares were practically burning a hole in the back of my head. “Stop joking around, Martha! This guy actually thinks we stole that stupid diamond—you’re making it worse! This isn’t funny!”
“It’s over, kid,” Agent Donnelly interrupted, stepping between Martha and I. “We’ve got you on surveillance talking about stealing the Koh-i-Noor with your little friend. You and the Shelley girl exited, two of your buddies created a diversion, the bomb blew up outside the room, and somehow in the commotion the other three broke the display and made off with the diamond. It’s all on camera. We need you to tell us where they stashed the diamond.”
“It was a joke!” I spat. “We weren’t there to steal a diamond! We were there to track down a criminal on Martha’s orders!” I jabbed my finger in the air and pointed to her. “Ask her. Martha, please tell him!”
“I will not lie to a member of MI6, young lady!” Martha’s voice rose dangerously, sending my heart into a tailspin. Why was she doing this? Had Martha set us up? What was I missing?!
Also: young lady?! It was one thing to throw me to the wolves in a foreign country, but calling me “young lady” like I was some bratty child who refused to go to bed on time? That was going too far.
I had to try another tactic, so I turned my attention back to Agent Donnelly. “You’ve got me talking about stealing the diamond, and you’ve got the others actually stealing it? Is that right?”
Agent Donnelly’s shoulders tensed. “We have more than enough to arrest you, Nikola,” he said.
“Ha!” I dragged my chair back against the wall. I had no idea how to get out of this room, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of thinking he’d proven anything. “So you don’t have any of us on camera actually stealing it!”
“The explosion knocked out the surveillance at that particular point in time …” he said.
“Uh-huh.” I laughed. “Suuuure. And that’s perfect, isn’t it? You guys don’t have the evidence, so you decide to pick us up so you can look like you know what you’re doing!”
“ENOUGH!” Martha’s voice boomed, sending a shock up my spine and straight down to my toes. She shifted between Agent Donnelly and me, blocking him from view. I tried to skid away from her, but the hard concrete wall bashed against my shoulder. I still couldn’t figure out why she was lying about us. Had she hit her head? Was she being coerced? Was she a double agent who had made off with the diamond herself?
Martha leaned down, her nose within inches of mine as she spoke. “Ms. Tesla, you listen and listen good.”
I shrank down at her vicious tone. Martha or not—she still had the ability to scare the wits out of me with her calm fury.
“I’ve had it up to here with your antics,” she said. “All of you! How am I expected to do my job if I’m stuck covering up all your messes!”
My lip trembled, but I willed myself not to cry. “Why are you doing this to us?”
I couldn’t believe she thought so little of us. We got into trouble, sure. But we did our best, and it wasn’t our fault that evil people were out to destroy the world on a regular basis. It wasn’t our fault we weren’t perfect at saving the day—we’re kids!
I winced as Martha reached toward me and gripped my shoulders in her hands.
“You’re in the way, Nikki. Sometimes complicated problems require elementary solutions, and what the world needs now is for you and the others to stay out of trouble.”
“Step back, ma’am,” Agent Donnelly warned her.
My insides twisted as Martha released my shoulders, but something about her expression gave me pause. A twinkle of mystery as her gaze drifted from my eyes down to my right shoulder.
“Watch your back, Nikki,” she said.
And then the tiniest hint of a smile appeared on her face, followed by a blink of her eye.
No, not a blink. A wink.
The realization hit me at once. She was still on my side.
Instantly, my priorities shifted. What was she planning? What was I supposed to do? I wanted nothing more than to show her that I understood,
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance, because at that moment, Agent Donnelly grabbed her by the arm and began dragging her from the room. “That’s all you get,” he said. “I promised you five minutes. We’ll deal with the kids from here.”
Martha didn’t struggle, but I had to on her behalf. “No!” I said, leaping up. “Where are you taking her?”
Agent Donnelly pursed his lips together. “Some genius you are,” he said dism
issively. “I already told you. Martha’s giving us everything she knows about you and your little mission to steal that diamond, and in return, we’re going to lessen her sentence. That’s how it works in the real world.”
“Her sentence?!” I cried, reaching toward them. “You can’t do that! Leave her alone!”
“Stop, Nikki,” Martha said, glaring angrily back at me. “You’ve done more than enough. Remember what I said. Watch your back.” She turned to Agent Donnelly imploringly. “And would you please get her something to drink? She’s going to pass out in this heat without water. You should know better.”
The door slammed behind them, leaving me under the buzzing spotlight. The sweat on my back and streaks of tears along my cheeks made me feel clammy and anxious.
Whatever Martha was warning me about, I’d have to face it alone.
Okay, deep breath.
I was on my own, but with Martha still on our side, there had to be a way out of this predicament.
What had she said again? She’d told me that I belonged at home. Out of the way. There had to be more to her message than that. Going home wouldn’t help anyone right now, and besides, all our families were scattered across the country.
Unless …
Our home was the Academy itself. Was she telling me to go back to the Academy? But that was so far away from Victor and his serum. Going back to school meant giving up on this mission, and she wouldn’t want us to do that.
“Home,” I whispered to myself. I pictured all the homes she could be talking about. Homes with families. Homes with friends. Homes with safety …
That’s it.
The Genius Academy safe house in London! Back in Costa Rica, Martha had told us to go there if we ran into trouble. It was the one place we had in this town that could keep us safe.
She wanted me to escape.
But how on earth was I supposed to do that? Martha couldn’t even escape herself, so what were my chances?
Watch your back, Nikki.
My hand twitched instinctively.