It was clear that none of us wanted to be underground a moment longer than we needed to be, not with the shocking and increasingly strong earthquakes. Even Dr Freeman seemed to have more energy after his rest.
So with Zak and Ariel leading the way, we all made our way through the cobwebbed tunnel, pausing only for Zak and Ariel to retrieve their bows and arrows. We were quite a tribe now—Zak, Ariel, Sophie, Quan, Sabina and Artemiz, Dr Freeman, Georgia and me bringing up the rear.
I was struggling with mixed emotions—I was relieved that we had been able to free the three prisoners, but increasingly worried about Ryan. I cursed myself for not going to find him before. He hadn’t responded to text messages I’d sent earlier and now I had my doubts that there would be much reception with the volcanic disturbance and the approaching storm.
Finally, we emerged through Simeon Fincher’s tomb—Artemiz, Quan and Sabina looking around in amazement as they climbed out into the convict cemetery.
Soon D’Merrick would be here and we could leave Shadow Island for good. The volcano rumbled long and deep. Time was running out.
Shadow Island Jungle
10:32 pm
Night had fallen and I was glad of its dark protection. I was worried that our large group would be obvious if anyone was still looking for us, so we waited, hidden, in overhanging jungle growth near the ledge that I’d used to scope out the resort before. From this high vantage point, I could see part of the Paradise People Resort compound. Only a few lights remained, and it seemed quiet and deserted. The last of the resort residents had been evacuated. Now there was only our group anxiously awaiting the arrival of D’Merrick.
I’d still not had any response from Ryan. I hoped he had kept up his act in sick bay. Mrs Clayton seemed to be a kind woman. With any luck, he’d already been transferred safely off the island with the other resort kids.
I introduced Georgia Montgomery properly to my friends. ‘She ran away from the Zenith team at the last moment.’
‘I remember you,’ Sophie said. ‘You took some of the abseiling classes when I was just starting my training with The Edge.’
‘Why did you run away?’ asked Ariel. ‘Did you object to the implant like we did?’ Then she saw the scar on Georgia’s arm and the Zed tattoo. ‘Oh, you did have it,’ she added.
Georgia nodded. ‘I was cool about that. And I really wanted the tattoo that went with it. I worked hard at being the best I could be. But later, I started thinking about all the secrecy and I just couldn’t get rid of the gut-feeling that something was really wrong.’
Quan, Sabina and Artemiz all spoke at once. ‘That’s exactly how we felt,’ said Quan.
‘None of us wanted the implant,’ said Sabina.
‘But Damien wouldn’t let us go,’ Quan added. ‘We threatened to report him when we got back to the mainland.’
‘Big mistake,’ said Artemiz. ‘He tricked us and locked us up.’ She looked more closely at Georgia. ‘You’ve got the implant and tattoo so maybe it’s not that bad after all. How did you get away?’
‘We were boarding the submersible this morning,’ she said, ‘we all had strict instructions and sealed orders that we weren’t to open until we were in position and the command came, and we were each given this creepy-looking hologram of an eye…’
The eyes, I thought. They are part of the Mordred business! ‘I was at the back,’ Georgia was saying, ‘and as the others boarded, I finally decided I didn’t want to be a part of Damien Thoroughgood’s great plan to save the world, whatever it might turn out to be.’
‘Save the world?’ I asked, frowning. ‘How were you going to do that?’
‘I’m not sure of the details,’ Georgia said, ‘but I know the plan is huge and in some way it will cut pollution by almost three quarters. So Damien says anyway.’
That sounded good. Why would he not broadcast such a plan to the world? Why not get people on board with it? Why all the secrecy?
Georgia’s voice interrupted my train of thought. ‘We were told that our sealed instructions would include all we needed to know at the right time. I was getting more and more nervous. Then I saw my chance as we were boarding and Damien was up in the forward cabin. I just bolted. I had to leave my rucksack behind, though. I don’t know what happened after that because I did the Spidergirl climb of my life and hid in a crevice in the rock ceiling not far from the main tunnel. No-one thought to look for me up there in the roof. Damien was furious. When I was sure that they had all gone, I crept out, stole some supplies and hid in the jungle for a while. I was making a camp near the creek bed and I’d set a few traps to make sure nobody sneaked up on me. That’s when you, Cal, stepped right into one.’
