Eye of the Storm

by Mark Robson

  The cable sagged quite dramatically under his weight to begin with, but Grunt continued to ratchet up the tension even as he went. By the time he reached the roof of the Imperium labs, Nipper was sliding at a terrific speed, but it was nothing the raptor couldn’t handle. Deliberately dropping from the runner, he hit the rooftop and rolled to his feet like an acrobat.

  ‘Impressive!’ Callum whispered to Sam. ‘You sure you want to do that?’

  ‘He won’t have to,’ Sherri told him. ‘Watch and learn, boys.’ She reached up and clipped her runner over the cable, wound her hands through the safety loops and she was off. The dip in the rope this time was much less and Sherri raced across the gulf between the buildings at breathtaking speed. The zizzzzzzzz of the runner on the cable sent a thrill up Sam’s spine as he watched her race across the gulf. At the far side, Nipper was waiting, braced for her arrival. Having attached a short piece of rope to his runner, the raptor had drawn it back up the rope as far as he could reach. As Sherri’s runner collided with his, Nipper hung on to the short piece of rope, absorbing as much of the energy of her slide as he could. Sherri was so light that he managed to slow her almost to a stop before she touched down on the roof.

  Newton went next. He was the strongest and fittest of the scientist raptors. In a fight, Sam doubted he would be anywhere near as effective as Nipper or Grunt, but Newton was still far bigger and stronger than any of the humans. He crossed on the zip wire with less grace and athleticism than either Nipper or Sherri, but he landed safely on the far roof.

  All remaining eyes turned to Sam. He got to his feet, heart beating fast. Reaching up, he clipped his runner over the cable and twisted his hands through the safety loops, as he had seen the others do.

  ‘Good luck,’ Callum whispered to his friend.

  ‘Stay safe,’ Claire added.

  Sam nodded, unable to speak for the fear rising in his chest. Although he did not suffer from vertigo, he was painfully aware that there was no safety net here. If he fell, he would die. Tensing his stomach muscles and gripping the handholds as tightly as he could, he raised his knees to his chest and gravity began to bite as he started to accelerate down the wire. He felt a thrill rush through his body as he passed over the edge of the building and zipped out, high above the ground. His whole body clenched tightly as the pitch of the zzzzzzizzzz of the runner against the cable increased to a whining scream.

  The other building was approaching fast. Too fast, it seemed. If he hit the rooftop at this speed, he was sure to break something. But Nipper and Newton were there, braced and ready to absorb much of Sam’s momentum. As his runner struck Nipper’s, Sam’s knees swung up so high with the deceleration that they almost touched the wire above. His arms threatened to wrench from his shoulder sockets with the force of it. Even as he slowed, Newton caught him round the waist, taking his weight and allowing him to let go of the runner.

  ‘Ow!’ he muttered, rubbing at his shoulders.

  ‘You OK?’ Sherri asked.

  ‘Fine,’ he replied through gritted teeth. ‘But I think I’m going to feel that tomorrow.’

  She gave him an encouraging grin and a wink. ‘Look out,’ she warned. ‘Equipment inbound.’

  The final runner was zipping towards them with a heavy bag attached. It made the transit safely and no sooner had Nipper detached it from the runner than he and Newton were moving across the roof and away towards the opposite side of the building. Sherri beckoned Sam to follow. Before he did, Sam took one final look back up at the rooftop that he had just come from. He could just make out his mum and friend waving. Raising a hand in brief salute, he turned to follow the others.

  This is it, he thought. It gets serious from here on in.

  Trying to step lightly, Sam followed Sherri’s lead across the rooftop. The two raptors had already reached the far edge and Newton was directing Nipper with a series of low clicks, grunts and lots of gestures. Although Sam was far from being an expert on raptor body language, it was clear that Nipper had a good deal of respect for the raptor scientist, doing everything Newton directed without so much as a shadow of a question. As Sam had come to trust Nipper’s judgement, his estimation of Newton began to rise rapidly.

