Catwalk Criminal

by Sarah Sky

  The objective of the raid was simple: to seize Henry’s laptop and persuade him to cooperate with MI6 in return for his crimes being kept secret from his dad, the police and the press. Nathan had warned Jessica that they couldn’t go through official channels. As soon as the Metropolitan Police gained an official search warrant, Henry’s father would claim diplomatic immunity for himself and his son. Henry would be untouchable and they wouldn’t be able to discover what he knew.

  It was highly dangerous. If it ever came to light that MI6 had sanctioned a black ops mission, targeting the son of a high-ranking foreign official, it’d spark a diplomatic incident of epic proportions. That was why Westwood had been tasked to go in despite the fallout from the Shard. An adult caught on the premises would spark a 999 call and a police investigation, but a teenage girl found sneaking into a boarding house could pretend she was having a clandestine meet-up with a boyfriend.

  Jessica watched as Natalia pedalled up to the far end of the wall. She too was dressed from head to toe in black, with a thick scarf knotted at her neck. They’d been given an hour’s notice to cycle to the school, where they’d been briefed by another Westwood agent, Celia Tyler, in a van further down the street and fitted up with gadgets to help them get past security. Computer analyst Sam Hewitt was also here; he’d assured them that their comms were safe and the hacker couldn’t access their plans for tonight’s raid. He hadn’t mentioned anything about Jessica’s security breach earlier; hopefully he’d been so tied up with preventing further hacks he hadn’t noticed that the Sargasso file had been opened and read.

  “Are you OK?” Jessica said into her hidden microphone.

  “I’m good, except I could have done with a full night’s sleep,” Natalia said. “I’ve got a chemistry test first thing tomorrow. If I flunk it, I’m going to be in big trouble. Bigger still if Mum and Dad discover I’ve gone AWOL tonight.”

  “I know what you mean,” Jessica replied.

  She’d been woken up at one a.m. by a terse call from Nathan and had left the house without waking her dad. He’d kill her if he found out she was on a dangerous night op. She was supposed to clear all Westwood jobs with him first, but he’d been feeling unwell and she hadn’t wanted to disturb him. Plus, there was no way he’d sign off on something as risky as this. She had a test tomorrow too – irregular French verbs – which would be hard enough without the added sleep deprivation.

  “Let’s cut the social chit-chat, girls,” Nathan said sharply. “Are you all in position?” He was running point from the van, alongside Sam and Celia.

  The girls answered in the affirmative, one by one.

  “Good. Bree and Sasha, stay where you are unless we need backup. Jessica and Natalia will enter over the rear wall. Jessica is team leader. Go straight to the boarding house and enter Henry’s room. Transfer the contents of his laptop to us immediately via the device Sam’s given you in case the alarm’s raised. Jessica, you stay to talk some sense into Henry while Natalia leaves with the laptop. Do not deviate from the plan. Understood?”

  “Yes,” Jessica replied.

  “Natalia?”

  “I guess. If you say so.”

  “I do say so,” Nathan snapped. “Jessica has more experience than you in the field. You’re to follow her lead. Understood?”

  “Of course. I’ll follow your god-daughter’s lead.”

  Jessica flinched. That was low. They got on most of the time, but Natalia obviously felt snubbed. She was following Bree’s lead by insinuating that Jessica was getting preferential treatment due to her family connections. Was she going to be a problem tonight? They couldn’t afford for egos or petty gripes to jeopardize the operation. Natalia had no idea about the dangerous MI6 missions she’d embarked on before officially joining Westwood.

  “OK, girls, now that’s sorted, let’s move in,” Nathan said. “Good luck.”

  Jessica and Natalia pulled out specially adapted bicycle pumps from their rucksacks and aimed at the top of the wall. Grapnels shot out, sinking into the brick. A few seconds later, fine ropes swung down. Together they scaled the wall, pulling themselves up hand over hand. Natalia got to the top first; Jessica was a few seconds behind. She swung her legs over the wall, retrieved the rope and pointed her watch at the security light. A high-powered dart pierced the glass.

