The Amazon Experiment

by Deborah Abela

  ‘I have also packed the Abseiler, which comes equipped with a safety harness and the new and improved miniature jet propulsion capsule for climbing over long distances. Where you are going is difficult terrain. You’ll come across mountain peaks, impenetrable jungles, vast rivers and swamps. I’ve also added super-grip gloves. They’re perfect for climbing mountains, scaling buildings or clinging onto fast-moving objects.’

  ‘What does this do?’ Max held up a can that said ‘Bug Repellent’.

  ‘Repels bugs.’ Quimby tried not to sound too obvious. ‘A must to ensure you’re not bitten when you find the triatoma. The repellent is completely non-toxic and is made from Frond’s best plants in the Plantorium. As is this.’ She reached for a small cloth bag sitting on the table. ‘This is a bag of Animal Dispellers. It contains sachets of powders and sprays that will ward off most of the animals that you …’ Quimby looked like she was trying to find the right words. ‘That you may come across.’

  ‘What kind of animals?’ Max asked warily.

  ‘Oh, you know, the usual South American kind of animals, but I’m sure —’

  ‘Such as?’

  Quimby took a deep breath. ‘Jaguars, pumas, snakes, alligators, piranhas —’

  ‘Actually, Quimby,’ Max interrupted, ‘I think that’s all I need to know for now.’

  ‘These are super-tough covers for your palm computers. After Max’s broke in the Nightmare Vortex, we knew we had to toughen them up.’ Max and Linden took a transparent sleeve each and tucked their computers into them. ‘They are waterproof, shockproof, and will withstand the most incredible pressure.’

  When Quimby turned to outline the final articles in their packs, she momentarily lost her balance and fell against the bench.

  ‘Quimby?’ Linden sprang forward and caught her, but just as he did, he saw it. The terrible grey pallor of the sleeping sickness. ‘You’ve got it, haven’t you?’

  There was a pause as the scientist got her breath back.

  ‘I’m afraid I have.’ Her voice was small.

  ‘We’ve got to get you to Finch’s infirmary.’ Max was frightened at how many agents had caught the illness.

  ‘I’ve sent word,’ she breathed. ‘His assistants are on their way.’

  Quimby turned away. Max didn’t know what to say. As yet they only had a treatment from the Plantorium that could slow down the symptoms. No-one knew if it was possible to create an antidote in time to stop the sleeping sickness from becoming fatal.

  ‘We’ll find the antidote, Quimby. Trust us.’ Max offered her a confident look.

  ‘Yeah, and besides,’ Linden added, ‘we can’t let anything happen to you because then we won’t have anyone to equip us for our missions.’

  Max smiled. Even when Linden was scared, he still knew exactly what to say.

  Quimby appreciated Max and Linden’s courage. Her smile was weak, worn down by the sickness and the grave spectre facing Spyforce. ‘Finally, I’ve included your lasers, invisibility cream and antidote and super-concentrate food capsules which have all the goodness of a wholesome, organic meal.’

  Finch’s assistants arrived and carefully placed Quimby on a stretcher, but before they carried her away, she looked at the two eager agents before her. ‘Good luck and come back soon.’

  Max and Linden watched as she was ferried down the corridor, both knowing that not only her fate but that of the whole of Spyforce rested entirely with them.

  As the express wardrobe to Harrison’s office plummeted downwards, Max and Linden stabilised themselves by holding onto the rack of old clothes. The plunge unsettled their already nervous stomachs, but when the wardrobe came to a standstill, it also unsettled something else.

  ‘Ouch!’

  A storm of boaters, bowlers, pith helmets and dust rained down on Max’s head from a round leather hat box.

  ‘You’d think the top spy agency in the world could work out a more comfortable way to travel.’

  ‘They need to be discreet,’ said Linden.

  ‘I’d like to know how I’m going to survive all this discreetness.’

  Linden smiled and went to open the door, but stopped as they heard voices coming from the office, one commanding and serious, the other calm and attentive.

  ‘Yes, sir … No, sir … You can count on me, sir.’

  Max’s brow creased. ‘It’s Agent Perfect. What’s he doing here?’ As she spoke, the dust from the hatbox nestled firmly into her nose, and an almighty sneeze took hold of her and flung her out of the wardrobe.

