Andy Roid and the Tracks of Death

by Felice Arena

‘Seriously, Judd, this chocolate was the most awesome thing I’ve ever tasted. By the time I looked up, he was gone.’

  ‘Dude! We’re not on a holiday,’ Judd snapped. ‘The slightest mistake or distraction in this biz could get us killed. Send the image to your data analyst. Maybe he can work with it.’

  ‘Sir, yes, sir!’ Andy mocked. ‘What’s up with you? I said I’m sorry. You don’t have to jump down my throat.’

  Judd just turned away.

  Andy wondered if there was more to all this than Judd was telling him. Why had the man recognised Judd, but not Andy? Had Judd been here before? Was that why he was so on edge about Switzerland?

  Andy sat at the back of the boat and called his data analyst. ‘Channel Einstein!’ he said.

  Immediately an image of Andy’s friend Reggie appeared on his palm-screen.

  ‘Hey, Andy.’ Reggie yawned. He rubbed at his eyes, and straightened his glasses. He was wearing pyjamas and was sitting at his desk in his bedroom. ‘I’m so happy to see you,’ he said. ‘That episode with the jet must’ve been terrifying. Are you okay?’

  ‘Yeah, I am,’ said Andy. ‘I didn’t mean to wake you. . .What time is it there?’

  ‘It’s five in the morning, but that’s okay,’ Reggie said. ‘You can call anytime. Besides, I’m supposed to be meeting Gabriella for a run in an hour. We’re on a fitness kick. So what’s up?’

  Andy briefed Reggie about the mysterious man and forwarded him his blurry image.

  ‘Leave it to me, Andy. I’ll try to link it up with the Swiss railway network’s CCTV cameras and see if that will give us anything. See ya! Oh, wait. Brad wants to say hi.’

  Reggie held Andy’s part-bionic pet rat, Brad, up to the camera. The rodent squeaked excitedly.

  ‘I’m teaching him a really cool trick,’ Reggie added. ‘But I’ll show you next time we speak. Over and out!’ Reggie’s image flashed off.

  ‘Gabriella has got Reggie jogging,’ said Andy to Judd. ‘Can you believe it?’

  ‘I still can’t believe he’s going out with the hottest girl in school,’ said Judd. ‘So no. . .Hey, we’ll meet our guardian agent when we get to Geneva. I wonder who it’s going to be this time.’

  ‘Do you think it will be Agent Granny again?’ asked Andy.

  Agent Granny, or Bev, as she preferred to be called, had been his guardian while he was in hiding from Sylvester Baffi and the Triple S.

  ‘Man, I hope not,’ said Judd. ‘I mean, she’s okay in small doses, I suppose. . .but sometimes she can be a miserable old bag. Nah, I’m hoping for someone cool this time, someone who’s not like one hundred years old with more wrinkles than a Galapagos turtle.’

  Suddenly George pulled down the throttle of the boat and accelerated, causing Judd to lose his balance.

  ‘Yo! George!’ Judd snapped. ‘Ease up on the pedal, dude. I almost went over.’

  But instead of slowing, George pulled a fast, hard right, causing the speedboat to do a complete revved-out 360-degree turn.

  Andy lost his footing and grabbed hold of the side railing. Judd tried to grab the side too, but this time he wasn’t so lucky.

  He toppled over backwards, his legs flipping over his head.

  SPLAAASSSSHHHHH!

  Judd hit the water. And George started to laugh loudly. It didn’t sound like a man’s laugh to Andy.

  ‘GEORGE. . .YOU IDIOT!’ Judd cried, waving his fist. ‘It’s freezing!’

  ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Andy said to George, as he turned the boat back to pick Judd up.

  George took off his sunglasses, ripped off his fake moustache, and pulled off his beanie. Andy’s jaw dropped.

  It was Agent Granny.

  ‘Your rooms are to the right and your bathroom is opposite – although, Judd, you’ve already had a bath today,’ snorted Agent Granny.

  ‘Ha ha, hilarious,’ Judd muttered.

  He dumped his bags on the floor and flopped on the couch.

  Agent Granny disappeared into her bedroom.

  ‘You know, you had it coming,’ said Andy. ‘I probably would’ve done the same if you’d called me a Galapagos turtle.’ Andy laughed, making his way over to the living-room windows and pushing back the shutters. ‘Cool view!’