  “Good shot,” Natalia muttered.

  “Thanks. Three, two, one. Go.”

  They dropped on to the gravel below and sprinted towards a tall red-brick house on the right of the main building. Highfield Boarding House was home to sixty boys aged thirteen to eighteen, along with their housemaster and matron. If any of them woke up and stumbled across them, their mission would be a write-off. The entrances were at the front and rear, but both were locked at night and only accessed with a security code via the keypad.

  Jessica already had her diamanté key ring ready; it contained a scanner that would identify the numbers she needed to punch in. As she reached the door, Natalia overtook her.

  “Something’s wrong,” she breathed.

  Jessica stared over Natalia’s shoulder. The door was slightly ajar. This didn’t look right. There was no way the school would allow a security lapse like this; anyone could walk in or out, which would put the safety of all the pupils at risk.

  “What do you want us to do, Nathan?” Jessica said, examining the keypad. “The door’s open. Someone’s tampered with it.”

  “Proceed with extreme caution.”

  They’d been warned that all the corridors would be fitted with night lights, but the boarding house was shrouded in darkness, another bad sign.

  “We need night vision.” Jessica rummaged in her rucksack.

  They fixed glasses on their faces and stepped into the pitch-black entrance hall. Henry’s room was three flights up. According to the plans Sam had accessed, the housemaster and his family occupied the entire ground floor. They had two Labradors, Silky and Sabba, that needed to be subdued. Natalia held out a small aerosol can of MI6 adapted hairspray; a few squirts and the dogs would fall asleep instantly. They’d wake up in a few hours, unhurt.

  “Stop,” Jessica whispered, catching Natalia’s hand. “Look over there!” Both dogs lay a short distance away from each other.

  Natalia tiptoed over and stroked their fur. “They’re drugged. Someone got here first.”

  “The Collective’s here, Nathan!” Jessica hissed.

  “Affirmative. Bree and Sasha, go in. I’m calling for further backup.”

  Jessica took the stairs two at a time, followed by Natalia. They cleared a floor without disturbing anyone. As they reached the second floor, a door banged. The girls pressed their backs against the wall on the landing. They waited a few seconds before climbing up to the third floor.

  “Let me go ahead and assess the situation,” Jessica whispered. “You wait here until my signal.”

  “No. I can do this. I don’t have a relative in MI6 but I’m as good as you!” Natalia darted away before she could stop her. An explosion of bright white light in the corridor lit up the landing. There was a loud scream, followed by a bang.

  “We’re under attack!” Jessica ran into the corridor after Natalia, who lay on the floor, motionless. Another flash of light erupted, blinding her. As she ripped off her glasses, something solid smashed into her. Spinning around, she could make out a dark figure sprinting away. She ran after the intruder, gripping her side. Glass exploded from the window at the bottom of the corridor. The figure leapt through the gap without slowing down. A torch, emitting a pulsating white light, clattered to the floor.

  “The intruder’s jumped out of a window on the west side of the building,” Jessica wheezed.

  “We’re on it,” Nathan replied.

  She squinted as she picked up the torch. She’d only ever seen one of these devices in training; it was designed to obliterate night vision. The attacker h
ad come prepared with a military-style gadget.

  She ran over to Natalia and felt for a pulse. She was out cold, but still breathing. As Jessica shone the torch on her neck, she noticed a two-pronged burn mark. The attacker had used some kind of electrical stun gun to knock her out. She shone her torch up and down the corridor. She could smell smoke. Where was it coming from?

  A door swung open and a boy peered out, squinting at the torch.

  “What’s going on?” he mumbled. “Who are you?”

  She ignored him as Nathan’s voice rang in her ear again. “Secure the laptop and find Henry Murray. Move before you’re discovered!”

  Too late. She jumped to her feet as a fire alarm screeched. More boys spilled out of their rooms, rubbing their eyes.

