by James Phelan
Sam crept through the shadows, scanning all the buildings he passed but they were all little cafes and stores that were probably at least another hour away from opening. Even the church with the tall bell tower he’d seen from across town was closed. He sunk further into the shadows as the voices of the men echoed across the plaza. He saw them split up—they’d go systematically around the square, checking the buildings’ fronts and would find him in less than a minute.
Where can I go?
Sam glanced around as he crept forward. He kept close to the wall behind him, staying in the gloom and skirting around the sides of the buildings.
A solution!
Sam crossed a walkway to where a ladder stretched up to a tiled roof. He climbed up, then scrabbled to the top of the roof on his hands and knees.
‘There!’ one of the men called out behind him. They were at the base of the ladder in no time, one of them starting to climb. Sam heaved the ladder away from the building, leveraging himself against the roof, sending the leader sprawling to the ground below.
PING! PING!
Darts began to hit the guttering and roof around Sam. He kicked out at the stacks of new tiles waiting to be laid, sending a mess of broken terracotta cascading around the men below. They were forced to retreat momentarily. Sam ran agilely up the roof, across the ridge and leaped down onto the next roof.
Ahead, in the breaking dawn, Sam saw that the roofs of the old quarter of town were all the same—covered in old tiles, their similar heights and slopes marking out a terracotta path ahead.
This place was custom-made for my escape!
Sam felt a surge of energy as he ran along the roofs, sticking to the tiled ridge lines, taking twists and turns until he was brought to a sudden halt, his arms flailing back so the forward momentum did not carry him over the steep drop.
A street cut through his roof-top runway, separating him from the next block. The drop was two storeys. Beyond the next row of apartments was the beach-side road that he’d taken from the hotel.
He looked back where he had come from. The men were following fast along the rooftops, now only a block away from where he stood.
Twenty seconds, tops …
Sam contemplated the option in front of him.
No way can I make the jump to the other side. My Stealth Suit can’t glide me over, there’s not enough of a drop to … hang on, my Stealth Suit!
Sam remembered Tobias briefing him on the upgraded suit he now wore. There were more special features—one in particular that would be very handy right about now.
He changed the suit to blend into his surroundings, concentrating hard on the pattern and colour of the terracotta tiles and pulling the material over himself to cover his head and hands. He was now partially invisible.
Thank you, Enterprise tech-heads.
He saw the two men stop as he disappeared. Sam knew it would only buy him a few minutes at best—as soon as he moved fast, the Stealth Suit, or more specifically his mind control, would struggle to match a rapidly moving background.
But as Sam watched, the men put on glasses, the lenses tinted light blue and it seemed as though they could see him as clearly as before. They continued to approach, more slowly now, realising Sam was trapped.
Uh-oh.
Two choices—drop down to the street and hope I don’t break a leg, or jump and hope I make it across to the next roof … and don’t break a leg.
The sound of running footsteps could be heard in the street below as the large guy who’d tripped over the fruit stall caught up to them. Sam could see him looking in the doorways and windows of houses in the street.
Jump, it is then.
Sam started rocking on his heels, forwards and back, trying his best to convince himself he could make it, then he launched forwards, flying through the air. His arms and legs flailed in mid-air and it felt like his world was in slow motion.
I’m gonna make it, I’m gonna make …
THUD!
12
EVA
The helicopter landed on another huge boat, its rotor blades whining to a slow stop. Eva could see this one was definitely no pleasure craft. Instead, it looked like an old freighter, the main deck cleared to create a makeshift helipad. Mac’s security guys began to file out immediately.
‘Wonder how far we’ve travelled?’ Eva asked Lora. They’d been in the helicopter for hours. She stretched her aching legs out in front of her as one of their guards nudged them towards the door.
‘OK, OK, I’m going,’ Eva muttered. Eva cast her eyes around the deck as she got out, but Mac was nowhere to be seen. He had departed the yacht in his own helicopter about half an hour before they were bundled into theirs.
‘It’s a long way to shore,’ Lora said out the corner of her mouth.