  The apartment overlooked a square in the oldest part of Geneva. It was everything Andy had expected Europe to be – cobblestone roads, cafés along the street, thousands of pigeons and buildings that had been around for centuries.

  ‘All right, get up, Judd. This isn’t a vacation,’ Agent Granny announced, walking back into the room, now wearing a shimmery copper-coloured dress. ‘Here, put these on.’ She held out two black suits.

  ‘Huh!’ Judd snorted when he saw her outfit. ‘Look at you! Hilarious!’

  It was very unusual for Agent Granny to wear a dress like that. She was no ordinary lady. Andy knew she’d much prefer to be wearing her usual leather biker gear and tearing down a highway on one of her classic motorcycles.

  ‘Shut up,’ she snapped. ‘Now put these suits on.’

  ‘No way!’ Judd protested. ‘That is totally not my style.’

  ‘I don’t care,’ snapped Granny, grabbing Judd’s ear and pulling him up off the couch. ‘You’re going to do exactly as I tell you this time around. . .Got it?’

  ‘OWWW! This is abuse!’ cried Judd, taking hold of Agent Granny’s arm and twisting it tightly.

  ‘Why, you little. . .’

  Agent Granny landed a karate chop on Judd’s shoulder.

  Before Andy knew it, Judd and Agent Granny were punching each other. They blocked and kicked, moving around the room in a blur of action.

  It was an all-out karate showdown in the middle of the living room.

  ‘Not again,’ Andy sighed. He had seen these two spar before. ‘GUYS! PLEASE! STOP IT!’

  But just as he was about to try to pry them apart, something bizarre happened. Agent Granny got Judd in a vicious-looking neck lock and then spun him around and gave him a big hug.

  ‘I’ve missed you, you crazy little monkey,’ she said.

  ‘I guess I’ve missed you too, you old blanket,’ Judd muttered.

  ‘Seriously, you two have a weird way of showing that you like each other,’ Andy said. ‘So why do you want us in suits?’

  ‘We’re off to a fundraising dinner where Christophe Farrient is giving a keynote speech,’ said Agent Granny. ‘It’s time to get your spy-game on, boys!’

  ● ● ●

  ‘Bionics will continue to keep pace with the rapid advancement of hardware technology. The quest to become stronger, faster and smarter is never-ending, and it won’t be long before humans and machines harmoniously blend together. . .’

  Andy, Judd and Agent Granny were sitting at one of the many tables in a grand hall. Everyone was dressed in suits and fancy dresses, and candles flickered on the white tablecloths.

  Christophe Farrient was speaking up the front.

  Andy caught Judd yawning a couple of times. He was obviously bored out of his mind. Agent Granny was just as distracted – she kept glancing down at her phone.

  Of course it didn’t help that Farrient was speaking in French. But Andy understood him and he was listening. How could he not? Farrient was talking about the future, but the future was already there, in the audience, hanging on to every word he said.

  ‘So I want to express my gratitude to you all for coming this evening and for your valuable support. Cybernetics will play a role in helping people who live with disability, and it will happen sooner, thanks to you. Enjoy the evening.’

  Everyone clapped. A string quartet in the corner of the room played a bouncy classical tune and waiters came out with trays of dessert and coffee.

  ‘He’s trying to use science to help blind people and people who can’t walk. He doesn’t sound like a bad guy,’ Andy said, turning to Judd. Christophe Farrient reminded him of his parents. He was so passionate and honest about his work.

  ‘They never do,’ said Judd. ‘I
t’s the good-sounding guys you’ve gotta watch. Remember he’s our link to the Blaireau Corporation.’

  ‘Okay, boys, it’s time,’ said Agent Granny, fiddling with the neckline of her dress.

  Andy watched Granny approach Farrient at the far end of the hall. But he also noticed that a man with slicked-back blond hair, in a very expensive-looking business suit, was looking her way. He had a really bad feeling about the way the man was watching her every step.

  Andy nudged Judd. ‘That guy looks suspicious. Hey! You’re eating my dessert!’

  ‘Dude, this crème brûlé is friggin’ awesome. You snooze you lose. Besides, you already pigged out on chocolates today.’

