Palmer questioned her. ‘Did he seem strange?’ she asked.
‘Not at all,’ Ebony said.
‘How about nervous?’
‘No.’
‘Has he ever expressed any particular hatred for The Agency?’
No more than any of us, Ebony thought.
‘No,’ she said.
‘Any strange calls?’
‘No.’
‘None?’
‘Who would ring us?’ Ebony asked. ‘We only know each other.’
Dan spoke. ‘This all started when Brodie went missing,’ he said.
Agent Palmer considered this. ‘In that case, her disappearance has escalated into something far bigger.’
‘Like what?’ Dan asked. ‘What’s going on?’
The agent considered her words carefully. ‘Axel has broken into a vault below the complex and stolen a weapon,’ she said. ‘A very dangerous weapon. How he came to know of it is a mystery. What he intends to do with it is also a mystery.’ She drummed her fingers on the desk. ‘I can only assume that Axel has been turned.’
‘Turned?’ Ebony asked. ‘Into what?’
She had images of him morphing into a bug.
‘By a foreign power,’ the agent said. ‘He’s a traitor.’
‘That’s ridiculous!’ Ebony snapped.
‘He’d never do such a thing,’ Dan said. ‘He’d never betray us.’
‘But it appears he has.’
The voice came from a man in the doorway behind them. It took Ebony a moment to recognize Twenty-Two.
Agent Palmer looked flustered. ‘Twenty-Two,’ she said, flustered. ‘I was about to file a report—’
He shook his head. ‘Don’t worry about your reports, Agent Palmer. Matters would seem to be moving rather more quickly than that.’ He regarded Ebony and the others with an even gaze. ‘I think I’d like to hear about the day’s events from our young friends.’
For what now seemed like the hundredth time, Ebony related what had happened as the alien listened in silence.
He began. ‘So it would seem that Brodie and Axel have betrayed us—’
‘That would never happen!’ Dan said.
‘—or Axel is being blackmailed,’ Twenty-Two said.
‘Blackmailed?’ Ebony asked. ‘With what?’
‘With Brodie. She may have been kidnapped.’
Ebony let the idea sink in. She found it hard to imagine that Brodie could be kidnapped. She was so powerful, after all. Yet any of them could be overcome under the right circumstances. She could have been taken by surprise, or one of those zeno rays used on her.
‘No matter what the situation,’ the alien continued, ‘we must treat Axel as a hostile force.’
‘Hostile?’ Dan said.
‘Until his loyalty can be verified,’ Twenty-Two said, ‘Axel must be treated as an enemy of The Agency.’
‘That’s not fair!’ Ebony said.
‘Life is often unfair. I must ask you to remain in the compound until this situation is resolved.’
‘But we haven’t done anything!’
‘You must remain here for your own protection.’ Twenty-Two turned to Agent Palmer. ‘Continue with your investigations. The Stonekiller must be recovered at all costs.’ He gave everyone a final nod before leaving the room.
‘What’s the Stonekiller?’ Ebony asked.
With a weary sigh, Agent Palmer described the weapon to them.
Dan sighed. ‘Axel would have no reason to steal it,’ Dan said. ‘What would he do with it?’
‘It’s not what he’d do with it,’ Palmer said. ‘It’s what a foreign power would use it for.’
‘But—’ Ebony began.
The agent held up a hand. ‘That’s all for now,’ she said. ‘You’re confined to the compound. Whether Axel and Brodie have turned or are acting under duress, we need to keep you under lock and key until this situation is resolved. Our security cameras show Chad was in pursuit of Axel. I assume he’ll be returning shortly. The same rules will apply to him.’
There seemed to be very little to say after that. Ebony led the others from the room. She remained silent until they reached the concourse.
‘We’re going to find Brodie and the others,’ she said.
‘But Agent Palmer said—’ Dan began.
‘Forget Agent Palmer! We’re not trained sheep! It looks like Brodie’s been kidnapped, and Axel is trying to save her. And why hasn’t Chad returned?’
‘Chad often acts in a highly independent manner,’ Ferdy said. ‘Sometimes, he is a painful individual.’