  ‘Max. Linden,’ the Chief of Spyforce began.

  ‘Now that you’re all here, I can brief you on Mission Triatoma. You remember Agent Suave, of course?’

  Suave held his hand firmly out to Max.

  ‘Of course,’ Max gritted, and looked quickly at Harrison to avoid having to shake Suave’s hand.

  ‘Looks like I get to work with you sooner than I thought.’ Suave’s face glittered with a perfect smile. ‘Don’t worry, kids. We’ll crack this case wide open.’

  Linden flinched as he saw Max’s face tense up. There were a few things that could make Max lose her temper and one of them was to call her ‘kid’.

  ‘Even though Suave is a new agent, his level of ability and skill is equal to that of some of the best agents in the Force.’

  ‘Mr Harrison …’ Max started to object, but Harrison held up his hand to stop her.

  ‘Steinberger, activate the Shush Zone.’

  Steinberger had replaced his lady beetle lab coat with a more subtle suit, and now that he was nowhere near Frond, he was back to his usual self. He ushered the agents into a tight circle behind Harrison’s desk. He then pulled a small metal globe from his pocket and lifted it into the air, creating a sparkling green glowing curve around them that restricted what was said to their ears only.

  Once the curve was complete, Harrison began.

  ‘Sorry, Max. We have no idea how secure the agency is at this point, so we’ll need to take every precaution. As I was saying before, Suave has passed all the required physical, moral and intelligence tests, and after rigorous ID and Goodness checks, he came out smelling better than a spring flower show.’

  Max was keen to stop talking about Suave and his smell. ‘Do you think the sleeping sickness is related to the stolen Spyforce manual?’ she asked.

  Harrison flinched at the mention of the crime. ‘I suspect it is, Max, but we’re still working on it. Frond and Finch have given me their knickers … oh, sorry … their briefs, and their information about the sickness and the triatoma bug has been sent to your computers. I’ve also contacted Ben and Eleanor to let them know you’ve been placed on a mission and won’t be home for a few days.’

  ‘We’re ready, sir,’ Max replied.

  ‘Absolutely, Mr Harrison,’ Suave agreed in his overzealous way.

  ‘All of you will be flown to a secret destination in Brazil in South America. We have pinpointed an area of the Amazon Jungle where the concentration of the triatoma bug is at its highest. Steinberger will be your main contact for the mission. Keep him posted of all developments and he will take care of the operation from our end.’

  ‘But, sir …’ Max worded her next question carefully. ‘Wouldn’t it be better if we went on the mission with someone more experienced, like Agent Crane?’

  Harrison smiled warmly, knowing Max’s affection for Spyforce’s top agent. ‘Exactly what I was thinking. Steinberger, Alex and I have gone through what we know so far and after liaising with Finch and Frond, Alex is at present busy finalising her plan of action. She will make the perfect mission feeder … oh dear … I mean leader.’

  ‘Excellent!’ Max yelled a little too excitedly. ‘I mean, she will be a great leader, sir.’

  ‘A wise decision, Mr Harrison,’ Suave chimed in.

  ‘Sleek is readying the Invisible Jet, which has been equipped with Quimby’s Inflatable Foldaway Vehicles. The terrain you are about to enter is rugged and vast. Some of it has yet to
even be ignored … make that explored. You will have time during the flight to read over all your material and become fully acquainted with how best to locate the bug and get it back to Spyforce. Alex will explain the mission details and Steinberger will be contactable 24 hours a day if you need his assistance.’

  ‘Sir, couldn’t we use the Time and Space Machine?’ Max asked.

  ‘Not this time, Max. Ben and Francis have advised us it doesn’t have the weight capacity to transport the agents and equipment needed for this mission.’ Harrison turned towards a miniature plasma screen positioned on his desk. ‘Before you go, Frond has a few final words for you.’

  Harrison called up Frond’s direct videoline but a frown creased his forehead. He turned the screen to let the others see. ‘She must have stepped away from her desk. I’ll switch to a different angle.’

  ‘Sir?’ Steinberger lost his usual calm demeanour as Harrison moved the camera around the Plantorium by remote, but this time it wasn’t Frond’s presence that made him agitated, it was her absence.

