"Mallow Bottom." I nodded. Such a fluffy sounding name. How wrong can you be? “But what has this got to do with the demons?"
"Maybe nothing," said Violet. "But we were thinking..." she glanced at Henry, and he nodded encouragingly, "…maybe the witches managed to weaken the barriers between our world and the prison dimension?"
I rubbed my forehead, trying to remember Lucian's words.
"Lucian said fear and death caused negative energy, and that could be used to open hellholes," I said. "So you're saying the sacrifices back then may have been enough to start opening a rift in the caves?" I looked at Henry. "You think the demons want to complete the ritual? That's why they've been kidnapping children?"
"I think it's a possibility," Henry said. "There seems no reason for demons to keep children alive, unless they need them at a later date. What if the demons intend to use them as a source of negative energy?"
"It would explain why they brought the Sphere to Mallow Bottom," said Violet. "They want to make the rift permanent."
I had a sudden, vivid mental image. A drone, standing paralysed in my bedroom. I’d asked it where my mother was. Underground, it had said. I stared at the old article about the caves, feeling a bubble of hope.
"This is all just conjecture," said Darius. "We have no idea if any of this is true."
“But if it is, and if we can find out where the rift is, then we’ll find the demons.” And Mum. “And if we can get hold of Lucian’s ring, we can deactivate the Sphere.”
“All big ifs.” Darius grimaced in frustration. “So far we don’t know where anything is.”
Di slunk into the room, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. She flung herself into an armchair and stared around the room.
"It's like the Famous Five clubhouse in here," she commented. She threw a glance at Em, still tapping away at the computer. "Guess we know which one's Timmy. Still doggedly following the trail, sweetie?"
"Give it a rest, Di," Darius snapped. Em didn't even register. Suddenly she went still, her hands raised mid-air.
"I'm in."
Immediately we all crowded round her craning to see the screen, though all that was on it was a long list of numbers.
"How do you know what anything is?" I asked disappointed.
"These are the IP addresses of computers which are currently logged in at headquarters." She pointed at one which looked identical to the others. "This one's the Chairman's. But I can't touch it, because he's online right now."
"How do you know?"
She looked at me pityingly. "Do you really want me to explain? The last time I tried your head nearly exploded."
"Good point. So what now?"
"We'll have to wait till he goes for a coffee or something."
"That won't work," said Darius. "We have strict protocols."
"He's right, Emma dear," said Violet. "At headquarters, everyone has to log out whenever they leave their computer. It's a disciplinary offence not to."
"What, even if you just have to go to the bathroom?"
"Especially then," said Henry. "The Chairman is very rigorous about security."
"So there's no way we can get him to leave his computer without logging out?" I couldn't keep the frustration out of my voice. Everyone looked at each other, defeated.
"I shouldn't have called you the Famous Five," sneered Di from behind us. "The Famous Five would have wiped the floor with you."
I whirled round, irritated.
"So have you got any bright ideas, auntie?" I said nastily. Her eyes narrowed.
"Don't call me that. And yes, as a matter of fact, I do have an idea. A bloody obvious one. You need a diversion. Something that'll get everyone to evacuate in a hurry without bothering to shut down their computers. Then Mark Zuckerberg over there can rummage around to her heart's content."
"What kind of diversion?" asked Darius. Di shrugged.
"I've done my bit. Your turn to think of something."
"But my dear," said Violet. "Even if Emma was to find out where Lucian's research was kept, we'd need another diversion to retrieve it. They're not going to fall for the same trick twice."
This was true. I bit my lip, thinking hard. There was only one solution.
"One of us has to be at headquarters when the diversion happens. When Em finds out where the research is, or better still the ring, we can just grab it there and then."
Everyone started talking at once.
"Absolutely not!"
"That's a terrible idea."
"What if it's been moved somewhere else?"
"What if we get caught?"
"SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!"
