I lifted out a small packet of tablets in blister packs, except these were no ordinary tablets. Instead each blister held a small oval pellet, not much bigger than a grain of rice. Up close, I could see that they were covered in tiny holes. I pulled out my Swiss Army knife and very carefully cut one off. Hopefully it would never be noticed. What was Biosurge?
Curious, I put the box back in its cupboard and was about to lock it when I spotted a slim folder, almost invisible as it lay flat on the higher shelf.
Looking around, and pausing to hear if anyone was coming, I reached up and grabbed it, flicking it open. It contained a couple of pages of computer printout, but I was deeply disappointed. It didn’t seem to be the amazing information I was hoping would explain all these strange things. It might be important, but I couldn’t understand what it meant.
Mordred! That name again.
I cursed my mobile yet again for dying on me. I memorised the codes to send to Boges later.
Reluctantly, I put the folder back on the top shelf and locked the cupboard, leaving the keys dangling as they were before, closing the outer cupboard.
When I opened the next cupboard, I reeled back in horror! Five human eyes were glaring at me! What the?
I blinked. They were still staring at me, shining out from light boxes, like those used by doctors to check X-rays. Then I looked again. I realised with relief that they weren’t real eyes but incredibly deceptive holograms. Each one was a different colour—hazel, brown, blue, green and grey. Were they some kind of robotic eye? But why only one of each? I tried to get my head around it but couldn’t.
I stood in the middle of the lab, looking around me. Five rucksacks, five red pins, five holographic eyes. Five people going to five different cities with these strange supplies. I felt confused and now, something else as well. I realised I could feel a knot churning in my gut. Fear. Something I couldn’t understand was happening, and I knew it was wrong. And it was right before my very own eyes.
10:01 pm
Maybe the glossy brochures I’d noticed earlier lying on a counter might contain some useful information. I took the top one off the pile and turned to the first page.
‘Thoroughgood Advanced Robotics,’ I read. ‘Search and Rescue (SAR) Applications for Multiple Terrains.’ Maybe the 3-D eyes were some kind of new robotic camera eye design, to be used in SAR work? I remembered Dad saying that the human eye and a camera’s ‘eye’ simply don’t see the same things. Was Thoroughgood Robotics working on improving that?
I flipped through to the end of the brochure but there was nothing about Biosurge. I’ll try to make sense of it later, I thought, as I shoved it in my pocket. A slight movement near the ceiling in the centre of the lab caught my attention. I looked up, and saw something that made me flinch and jump back. I raced out the door.
The lights went out. They came on again as I ventured closer to take another look. There, dangling from one of the light fittings in the ceiling, looking straight at me through the window in the door with its beady eyes, was another robot snake. I ducked to the left, and it was frightening the way its head snaked around to follow my actions. Right this very minute it might be beaming images of me deep inside the tunnel-infested mountain onto a monitor somewhere. I was willing to bet that the screens in Damien’s office that I’d thought showed hand-held cameras were feeds from two of these surveillance pythons—spythons, more like—as they slithered around spying and sending back live footage from their tiny, beady-eyed cameras!
That thought spurred me into action. I needed to leave, right now. But before I could move, I heard voices in the distance. I was sure this time, as the sound echoed eerily through the dark tunnels. Desperately, I looked around for somewhere to hide. There was only one place—I’d have to squeeze myself between the squat rover vehicle and the side of the tunnel. I scrambled into position, avoiding the huge cutting blades on the front of the machine, hoping that the housing on the vehicle’s motor would provide sufficient cover.
The voices came closer. I could even identify them. It was Damien and his second-in-command, Hamish. I could smell food. Were they going to have a late night feast in the tunnels?
Moments later, I heard them coming to the area near the laboratory and then I saw the flickering light of a torch.
‘The machine’s moved!’ Damien called out.
