Kano called a meeting, interrupting the lesson. Anja phoned Jabez so he could be included in the discussion. She put him on speakerphone and placed the phone in the middle of the table. “Guys, I haven’t got long,” Jabez’s voice came out of the phone’s speaker.
Anja leaned forward so Jabez could hear her, “We have a plan. We’ll take a train to the Husington Tower but we’re going to need fast transport out of the area after we’ve got the documents.”
There was a pause as Jabez thought it over.
“Alright,” he finally said. “Just send me a text when you need to be picked up and I’ll get someone to do it. Depending on what you find we’ll then figure out what to do next.” He paused. “When are you actually going to break-in?”
Kano answered, “In four days, on Sunday. We’ll head out the day before.”
Silence from the other end of the call. Finally, Jabez spoke, asking questions about the logistics of the plan. Kano answered them. His eyes kept flicking to Anja whenever Jabez spoke. She just kept her eyes firmly on the phone.
“If everything goes well then we’ll get out undetected,” Kano said, “but knowing us it won’t. So, we’ll need the car ready the second we get out.”
“I said I’d have the car ready and I’ll have it ready,” Jabez snapped back, his voice suddenly cold.
“All right…” Anja dragged out the word. “I think we’ve got everything sorted out.” She quickly grabbed the phone, by the look on Kano’s face, he was close to smashing it. “Thanks, Jabez.”
She hung up, then spun around, facing the group. “Four days! When did we discuss that?”
“We discussed it while we were making the plans. And you were strolling through hayfields or some shit,” Faye sneered, staring Anja down.
“There’s no point in putting it off,” Saskia piped up.
Anja turned to her brother. “Did you know?” Rufus shrugged apologetically.
Faye continued, “We knew you’d want to postpone as long as you could, so we just didn’t tell you.” Her smile was pure joy.
“Yes, I would have, because this can’t go wrong.”
“It won’t,” said Miles. “We can do it.”
Anja knew she wasn’t going to win the argument so she fell silent, letting Kano go over the plan until everyone knew it off by heart. Slowly she began feeling more confident that things wouldn’t go wrong.
There was just one part of the plan that didn’t seem to work. Anja finally spoke up. “We can’t get in without an ID card. How are we going to get around that problem?”
Kano smiled. “We’re going to make one. “
Anja knew where this was going. “Hell no,” she said flatly. “I can’t do that.”
“Yes, you can.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think you understand. They can’t be made, trust me, it’s impossible.” She began ticking reasons off her fingers, “I’d need the materials, the machine to make it, and don’t even get me started on figuring out how to program it on my new laptop.”
“I’ve got a plan,” said Kano.
Faye scoffed. “Of course. Kano always has a plan.”
“Thank goodness, because no one else ever does,” Saskia retorted.
Kano ignored them and kept his eyes on Anja. “You’re right, it would be impossible to get all those things. But we don’t need to go and get any of them because they’re already available to us.” Everyone looked confused. “You’ve all been there…”
“Yay, another riddle.” Faye rolled her eyes. “Go on then, tell us.”
“We’re going to break into the Information Centre and make one.”
Anja’s mouth fell open. She wanted to tell him it was still impossible but she was starting to see the idea in his mind. It could work…
“Thoughts?” said Kano.
Everyone looked at Anja. She cleared her throat. “I think it’s doable.”
Miles began dramatically clapping and Saskia whooped.
She continued, “But we’ll need to go break into the Information Centre tonight if we have any chance of getting the ID card in time to break into the Husington Tower.”
Kano nodded. “Then let’s go.” He got up from the table and started putting on his shoes. “We only need Anja and me for this one. The rest of you stay here.”
Anja and Kano were about to leave when Rufus interrupted. “Why can’t I go?”
The room went silent. Saskia scrunched up her face, cringing.
“Because it’s too dangerous!” Anja glared her brother down. “If anything happ—”
“Nothing is going to happen. I want to go. I’ve been stuck in this musty-smelling barn for too long and I’m fed up with you guys having all the fun. And I’m a freaking Sorcerer!”
“You’re also my little brother, and until you can control your powers, I’m not putting you in more danger!”
Kano cut in before Rufus could reply. “I think you should come with us.” Anja glared at him. He held up his hands in a sign of peace. “He can get the shopping for Saskia done while we do the law-breaking stuff. He’ll be safe.”
“But—”
“Anja, if he doesn’t leave with us, you know he’ll just go on his own.”
Rufus gave her a cheeky grin that confirmed it. “Alright then, let’s go.” He clamped his hands together in victory.
* * *
They collected the car, which was hidden in a small barn next to the main one.
“If you’re being a reckless sister today could you also let me drive?” asked Rufus, laughing even before he’d finished his request.
“No.” She quickly moved into the front, while Kano took the driver’s seat.
“Does the radio work?” Rufus leaned forward in between the two front seats. Kano shook his head. “What a shame, I’ll just have to bless you with my voice instead.”
And with that, he began belting out some lines of a song. He was almost as bad at singing as Miles. Almost.
Anja’s hands covered her ears. Kano’s head lifted as he laughed.