Eva nodded. ‘Take me an hour to swim that far,’ she said quietly. ‘Where do you think we are?’
‘I think we’re on the west coast—near Seattle,’ Lora said, looking towards the horizon. ‘Maybe even as far north as Vancouver.’
‘Really?’ Eva craned to see in all directions but the landscape looked unfamiliar.
If we’re back in my home town, it’s a part of town I never saw.
Their helicopter lifted off after taking on fuel, and almost instantly another came in to land, the wind kicked up by its rotors making Eva and Lora duck for cover. Eva, squinting against the wind and dust, watched as a short woman with wiry hair and round black glasses got out.
‘I don’t believe it!’ Eva gasped, transfixed as the woman walked towards the doors on the other side of the ship.
‘What is it?’ Lora asked. She looked at Eva and saw the recognition in her face. ‘You know this person?’
Eva nodded. ‘I do. That’s my aunt.’
‘Your aunt?’
‘Uh-huh. And she doesn’t exactly look like she’s been brought here against her will.’
Lora and Eva watched as the new arrival stepped into the main cabin at the back of the ship and a moment later they were ushered there too.
As they went inside, Eva saw that what looked like a dilapidated old freighter covered in rust and mismatched paint on the outside, was in fact a state-of-the-art ship on the inside.
Is nothing what it seems anymore?
Mac was waiting for them within. ‘Ah, we’re all here,’ he said, his ruddy cheeks and well-tailored clothes giving him a much more welcoming appearance than he deserved. Eva reminded herself he was a traitor and a kidnapper.
‘Eva, darling,’ the woman said, walking towards her. ‘So nice to see you again.’
‘I wish I could say the same, Aunt Julia,’ Eva replied.
Julia’s facial expression turned from friendly to hurt in a heartbeat. ‘Now, hold on a minute—’ she began.
‘Don’t you dare lecture me!’ Eva spat out. ‘Mac’s a kidnapper. And now I find out my aunt is his accomplice. Not that you even are my aunt!’
Julia flashed a dark look at Mac, who merely shrugged.
‘What can I say?’ Mac said. ‘They needed some persuasion to stay a little longer.’
Julia looked back at Eva and came up close to her. Eva was a little put off—she swore that there was concern showing in Julia’s eyes.
‘I am your aunt,’ Julia said. ‘Always have been, and always will be. My sister is your mother—and she misses you,’ she said. ‘Your parents went in hiding once the race began, worried that someone might use them to get to you.’
‘What do you mean?’ Eva said, curious in spite of herself.
‘I mean, if Stella got hold of your parents, they could be powerful bargaining chips.’
‘So you’re saying …’ Eva’s heart skipped a beat—she had loved her aunt, spending a lot of her school holidays with her, helping out in her garden for extra pocket money.
‘I’m saying that we’re on the same side, Eva,’ Julia said. She stepped forward to give Eva a tentative hug. Eva didn’t pull away but her face remained creased with doubt.
<
br /> ‘Then why are we being held hostage here?’ Lora asked.
‘You’re not,’ Mac replied. He looked around the room, there was now just the four of them. ‘Solaris reached out to me, so I went along with it.’
‘But,’ Lora looked puzzled, ‘what about the attack on the Dreamer Council in Paris?’
‘An elaborate ruse,’ Mac said. ‘Everyone is fine. Well, OK, maybe a few of them got a little roughed up, but certainly no-one was seriously injured. I needed to prove my loyalty to Solaris. And it worked.’
Lora looked like her whole world had crumbled around her. ‘Does the Professor know?’ she asked.
‘No. No-one knows but those of us in this room right now. I managed to release most of the Councillors but a few really are being held captive, which is an unfortunate necessity if I am to keep up my charade with Solaris. I have to make him think he has an alliance with me if I am to discover his plans.’
‘So, you’re saying that you’re on our side? This is just all a pretence? The Councillors in Paris, buddying up to Solaris, kidnapping us?’ Lora sounded unconvinced.
‘Yes,’ Mac nodded. ‘And it will all be worth it if it means we can defeat Solaris.’
