‘He still has the terracotta pot thing going, then?’ Linden whispered to Max.
‘Looks like it.’
Steinberger attached his palm computer to a data projector, brushed down his suit, rubbed his shoe against the back of his pants and stood before the desk of his esteemed leader.
Max, Linden and Toby stood beside him waiting for something to happen.
Nothing did, and after a few more seconds, still nothing did.
‘Am I missing something?’ Toby whispered to Max.
Max shrugged. ‘Where’s Mr Harrison?’
‘At home.’ Steinberger said it like there was nothing even slightly odd about his answer.
‘At home?’
‘Yes,’ he explained. ‘Under International Secret Agent Union Rules, he has to rest for at least a month to recover from the last mission, which, as you know, involved the death of Blue and the very near death of …’
Steinberger couldn’t say it. Even the idea that he could have lost his beloved leader had the effect of making his body prickle all over with fear.
‘Who’s giving the mission briefing?’ Max was trying hard to keep her patience.
‘I am.’
‘So we’re not waiting for Mr Harrison?’
‘Yes, we are.’ Steinberger’s palm computer buzzed. ‘And here he is now.’
He eagerly opened the connection, but his excitement quickly withered away when he saw Mr Harrison projected before them. ‘Sir?’
Harrison’s forehead was bandaged and he had what looked like a splat of baked beans in his hair.
‘Oh, my appearance. A small accident with a chainsaw and what I was hoping would be a quick snack. Nothing to worry about.’
The clump of beans made a timely slide off his head.
Toby frowned. This wasn’t how he remembered the brave Spyforce leader who had successfully defeated Blue in the Portal Room during the last mission.9
Even though Max was used to Harrison’s clumsy ways, she shivered at the idea of a chainsaw in his hands.
‘Before we begin the mission briefing,’ Harrison’s voice filled with quiet pride, ‘I’d like to welcome back Max. Even though your absence was underpants … sorry, I mean, brief, it didn’t feel right that you weren’t around.’ He paused briefly. ‘And if I’m not mistaken, I think this might deserve a speech.’
Steinberger had recovered from the shock of his chief’s appearance, and reached into his pocket for the tape of brass band recordings he’d brought with him, hoping for this very moment.
‘I’m not sure that’s necessary, sir,’ Max tried.
‘No time for being shy. This is a great moment and it deserves to be heated softly.’ He winced. ‘Oops, I mean, treated properly.’
‘So everyone keeps telling me,’ Max mumbled.
Sniggered laughter crept out of Linden and Toby who were loving every minute of it.
Max gave a resigned sigh. Steinberger placed the tape in the recorder, pressed play and ran to the dimmer switch to turn down the lights.
‘Max Remy,’ Harrison began solemnly. ‘It is an honour and a privilege that you have chosen to return to Spyforce. In your brief time with the Force, you have displayed not only the finest skills of a secret agent but have contributed a personal level of loyalty that is of the highest … well, level.’
The brass band reached a powerful crescendo.
‘On behalf of innocent people all over the world, people who believe in justice and doing things the right way, I officially welcome you back to Spyforce.’
The band wailed to a big finish.
Steinberger pressed ‘stop’ on the recorder, turned up the lights and burst into applause. Toby and Linden followed, enjoying Max squirm under all the attention.
‘Shouldn’t we get on with the briefing now?’
‘Yes, yes, of course. Don’t mind me. Steinberger?’ Harrison wiped a tear from his eye.
Max turned to Toby and Linden who were doing the same. She glared at them, warning them to cut it out.
‘During the last few weeks,’ Steinberger began, ‘Toby has begun his initial training as a Spyforce agent. As this is his first official mission with the Force, Max, you will be in charge of supervising him.’
‘Well, this is my lucky day, isn’t it?’ Max said sarcastically.
‘Looks like it,’ Toby grinned.
‘He has been shown many of our gadgets,’ said Steinberger, ‘but you may need to instruct him in the use of others, which should be fun.’