“You find this funny?” Anja shouted over the noise, hands still over her ears.
“Don’t you?”
“No, I find it painful!”
But Anja couldn’t hide her grin.
* * *
They parked the jeep just outside the city, where a stolen vehicle was less likely to be noticed.
The three of them got out and began walking to one of Okland’s markets. The walk took forever, with the group moving slower thanks to the wet, muddy ground.
Rufus’s constant talking made it almost unbearable. He asked Kano every question he could ever need to know.
“Does he always talk this much?” Kano asked Anja under his breath.
“This is nothing. You should see him when he’s had caffeine.”
Kano blew out a breath, looked at her and smiled.
“What?” Anja stopped laughing as she noticed him analysing her.
“Nothing,” he replied, looking away.
Rufus split from them both to walk the rest of the way to the market, as he was almost out of earshot he shouted over his shoulder,
“Have fun on your date, guys!”
Anja ignored him and set off in the direction of the Information Centre.
Kano kept going over the plan in a whispered voice, Anja nodding along at every step to show she was listening. At last, they turned a corner and caught sight of the building. “There,” Anja whispered, pointing to the building she remembered so well. The lights were still on inside. She checked her watch, “Fifteen minutes until they leave.” All that was left to do was wait for the staff to close up the building. They sat on a bench, facing the building, waiting for it to close.
While they waited Anja pulled the laptop Jabez had gifted her from her backpack and connected it to the centre’s wireless internet. After she did that it didn’t take her long to access the system and gain control. She shut down the cameras, disabled the security system on the door,
and disconnected the movement sensors.
Kano nudged her. “They just locked up,” he muttered from the corner of his mouth, “it’s time to move.”
In unison they approached the centre, casually glancing to either side, checking to see if anyone was watching.
While Anja was approaching the building, she pulled out the kit from her pocket and slid two metal lockpicks into her right hand. Faye had lent her a kit that had everything she would need to pick the lock on the door. With the security measures down, the coast was clear for them to break in. They moved around the side of the building to the backdoor.
“Ready?” Kano asked, glancing around.
“Ready,” she echoed.
Anja crouched down by the door. She put tension on the pry bar while sliding in a tool shaped like an arrowhead. She felt the tumblers moving. Her breath caught, knowing she was close.
“Can you do this any faster?” Kano muttered, glancing behind his shoulder.
“Not with you interrupting.”
“I see Faye taught you more than just lockpicking,” Kano added, laughing under his breath at her irritation.
With one last jolt the handle relaxed and with her shoulder she pushed the door open.
“This would’ve been a lot easier if the door had been automatic,” she huffed, rising from the floor. They both rushed inside and moved behind the receptionist’s desk. Anja ran to the nearest computer and turned it on.
Anja was at a disadvantage because she didn’t have her old laptop which contained her hacker toolkit that she used to crack passwords. She tried finding a backdoor through the passwords but nothing was working. The computer was well protected.
She blew a piece of hair out of her eye. Frustration was rising inside of her.
Kano came up behind her, holding the glass panes needed to make the ID in his hand, “How’s it going?”
Anja shook her head, her eyes not leaving the screen.
Finally, she sunk back into the chair and huffed,
“It’s not working. I thought I could do this but I was wrong.”
Kano knelt down by her side, “Take a second to think. You can do this. Don’t forget that you’re the girl who found her brother when everything was stacked against her and then proceeded to break five criminals out of their cells. You may not have faith in yourself but I have faith in you.” He placed his hand on hers. “Now tell me how I can help.”
She took a shaky breath in before replying, “They might have written the password down.” Anja paused. “The weakest point in a system is often the stupidity of its users. I know the password begins with a three because I saw them type it when I was last here, but I didn’t see the rest.”
He grinned, “Only you could remember something like that. Anja Scravers, you’re truly amazing.” He squeezed her hand before jumping to his feet. She continued to try to find a way around the password but the system just kept locking her out. Kano dug around inside the drawers and cupboards in the back. Time was ticking slowly by.
“Anja!” Kano waved an orange post-it note above his head.
It had a six-digit code on with the word, “password” written in large letters above it.
“Are you kidding?” she sighed.
He rushed to her and held it out so she could see the numbers clearly. She typed them into the computer and watched as it unlocked.
“You did it!” Anja shouted. She held her palm up and they high-fived. “Now give me a second to figure this system out.”
He stepped back, giving her space.
It didn’t take her long to understand how it all worked. She created a fake Okland employee and added them to the system. After a few more keystrokes the printer started up. Kano placed the blank ID card in the printer. Seconds later a new one spat out. Kano rushed to grab it, slipping it into his pocket. Anja sat frozen, her mind buzzing from the excitement.
We did it.
Kano placed his hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her trance. Together they exited the building.
They made their way back onto the streets and began walking away from the building.
“We actually had time to kill.” Kano chuckled.
“Oh, thanks for letting me know now.” Anja rolled her eyes, shoving Kano, who was still smiling.
