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by Trish Moran

  ‘And if he poses any kind of a threat, we get rid of him. We’ll go and have a chat with him,’ Takir turned to Hugo. ‘Whatever happens, keep your head down and your mouth shut, boy!’

  Hugo nodded his head silently.

  A few days later Adam was making his way to his flat when two men approached him.

  ‘Angus!’ he beamed, holding out his hand, ‘and you must be Takir? Or Sanjit?’

  ‘Takir.’ The second man gave him a cold smile as he shook his hand briefly. ‘Care to join us for a ride, Adam?’

  The three men got into a black sedan with tinted windows and the car sped away.

  Takir looked around from the front passenger seat. ‘So you wanted to meet us, Adam.’

  ‘Yes, very much so. As I told Hugo, I believe we can work together. I’ve been very impressed with the research the boy is coming up with. I want to be involved.’ Adam leaned forward.

  ‘I thought you had settled in well with your Compound friends again, Adam,’ Angus looked at him in the rear view mirror.

  Adam sighed. ‘I’m just biding my time. You know I’ve always found their ambitions to be so limited. They sold their souls for a place in Non-Lab society. Labs and Hybrids are capable of so much more.’

  Angus glanced at Takir, whose face remained unreadable.

  ‘So what exactly have you got to offer us, Adam? We are managing our research very well without you, though I was impressed with the work you started with Angus,’ he said.

  ‘From what I hear from Abel and Celia, I know the Radicals have won over many of the Independent Lab groups …’ he began.

  ‘It’s only a matter of time before we win over all the Labs,’ Takir stated.

  ‘Except for the Compound Labs. And that’s where I come in.’

  Takir waited for him to continue.

  ‘You need someone you can trust on the Compound, someone who can gradually plant the idea with the Labs there that Abel is selling them out to the Non-Labs, and to get them on our side. I’ve already looked around to see which groups will be more vulnerable. The younger scientists, for example; it wouldn’t take much to sway their opinions.’ He smiled. ‘And you need someone mature who can make sure Hugo is a little more discreet.’

  Takir looked thoughtful as he signalled for Angus to stop the car. ‘We’ll be in touch, Adam.’

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  ‘You’re looking a lot better today, Celia,’ Adam commented as she walked into his house the next morning.

  ‘Celia!’ Hugo smiled. ‘I’m so glad you’re back. I’ve been working on the bone reconditioning and made some really interesting discoveries.’

  ‘Hugo, that’s incredible,’ she leaned over his shoulder to look at the screen. ‘How can you come up with these hypotheses without actual trials?’

  ‘Now we’ve set up the trials on mice, I think things are going to get even more interesting,’ Adam said.

  ‘Do you want to take a look at this, Celia? Just sit down here,’ Hugo pulled a chair over for her.

  She ruffled his hair. ‘I’m afraid I don’t really have the time at the moment. I’ve just come to tell you both that I’m going to Florida for a few weeks to stay with my family there. Isaac is outside waiting to take me to the airport.’ She saw a look of disappointment cross the boy’s face. ‘Look, if you email your findings to me, I’ll take a look later in the week, I promise.’

  He shrugged.

  ‘I really need this break,’ she said. ‘Hugo, when was the last time you saw your dad? You know it might be an idea to get in touch with him. He’d be so impressed if he could see what you have achieved already.’

  ‘He can’t be bothered to keep in touch with me, so I’m not going looking for him until I’m ready.’ He looked at her. ‘He will be impressed, I’m sure!’

  Celia hugged him. ‘Oh, Hugo. Don’t always work so hard. Take some time to just enjoy being a kid.’

  Adam watched the look of anger cross Hugo’s face as she ruffled his hair again.

  ‘And she just treats me like a kid! he complained to Ethan later that week.

  ‘Well, you are to her,’ his friend pointed out.

  ‘I’m a Hybrid! I’ve already proved my superior intellectual level academically. And I’ve proved that …’ Hugo stopped.

  Mariella looked at him. ‘What?’

  ‘Nothing!’ he stood up, shoulders slumped and hands pushed into his pockets. ‘You don’t understand, none of you. But you will one day!’

  He nearly bumped into Adam and Ginny as he walked away.

  ‘Hey, Hugo, what’s up?’ Ginny called out.

  ‘What’s wrong with him?’ Adam asked the others.

  Ethan explained the conversation.

  ‘With his superior IQ level, I think Hugo sometimes has trouble accepting his chronological age,’ Adam commented.

  ‘No Hugo today?’ Zig asked as she met Ginny after school at the end of the week. ‘I was going to ask if he’d like to come and look at the work Bailey has been doing on the GMT crop, see if he’d like to make any comments.’

  ‘No, he wasn’t in school yesterday either. And he hasn’t been to my dad’s house. Mum phoned his mum again because he keeps missing school; but she was rather vague. Mum says Yvonne probably doesn’t even know where he is herself.’

  ‘This isn’t the first time he’s taken a few days off, is it?’ Zig frowned. ‘Where does he go when he just disappears?’

  Swinging the huge office chair around away from the view of the Thames, Hugo gave Angus a sullen look. ‘When can I move out there with the others?’