‘He is still your friend.’ Ebony laid a hand on his arm. ‘He still cares about you.’
‘Ferdy knows this,’ the boy acknowledged. ‘We must help our friends.’
‘Absolutely,’ Ebony said. ‘Now we just need to find a way out of here.’
Dan started. ‘But Agent Palmer said—’
‘I don’t care,’ Ebony said. ‘We’re escaping. We’ll steal a Flex Fighter and fly it right out of here.’
Chapter Twelve
The last light of day creased the horizon as the Tagaar fighter ship slowly descended into the valley. The craft had been invisible during flight, but now the cloak was deactivated for landing. Dust and desert scrub were blown about by the exhaust of the ship as it settled onto the dry earth. The rear opened, and Graal stepped down the ramp, flanked by a team of warriors.
The Tagaar leader scanned the landscape. They’d spotted a long dirt road from the air and followed it to the abandoned shack with its leaning porch and broken windows. T’bar, his second in command, appeared at his side. They drew their weapons as they peered into the gloom.
‘Is this the place?’ T’bar looked about. ‘There seems to be nothing here.’
‘This is the place,’ Graal said, remaining motionless as his men fanned out into the surrounding desert to circle the shack. ‘A signal has been emanating from here for days.’
‘It can’t be an accident,’ T’bar said.
‘It’s no accident.’
Graal shivered, not from fear, but from the cold. This air was too chilled for a Tagaar warrior! His people needed hot, steamy environments in which to flourish. The climate of this world was unnatural—it even had ice at its poles! The Earthlings were in the process of heating its atmosphere, but it couldn’t happen fast enough as far as he was concerned. That process would accelerate once the planet had fallen under Tagaar control.
The sooner, the better, he thought. The empire must expand. An empire that does not grow is destined to die.
‘You’ve come a long way,’ a voice called from the darkness.
His men opened fire.
A deafening roar filled the valley as laser blasts struck the shack. Within seconds the windows and walls were demolished, and it was possible to see straight through the structure. Several more seconds passed as Graal screamed to make himself heard.
‘I gave no order to fire!’ he roared.
The weapons fire drew to an untidy halt as Graal shook his head. The Tagaar were born and bred to fight. It had been their way of life for millennia. Unfortunately, it meant they sometimes shot first and asked questions later.
‘We were called here for a reason,’ he said. ‘I wanted to discover that reason.’
‘I’m pleased to hear that,’ the voice spoke again.
Graal and his men looked warily about in confusion.
A woman appeared at Graal’s side. She seemed to appear from thin air. His men raised their weapons but then cried out. Graal looked at them in dismay.
They were pointing their guns at their own heads!
What in Bruuk’s name is going on?
‘I have temporarily taken control of your men,’ the woman said.
‘Who are you?’ Graal asked.
‘I’m Morgan Le Fay. I wish to speak to you about the future of this planet.’ She walked around him as if examining a sculpture. ‘We both know that change is in the air.’
‘What are you? Are you human?’
‘What I am is unimportant,’ she confirmed. ‘You may think of me as a hunter; my fellow humans are the hunted.’
That was a concept Graal could appreciate. He introduced himself. ‘We are the Tagaar,’ he said. ‘We have come to this world—’
‘I know why you’ve come to this world,’ Morgan said. ‘I’ve been aware of your species for centuries, as indeed I am of the Union of Planets.’
‘Then you know our intentions are peaceful.’
Morgan’s laughter rang out long and high across the desert sands. Graal felt rage burning within him. He did not like to be laughed at—especially by a human. And a woman at that!
‘Peaceful?’ Morgan asked. ‘You must think me a fool. The Tagaar are one of the most warlike races in the galaxy. I know your tactics of disruption and eventual colonization of worlds. I know your only desire is to conquer this planet.’
‘You seem to know a great deal,’ Graal said, glancing at his men who still held their guns against their heads. ‘I will ask you to release my men. They will not harm you.’
Morgan made a motion with her hand.
‘Your men are free.’