  ‘Hey, what’s that?’ As the camera angle shifted, Linden saw something on Frond’s computer.

  Harrison zoomed in. A note was stuck to the screen:

  Your beloved Frond has gone.

  Sorry there was no time for goodbyes.

  ‘That’s Frond’s handwriting.’ Steinberger’s face went from crimson to white and back to crimson again as his eyes remained fixed on the screen.

  ‘Are you sure?’ Harrison stared at the fine handwriting.

  ‘I’d put my life on it.’

  ‘But why would Frond write her own kidnap note?’ Max felt a weird chill at what they were seeing.

  ‘This is much more serious than we thought.’ Harrison seemed momentarily lost for words. ‘Max, Linden and Suave, you must complete your mission with Alex to find the triatoma bug and get back here as soon as you can. If what Finch and Frond say is true, we need that bug within seventy-two hours.’

  Max opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Suave. ‘You can count on us, sir.’

  ‘But sir,’ Linden said quietly. ‘What about Frond?’

  Harrison’s eyelids wavered, as if they were being pulled shut and he was doing his best to resist.

  ‘I … I …’

  Linden and Max exchanged worried looks. ‘Sir, are you okay?’ Linden leant forward to see the chief’s face more clearly.

  ‘I must find her!’ Steinberger cried out, his eyes still transfixed on the plasma screen, staring at the place Frond should have been.

  Harrison moved to face Steinberger. ‘Sorry, Steinberger, my decision has been made.’ He tried to stifle a deep yawn. ‘It is essential that you conduct the operation from here.’

  Max and Linden could see Steinberger wasn’t listening.

  ‘Steinberger,’ Harrison said with a warning ring in his voice. ‘You have neither the on-field experience nor the stomach for this mission. And pardon me for saying so, but you’ve never been one for being in the middle of nature.’ He paused, his eyelids drooping over his eyes. ‘And I forbid you to put your life in danger by …’

  And at that Harrison slumped into his chair, fast asleep.

  From that moment, the bumbling Steinberger from the Plantorium was gone. He took out his palm computer and tapped at it decisively.

  ‘Finch, Harrison is in his office and has the illness. We need medics here right away. Max, Linden, Suave and I are going in search of the triatoma bug and Frond, who has been kidnapped, no doubt for her expertise in the Plantorium. I know she briefed you on the antidote, so do everything you can to prepare until we return. Alex will remain here and direct the operation from the ground. And Finch …’ He stood taller for his James Bond-style sign-off. ‘May the Force be with you.’

  He shut down his computer then turned to Max and Linden with a steely look in his eyes that they’d never seen before. ‘Let’s go.’

  Steinberger’s determined step was cut short by a resounding thud that Max knew was the unmistakable ring of someone running into the Shush Zone. Steinberger rubbed his forehead. ‘Once I deactivate this.’

  He held out the silencing device and the green glowing curve of the Shush Zone disappeared.

  Agent Suave stood in front of Steinberger, blocking his way to the wardrobe. ‘I think we should follow Harrison’s orders,’ he challenged. ‘If, as he pointed out, you have no on-field experience, it would be much better to …’

  Steinberger inched his way towards Suave, standing as firm as his tall, gangly body would allow.

  Max looked on, unable to tell if Suave’s objection came from a genuine dislike of disobeying orders, or if he had some other reason he didn’t want Steinberger on the mission.

  ‘I am not only going on this mission,’ Steinberger instructed with a quiet power that was very un-Steinberger-like, ‘I’m heading it. If you have any doubts about my ability as a Spyforce agent, I suggest you take it up with Harrison when he wakes up, because by then we’ll have rescued Frond, found the triatoma bug and saved the lives of Spyforce agents from a potentially fatal illness.’

  Max blinked as she tried to recognise the meek and sometimes bumbling Spyforce Administration Manager. Suave shifted uneasily in his overpressed, immaculate suit. It was obvious he disagreed with Steinberger’s plan, but it was also obvious he had no choice. ‘Sure, Steinberger, it’s just that …’

  ‘Do you know where Frond is?’ Linden saw something in Steinberger’s eyes that told him he did.