  Angus smiled. ‘Be patient. We have been through this before. You’re not old enough to move over there permanently yet. And you are valuable to us on the Compound.’

  ‘Oh, yes. So I can play with mice while all the important work is been done over there with real people. Anyway, you have Adam on the Compound now, you don’t need me there.’ Hugo spun the chair around. ‘I’m sick of everyone treating me like a kid!’

  ‘I hate to point out the obvious, Hugo, but you are still a minor; in the eyes of the law anyway,’ Angus told him.

  ‘Stupid Non-Lab laws! If Celia and Abel and those others only knew …’ he began.

  ‘They won’t,’ Angus snapped, making Hugo sit up. ‘If you say anything about our research, there won’t be a Lab group that will go near you. The Radicals will make sure of that.’

  ‘No, no, of course not,’ he quickly replied. ‘I’m just frustrated, not being able to get on with the work I really want to do.’

  ‘I know. And it won’t be too long before you’ll be working with us in Romania. In the meantime, try to be patient and make yourself as useful as you can to us while you’re still on the Compound. Have they got any further leads on the mugging yet?’

  Hugo shook his head. ‘But I heard Isaac tell Celia they’re not going to give up.’

  ‘I can’t believe we didn’t factor in one of the Zoo members spotting the syringe mark. We’ve got to be a lot more careful.’

  That evening Hugo sat stony-faced on his bed as his mother spoke to him.

  ‘Try to understand, son,’ she pleaded. ‘You can’t just disappear without telling anyone, not even me, where you are going. It’s such a worry not knowing where you are.’

  He sighed. ‘I told you. I meet up with some friends. That’s it.’

  ‘Which friends? I want to meet them like I met Geoff and his family. They’re not from the Compound or school,’ his mother continued. ‘Dr Harrison was on the phone to me again, complaining about you missing too much school. She said maybe the Compound School isn’t the right place for you to be. Perhaps you should be looking at attending university full-time.’

  ‘No. I’d prefer to stay where I am at the moment,’ he answered. ‘My friends won’t be around for a while, so I’ll make more effort at school, OK?’

  His mother sighed as he turned back to his laptop screen.

  ‘That was a brilliant idea, Zig, getting Brit and Shiva invo
lved in the creative classes at the school!’ Jez said the following week.

  ‘Oh, I loved helping the little ones to bake cakes today,’ Ginny enthused. ‘They can’t wait until the next cookery lesson.’

  ‘Yes,’ Mariella said. ‘It was fun. I’m going to have a go at making cupcakes myself tonight.

  ‘Great!’ Hugo sneered. ‘Being able to make cupcakes is such a wonderful career opportunity.’

  ‘Oh, come on, Hugo! You know what they say about all work and no fun,’ Zig quipped.

  ‘I have no interest in what they say and even less in who they are.’

  The others exchanged looks as he stomped outside.

  ‘He’s really grumpy these days!’ Ginny remarked.

  ‘Oh, he just works too hard. Your mother will be here for you soon, Ginny. I think I’ll give him a lift home and a pep talk,’ Adam said. ‘He’ll be fine tomorrow.’

  Hugo was standing outside where Ethan was kicking a football around with Cam, Jez, and a few of the younger Hybrids as Adam joined him.

  ‘Nope, no sign of intelligent life around here,’ he muttered under his breath. ‘Get me out of here, Takir, before I go mad!’

  Adam noticed Jez freeze and the ball sailed past her into the net. ‘Come on, Hugo. I’ll drop you off home.’

  A cry went up from one of the young boys. ‘We won!’

  Throwing the ball to one of them, Jez nodded in agreement, grabbing Cam’s arm. ‘You win! Game over for today!’

  Inside the classroom she looked across at Zig. ‘Fancy a stroll?’

  She followed them outside and they headed towards the garden area.

  ‘What is it, Jez?’ she asked.

  She looked around and satisfied herself that they were alone before she told them what she had overheard. ‘Adam didn’t seem to notice, but I’m pretty sure Hugo said something about Takir.’

  ‘He’s involved with Takir?’ Zig let out a low whistle. ‘We need to speak to Abel right away!’

  They found Abel in the office and told him what Jez had heard.

  ‘That … would explain quite a lot,’ he said.

  ‘Dette said some time ago to keep an eye on the Hybrid children.’ Ruby sighed. ‘I had hoped she was wrong.’

  ‘So through Hugo we can find Takir, Angus and the Radicals. And find out if they were involved with the mugging and what they have planned with Celia’s blood sample,’ Isaac said softly. He looked at Abel.

  ‘How are we going to handle this?’

  ‘Let’s get Hugo in here straight away. Where is he now, Jez?’ he asked.

  ‘He left with Adam. He was going to drop him off home.’ she replied as Abel picked up the phone.

  Adam pulled up at his flat and both he and the boy got out. As he pulled the front door closed behind them he said, ‘Jez heard what you said, Hugo. You may have put everyone in danger!’

  ‘I didn’t mean …’ the boy began as Adam punched a number into his mobile.