  “OK, listen up, everyone,” she yelled above the alarm. “This isn’t a drill. You need to evacuate. Don’t go back to your rooms.” She handed the torch to one of the older-looking boys. “Take this and lead the others.” She nodded at his friends. “Help carry this girl – she’s passed out.”

  The pupils hoisted Natalia up and joined the evacuation.

  Jessica ran back towards Henry’s room. As she flung the door open, she was hit by a smothering blanket of smoke and heat. She fell back a step. Flames flickered up the wall from a wastepaper basket, setting the curtains ablaze. Nearby was a bloodstained baseball bat. A blond boy clad in jeans, a sweater and trainers lay on the carpet, blood trickling from his forehead. He was attempting to pull himself towards the door, commando-style, on his elbows.

  “Henry!” Jessica lunged forward, protecting her mouth and nostrils with the sleeve of her jumper. She grabbed the boy under the armpits and pulled him to his feet. “Here. Let me take your weight.”

  “Can’t breathe.” Henry coughed violently as he slung an arm over her shoulder.

  “Let’s go,” she cried.

  They stumbled out of the door. Jessica pulled it shut and helped him further along the corridor. Henry’s legs collapsed beneath him and he sank to the floor. He touched his forehead, which was wet with a slick of blood. The gash was about five inches long and deep.

  “My laptop’s on fire,” he spluttered. “It’s in the bin. It’s my insurance policy. Without it, I’m dead.”

  “I’ll get it.” She grabbed a fire extinguisher and kicked open the bedroom door. She gasped as she stepped into the choking wall of flames and acrid smoke. Eyes stinging, she edged closer and blasted the bin again and again. She could barely breathe. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her arm and pull her back.

  “We have to leave before we’re caught,” Bree insisted. “The mission’s aborted.”

  “Get off me! I can get the laptop!” Jessica struggled against her grip.

  “It’s gone.”

  Jessica pushed her away. “It’s not! Who the hell are you working for tonight, anyway?”

  Why hadn’t Nathan listened to her? This was the second mission Bree had been tasked to that had gone horribly wrong. The Collective knew they were coming and had moved faster. Had Bree leaked their plans to a third party?

  Bree frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “She’s working for me,” Nathan said through the comms. “I sent Bree in to get you. She’s following orders. Abort the mission and make yourselves scarce before you’re apprehended. Move now!”

  Jessica staggered backwards. The fire had spread to the bed and ceiling. She couldn’t fight this with a single extinguisher. Within minutes, the room would be totally engulfed in flames. She slammed the door and looked up and down the corridor. “Where did Henry go? He was right here!”

  “Sasha’s helping him downstairs. Nathan’s waiting for them at the bottom. He’s taking him to hospital, along with Natalia.” Bree paused at the sound of sirens. “The fire brigade’s almost here. We have to leave.”

  “Wait one minute.”

  Jessica ran up and down the corridor, checking all the boys had evacuated. “It’s clear.”

  “What are you doing here?” a voice shouted. “Did you start this fire?”

  A middle-aged man wearing a red dressing gown stood at the end of the corridor. Jessica recognized him from his photo in the MI6 file. It was the housemaster, Sean Hughes.

  “We have nothing to do with this,” she yelled back. “We saw the flames from the street and came to help. The downstairs door was open. All the boys are out. Check the other floors!”

  Mr Hughes hesitated and then stumbled away, covering his mouth with the sleeve of his dressing gown. A couple of sirens blared loudly outside. The fire engines must have pulled up in the grounds.

  “The crew will be up here any second. How are we going to get out?” Bree’s face was panic-stricken.

  She’d frozen yet again in the middle of a mission. What was going on with her?

  “Follow me.” Jessica ran towards the window. The intruder had left this way; they could follow. She peered out. The fire engines and evacuation point must be at the front. They could escape, unobserved, and regroup at the bottom. She climbed out, careful not to cut herself: a shard of glass jutted out from the bottom of the window frame. A grapnel was still attached to the wood, with a rope hanging down. The person who’d attacked Henry and set fire to his laptop must have shot it at the window as they ran; it looked slimmer and lighter than the one MI6 used, yet it had totally disintegrated the glass. Did it have some kind of pulsating mechanism? If so, it was far more advanced than MI6’s technology.