Everyone lapsed into shocked silence. I glared at them all, fists clenched. "It's the only way. And I'm not asking any of you to do it. I'll do it."
Darius was shaking his head.
"Kaz, if you get caught, there's no telling what Dark will do. It's not like getting caught trespassing, he's got magic at his disposal."
"I must concur, my dear," said Henry, looking worried. "This is not a wise course of action. Dark has a fearsome temper."
"I'll go," said Darius decisively. "I know my way around."
I shook my head.
"Nope. None of you can go. You're all Guild members, and getting caught would ruin you. Em and I aren't part of it, so it's safer for us. They can hardly report us to the police, can they?"
"They can do worse things," said Violet darkly.
"And what if I can't get the information quickly enough?" asked Em, her eyes big and worried behind her glasses. "What if I can't find it?"
I looked at her.
"Funnily enough, you not getting the information is what I'm least worried about. I trust you." She smiled tremulously.
"God, I'm going to puke." Di's contemptuous voice floated over us. "If you girl guides are really going to do this, you'd better listen up. The only thing that will get the Guild to evacuate is a full-scale emergency."
"Like a fire?" I asked.
"Or the threat of an attack." Di studied her fingernails casually. "As it happens, I've been helping Aloysius with an evacuation plan. In the event of an emergency, all senior Guild members are to be taken to secure bunkers."
I stood, lost in thought. The threat of an attack. I started getting the glimmer of an insane idea.
"What about security guards? Who charges in if there's an attack?"
"Well, I suppose the Warriors, whichever of them are around," supplied Darius. "But we don't really have security guards. At least, I've never seen any."
"What about the Nagas?" asked Em. I shuddered; I didn't want to tangle with them.
"They just protect the Library," answered Violet. "They shouldn't be a problem." She paused. "Unless the research is hidden there, of course."
I sighed. There were a lot of pitfalls in this plan. But whichever way I looked at it, I couldn't see an alternative. I looked at Di.
"So, to be clear, if there's a threat to the headquarters, say, something's got in that shouldn't have, everyone's evacuated and the offices are left empty?" Di nodded, and cocked her head to one side.
"You have an idea?" she asked.
"A pretty terrible one," I admitted.
◆◆◆
We stood in the combat room, staring critically at the bug which had crashed and frozen again.
"So, your plan is a dodgy computer game?" asked Em flatly.
"It looks real," I protested. "When it works."
"But it has no mass," said Darius. "As soon as the Warriors start to fight it, they'll know it's just a hologram."
"We just need to keep the illusion going long enough to get Dark out of his office," I said. "Do you think you can do anything with it, Em?"
She picked up the laptop, wincing at its weight.
"I could transfer the CPU to another motherboard, run the hologram through remote transmitters, add an algorithm to predict proximity more efficiently, make the program more reactive..." Darius and I looked at each other and shrugged.
Personally, I hadn't understood a word. She glanced at me. "This will work better if we can get transmitters into the headquarters rather than relying on this one." She tapped the lens at the top of the computer. "We’ll have more manoeuvrability if we can project the image through multiple sources."
"They'd have to be small," I said doubtfully. "If the Warriors see them, they'll know it's not real."
"They will be small," she said confidently. "I have some at home, I can easily modify them. But someone needs to put them in place before you go in."
"I'll do it," said Darius at once.
"No, you won't," I said shortly. "We've been over this. Dark knows you're hanging out at the Mansion with me, he'll be watching out for you." His expression became mutinous, and he opened his mouth to argue. "Besides," I hurried on, "I need you with Em to monitor what's happening. You'll be my eyes and ears." He nodded, reluctantly.
"How long to make all these modifications?" I asked Em. She considered it, her head on one side.
"Can you give me twenty four hours? I need to reprogram some stuff. But as soon as the new projectors are in place, we're ready to go."
"So the question remains, who will plant the projectors, then?" asked Henry. Everyone looked at each other.