  ‘Angus, you need to get Hugo out of here now! I think they’re on to him.’ He explained what Hugo had said and how Jez had reacted.

  Angus drew a sharp breath and swore. ‘OK. I’ll get on to Takir straight away. I’ve been pushing him to get Hugo over there as soon as possible, anyway. He was getting too impatient and becoming a danger to us here. Sanjit is due to fly out there this evening so Hugo can accompany him. Keep him with you until you hear from us.’

  Adam turned to the boy as the line went dead and repeated the conversation. Hugo was filled with both trepidation and elation. He was going to work in the Radical centre! Suddenly he bit his lip and blinked hard.

  ‘I need to get some stuff from home,’ his voice came out as barely a whisper.

  ‘I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Hugo,’ Adam began. At that moment his phone rang. Adam glanced at the screen.

  ‘Abel, hi. I don’t often get calls from you,’ he said, signalling Hugo to remain silent. ‘Hugo? Yes, I dropped him off near the bus station just ten minutes ago, said he was meeting up with a friend. I gather he was planning on going home in an hour or two as he promised to email me some websites he thought I’d be interested in later today.’

  ‘How has he been acting lately, Adam? Have you noticed anything strange in his behaviour?’ Abel asked.

  Adam chuckled. ‘No more moody and argumentative than usual. I assume Hybrids are affected by puberty, just like Non-Labs are. It must be worse for a Hybrid with a mature brain and a teenager’s body.’

  ‘Well if you hear from him, please give me a call, OK?’ Abel continued.

  ‘Hey, he’s not in any trouble or anything, is he?’ Adam sounded concerned.

  ‘No, nothing like that, I’d just like to chat to him about his school attendance and see how he’s getting on.’

  ‘I’ll let him know if I see him, Abel,’ Adam hung up and dialled a second number.

  ‘Hello, Yvonne. It’s Adam. Is Hugo home yet?’

  ‘No,’ his mother replied, ‘In fact Abel was just around here looking for him himself less than ten minutes ago. I wasn’t really expecting him back until this evening.’

  ‘Thank you, Yvonne. I’ll call back later. It’s nothing urgent.’

  He turned to Hugo. ‘You have a couple of minutes to collect some belongings from home. But you’ll need to be quick.’

  Adam parked the car around the corner from the house and scanned the area. ‘Remember, you must be quick. Abel could call back here, or one of the others from the Compound.’

  Hugo nodded and hurried to his front door, struggling to get the key in the lock.

  ‘Hugo, is that you? You’re back early,’ he heard his mother’s voice from the lounge. Smiling, she looked up from the ironing board. ‘What a nice surprise, I wasn’t expecting you until this evening.’

  ‘I’m not staying. I just called by to get something,’ he replied. He walked up to her and put his arms around her waist. ‘I love you, Mum.’

  ‘Oh, Hugo, it’s not often I hear that from you! I love you too, sweetheart.’ She smoothed his hair back from his forehead. ‘You may be one of the cleverest people in the country, but you’ll always be my little boy.’

  He moved away from her. ‘I’d better get that file. See you.’

  As he walked upstairs, his mother called to him, ‘Adam’s been on the phone and Abel has been around looking for you. You haven’t been missing school again, have you, son?’

  ‘No,’ he replied. ‘I just need to catch up on some work.’

  He grabbed a bag in his bedroom and pushed a handful of clothes into it. He packed papers and several memory sticks into his laptop bag, then with a quick look around he ran downstairs. His mother walked into the hall to see the door closing behind him.

  ‘Hugo, what time will you …?’ she began.

  ‘Bye, Mum.’ With a quick smile he pulled the door closed. He ran down the street and back to the waiting car. Adam glanced at the boy’s white knuckles as he gripped his bag tightly.

  ‘Are you OK?’ He received a brief nod and a muffled reply. ‘Takir is sending the car to my flat in fifteen minutes. You’ll be flying out as Sanjit’s grandson. He has all the paperwork organised. They’ll sort you out with clothes and anything else you need out there.’

  A short while later he watched as Hugo climbed into the black sedan. He squeezed his shoulder.

  ‘Take care of him, Takir.’

  ‘Of course, he’s a valuable member of the team. And he won’t be able to jeopardise our research over there! We’ll be in touch, Adam.’

  With that the car sped away. Hugo hunched in the back seat, looking every bit a frightened boy. Then, closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and sat up straight. His face seemed to turn to stone as Takir met his eyes in the mirror.

  ‘This is it, Hugo. There’s no room for baggage if you’re working with us.’

  MIRROR IMAGE

  What happens when unscrupulous people take technology into their own hands?

  When fifteen-year-old Stella
runs away from home she comes across a group of teenagers living in a hidden camp. They are the Labs – clones secretly made to replace the body parts of the rich and famous – who have escaped the sinister Centre where they were created.

  The group blends into human culture with Stella’s help. But the Centre is looking for them and there are still clones inside, facing certain death once they are no longer useful.

  Once the truth about the Centre’s work is uncovered, the Labs hope they will finally have justice.

  Can Stella and her friends find a voice in their struggle for equality?

  Proudly published by Accent Press

  www.accentpress.co.uk