  From the heavy bag of equipment, Newton pulled out four harnesses and tossed them to Sherri. She quickly sorted them into size order and showed Sam how to buckle himself into his. Meanwhile, Newton attached a rubbing strip to the edge of the building and then, with a device that looked like an oversized drill, he made easy work of slicing four small holes into the rooftop in a precise line, each about a metre apart. The machine made a barely audible hiss as it cut through the dense surface material of the building, leaving Sam wondering how on earth it worked.

  Next out of the bag came what looked like four small plastic wheel cases. Newton studied each one before placing it next to one of the holes he had made. Then, using his curved claw, he hooked something from inside the first case and forced it down into the hole he’d made for it. There was a soft, satisfying clunk as it locked into place. One by one, he did the same with the others before beckoning Sherri forward. She checked his work and nodded to him.

  Newton pointed at Sherri and then at the first case. Again, she nodded. Bending down, she picked it up and attached it to her harness with what looked like a classic carabiner clip – a metal loop with a sprung gate that rock climbers and abseilers used. She signalled Sam forward to the second case.

  ‘Now remember what I said earlier,’ she warned softly, connecting Sam to his case. ‘This first switch setting on the casing will allow the inertia reel to lower you down to the right height. If you mess with it and click it too far, you’ll simply descend all the way to the ground and you’ll be of no use to us at all. It won’t pull you back up if you go past. Only click it to the second setting as you swing through the open panel into his room.’

  ‘Got it.’

  ‘OK, here goes. Good luck, Sam.’

  ‘You too.’

  Sam watched as she twisted the lever on the side of the casing until it clicked once. Nipper and Newton were still getting into their harnesses as Sherri took two paces and leapt off the top of the building. There was a fizzing noise not unlike the sound of the runner across the zip wire earlier and Sherri dropped from view.

  If Sherri can do it, so can I, Sam thought. I’ve got to have faith in myself.

  Stomach churning, he stepped to the edge and looked down. He could just make out Sherri some distance below. She seemed stable against the side of the building. It was a long way to the ground. Don’t think about it, just do it! he told himself. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out into space, and his entire body tensed as he began to fall. The fizzing whizz of the cable escaping its encased drum peaked for no more than a couple of seconds before he felt the deceleration effect of the drum.

  Sam’s eyes snapped open as his right shoulder thumped into the side of the building. He pushed away awkwardly and his body spun a full 360 degrees before he impacted the surface again. This time he was ready. Hands and feet spread and poised, he cushioned the second touch, bouncing lightly away and down. Another touch and he was stable to the right of Sherri. She grinned at him, eyes sparkling with excitement.

  There was another whine, followed rapidly by yet another. Sam looked up to see the two raptors descending towards them, Newton on the far left and Nipper to his right. Both dropped fast, looking awkward and unbalanced as they came. Nipper, who was clutching the drill-like tool that Newton had used to slice holes into the roof, stabilised about two metres below Sam and Sherri. Newton bared his teeth as he came to rest parallel to Sherri and gave several angry-sounding clicks. He pointed at a panel to his right, but Nipper was too low to reach it.

  ‘I think Newton forgot to account for the weight of the equipment when he set the tensioners,’ Sherri whispered. ‘He’s not happy.’

  ‘So what happens now?’

  Before Sherri had a chance to reply, Nipper provided the answer. Transferring the ful
l weight of the heavy cutting tool to his right hand, he grabbed the rope with his left and hauled himself up. The tension in the rope had not been far wrong, so Nipper did not have to bear much weight. However, while the manoeuvring didn’t tax the raptor’s prodigious strength, the result of Newton’s slight miscalculation made the next few moments difficult. Wielding the cutter with one arm looked all but impossible, but Sherri sidestepped and helped stabilise it from Nipper’s right, while Newton directed where to cut from his left and between the three of them, making no more than a barely audible hiss, they made short work of cutting the entire door-sized panel away from the side of the building.