  She shone her torch on to the frame as Bree followed her.

  “Hold on!” Jessica pulled a fine silver thread from the wood and carefully placed it in the small plastic bag she’d retrieved from her pocket.

  “What’s that?”

  “The intruder left it behind. It must be from their clothing.”

  “Interesting, but let’s go.”

  Jessica gripped the rope and abseiled down the building. She jumped the last few feet on to the gravel.

  “Nathan? Are you there? Do you have Henry?” She touched her ear.

  “He’s already in the ambulance with Natalia,” Nathan replied. “Get off the property. We’re all exposed. At least two police cars are on their way.”

  Jessica looked up. Bree was still dangling from the window sill.

  “Get a move on!” she hissed.

  Bree carefully lowered herself down.

  “Jump!” Jessica urged. “Now!”

  Bree looked down. Her face was etched with terror. Finally, she let go.

  “We’ll leave the way Natalia and I came in.”

  Jessica darted to the wall and grabbed her rope. She pulled herself up, hand over hand, with Bree a few seconds behind. They dropped on to the street. Bree sank down, putting her head between her knees.

  “Come on. We don’t have time to stop.” Jessica grabbed Bree’s arm and pulled her to her feet.

  Bree shook off her hand. “I don’t need your help. What did you mean back there when you asked who I worked for? Does this have something to do with Nathan switching Natalia with me at the last minute? I bet you asked your godfather to do that, didn’t you? Why?”

  “You tell me. How did The Collective know we were coming tonight?”

  Bree’s eyes narrowed. “They must have hacked into our comms or the computer system. It’s the only explanation.”

  “If you say so.” It wasn’t the only theory she could think of.

  “What are you insinuating? What have you been saying to Nathan behind my back yet again?”

  Jessica shook her head. Bree was trembling with rage. There was no point getting into this now. She’d only deny being a double agent.

  “We could be caught. Natalia’s bike is over there. Grab it and go!” Jessica pointed to the bushes. She raced to get her own; it was still where she’d left it nearby. As she climbed on, the bike wobbled beneath her.


  The tyre was flat.

  Bree doubled back on her bike. “Use this one. I can make it on foot.”

  Jessica glanced up, surprised. “No, you go. I’ll be OK.”

  Bree hesitated. “I don’t know what you’ve been secretly reporting to Nathan about me, but you’re way off the mark. Some of us actually had to earn a place on this team.” She pedalled away without looking back.

  Jessica threw the bike down. Was she mistaken about Bree? Maybe. Maybe not. Bree could have offered to help to try and throw her off the scent. She ran around the side of the wall and peered out. Dozens of boys clad in pyjamas and dressing gowns stood huddled in groups. Their housemaster was a little distance away, holding a clipboard and shouting out names. He broke off from the roll-call as two ambulances pulled away, sirens blaring.

  “Natalia and Henry are en route to hospital,” Nathan said in her ear. “I’m following in the van. Go home, Jessica. That’s enough for now. You’ll need to come to a debriefing later this morning. I’ll message you the details. Ask your dad to write a note for school.”

  “Will do.”

  Great. Jamie would notice her absence and want to know what was wrong. She’d have to come up with yet another lie. As she turned away, she noticed a tall boy slip away from the others. He wore a blue dressing gown with a hood that covered his face. That was odd. He wasn’t barefoot or in slippers like the others. Trainers and jeans poked out beneath his dressing gown.

  “Henry!” Jessica broke cover and charged towards him.

  The boy jumped and turned around. Fear flickered over his blood-splattered face.

  “Keep away from me!” he screeched.

  He sprinted away, ditching his dressing gown. Boys stared and pointed.

  “Nathan! Come in!” Jessica shouted as she ran.

  Silence.

  Nathan had turned off his comms. “Sasha? Bree? Are you there? Talk to me!”