‘Yeah. A real hoot.’
‘You’ll love it,’ said Toby. ‘Wait and see. I’m a good student.’
Steinberger continued. ‘As you’ve all been told, your next mission will be in Venice. The Italian authorities have suspected something’s been up for a few weeks, but they now have firm proof and have asked for our help. There has been an explosion in a glass factory on the Venetian island of Murano, and the person behind it has just delivered the Mayor of Venice a note, threatening great harm to the city if a vast sum of money isn’t handed over within forty-eight hours. Your mission is to find out who the note is from and catch them before they carry out their plan.’
‘How did the mayor receive the note?’ Linden asked.
‘With the regular mail. None of the house staff remembers seeing anything unusual about the delivery that day. It has been sent to the lab to be analysed.’
A picture of a young, good-looking boy appeared on the screen beside Harrison.
‘You will work undercover as guests of the mayor’s son, Luca Cavello. He works for a similar organisation in Italy and will act as your cover and be your main point of contact while you’re in Venice.’
‘Excuse me, Steinberger, but aren’t the three of us enough for this mission?’ Max wasn’t sure about working with an agent she didn’t know. Plus, instead of dealing with two boys, she now faced working with three!
Harrison jumped in. ‘Luca’s knowledge of the city will be invaluable and what he doesn’t know he can find out. He has access to areas we don’t. Luca also has a personal guard, so if you get into trouble, he will be there to kiss you.’
Toby reeled back. ‘Don’t get me wrong, sir, I’m sure the guy’s nice, but wouldn’t a handshake be enough?’
Harrison screwed up his face. ‘I mean, he’ll be there to assist you.’
‘Oh, well, that’s okay then,’ Toby joked.
‘Maybe you should carry on from here, Steinberger,’ Harrison suggested.
‘Detailed maps of Venice including underwater diagrams have been downloaded into your palm computers, as have all the contact numbers you will need, such as the mayor’s private number and Luca’s guard. You will also be contacted by a Spyforce agent who will brief you on developments as they happen. As far as the city of Venice is concerned, you are simply tourists visiting one of the most beautiful cities in the world, taking gondola rides, visiting churches and eating spaghetti.’
‘We’ll eat all the spaghetti the Force need us to, sir.’ Huge platefuls of pasta floated before Linden’s mind.
‘Should we use the Time and Space Machine to get there?’ Max asked.
‘Not this time. The mayor and his family are more than likely being watched closely and we feel it would be better if you arrived by plane like regular visitors.’
‘It’s best that way,’ Harrison added. He was finding it hard to stay out of the conversation.
Steinberger turned to face his leader. ‘And now it’s time for our agents to be equipped, sir. So I’m afraid we must go.’
Max thought she saw Harrison’s bottom lip tremble. ‘Isn’t there more we should talk about? How to catch a gondola? Basics of the Italian language? I’m very good when it comes to knowing the best pizza restaurants.’
‘Quimby will be waiting for us in the lab, sir.’
‘Okay,’ Harrison said with fortitude. ‘If you must.’
Then Steinberger’s lip wobbled. ‘We’ll fill you in on how everything goes, sir. Goodbye for n
ow.’
Max worried they were about to witness a blubbering satellite-linked mess.
‘Yes, yes. Farewell. Call me. You won’t forget?’
‘We won’t, sir.’ Steinberger’s voice cracked slightly.
‘May the Force be with you,’ Harrison sniffed and Steinberger reluctantly ended the communication.
‘Why won’t they let him come back if he wants to that badly?’ Toby asked.
‘Union rules. Not too many people survive Portal Rooms and are able to function without a proper period of rest and recuperation. They believe it’s safer this way.’
‘By the look of that bandage, I think it would be safer if he was here,’ Linden said.
‘I know.’ Steinberger frowned and pulled a small photo of Harrison from his pocket. In all the years he’d been at the Force he’d barely spent more than a week away from Harrison, and that was only because he’d been under quarantine for a particularly stubborn case of chickenpox.