The men lowered their weapons uncertainly.
‘We received your signal—’ Graal started.
‘As I knew you would.’
‘—and so we are here. What is it you desire?’
‘What makes you think I desire anything?’
‘Everyone desires something.’ The desert was growing colder by the moment. ‘Is it gold? Or gems? Or—’
‘I do desire something,’ Morgan said. ‘I have lived a long time, and I have seen a great many things.’
‘And yet?’
‘I have outgrown this world. The time has come for me to leave.’
‘I see.’ Graal considered the woman’s words. ‘You need a ship.’
She smiled. ‘A starship,’ she said. ‘I like traveling. Visiting distant lands. Meeting new people. Consuming them.’
‘Consuming—’
‘Never mind.’ The smile broadened. ‘Let’s make a deal.’
‘What do we get in return?’
‘This planet.’
‘We could conquer this planet if we wished,’ Graal said. ‘We have conquered many worlds. We have expanded our empire to make it the most powerful in the galaxy.’
‘That’s a lie, and you know it,’ Morgan said. ‘The League is more powerful than you, but they are constrained by their own moral principles. They will attack you if you attack the Earth.’
‘We are powerful—’
Morgan cut him off. ‘You’re powerful, but it is easier to be welcomed here as heroes than as enemies. You want this world in so much disarray that the human race will beg for your assistance.’
‘You seem to know us well.’
‘Too well,’ the woman said. ‘I have the power to bring this planet to its knees. There will be widespread panic. Governmental collapse. Societal collapse. Then you can arrive at the right time to come to its aid. The Tagaar will be welcomed as heroes.’
‘How long will this take?’
‘Days.’ Morgan paused. ‘To make this happen, I need a small component from one of your ships. A quantum resonator.’
‘I’m not familiar with that piece of equipment.’
She described it to him.
T’bar stirred at his side. ‘I know the device to which she refers,’ he offered.
Graal considered the plan. The campaign was estimated to take months. Now an opportunity had fallen into his lap to get the same result in a fraction of that time. And if this woman failed, he still had his other plan in motion.
And all of this for a starship, Graal thought. That’s a small price to pay for a world.
‘Is it a deal?’ Morgan asked.
The woman held out her hand. Graal stared at it blankly until he realized she wanted to link her hand with his own. He took her hand, expecting it to be warm, but instead found it icy cold.
‘It is a deal,’ Graal said.
The night closed in around them.
Chapter Thirteen
‘That’s impossible,’ Dan hissed. ‘How are we going to steal a Flex Fighter?’
‘Few things are impossible,’ Ferdy said. ‘Stealing a Flex may be difficult, but it is entirely possible.’
‘And then what? We still need to find Brodie and the others.’
‘You’ll have to use your mind-reading trick,’ Ebony said. ‘We’ll use you as a human metal detector to track down Brodie and the others.’
‘I’m not sure—’
‘Well, I am,’ Ebony interrupted. ‘Come on.’
One of the many tunnels leading into the compound was a service tunnel filled with Flex aircraft. While they usually didn’t depart from here, Ebony had noticed the craft were often kept here when not in use.
‘This is a maintenance area,’ Ferdy said.
The Flex vessels were in various states of repair, with maintenance staff working on several of them. Ebony led the others through the maze of ships until they reached a quiet corner. The back door of one ship lay open, and they crept inside. Ferdy positioned himself behind the controls.
‘Uh, Ferdy,’ Dan said. ‘Are you sure you should be doing that?’
‘Doing what, Dan?’ Ferdy asked.
‘Shouldn’t we just set the Flex to automatic?’
‘That plan will not work,’ Ferdy said, manipulating a few controls before levering part of the console free. ‘First of all, the automatic controls have been disengaged so that the craft cannot be stolen.’
‘Oookaaay,’ Ebony said.
‘That is a standard Agency procedure.’
‘Right.’
‘Secondly, Ferdy must disengage the transponder so we cannot be tracked,’ Ferdy continued. ‘This vehicle seems to have suffered from an issue with its navigation system, although its other systems are fully operational.’