During the rest of the questions and answers, I noticed Sophie and Ariel looking more and more anxious. Dr Freeman, no doubt exhausted from his sudden freedom and rowing exercise, sat resting, staring into space.
I told them about my conversation with Paddy and how D’Merrick was coming to get us all off the island.
‘Who’s D’Merrick?’ Georgia asked.
‘She’s a friend,’ I said carefully.
Sophie and I quizzed the others. ‘What can you tell us about the Mordred key?’ I asked.
‘You’ve got the name wrong,’ said Sabina. ‘We heard Damien talking about something called the Arthur key.’
‘That’s right,’ said Georgia. ‘I heard him talking about that, too.’
The Arthur key? Sophie and I looked at each other. We’d never heard of this one. ‘What did he say about this Arthur key?’ I asked.
Georgia cocked her head to one side, thinking. ‘I overheard him talking to Hamish one day when we were going into dinner. I just remember him saying “They’ll do anything to get hold of the Arthur key!”’
‘You’re a hundred per cent sure he didn’t say Mordred key?’ I asked.
‘No way. It was definitely Arthur. I don’t think I would have confused those two very different words.’
I believed her. ‘What about Melehan?’ I asked, recalling the odd name from the Zenith lists of names and numbers.
‘What’s that?’ Georgia said.
I could see she didn’t have a clue. ‘What about you guys?’ I asked, turning to Quan, Abbie and Sabina. No-one knew.
‘We didn’t make it to the top level like Georgia did,’ Quan said.
Georgia frowned. ‘And what’s this Mordred key you’re asking about?’
‘I wish we knew,’ I said. ‘Tell me exactly what Damien told you about what you were supposed to be doing after the training and the implants.’
Georgia looked uncomfortable, fingering the straight little scar on her arm beneath the tattoo. ‘We promised never to say anything.’
‘Georgia,’ said Sophie, her blue eyes kind, ‘a person who makes you promise about something bad doesn’t deserve such loyalty.’
‘But he said we would be doing such a good thing—helping to save the planet from exploitation and pollution. He said we would be like angels on earth, heralding a new age for the world. We would be helping to stop polluters.’
‘Exactly how was this going to happen?’ I asked.
‘That was totally secret. Our job was to get into our positions and wait for further instructions. He wouldn’t tell us anymore than that.’
‘Where were the “positions”?’ I asked.
‘For me, it was London. We were sworn to secrecy about our ultimate destination, so I don’t know who was going to what other places. I had a ticket to London, and money and a passport—well, I used to have them—but my rucksack’s gone on the submersible without me. I was told there would be another member of the Zenith team who would meet me there. Then we could open our sealed letters which would contain the address of a website we had to log onto for further information about the final stage.’
‘Do you know anything about the final stage?’
‘Not really. Apparently that information will be given to us—to them, once they log onto that website.’
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‘What about the modbots?’
‘I know they there were packed in everyone’s rucksacks. Damien said we’d be told what to do with them once we got our final instructions.’
So the modbots did play some part in Damien’s plan—but how?
I’d hoped for a bit more information than this. I still had no idea where they fitted in. They can organise themselves. I leaned back, trying to make sense of what Georgia was saying. A whole new element—the Arthur key—had suddenly come into play. Somehow, King Arthur and his knights did have something to do with Shadow Island. Damien was using their names as some kind of code to hide—what? A plan to save the world from pollution? I didn’t believe that for a second. And Georgia didn’t seem that convinced either.
Another earth tremor shuddered under my feet adding to my feelings of agitation and restlessness.
11:41 pm
‘Hey!’ Zak cried. ‘Did anyone else see that? A light flashing out at sea?’
I strained forward to see what he was talking about. Sure enough, there was the light again—one, two, three—quick flashes and then darkness. A few minutes later we saw the three flashes again. D’Merrick was signalling that she was heading our way!
I breathed a sigh of relief. As the minutes had ticked past, I’d become worried D’Merrick might not show. Help was finally on its way. But now I knew that I had to be sure Ryan was safe. Damn, I should have checked before. But there was still time.
‘OK guys,’ I said, as I flicked another text message to Ryan, ‘you go down to the beach and wait for D’Merrick.’
‘But what about you?’ Zak asked.
‘Yes,’ Sophie said, ‘aren’t you coming with us?’