But in the meantime, can we trust you, Mac?
13
SAM
Sam landed heavily on the cobblestones of the street, rolling through the crashlanding and into the wall of a terrace house. He tried to stand up quickly, but doubled back over and leant against the wall, breathing heavily in pain. He felt his extremities, wriggling his fingers and toes, stretching his neck.
At least I didn’t break a leg.
Sam could hear a strange hissing sound, and in the daze of his rough landing it took a moment to realise it was coming from him.
What the . . ?
Then he realised his Stealth Suit was rapidly deflating. It had inflated to break his fall and absorbed the impact, similar to an airbag in a car.
And I didn’t even have to think about it. Nice!
He got to his feet and looked down the street at the exact moment that the large guy who’d been chasing him turned his way. Their eyes locked and in that split-second they both recognised what it was they had to do.
Sam turned and ran, sprinting as hard as he could.
All I do … is run from … bad guys. Should make this an Olympic sport … I’d win a medal.
Despite his tiredness, Sam dug deep to run as fast as he ever had. The sun was now rising in the sky behind him as the hotel emerged in the distance ahead.
He risked a quick glance back. The guy was still there, not far behind. He wasn’t gaining, but he didn’t even look out of breath.
Gimme a break … how come the big guy’s not puffing?
Sam tripped and tumbled into a messy fall, grazing his hands on the cobbled road and ending up breathless on his back. He sprang back onto his feet, determined not to give up—but he was spent. He stumbled and collapsed as he fell over a group of bins.
Sam got up once more and scrambled along the street, willing himself to run, but barely managing to walk. He heard the patter of footsteps getting louder behind him. He turned to look back, seeing the silhouettes of three figures set against the rays of the blazing sun.
This is it. They’ve got me …
But as they neared, Sam realised that these weren’t the men who’d been chasing him.
These are Guardians!
They were coming to his aid with a very serious-looking Tobias close behind them.
‘I’m sorry about, well, sneaking out like that,’ Sam said to Tobias. They sat in their hotel suite, the Guardians side-by-side at the door.
‘You had me worried, Sam,’ Tobias said, clearly disappointed. ‘If you need to get out, if you’re getting cabin fever or feeling stifled, that’s fine, but let us know so that we can provide adequate security. OK?’
Sam nodded. ‘Where’d these guys come from?’ he said, gesturing to the Guardians.
‘Miami,’ Tobias said. ‘Well, they’re based there. When we checked into the hotel I put out an urgent call to see who was close by. They showed up just after you left, I’m guessing.’
‘But who were those guys chasing me? They didn’t look like Agents but they had Enterprise weapons.’
‘Local muscle,’ Tobias said. ‘Now in a local police cell.’
‘Is Stella expanding her empire?’ Sam asked with a frown.
‘Looks like she hired them and arranged to have them outfitted with Enterprise weapons and gadgets like these,’ Tobias said, inspecting a pair of the blue-tinted glasses that had enabled them to see Sam in his Stealth Suit. ‘She must have hired hands looking out for you everywhere now. Your ID is probably flagged at customs entry points throughout the world and when we came into the country, someone passed word along.’
‘The joys of being up against an evil mastermind …’
‘This is no joke, Sam,’ Tobias said. ‘She is evil. And you could have made things harder for everyone if they caught you.’
Sam nodded. He was sitting at the open window, looking down at the street below, now busy with people going about their morning business.
‘I’ve got something else to tell you,’ Tobias said after a long pause. ‘I received a call, from the Professor.’
‘Oh?’
‘It’s about Lora and Eva … they’ve been taken hostage.’
14
ALEX
‘It is so cool that I’m allowed to go,’ Alex said to his mother as they sat on a flight to Vancouver. Six Agents sat all around them.
Phoebe didn’t look happy to be accompanying Alex on a mission. In fact, she was flicking through a report, doing her best not to think about what danger might lie ahead.
‘I mean,’ Alex said, ‘it’s awesome that the Professor and Director—and you—trust me with this.’
‘Awesome,’ Phoebe said.