‘Hmm.’
‘Thirdly…’
‘Yes, Ferdy.’
‘The eighteenth element on the periodic table is argon.’
‘Er…’
‘That is a joke,’ Ferdy added. ‘Ferdy made a joke.’
‘Ha ha ha,’ Ebony said, hoping that Ferdy knew what he was doing. ‘Look, I really have to ask you—’
‘Ferdy’s friends must sit down,’ Ferdy said. ‘Security guards are approaching.’
‘Oh, great,’ Ebony said.
They sat, and Ferdy started the engines of the Flex Fighter. It rose up, swayed unnervingly from side to side as Ebony gripped her seat in panic. Ferdy accelerated the vessel, and they veered into a tunnel. Ebony glimpsed a wall whizzing past. Then Dan’s face. He’d gone pale as he desperately tried to fasten his seat belt.
‘Ferdy,’ Ebony said. ‘Have you ever flown a Flex before?’
‘Ferdy has flown a Flex Fighter many times.’
‘Really?’
‘There is a flight simulator in Ferdy’s room,’ he said. ‘Ferdy used to crash it sometimes, but now he is a good pilot. He hardly ever crashes.’
‘Hardly ever…’
Peering through the front window, Ebony could see the faraway entrance to the tunnel and the desert beyond. She frowned. The exit seemed to be contracting.
‘The Agency is trying to stop our departure,’ Ferdy said. ‘They’re closing the exit doors.’
‘Well, what—’
The Flex Fighter shuddered, and Ebony saw the trails of two missiles roar away from them. The projectiles slammed into the doors, blowing them apart. An instant later, they flew through the exit and over the darkening desert. Open-mouthed, Ebony peered back at the scattered remains of the doors.
‘Ferdy is having fun,’ Ferdy said. ‘It is much more fun than throwing the ball.’
‘Er…I’m sure it is,’ Ebony replied.
‘Are Ebony and Dan having fun?’
‘I think Dan’s fainted.’
‘Possibly Dan has had too much
fun,’ Ferdy said, keeping his gaze on the desert. ‘We must discard our cell phones. The Agency can track us through their transponder signals.’
Ebony nodded. Ferdy was right. She shook Dan into wakefulness, retrieved each of their phones, and dropped them through a rear chute in the craft. Ferdy pushed a few more buttons on the display.
‘Automatic pilot has not been re-engaged,’ the computer said.
Ferdy smiled. ‘Now we can find Brodie and Axel and Chad.’
Ebony turned to Dan. ‘Now it’s up to you,’ she said. ‘You were picking up something from Brodie earlier. Maybe you should try her again.’
Dan nodded. He closed his eyes and concentrated. After a minute, Dan opened his eyes again. ‘I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘But I think I’m getting something.’
‘What sort of something?’ Ebony asked.
‘An impression,’ Dan said. ‘I really do feel like a needle on a compass. I’m getting a feeling about Brodie’s direction.’
‘Which way should we go?’
‘You’re going to find this a little hard to believe, but—’
‘But what?’
‘Up,’ Dan said. ‘We need to go up.’
The three peered through the front window.
‘Brodie’s either on an airplane,’ Dan said. ‘Or…’
‘Or?’
‘Or she’s on a spaceship.’
Chapter Fourteen
‘A spaceship?’ Ebony asked.
‘It is possible,’ Ferdy said.
‘That she’s on a spaceship?’
Ferdy seemed lost in thought.
‘Ferdy?’ Ebony said.
‘The distance from London to Melbourne is more than—’
‘Try to stay focused, Ferdy.’ She turned to Dan. ‘Are you sure she’s above us?’
Dan frowned. ‘Yes. I’m sure.’
‘Then Ferdy and his friends will have to go into space,’ Ferdy said.
‘Uh, how’re we doing that?’ Ebony asked.
‘In this Flex.’
‘Can one of these things go into space?’ Dan asked.
‘With the proper modifications.’ Ferdy started to punch some buttons on the control panel. ‘Ferdy will make the necessary adjustments.’
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