‘I’m going to look for Ryan. If he’s been evacuated with the others, he’s safe for the time being. But I’ve got to be absolutely certain that he’s left the island. Don’t worry. I’ll join you as soon as I’m sure.’
I left them as they started to make their way through the jungle down to the beach while I split off, heading for the Paradise People Resort compound.
Paradise People Resort
11:48 pm
In the night sky, Shadow Island’s volcano threatened violence. A huge roar and a great fiery spurt of molten earth geysered up into the night sky, obliterating the stars. I coughed as the air filled with smoke and the smell of sulphur.
My feet flew along the jungle paths I knew so well now. But an unfamiliar sound stopped me in my tracks. I spun around, trying to locate the source of the whistling that grew louder in a split second. Too late, I looked up to see a shower of lava hurtling towards me. I dived under a large tree just as the molten rocks and splatterings of lava hit the ground behind me.
I was up and running again without hesitation—I was out of time.
It didn’t take long to get down to the fence that surrounded the compound. I was surprised to see the gates standing wide open but I guessed that there was no-one left to go in or out now. The place seemed completely deserted. Perhaps I was worrying unnecessarily and Ryan had already left safely on the ferry for the mainland. But I had to be sure.
As I looked to the beach, I saw the figures of my friends together with Georgia, Artemiz, Sabina and Quan, and the stooped figure of Dr Freeman bringing up the rear, making their way across the beach towards the small craft that was nearing, dimly visible in the fiery light of the volcano. Any minute now, D’Merrick would land. As if to reinforce my sense of urgency, the volcano ejected another sheet of fire into the night and the whole island trembled.
I raced to the sick bay and looked in the darkened room. The bed where Ryan had been ‘sick’ was upended on its side, bedding thrown everywhere and a lamp knocked over. What had happened?
Alarmed, my heart started to race as I retraced my steps and ran back to the open gates of the Paradise People’s empty resort. ‘Ryan! Ryan?’
An echoing silence was all I could hear. I called out again, running closer to the administration block containing Damien’s office. The doors downstairs were open wide and I ran inside, taking the metal steps two at a time, yelling his name at the top of my voice. Even Damien’s office door stood open. I ran inside to a scene of complete destruction. What on earth? The computers were smashed to pieces, furniture trashed on the floor. The rubbish bin was on fire and I could see the charred remains of paper files. Damien had destroyed all the evidence of his plan.
The volcano rumbled again and this time, the building wobbled in a terrifying manner. I grabbed onto shelving which came away in my hands. I rushed to the window that overlooked the beach. I needed to get down there fast or I’d endanger D’Merrick and everyone else as they waited for me.
Shadow Island Main Beach
11:57 pm
I sprinted as fast as I could for the beach. I’d get D’Merrick and the others to take shelter in the jungle and wait whilst I finished looking for Ryan. As I pushed through the last of the trees and came out at the far end of the beach, a blinding light from the resort tower behind me suddenly threw its harsh beam onto the sea, shining on D’Merrick in her boat. She was already standing up, manoeuvring her bulky little craft to the shore. There she stood, completely exposed, as she lifted her arm to shield her eyes from the searchlight’s harsh glare. What the hell was happening?
A sound in the bushes to my left made me swing around. Ryan was stumbling towards me onto the beach.
‘Thank goodness, bro,’ I said, about to rush to him. ‘You’re safe!’
He wasn’t.
Damien appeared behind Ryan, and I could now see the pistol he held to the back of my brother’s head.
‘Stop right there! Do exactly what I say, Cal,’ commanded Damien, a triumphant sneer on his face, ‘and your brother gets to live.’
Ryan’s eyes filled with fear.
A loud crack pulled my attention away for a split second and as I turned back to look at the others down the beach, I saw D’Merrick, her plait swinging wildly as she wobbled sideways, tumbled out of the boat and plunged into the sea. She’d been shot!
We had been betrayed. It had all been for nothing.
‘If you hurt my brother…’ I warned.
‘You’re in no position to threaten me,’ hissed Damien. ‘If you want to have any hope of getting out of here alive, you’ll do exactly as I say.’
He nudged my brother viciously with the barrel of the pistol. ‘The Ormond twins—completely at my mercy.’
He pushed Ryan further onto the beach.
‘Now that I have your undivided attention, let me tell you what’s going to happen next.’
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