‘Is it always this emotional?’ Toby whispered to Max.
‘Usually,’ Max sighed.
‘Let’s get down to the lab, eh?’ Steinberger replaced the photo carefully into his pocket and blew his nose with an extra large hanky. ‘We’ve got an ancient city to save.’
‘Aaaaah!’
Toby sprang forward from the Wall of Goodness into the Spyforce lab, narrowly avoiding a shining maze of shelves, cupboards and benches packed with scientific gadgets and equipment. When he’d found his feet, he turned back to see the Wall gurgling and moving behind him.
‘I love that wall,’ Toby cried. ‘I’ve got to get one for my room.’
Linden, as usual, had passed through the Wall with little fuss. ‘Looks like you’re okay,’ Linden smiled.
‘Looks like I am,’ Toby said with a confident grin. ‘Where’s Max?’
‘She and the Wall have this special relationship which means they spend more time together than most people,’ Steinberger answered carefully. He’d come out of the Wall first with no trouble at all.
Max was soon spat out and, after some stumbling and arm waving, she came to a stop beside them.
‘Welcome to the lab!’ Steinberger beamed at her like a circus master, hoping to soften her possible post-Wall bad mood.
‘Thanks,’ she mumbled. ‘How’d you go?’ she asked Toby.
‘It was like walking through a cloud,’ he answered smugly.
‘Thought so.’ Max tugged at her clothes to try and de-Wall them. ‘Am I ever going to make it through there without being mauled?’
‘Never mind, Max,’ Steinberger cried. ‘It means it likes you.’
‘If it likes me any more it’s going to kill me.’
Toby and Linden grinned.
‘How about we get started?’ Steinberger thought it would be better to change the subject and led the way into the heart of the lab.
‘Ah, you’re here.’
Professor Quimby was the head inventor at Spyforce. She stood at her workbench in her long white coat, baggy pants and bright red trainers, with long wisps of hair tucked unevenly into a colourful scarf. All around her were walls and shelves of scientific bits and pieces. Beyond these, small clusters of other scientists worked quietly.
‘Welcome back, Max. Sorry we couldn’t come to your party but we had your Venice mission to prepare for.’
Steinberger, meanwhile, had begun to lose colour from his face, and his body shook like it was experiencing its own mini human earthquake. The reason was Frond, the head of the Plantorium at Spyforce and the one thing that could push Steinberger so far off the cool meter it was a wonder he ever made it back.
‘And I’m pleased we’re sending three of Spyforce’s best agents for the job. Don’t you agree, Steinberger?’ Frond stared at him through her rose-coloured glasses. She was the only one at the Force who didn’t know about Steinberger’s crush.
‘I … ah … we …’ He stopped, realising he would get no further.
‘We’ve been preparing for this mission all morning,’ Quimby took over. ‘And we think we have all you need to make it a success. Why don’t you begin, Plomb?’
A small white-coated man slipped out from behind a large shelf. Plomb was the Spyforce bomb expert who was frightened of loud noises and wore large fluffy earmuffs and felt-bottomed shoes. The spies had to lean in close to hear his quiet voice.
‘This,’ he whispered as he held out a small red box with a digital screen, ‘is a bomb detector. It will detect and locate a bomb or a detonator and record any relevant data which can be relayed back to Spyforce for analysis. We’re not sure who the person behind the note is or how they intend to harm Venice, but from the explosion on Murano, we believe they may be planning further explosions. If you locate a bomb, contact me immediately. I will then need to identify what type it is and work out the best way to dismantle it.’ He took out three small round chalky balls. ‘I have also given you these.’
‘Bath bombs?’ Toby asked warily.
‘That’s what they look like,’ Plomb said proudly. ‘Except that they are super-powerful silent bombs.’
‘Can I be in charge of those if we need them?’ Toby’s James Bond idea of spying was coming together just nicely.
‘Not sure if we can trust you with a bomb.’
‘What’s not to trust?’ Toby flashed Max a broad smile.