  ‘Boys! This is Monsieur Farrient.’ Agent Granny had returned with the prime suspect by her side. ‘Farrient. . .these are my grandsons, Andy and Judd.’

  ‘Hello, boys. Welcome to Switzerland.’ Farrient smiled warmly. ‘Your grandmother told me you’re on a tour around Europe. I’m thrilled your family wants to support my research so generously. I realise all this high-tech talk might be a little hard for you to understand. Especially since so much of it’s in French.’

  ‘I think I got most of it,’ Andy said, straight-faced. ‘But my brother here really couldn’t keep up. You lost him at “Welcome”.’

  ‘Ha! Ha!’ Judd said, still spooning Andy's dessert into his mouth.

  ‘You boys are about the same age as my daughter, I think. I should introduce you. Excuse me a moment. . .’ Farrient seemed to catch sight of the well-dressed blond-haired man on the other side of the room.

  Andy watched suspiciously as Farrient approached the man and they shook hands. It definitely looked as if they knew each other. Maybe Farrient isn’t quite as good as he looks, thought Andy.

  Andy turned his right ear towards the men and concentrated. It was difficult at first not to be distracted by all the other conversations in the hall, but after several seconds Andy’s acute bionic hearing zoned in on Farrient’s voice.

  ‘Fine. If that’s how you want to do this, I’ll meet you in two days,’ said Farrient.

  ‘Good, I’ll see you then. Don’t be late. And remember, no one else must know of this,’ the man replied. ‘And when we get to. . .’

  Their conversation was interrupted – a young girl had walked up to Farrient and seconds later the blond-haired man made for the exit.

  Andy recognised the girl from the briefing files as Farrient’s daughter, Sara.

  As the two made their way back to the table, Andy noticed there was something slightly unusual about her – she stopped to talk to people, but she wasn’t making eye contact with anyone. It was as if she was looking past them.

  Then he remembered that the briefing had said that she was blind.

  Farrient introduced Sara to Andy and Judd. Then he took Agent Granny aside to introduce her to a group of people at a nearby table.

  Sara was even prettier in person than in the photos. She had long shiny auburn hair and a bright smile.

  ‘Nice to meet you,’ she said with a strong French accent, reaching out to shake their hands. ‘Your grandmother has another appointment and can’t make it, but Father says that I can ask you to join us on a daytrip tomorrow. He’s taking some delegates from Japan to a town called Gruyères – it’s beautiful and very famous for its cheese. I always get so bored at these things, since it’s usually all adults.’

  ‘We’d love to,’ said Judd. ‘Thanks!’

  That’s perfect, thought Andy. It would give him and Judd the chance to get to know Sara, and find out anything she knew about her father that might lead them to the Blaireau Corporation.

  ‘I mean, I know how sight-seeing trips can be,’ added Judd. ‘If you don’t get to see the things you want to see, it can turn out to be a real drag.’

  Andy elbowed Judd. He couldn’t believe he was being so insensitive.

  ‘What?’ he said.

  Andy yanked him aside. ‘She’s blind!’ he whispered.

  Sometimes he really wished that his partner would pay more attention to the details of their work.

  ‘Yes, I am,’ Sara said.

  Andy was surprised – he had spoken so quietly that most people couldn’t have heard. Her hearing was almost as acute as his.

  ‘But what I lost with my sight, I gained more in my other senses,’ she continued. ‘For instance, I can walk around a house or street that I’m familiar with without my cane. I know that the suit you’re wearing, Andy, is a size too big for you – your jacket’s rustling against your shirt. And, Judd, are you wearing cologne? No, it’s perfume – the same as your grandma is wearing.’

  Andy snorted. ‘You used Granny’s perfume?’

  Judd blushed. ‘Can’t a dude smell nice?’ he snapped defensively.

  Sara laughed. ‘I’m sorry, Judd, it wasn’t my intention to embarrass you.’

  Andy was impressed. It was obvious now why Farrient was so interested in bionics – he wanted to help Sara to see again. But Andy thought that Sara already had her own superpowers.

  ‘So I guess I’ll be shadowing Farrient,’ said Andy as they waited for the minivan that was to take them to Gruyères.