"I suppose it will have to be me," said Di in a bored voice. I looked at her in surprise and she shrugged. "No-one will suspect I'm working with you. They all know I hate you."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm sure I hate you."
"No, I mean... okay, well, thanks," I said awkwardly.
"But you'll need something to distract the Watcher while I position them," Di continued.
"Damn, I'd forgotten about that," said Darius. He turned to me and Em. "There are security cameras set up throughout headquarters. The Watcher keeps an eye on the feeds 24/7."
"One man watches them all the time?" said Em in astonishment. "How is that possible?"
"He's not exactly one man," said Di, casually. "The Watcher has three heads. Apparently they take turns sleeping." Em and I swapped glances.
"Sorry? Three heads?"
"You've heard of Siamese twins, right?" said Darius. "These are Siamese triplets."
"They're very nice young men," Violet interjected. "Though they argue with each other a lot. I suppose all brothers do that."
"I suppose so," said Em faintly. "Probably hard to get any kind of 'me' time."
"They're from Greece," continued Violet. "Lovely boys. Konstantino, Dimitri, and Bob."
I goggled in disbelief.
"Bob?"
"Very popular name in Greece," said Violet firmly. "And I know just how to distract them. They love my homemade muffins. I'll get right on it."
"Alright, Violet, you can help distract the, er, Watcher while Di sets up the projectors. But when we cause the actual diversion, I want you and Henry far away from headquarters," I warned.
"But..." started Henry.
"No arguments, Henry. I don't want either of you blamed in any way for what I'm doing. Never mind Dark, Mum would kill me if she thought I was getting you into trouble." Henry nodded, reluctantly.
"Oh, can we get on?" yawned Di. "I have a date tonight. And unlike your girlfriend, Darius, I want to do more than just hold hands." Em blushed hotly, speechless.
"Ignore her." I forestalled Darius's angry response and glared at Di. "Be ready this time tomorrow. Twenty four hours, okay?" Di flipped me an insolent salute, and sauntered out. I turned to Em. "You okay with this?" I asked quietly. "I mean, it's not like hacking into school records. I don't know what'll happen if we get caught."
"If it helps us find Mari, I'll do it. I just wish we didn't need to involve her."
Em shot a look of such loathing at Di's disappearing back, I was surprised the Warrior didn't keel over.
"I know what you mean. But we only have to put up with her till we find Mum," I said grimly. "Then we'll see how tough she really is."
Chapter 17
Violet's muffins did the trick; their chocolaty goodness distracting the Watcher long enough for Di to place four hologram projectors inside the headquarters without the alarm being raised. They were small and discrete, virtually unnoticeable unless you were really looking for them.
Em patched the feed from the security cameras into the Mansion's computer room, and we watched as Di positioned the wireless transmitters, warning her when anyone approached. Violet arrived back shortly afterwards with an empty cake-tin.
"Those young men certainly have an appetite," she said. "Four muffins each!"
"Good job, Violet," I said. "Now take the Professor and get out of here." Violet's face dropped.
"Are you sure I can't be of any help, dear?" she asked.
"You've already done too much. If the triplets let on you were in there distracting them with treats..."
"They're good boys," she said firmly. "Besides, they wouldn't want to get into trouble with Dark. I think I'm safe."
After she and Henry had left the Mansion, Em showed me the new, improved bug program. The clunky laptop was gone. Instead, she handed me a smart-phone.
"Click there to switch it on."
The screen was filled with a ridiculous cartoon ghost complete with rattling chains straight out of Scooby Doo, and a flashing button marked 'start'.
"You downloaded the bug onto this?" I asked, impressed.
"I told you I was working on an app ages ago, remember?" she reminded me. "I had to modify it a little to load the bug program, but it's more portable now. It's also a little faster, and it shouldn't crash as often. Hopefully."
"This is amazing," I said. "It should buy you enough time to get into Dark's computer."