‘How long have we got?’
Linden laughed. ‘That’s good.’
‘I can do better.’ Max shrugged.
‘Both the bombs and the detector are completely waterproof.’ Plomb seemed relieved to have finished. He turned, looked around furtively and slipped silently out of the lab.
Aware that time was running short, Quimby was keen to keep moving. ‘Frond?’
Steinberger giggled at the mention of her name before wincing and regaining control. Frond stepped forward with a small jar and a bag of green powder.
‘I have sneeze powder and Stun Perfume # 5. Great for getting bad guys off your case or knocking someone out for half an hour. It smells good too.’
‘Excellent, Doctor.’ Steinberger applauded. ‘Just marvellous.’
The others stared until he realised he was on his own and stopped clapping.
Quimby turned to her workbench and picked up a small cloth pouch no bigger than her palm. ‘These are your scuba diving suits.’
‘Scuba diving?’ It was Max’s turn to go white. ‘We’re going scuba diving?’
‘As Venice is built on water, we think they’ll come in handy. They are made from a thermal micro-fibre that acts as a heat-regulating system. So even though it will be cold you’ll feel very cosy. I’ve included a waterproof belt for carrying essential gadgets.’ She picked up a pair of goggles. ‘These are hyper-sensitive and will let you see clearly in darkness or poor light. They also have a magnification function that will enable you to see objects at great distances.’
She reached behind her and took three watches from her bench. ‘And no diving suit is complete without a waterproof infrared video/radio watch.’
‘I’m already dangerously good-looking and this is only going to add to it.’ Toby accepted his watch.
‘It takes video and photos in any conditions and at any water level, and has an emergency light and button that instantly transmits to all the other watches involved in your mission. I have included Abseiler Ropes for sneaky entry into or escapes from buildings, the Shush Zone for top-secret conversations, and of course all of these will be kept in your bottomless, weightless backpacks. There are also regular cameras, tourist maps and money to help add to your tourist disguise.’
She turned to Toby. ‘And this is your palm computer. Max and Linden already have theirs. It is sensitive to your fingerprints alone so will operate only in your hands.’ She looked at her watch. ‘As time is moving on, Linden and Max will explain any gadgets that are new to you.’
Quimby handed them their packs.
‘Good luck, and may the Force be with you.’
Max took her pack and lifted it onto her shoulders. It felt good to have it on and now, more than ever, she was ready to begin her next mission.
Except for one thing.
‘Steinberger?’ Max noticed he wasn’t moving and his face had become tinged with blue.
‘Steinberger?’
‘Yes?’ He gasped as if he’d just remembered to breathe.
‘Should we go?’
‘Yes. Of course. Go. Definitely.’ He looked lost, as if he didn’t know what to do next.
‘How about I lead the way?’ Max suggested. ‘Thanks, Quimby. Thanks, Frond.’
There was another Steinberger giggle at the mention of Frond’s name. Max rolled her eyes.
Equipped for their mission, the small group walked out of the room with a determined step. All except Steinberger, who knocked over a series of glass tubes filled with bubbling red liquid and set fire to the cuff of his suit on a Bunsen burner. Quimby quickly damped it down with a fire blanket and refused his offer to clean up.
‘It’ll be better if I sort it out,’ she answered.
And without any more mishaps, they managed to leave the room, ready to begin their mission to Venice.
Far away, buried deep in a series of watery canals, a small air bubble squeezed its way along the cold metal tube of a small bomb, through a recently carved hole, and escaped. It rose to the surface in a trembling quiver and exploded harmlessly into an icy Venice night, unseen and unheard.
In another part of the city, a perfectly manicured hand reached for a long-stemmed champagne glass and made a toast.
‘To …’ There was a momentary pause. ‘Me, and the wonderful city of Venice. May she and I have a long and prosperous life together.’
‘To you and Venice,’ a gravelly voice grumbled back.
Two fine crystal glasses clinked in celebration of a plan almost complete.
The Venice Job Page 5