  As the panel came fully loose, Sam and Sherri were waiting. They lifted it away from the surface without a sound and held it steady while Newton repositioned himself to take it from them. As he took the weight, Sherri leaned across and clicked his inertia reel through to the second setting. He dropped away, holding the panel, inertia reel fizzing as he went. Nipper let go of his rope and dipped below the level of the hole, while Sherri kicked away from the wall and swung on her rope in an arc that took her in through the opening. As she crossed the threshold, Sam heard the click as she switched the lever on her drum to its second setting. He watched as she landed lightly and vanished inside.

  Sam did his best to copy Sherri’s example, but it was not as easy as she made it look. Fingers ready on the inertia reel switch, he pushed away from the wall and swung in an arc towards the opening. However, rather than swinging in cleanly as Sherri had, his left shoulder brushed the side as he entered and he spun through 180 degrees. In a panic, he clicked the switch through to the second setting, but he did so a second later than was ideal. He had already started to swing back outwards as he dropped, meaning he was right on the lip of the freshly cut hole. Arms windmilling in an effort to regain his balance, he teetered on the brink of the dizzying drop outside.

  Just as he was convinced he was going to fall, Sherri’s hand grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him back into the room. Regaining his balance, he turned, scanning the dark room for David Earhart. The bed was empty. His heart sank as he completed the visual sweep. This was definitely a human’s living space, but there was no sign of anyone.

  ‘Where is he?’ he whispered.

  ‘Good question,’ Sherri muttered back. ‘According to our information, this should be his room, but it looks like acquiring David is going to be a bit tougher than we bargained for.’

  CHAPTER SIX

  As soon as she saw the flashing lights of the police checkpoint ahead, Niamh felt dark, overwhelming panic rise inside. She would be caught again.

  Tony’s aunt, Jo-Ann, was a petite woman in her thirties with an eye for clothes that made her look younger and Niamh had been able to borrow a fresh set of clothing. She had also tied up her hair into a high ponytail, but the realisation that this was not going to be enough of a disguise had come too late. A policeman was flagging down the car. What could she do? Tony took hold of her hand and squeezed it. She flicked a glance at him and then it struck her. She knew what she had to do.

  ‘Just go with me here,’ she whispered.

  His aunt slowed the car and wound down her window as they approached the checkpoint. As she did, Niamh put a hand behind Tony’s head and pulled him towards her. For an instant, he stiffened with shock, but he got the idea pretty quickly as she pressed her lips against his in a long, passionate kiss, drawing his head round in front of hers. Tony’s arms found their way round her torso and he leaned right across her, settling into a comfortable position and blocking any view the policeman might get of her. To her delight, Tony was a good kisser and she realised that as deceptions went, this was by far the most pleasurable one she had ever tried. Relaxing, she began to move her lips against his.

  ‘Evenin,’ Officer. What’s up?’ Jo-Ann asked.

  ‘We’re lookin’ for a runaway English girl,’ he replied. ‘You may have heard about her on the news.’

  Jo-Ann paused for just an instant before answering. Niamh’s heart was beating like crazy. Would Jo-Ann say anything about her being English? If she did, the game would certainly be up.

  ‘Can’t say I’ve heard anythin’ and I can’t help you, I’m afraid,’ Niamh heard her say. ‘Just runnin’ these two kids back to my sister’s in Big Pine. Not seen any strangers today.’

  The policeman played the light from his torch over them through the window. It didn’t stay on them for more than a second or two. ‘Sorry to keep you then,’ he announced suddenly. ‘Have a good evenin’.’

  The car began to move, but they continued the kiss until they were well beyond the roadblock. Niamh’s heart was pounding – partly from the excitement of her narrow escape, but more as a result of the intimacy with Tony. Finally, he pulled away.

  ‘That was unexpected,’ he whispered.

  ‘Hmm. Sorry about that,’ she replied.

  ‘Don’t be. It was a good idea.’

  ‘And it was nice,’ she added softly, glad that the darkness in the back of the car was hiding the heat burning in her cheeks.

  ‘It was, wasn’t it?’ He sounded pleased.

  ‘So what’s the game, you two?’ Jo-Ann asked over her shoulder. ‘You got cosy rather suddenly back there. And don’t think I can’t hear you whispering. Do you know anythin’ about this missing girl?’