"But remember, as soon as anyone lands a hit on it, they'll know it isn't real," she said. "Darius will be watching from here, if anyone cottons on to the hologram, he'll let you know and you'll have to get out of there. With or without Lucian's ring." She looked at me sternly, and I grunted noncommittally. I had my own plan, one which would ensure no-one else got blamed for this escapade, but I was keeping that to myself for now.
Darius came in holding a moulded ear piece. "Put this in your ear so I can talk to you," he said. "You'll be able to hear me, and vice versa. As soon as Em cracks Dark's computer, we'll tell you where the ring is. But Kaz, you won't have much time. The Warriors will be all over that thing the minute it appears."
"But most Warriors are at their own bases, aren't they?" I asked. "It's mostly trainees at headquarters. There's only Aloysius who's got any experience with actual demons. At least, that's what I'm hoping."
He nodded reluctantly. "Di will evacuate the building, just as the protocols dictate. She'll get Dark out first." He looked round the room. "Henry and Violet out of the way?"
"They're not happy." I grinned, remembering Violet's face. "I think they're jealous that we're having all the fun."
"Fun?" He shook his head. "You'd better hope Dark doesn't figure out it was you. It won't be so fun then."
"Okay, I'm all set," said Em from across the room. She had Dark's IP address up in front of her. "It's down to you now, Kaz. But remember; once you hit the start button, there's no going back."
Darius walked down to the Jump room with me.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked, looking at me with concern.
"We need that ring," I said firmly. "It's the only way to deactivate the Demon Sphere."
"But we still don't know where..."
"One thing at a time," I smiled at him, acting braver than I felt. "First the ring, then we find the Sphere, and hopefully Mum." I drew a deep breath. "Okay. I'm ready."
Unexpectedly, Darius leaned down and brushed a fleeting kiss against my mouth. I stared at him, astonished.
"For luck," he explained, flashing me his smile. Of course. He was just being a friend.
He turned and left, and I stood for a second, letting my head clear of everything except the job ahead. Was this how Mum felt before she went on a mission? The thought was curious
ly comforting. I held my breath and jumped, pushing the start button as I landed on the other side.
The appearance of a slavering drone in the headquarters caused maximum chaos. People ran screaming in all directions, slamming into walls and even into each other in blind panic. It made me wonder how many of them had actually seen a demon before.
I peered round from behind the monkey soldier statue, putting the smart-phone on 'lock-screen' and slipping it into my back pocket. The drone was now following its programming, which Em had modified so it kept its distance from people. We were hoping it would be some time before anyone realised it was just a light-show.
I moved into an alcove off the main area. There was no immediate sign of any Warriors. In the initial confusion, everyone was running away from the image; no-one was trying to tackle it.
So far so good. Now I just needed Dark to leave his office.
With perfect timing, Di appeared.
"Move towards exit A, evacuate the building. Exit A, evacuate the building," she barked. She'd make a great prison guard. She moved down to the Chairman's office, coming out a few seconds later with Crepuscular Dark and his mousey assistant in front of her.
"This cannot be possible," I heard Dark saying, as if personally affronted. "A demon? In our inner sanctum? It must be a mistake."
"Until we know more, let's just follow protocol, Mr Chairman," said Di authoritatively. "Your safety is my priority." She flipped me a wink as she rounded the corner with them and moved out of sight.
"Em, coast is clear," I said, praying Dark had left his computer logged in. “Find out where that ring is.”
"Already on it," came back Em's disembodied voice. "Standby."
I watched the demon rampage round the dome, groaning as several leather-clad figures appeared at a run. With a sinking feeling, I recognised the Warrior leading the charge. Max. Definitely not an inexperienced trainee.
"Em, the cavalry's arrived," I hissed. "Hurry!"
"Standby," she repeated, refusing to rush. The Warriors were trying to surround the demon but Em's tinkering had made it much, much faster than when I'd faced it in the combat room. So far no-one had managed to land a blow on it, but it was surely a matter of time.
Daughter of Kali- Awakening Page 16
