Revenge (8 page)

The three of us huddled around the screen, hoping desperately for a sign of Cal or some sort of clue. I took a deep breath as the inside of the mausoleum blinked into view, radiating in a slimy-green glow.

‘We're looking for anything unusual—a flash of colour, probably reddish,' I explained, ‘that will tell us if there's something alive in there.'

The Vipercam snaked its way around the vault. We watched anxiously, squinting at the green screen, begging for a sign of life. It covered a lot of ground, but the colour of the screen did not change once. All we saw were the coffins on
their shelves, dust and cobwebs. No-one with a pulse had been in there for a long time.

‘Sorry guys,' I said, finally admitting defeat. I sighed loudly. ‘He isn't here. This is not where Cal was telling us to go.'

‘There! Wait! What's that?' said Ryan,
pointing
to a small, kidney-shaped orange blur.

‘Yeah, I see it too!' added Winter excitedly. ‘Boges, what's that?'

I tapped the screen twice on its position, zooming in on the shape.

The shape became clearer as it darted across the screen.

Ryan swore when we realised what it was.

A rat.

We slumped against the mausoleum wall, defeated. I stared miserably at the remote as I slowly worked the Vipercam back out into the daylight.

The time and date at the bottom of the screen glared up at me. ‘Oh no!' I cried.

Today was the day.

‘What is it?' cried Winter, alarmed.

‘I completely forgot.'

‘Forgot what, Boges?'

I swore loudly. The most important date on my calendar, and I had totally forgotten it. ‘I was
supposed to have my interview this morning,' I paused, ‘with the NASA recruitment team.'

Winter's face scrunched up. She knew how much this chance meant to me. ‘But can't you call them and apologise? Make another time?'

I shook my head. ‘They fly out this afternoon, back to the States. I've blown it. I've missed my chance.'

My heart sank even further. I had let myself and my family down, and my best friend was still at the mercy of Vulkan Sligo.

DAY 9

22 days to go …

I woke up drenched in sweat from a nightmare. It was the same nightmare that I'd been having over and over again, ever since Cal disappeared.

I pushed the deadening disappointment about my missed chance with NASA to the back of my mind. I would just have to live with it. I'd fobbed off Mum about the interview. Told her they'd rescheduled. I couldn't admit to her that I'd stuffed up my once in a lifetime chance.

Finding Cal was the most important thing right now.

I sat up and tore my blankets off me, panting in the bluish glow of my fish tank.
Another one
, I'd been warned in my dream. Another what? I took a few deep breaths.

Ahead, the smaller archerfish was roaming
the length of the tank like a prison guard. The bigger fish watched, hovering in the far corner.

Dude, chill out
, I told myself. Cal will be OK. Sligo will call again, any moment now, and you'll do whatever he says and then Cal will be returned, as good as new.

Simple.

Only we hadn't heard anything in days. checked my phone, hoping for something from Winter … but nothing had changed. No-one had called or messaged me.

What was Sligo planning? What was taking him so long?

For now, all we could was do wait, but every day seemed to drag Cal further away from our grasp.

DAY 12

19 days to go …

I was desperately trying to keep myself busy at Winter's place—anything to keep my mind off my nightmares and thoughts of Cal … but no
matter
what I did, I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that my best friend's life was in the hands of a monster. And that I couldn't work out Cal's ‘coffin' clue … and—my greatest fear—that the phone calls from Sligo had stopped because Cal was already dead.

I'd snuck into the school lab to check out the scrapings I'd collected from the room where Sligo had taken me and Winter. I used our lab's
strongest
light microscope, but when I saw the huge number of soil microbes, I knew I was beaten. They'd have to go to an expert.

I thought of Amy, an online friend of mine who was in her first year of uni studying chemistry and forensic science. Maybe she could help me. I emailed her with a story about a
nonexistent
science assignment on soil samples.

Winter pulled herself up onto the dining table—my makeshift workstation—next to my work in progress.

She rested her hands on her knees and frowned at the small insect-like creature as she picked it up. ‘Boges, should I even ask what that is?' she said. Her hair dangled down to her thighs, wilder and longer than ever.

‘That's my Hummingbird Hawk-moth. It has a tiny battery-powered camera mounted here so it can transmit live footage,' I said, showing her. ‘It's small enough not to get noticed. Its motor allows it to fly naturally, but even better than that, it can hover, like a tiny helicopter.'

She put down the robotic insect. Normally, she'd have been full of questions.

‘What's up?' I said. ‘Aside from the obvious,' I added.

Winter took a deep breath.

‘Talk to me,' I said, prodding her leg with the tip of my tiny screwdriver. ‘You're making me nervous.'

‘Ryan just pulled up outside,' she said. ‘I asked him to come over … the three of us need to talk.'

I nodded slowly. She was right, enough was enough. I hated sitting around while Cal's life was at stake.

‘We need to find a way of going to the cops without Sligo finding out,' she said.

‘Maybe an anonymous tip-off?' I suggested.

Ryan let himself in and as he walked into the room, I flinched for a second—he looked so much like Cal. He went to speak, but before he could say anything, Winter's phone rang.

Anxiously we all leaned over her phone as it sat on the table in front of us.

Her fingers shook as she switched on the loudspeaker.

‘Miss me?' Sligo hissed. His voice sounded even creepier without the distortion. ‘How nice that I have all three of you together. Here's what you will do next.'