  ‘Us?’ Tony exclaimed, sounding for all the world as if he was shocked that she could ask such a thing. ‘We’re just gettin’ to know one another, that’s all. Why would we know anythin’ about a missing girl?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said, a note of suspicion still clear in her voice. ‘It’s just that . . . oh, never mind.’

  Niamh wanted to tell Tony not to get too cocky, or to go thinking that her kissing him meant that he could now kiss her whenever he felt like it, but neither comment found its way from her mouth. Her left arm was still behind his back and his right was still draped round her shoulders. Both felt more than good. She leaned her head against his shoulder and looked through the gap between the front seats at the road ahead. It was quiet, rush hour having finished some time ago. They had passed one checkpoint, but there would be others if she was to try to leave the Keys again, and she could hardly take Tony with her all the way to Miami and kiss him at every road block.

  As nice as that might be, she mused, half considering the idea. The chance of it working was minimal. They had been lucky this evening. The fact that Jo-Ann had been driving them had probably swung it. If they had been on a bus, the policeman would almost certainly have questioned them and there was no disguising Niamh’s English accent. The moment the police heard her speak, she would be detained for sure.

  Jo-Ann had been lovely from the moment Tony led Niamh into her house and introduced her as his foreign exchange friend, Tamsyn Rodgers. Sticking with her story about falling off her bike, which was consistent with her injuries, had seemed best. Jo-Ann didn’t question it, and had been most sympathetic and gentle when cleaning up her cuts and scrapes, applying suitable dressings with a practised hand. They had sat chatting for over an hour before Jo-Ann had suggested they stay for a meal and offered to drive them back afterwards to save walking to the bus stop. Niamh was grateful for Jo-Ann’s kindness, but knew she could ask no more of her. If she was going to get away from the Keys altogether, she would need to find a more convincing disguise and possibly another mode of transport.

  There had been no chance to do more than give Tony the barest account of her adventures since leaving on the bus early that afternoon. As they pulled into the Dales’ driveway, Niamh wondered what she would do now. There was another car in the drive, which meant one of Tony and Carrie’s parents was home.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Tony whispered, as if reading her mind. ‘It’s all sorted. You’ll see.’

  Niamh climbed out of the car and clasped her hands together, uncertain of what to do next. Tony was quick to walk round to her, arriving just as the front door opened. There was no mistaking the lad
y there for anyone other than Carrie and Tony’s mother. She looked just like a mature version of Carrie.

  ‘Jo-Ann! How lovely to see you! Thanks for bringin’ Tony home,’ she enthused.

  ‘You’re welcome, Lara. It gave me an excuse to stop by.’

  ‘Come in then, come in. And you must be Tamsyn – welcome. Carrie was just tellin’ me about you and asking if you could stay over for a few days while your parents are away. There’s no problem with that at all. We’d be delighted to have you stay.’

  ‘See?’ Tony’s hand in the small of Niamh’s back propelled her gently forward.

  ‘Thanks, Mrs Dale,’ she replied. ‘That’s very kind.’

  ‘Please call me Lara, Tamsyn. Mrs Dale makes me sound like my mother-in-law!’

  Niamh was ushered inside where Carrie was waiting to give her a welcoming hug. While Lara and Jo-Ann headed for the kitchen area to make coffee, Carrie, Niamh and Tony slipped away into Carrie’s room and closed the door behind them.

  ‘So what happened?’ Carrie asked in a rush. ‘I was amazed when Tony texted me to say that he was bringin’ you home. I watched you get on the bus to Miami this afternoon. How did you end up in Key West?’

  Niamh sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘It’s been an interesting day . . .’ she began.

  Both Carrie and Tony, who had not yet heard the full story, barely interrupted at all as she explained what had happened. It was through gritted teeth that she recalled the silly mistake that triggered the chain of events. Borrowing a mobile from a fellow passenger to ring her dad had been a bad idea. Jumping from the moving bus in a bid to escape the police had not been much better. It hadn’t prevented her from getting caught and taken to the Sheriff’s Office.