‘Yeah …’ Alex smiled as he looked around the cabin. People sat all around him in their seats, quietly filling in the flight time, oblivious to his mission.
If only they knew I’m heading off to help save the world. They’d all be thanking me.
‘What are you thinking?’ Phoebe asked.
‘What? Nothing.’
‘Nothing?’ she asked. ‘Then why are you smiling like a goose?’
‘Geese don’t smile,’ Alex said.
‘It’s a figure of speech,’ Phoebe replied. ‘Well, a figure of my speech, anyway.’
‘Well …’ Alex looked around and then said, ‘these people have no idea who I am, or who you are, or what we’re doing.’
‘That’s the way it should be,’ Phoebe said, before adding, ‘We have no idea who they are, or what they’re doing either.’
‘Yeah, but we’re on a mission to save lives,’ Alex countered, a bit annoyed that his mother didn’t share his enthusiasm for their important assignment.
‘Alex,’ Phoebe said, ‘they could be saving lives too. They could be doctors, nurses, firefighters, soldiers, teachers—’
‘Teachers?’ Alex snorted. ‘Please.’
‘You don’t think so?’ Phoebe said, her voice taking on an edge. ‘They impart knowledge, the most powerful of all things. And you don’t think that saves lives? It creates lives, it frees and expands the mind so that we can all have the chance to live out our destiny. The one you seem so eager to embrace.’
Alex was quiet for a while then said, ‘Geez, Mum, I was just saying, you know, that I’m actually on a mission at last. I’m going to do something that will help us all.’
Phoebe relented and smiled. ‘I hope so,’ she said, ‘but remember, Alex, it’s not a game and it’s not all about what you do. It’s as much about how you do it, how you carry yourself.’
‘Is that your way of saying “don’t get a big head” about the mission?’
‘That,’ Phoebe said, chuckling, ‘and just do what you can. This race is a marathon, not a sprint—we have a long way to go. You must be careful. If you really are one
of the last 13, you will need to be ready, and safe. OK?’
‘OK Mum,’ Alex said and tried to smile like a goose again. ‘OK, got it.’
15
SAM
‘What does Mac want?’
‘He wants you, Sam,’ Tobias replied. ‘Like everyone else out there, he wants you.’
‘And that’s it? In exchange for Lora and Eva?’
Tobias nodded. ‘Two lives for one.’
‘Let’s do it,’ Sam said, without hesitation. ‘Let’s go now.’
‘You know I can’t let you do that,’ Tobias said, smiling. ‘Though I admire your courage.’
‘But I want to,’ Sam said, standing by the door, ready to leave the room right there and then, to get to the airport and fly to Mac.
‘Sam, we’ve got everyone we can spare on the search to find them, and believe me, we will find them and bring them home safe.’
‘And what, in the meantime we just carry on as if they aren’t prisoners somewhere?’ Sam paced. ‘We look for Maria, or we head back to the Academy, to find parts of this machine while our friends are in trouble?’
‘We have a job to do,’ Tobias said, walking over to Sam. ‘And right now, it’s the most important job in the world. Lora and Eva are strong, you know that. And you know that they’d want you to continue doing what you are destined to do.’
‘Find the next Dreamer to get the next Gear,’ Sam said.
Tobias nodded.
‘What if we did trade, though, and you tracked me? I mean, if I don’t lead them to the next Dreamer, won’t that mean that they won’t find her?’ Sam said urgently. ‘And then we could go and join the mission to find Lora and Eva, then come back here to find Maria?’
Tobias shook his head.
‘Sam, they won’t be so easily tricked. Our enemies are in some ways capable of more than we are—or, rather, would do things we would never consider doing. We believe they can see into your dreams,’ Tobias said. ‘You know that, don’t you? Things have moved so fast that they are deploying every bit of dream tech ever invented, some of it highly dangerous to all Dreamers. It’s how they’re always close to us, aware of where we are and what we’re planning. This morning has just proved again that they won’t stop until they have you. They want to make you do what it is that you’re destined to do—but for them.’