‘Where the hell have you been? And how do you know we're all here? Are you watching us?' Winter cried. She jumped up and peered out the windows.

‘We need to know that Cal's still OK,' I said.

‘Your friend is still alive,' Sligo said flatly. ‘Just. That is all you need to know.'

Ryan put his arm around Winter to calm her, but she shook him right off. ‘We're not doing
anything
for you until you put him on the phone!' she shouted.

‘I already told you he would remain alive as long as you—'

‘PUT HIM ON!'

‘Well, because you asked so nicely, my dear, I'll make him squeal for you.'

I gripped Winter's trembling hand as Sligo's voice was replaced by some muffled scraping sounds.

Finally, the line became clear again. We held our breath until we heard a whimpering sound.

‘Cal? Is that you? Please say something,' Winter begged. ‘Please!'

‘Mum?' he finally whispered, his voice much softer and weaker than before.

‘Cal, it's
Winter
! Are you—'

‘Mum …' he moaned again, ‘where are you?'

We all cringed as we heard a pained shriek tear through the receiver. My heart raced with fear and horror at the thought of my best friend in the hands of this sadistic monster. What was Sligo doing to him?

‘Now, here's what I want you to do,' Sligo sneered.

‘You pig!' Winter screamed. ‘What have you
done to him? You'd better not let him die! You said you wouldn't—'

‘THAT'S ENOUGH!' ordered Sligo. ‘You heard his voice. He's alive. If you want him to stay that way, then you'd better shut your pretty little mouth and do as I say!'

Ryan wrapped his hand around Winter's mouth to silence her. She turned and collapsed into tears on his shoulder.

‘Keep talking,' I urged Sligo. ‘We're listening.'

‘The City Hall Charity Auction is coming up. I assume you know about it.'

‘Yes,' I said. I knew exactly what he was
talking
about. The charity auction, to raise money for homeless kids, was just over two weeks away. Cal was
supposed
to be a guest of honour, donating one of Queen Elizabeth the First's
jewels
to the cause—a famous pendant featuring a gold phoenix. The pendant was valued at over ten million dollars, because it was clearly
visible
in a famous painting of the queen. ‘If Cal doesn't turn up to that,' I warned Sligo, ‘there'll be no more secrecy. And it won't be because of us. Everyone in the country will be looking for him.'

‘Our little deal will be well and truly sealed by then,' purred Sligo. ‘Now, since I'm no longer on the City Hall Planning Committee …'

‘Yeah, seeing as you're supposed to be dead and all,' Ryan hissed.

I glared at Ryan. ‘We're listening,' I said to Sligo again.

‘As I was saying, I'm no longer on the
committee
, but that hasn't stopped me from making plans for the grand event. I want my presence to be known.'

‘But they think you're dead!' said Ryan. ‘And if you turn up you'll be arrested in seconds!'

‘Oh, I know that,' Sligo scoffed. ‘That's where
you
come in. You're going to arrange a viewing screen for centre stage. In between the columns. I want
big
,' he said, in a dramatic, lilting voice. ‘I want
impact
. I want to show
everyone
that I am back. I have something planned that will bring down the house!'

‘Is that it?' I asked. ‘You'll let Cal go if we get you the screen?'

The uproarious laughter hurt my ears. It droned out of Winter's phone like a swarm of angry hornets.

‘Will I let your little friend go for a TV screen?' mocked Sligo. ‘Ha! That's just the beginning. I have twenty million other demands waiting in line!'

‘Twenty million?' I scoffed.

‘Twenty million dollars, plus the Phoenix Pendant.'

‘The pendant? But that's crazy! That's the most valuable piece in the entire Ormond collection! And where are we going to get twenty million
dollars
from?'

‘Crazy? I think not. Why should the Queen's little trinket go to some museum, when I could own it? And I am sure, Bodhan, that the Ormonds' finances, combined with the wealth of the Frey estate should cover my financial needs rather comfortably. I will call again with details for the transfers.'

‘And then what?'

‘When you've met my demands—not an inch or a penny less—I will release Cal on the night of the auction. So, get to work and I will supply further instructions.'

‘Wait!' Winter cried. ‘What about the antidote?'

‘Yes, of course, how careless of me. I will give Cal the antidote before I let him go.'

After Sligo hung up we were left staring at each other in silence.

I buried my face in my hands. Cal's condition had severely deteriorated. He didn't sound like he had a clue about what was going on around him. How did we know he'd even make it until the night of the charity auction?

There was no reason on earth to trust Sligo.

My mind was reeling, processing the
possibilities
.
Did Sligo really want to reveal himself to the world at this event? Show everyone that he was back—bigger and badder than ever?

‘He's lying,' said Winter. ‘That's not what he wants the screen for. He doesn't need us to organise that for him. Why can't he get his
right-hand
man to do that dirty work?'

‘But what about the money?' Ryan asked. ‘He definitely needs us for that.'

‘Does he?' Winter asked. ‘Why couldn't he have kidnapped Cal and forced
him
to make the transfer of funds? He doesn't need us—
Cal
could have done that for him. Why keep Cal in a prison all this time? All Sligo has ever done is lie to us, what makes either of you think this time is any different?'

The glass coffee table cracked as Winter thumped it with her fist.

‘Sligo's up to something far more sinister!' she said, her clenched fist trembling. ‘We have to find Cal before the night of the auction. We have to find him now. His life—and who knows what else—depends on it.'