A torch beam swerved closer to me and I squeezed back even further, gritting my teeth as the huge cutting blades of the rover pressed up against my skin. The light lingered on the stony ground near me and then moved up and away across the walls. Abruptly, the beam of light swung around in the opposite direction.
‘No-one’s been down here,’ said Hamish. Then after a pause he added, ‘I guess it could have been activated by an earth tremor. It has a very sensitive ignition switch.’ Damien grunted.
Thank you, Hamish.
Spying from my hiding place, I saw the two of them go to the door of the lab. The automatic lights came on inside. I heard Damien say, ‘Everything looks in order. But the modbots have moved.’
‘Jeffrey would be pleased to know that,’ said Hamish as they moved away.
Modbots? What were they talking about? Jeffrey was Damien’s brother, the man who had set up the Paradise People Resort. Why would he be pleased?
10:19 pm
A few seconds later, they had vanished down the main tunnel, but not before I’d spotted the food containers Hamish and Damien were carrying. Cautiously, I crept out, intending to follow them. It was the only way I could get out of there, even though I was risking them doubling back and running straight into me. I had to make sure that didn’t happen.
Keeping well back, I followed the small glow of their torch, through the maze of black tunnels.
Gradually, the aroma of food wafting back to me mixed with the smell of the sea. The atmosphere in the tunnel had changed—the air was fresher, saltier and less oppressive. Greyish light filled the tunnel ahead of me but Damien and Hamish had disappeared from sight. I suddenly realised what they were doing. They must be taking food to someone! But why such a large amount of food?
Of course! Ryan and Sophie had told me about the kids who just vanished. They must be imprisoned deep inside the mountain after all! I hurried to catch up with Hamish and Damien, following the dim light and their distant voices.
Once, I came around a corner too quickly and almost crashed into them—they must have stopped to discuss something. Quickly, I jumped back.
‘What was that?’ Damien asked.
I flattened myself against the wall, trying to melt into the hard surface.
‘Probably just rats,’ said Hamish.
I heard Damien take a step in my direction. Don’t come any closer.
I was too scared to breathe, fearing that he would sense the movement of air even if he didn’t see me. There was a long pause.
‘Maybe we do have rats,’ said Damien. I cringed back, desperately trying to be invisible. The beam of light came closer, playing all over the wall and on the ground nearby. ‘The generator should be fixed by now, Hamish. How much longer is it going to take to get the lighting system in this section of the tunnel working again? I don’t care for all this stumbling around in the dark.’
‘I’m waiting on a part from the mainland, there was a delay in ordering it. It should be on the supply ship next week, sir.’
‘Make sure it’s given top priority. Another sixty days, Hamish,’ Damien said, ‘and we won’t have to be running this room service anymore. The first five are ready to go and the others need just a little more polishing of their skills.’ He laughed and it was an ugly sound.
‘They’ll need them where they’re going!’ Hamish grunted.
The first five? And what others? Pushing all my questions to the back of my mind, I focused on shadowing them down the tunnel. I heard the jangling of keys and dared to creep a little closer. Sure enough, Damien was opening a door further along the tunnel. He and Hamish disappeared inside. What was Damien p
lanning to do with the prisoners after sixty days? This had to be related to the countdown on his computer. And the text message I’d received. I had to find out.
I could smell the sea clearly now and even hear its dim roar echoing down the tunnel. Common sense told me I needed to make a run for it whilst they were in the room. Crouching low, I sneaked along the tunnel towards the door. A dim light shone through the small glass window as I ducked past. Once on the other side, I couldn’t resist waiting next to the wall, hoping to eavesdrop on their conversation. I was in luck.
‘… and make sure you pull that Ryan kid into line,’ Damien said. I could hear him opening a cupboard door.
‘I’m letting him cool his heels tonight and I’ll sort him out in the morning,’ Hamish replied. ‘Don’t worry about him, that one’s just a bit headstrong, but we’ll soon have him under control.’ I silently thanked the universe that Ryan had not been hurt. At least Hamish didn’t seem as ruthless as Damien. But my thanks were short-lived.