  ‘I’m almost certain of it.’

  ‘Where is she?’ Max stepped in front of a silenced Suave.

  ‘It is widely known that Dr Frond is one of the foremost professors of biology in the world. The powder that caused the sleeping sickness could only have been created by someone with a similar intelligence, but of an evil nature. It is no coincidence that the theft of the manual, Frond’s disappearance and the sickness occurred at the same time. I believe that when we find the triatoma, we will not only find Frond but the manual as well.’

  Steinberger turned and walked into the wardrobe.

  There were so many questions filling Max’s and Linden’s heads that for a second they couldn’t move — until they saw Steinberger’s face.

  ‘There’s no time to lose!’ he commanded.

  Max, Linden and Suave hurried to the wardrobe, just in time for the door to close and hurl them directly into the beginning of their mission.

  ‘I’ve been told how you beat Blue without an ounce of Spyforce training.’

  Suave had been trying to make conversation with Max as they waited in the VART beside the Invisible Jet, but with all that had been happening and the way his hair stared perfectly back at her, she wasn’t keen to chat.

  ‘That would have taken some nerve. I hear the guy’s a real piece of work.’

  Linden sat eating an apple and smiling as Max looked out for Steinberger, hoping he’d come back soon and save her from having to talk to this guy.

  Finally Steinberger appeared at the end of the metal walkway. ‘I’ve got it. Let’s go.’

  Steinberger held a pack he’d put together in Quimby’s lab. He’d had to use Max’s pack as a guide for the mission’s devices since Quimby had been taken away sick. Now he strode towards them with purposeful steps, head high, knowing nothing would stop him.

  Then he stopped. ‘I hope I have enough handkerchiefs. That jungle’s going to play havoc with my allergies.’

  ‘Steinberger?’ A voice came from behind. It was Alex. ‘I won’t let you head this mission.’ Steinberger held his pack even more tightly.

  ‘Alex, I have to go.’

  ‘But it doesn’t comply with Harrison’s orders.’

  ‘I agree,’ Suave added.

  Steinberger ignored Suave’s comment and looked at Alex intently. ‘I know Harrison wanted you on this mission, but with your knowledge of the Force and your natural leadership skills, I believe you will be better suited to commanding all aspects of the mission from here.’
>
  Steinberger lowered his eyes a little.

  ‘Plus, I believe I am the best person to find Frond.’

  Max knew, no matter how hard they tried, they’d never be able to convince him to stay, not when Frond was in danger.

  ‘We’ll be fine, Alex, I promise. We’ll complete this mission in record time, then everything can go back to normal.’

  Alex had never gone against a directive from Harrison and Max could tell she was uncomfortable even with the idea, but Alex couldn’t avoid the impenetrable determination etched into Steinberger’s face.

  ‘You will contact me the moment you’re in trouble.’

  Steinberger smiled. ‘I will.’

  ‘You will take no unnecessary risks …’

  ‘None.’

  ‘… and if the lives of any one of you is in danger you change tack or abort the mission immediately?’

  ‘Change or abort. Absolutely.’

  Alex stared at the Administration Manager. ‘I’ll send the mission plan to you immediately.’

  ‘Thanks, Alex.’ There was much more Steinberger wanted to say.

  ‘Be careful.’ It was barely a whisper from Alex before she leant in and kissed him on the cheek.

  Steinberger blushed and turned quickly to enter the jet.

  Max turned to Alex. ‘Thank you.’

  Alex gave a strained smile. ‘Look after them, Max.’

  Her chest exploded with pride.

  ‘I will.’

  Sleek’s disembodied voice sounded over the intercom. ‘Lady and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. The Invisible Jet is ready for take-off. The Automatic People Sanitiser has been activated and is awaiting its first passengers.’

  ‘I forgot about that.’ Linden winced. The last time they had experienced the Sanitiser, it had felt like his brains were being sucked out of his head.

  ‘Do we really have to do this?’ Max asked.

  ‘It’s an extra precaution,’ Steinberger answered. ‘Since the sleeping sickness has taken over, we can’t afford to take any chances.’

  The two agents squeezed through the entrance hatch of the Invisible Jet, which had been blocked by two balloon-like walls that led to a small white rubber room.