Anja’s heart kept pounding, her mind still buzzing. The street she was rushing down seemed to be closing in on her but she managed to calm herself by writing code in her head. She imagined she was trying to access a website’s core code. Lines of code flooded her head, her hands tapping her leg, mimicking her writing pattern.
Rufus was already at the car, bags full of shopping arranged by his feet. They piled in and Kano started driving straight away, eager to leave the city.
Anja’s breath began coming quicker and she couldn’t stop the tears that ran down her face. Her head was pounding, and her lips were tingling.
Kano kept looking in the wing mirror to make sure they weren’t being followed. He turned towards Anja, “Are you okay?” he asked.
Her heart was pounding so hard against her chest that Anja thought she might faint, or throw up, she couldn’t tell. Getting any words out was a struggle so she remained quiet, distracted by the pain in her head.
Kano and Rufus sounded muffled and distant. She couldn’t catch her breath to tell them that she thought she was going to throw up. Thoughts flashed through her head. The worry and pressure had built up and now it was too much for her to handle. She tried writing code in her mind but it was all jumbling together. Tears rolled down her face. She couldn’t slow down her thoughts or her breathing. She squeezed her eyes shut to try and block out the world.
“What’s happening to her?” Rufus asked, his eyes not leaving his sister.
“She’s having a panic attack.” Kano‘s voice sounded like muttering to Anja. “You need to breathe. Anja, focus on my voice.”
She stopped fighting the thoughts and focused on what Kano was saying. Slowly Kano’s voice started to make more sense and she could feel Rufus’s hand on her shoulder. Her heartbeat returned to normal and her vision cleared.
“Anja?” Kano took one hand off the wheel of the car and placed it over her hand.
“I’m fine.”
She wasn’t fine, but Anja couldn’t find the words to explain. She went quiet, looking out of the window to calm her sickness.
Both the boys kept quiet, letting her focus on the world outside.
* * *
The barn was a welcome sight, and they all trudged in without a word. Anja’s body felt heavy and exhaustion washed over her.
“We got the ID card,” Kano said, dumping the shopping bags onto the table. “And we weren’t followed.”
Miles, Faye, and Saskia moved forward and began unpacking the bags and sorting out their contents.
Anja’s head was pounding, but she tried to join in with the other’s conversation. They were all around the table admiring the card she’d made.
Kano stood by her side. “You should rest.”
She nodded, lacking the energy to speak.
Her head was pounding, so on her way upstairs, she ducked into the kitchen to get some water. Faye slipped in behind her. “You’re going to need something a bit stronger.” She held out a silver flask. “Enjoy.”
Anja took a sip, silently hoping the liquor was not poisoned.
Chapter Twenty
Miles popped his head around the door. “You should really come and see this!”
Anja jumped up from her bed and followed him downstairs where the others were standing around the phone.
The screen displayed a news report, stood in the centre of the screen was a smartly dressed news reporter, her black hair cut into a short bob. Her voice leaked out of the crackly speakers,
“We have an update on the anti-Sorcerer mob that planned and executed an attack on two Okland residents. We can confirm that the couple are Mr and Mrs Jiang, who are known Sorcerer supporters. Earlier this year they were found to be i
llegally housing a Sorcerer, who was on the run for using his powers openly. The couple’s apartment was broken into by the mob earlier yesterday morning and they were killed soon after. The head of police has issued a statement, it reads, ‘We do not condone this behaviour, but it is clear to us that Mr and Mrs Jiang were openly against the government’s restrictions on those who possess magic. The Sorcerer Special Unit looked into it and have closed the case, and they will be focusing their attention on more deserving issues.’”
Kano, Miles and Saskia’s heads all snapped towards Faye, who was already grabbing the car keys and the gun.
“What is it?” asked Rufus, staring at the group as they sprung into action.
“Those are Faye’s parents,” Saskia whispered as she ran after Faye. Everyone else hurried to follow.
When they arrived at the car Anja turned to her brother and shouted over the engine, “Rufus you’re staying here.” She jumped in before her brother could yell back his argument.
“I’ll stay with him,” Saskia said quickly.
“Keep him out of trouble,” Anja called as Saskia hopped out of the car just before it started moving.
They drove off straight away, with Faye and Kano in the front and Miles and Anja in the back.
A while into their journey Anja leaned over to Miles. “What is the Sorcerer Special Unit?” she whispered to him.
“They are trained in finding Sorcerers and their supporters and punishing them.”
Anja’s stomach twisted, her gaze turned to the world outside the car. All around them were towering skyscrapers, glistening in the sun.
* * *
The building they parked next to was one of the largest and least well-kept. It had towering grey pillars and small hexagon windows.
Before anyone had time to speak Faye was out and running towards the building, the gun tucked into her belt. The others ran after her but up ahead Faye was halted by a bored, portly policeman. She began to yell, her left hand reaching behind her to grab her weapon.
Miles swore. “Alright, time for a distraction,” he muttered, sucking a breath in. Miles bolted forward, yelling at the top of his lungs, “Let Sorcerers be free. Unleash their powers!” The policeman stared at him, and then shoved Faye aside to run after Miles.
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