‘We’ll see. But I want a line search at first light. I want every bit of this island combed until we find them. Especially Sophie Bellamy. She must not be allowed to get away. She and the others must be captured. Then they can join the happy throng down here. I’ll be explaining at rollcall that the runaways have a serious infection and it’s essential to track them down and find them before the illness gets too bad,’ Damien said.
An infection? I crept closer, listening with disbelief.
‘Those good-hearted idiots—our little “Paradise People”—won’t rest until they’ve tracked them down to “save” them.’
‘How long will the search go on for, sir?’
‘As long as it takes, Hamish. They must be found.’
‘But that could take days, weeks maybe.’
‘Whatever it takes. Got it? And pass me some of those water bottles, will you?’
Now I understood what Damien was up to. He was going to tell a complete lie to the people back at the resort so that they’d leave no stone unturned until they found us to save us from a non-existent sickness. And the really horrible thing about the lie was that the Paradise People would think they were helping the runaways.
And Damien wasn’t going to give up until he’d found us. Day after day we’d be in danger of being discovered. It would be OK to avoid them for a while, but what if it went on for weeks?
My thoughts were interrupted by Hamish’s voice. ‘But won’t the kids at the resort worry that they might catch it?’
‘I’ll hand out some sugar pills tomorrow—tell them it’s a powerful antibiotic that will protect them completely from the infection. That should allay any worries.’
I had to jump back as they came towards the door. Time to go! The smell of the sea told me I was somewhere close to a way out. I kept flat against the rock face as I followed the salty scent. Soon the roar of the sea lashing the coast got louder. When I finally emerged, I realised I was at the submersible wharf. All these tunnels must be interconnected!
I made a mental note of the position of the tunnel from which I’d just come. That was the one we’d need to search to discover where the prisoners were being held. But I needed to get back to Zak, Ariel and Sophie and tell them about what I’d seen in the tunnels and in Damien’s office. I wanted to get their thoughts on what I’d discovered in the lab—the rucksacks, the mysterious Biosurge pellets, the staring holographic eyes…
Across the cavern, opposite to where I was crouching, the streamlined submersible bobbed gently on the swell, gleaming in the evening light.
Shadow Island Jungle
11:12 pm
After the long, arduous climb over the rocks from the cavern entrance, it was hot and sticky as I made my way through the undergrowth and the jungle.
Instinctively, I ended up at the familiar old convicts’ cemetery. All of a sudden, fatigue overwhelmed me. This had been one of the longest days—and nights—of my life. I couldn’t imagine dragging my tired body any further. And besides, surely I’d be safe for tonight. There was hardly going to be a search party coming for me now. I’d call BB tomorrow once I’d had time to put all the crazy things I’d seen into some kind of order in my mind.
I found a hidden spot under a large tree and lay down between the sprawling roots. Even if I just lay here for an hour or two, I thought, then I can make my way back to the Katz cave. I closed my eyes and sank into a dreamless sleep.
DAY 31
60 days to go…
7:13 am
Next thing I knew, the birds were calling overhead and the sun was making itself felt. I sat up in a momentary daze. The events of the day before washed over me like a crashing surf… rescuing Sophie, hiding in the jungle, sneaking into Damien’s office, stumbling through the dark maze of tunnels and the secrets I’d found there.
I stretched my stiff legs then started heading for the resort compound. I needed to find out what was happening with Ryan and Hamish. As I came closer, I could hear people already playing volleyball on the beach. I could also see the dark pennant flying on the flag pole. The Edge training was on.
My mind boggled at how carefree most of the kids were, completely unaware of what lay underneath their feet in the tunnels below. Carefully, I made my way towards the fence, looking for a hidden spot to climb over.
Paradise People Resort
7:19 am
I knew that Hamish’s office was a small room next to the stores building, away from the beach side of the resort. Staying down, I made my way through the last of the undergrowth until I could see part of the wall and the half-opened window of his office. Looking each way, I crept to the window, flattening myself against the wall. I figured there was no reason for anyone to come round the back and that I was unlikely to be seen if I was careful.
I could hear Hamish’s voice. ‘… and Damien needs to know that you are completely committed to being a team member, Ryan. You know what that means.’
‘Hard training and no more wandering off after snakes in the jungle, I’ve got it,’ said Ryan. I could tell he was putting on a good show of remorse for Hamish.
‘More than that. It’s time that your group met the final challenge.’
‘Do you mean CQC?’ Ryan’s voice again. What were they talking about?
‘Even more than CQC,’ said Hamish. ‘After the final training session, committed members will get their vitamin implants and their elite tattoos to become a full member of the Zenith team. You’ll be like an Olympian on Shadow Island. That’s something to really strive for.’
‘I really want that, Hamish,’ said Ryan. ‘To be the best that I can be. Please.’
‘I’m not completely sure about you, Ryan. You seem to have a bit of a split personality,’ said Hamish slowly. ‘But I’m prepared to give you another chance.’
Split personality? I hoped he wasn’t getting suspicious.
‘I need to know that you are fully committed.’
‘One thousand per cent.’
‘No more irregular behaviour?’
‘No way. I’ll be as regular as can be.’
‘Good. Wait here while I go get my gear and then we’ll rejoin the others.’
I heard him leave the office and as soon as I was sure he was out of earshot, I tapped on the glass. Ryan jumped to his feet and came to the window.
‘Cal! What are you doing here?’
‘Checking up on you. What happened?’
‘I got caught not far from the cemetery last night and Damien dragged me back to his office. I tried telling him I was just lost in the jungle but he wasn’t buying it this time.’
‘He thought you were taking food to the runaways,’ I grinned, finding some relief from the fear and tension of the tunnels in joking with my brother, ‘and you answered in your really polite school voice that you didn’t know what he was talking about.’
Ryan’s eyes widened. ‘How do you know that?’
‘I’m psychic,’ I said, making the most of his bewilderment.
‘OK, mind-reader, what happened next?’ Ryan demanded.
I sneaked to the end of the building and peered around the corner. There was no-one coming and a loud cheer from the direction of the beach told me that everyone was down there, enjoying themselves. I came back to the window.
‘Damien told you to go with Hamish who would talk to you about your attitude in his office,’ I said.
I could see Ryan’s disbelief as I repeated almost word for word what had happened in Damien’s office. Then I burst out laughing. It broke the rest of the tension that I’d been feeling. ‘Sorry, bro,’ I finally confessed, ‘I’m not psychic. I went through a little escape hatch and was hiding in the wall near Damien’s desk.’
‘You were in Thoroughgood’s office?’ Ryan asked in disbelief.
I nodded.
‘An escape hatch? In the wall?’ Ryan asked, amazed.
‘I haven’t got time to explain everything now. I just wanted to make sure you were OK. What’s been happening? I only overheard the last part.’
‘Hamish tore into me, telling me how I was wasting a fantastic once-in-a-lifetime chance, that I had a great talent and that I was throwing it away. So I looked real sad and sorry and asked for one last chance—again. I convinced him that I was totally committed to becoming a top-ranking Zenith team member.’
‘You’ve got to be really careful, Ryan. Hamish will be watching you like a hawk.’ Instantly, I knew I’d said the wrong thing.
‘I can look after myself. You’re not the only one who’s done it tough, you know,’ Ryan said.
‘I know that,’ I said quickly. ‘What’s CQC?’ I asked, changing the subject.
‘I heard one of the other elite squad kids talking about it—it means “close quarters combat”. That’s the last level of training for the Zenith team,’ Ryan said.
‘And then you get some kind of implant? Do you know what Hamish was talking about?’ I asked.
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