  ‘Good idea,’ said Judd, grinning. ‘I’ll stay close to the pretty girl.’

  ‘Thought you’d say that,’ Andy said, as the van pulled up and he and Judd climbed in with Farrient, Sara and three Japanese scientists.

  First stop was a restaurant. They ordered fondue. ‘It’s magnifique, isn’t it?’ said Farrient cheerfully.

  ‘Ah, yes, very much so,’ said Mr Yoshio, who was translating for the other two scientists. He pierced a piece of bread with a skinny two-pronged fork and dipped it in to a large bubbling pot of melted cheese.

  ‘When we’re done, I’d like to take you all on a ride up Mount Moleson on the cable car. The views are spectacular,’ Farrient said.

  ‘You can count me out, Papa,’ said Sara. ‘I’ll stay and sit here in the sunshine.’ She turned to Andy and Judd. ‘It’s very lovely, even without the views, but I’ve been on it a dozen times.’

  ‘And one day you’ll see the Alps,’ Farrient cut in. ‘I’ll find a way if it’s the last thing I do.’

  ‘Oh, Papa,’ Sara sighed, slightly embarrassed, as Farrient stood up to pay the bill.

  Andy thought of his parents again. They worked for the military, but the reason they had become scientists in the first place was to better the world, to help others.

  His mum had explained that they hoped that the technology they created could eventually become part of everyday life.

  Things like the internet, exercise machines, pacemakers, phone cameras, smoke detectors, GPS, even microwaves, all started out as military or NASA applications. But the idea that his mum and dad had turned him into a weapon to save his life had upset them deeply. They had done it because they loved him.

  Andy could see how much Farrient loved Sara. Would he do anything, work with anyone, no matter how evil, to get the funding for his work?

  ‘You’re lucky to have a dad like that,’ said Judd.

  ‘He’s everything to me,’ said Sara. ‘My mother died when I was born.’

  Judd looked upset. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I don’t have a mother either.’

  ‘Yes. . .we don’t have a mother,’ Andy said, reminding Judd that they were undercover as brothers.

  ‘That’s why you’re living with your grandmother?’ asked Sara.

  ‘Yes,’ said Andy. He wasn’t used to being undercover and he felt guilty lying to her.

  ‘It’s okay,’ she said, reaching out to Judd and feeling for his hands. She squeezed them softly. ‘You must miss her.’

  ‘I do,’ Judd said, his eyes welling up with genuine tears. ‘I miss her like crazy.’

  ‘We both do,’ Andy said, trying to move the conversation on.

  ‘I think I’ll skip the cable car as well,’ Judd added. ‘If that’s okay.’

  Sara smiled. She didn’t seem to mind at all.

  ●�
��● ●

  Farrient, Andy, Mr Yoshio and his colleagues hopped out of the funicular train that had brought them a third of the way up Mount Moleson. Ahead of them, Andy could see the cable car that would carry them the rest of the way up the mountain.

  ‘You know, we’re so lucky to have this ride all to ourselves,’ said Farrient, as they climbed into the hanging carriage. ‘It’s very unusual.’

  But just as the doors were about to shut, Farrient’s mobile rang. He stared down at it.

  ‘Excuse me, but I need to return this call. It’s very important,’ he said, stepping out of the carriage. ‘I’ll wait for you here. Enjoy the views!’

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ Andy said, moving towards the doors. He knew he had to stick to Farrient no matter what, but Farrient was too quick for him. He closed the doors on Andy.

  ‘No, no,’ he said. ‘It truly is a spectacular experience.’

  The carriage jolted forward away from the platform as Farrient took the call. Andy couldn’t believe it. There was surely only one reason why he would have stopped Andy – he was up to no good.

  ● ● ●

  ‘This is breathtaking!’ said Mr Yoshio.

  ‘Yeah, it really is amazing,’ said Andy. But it wasn’t nearly as amazing as what he had seen before, parachuting out of an exploding jet, and his mind was on Farrient and what the phone call had been about.

  ‘It’s a little bit scary. I’m very nervous about heights,’ said one of Mr Yoshio’s colleagues in Japanese.

  ‘I can see why,’ Andy replied, without thinking. ‘Basically this is a steel box hanging from a cable.’

  ‘You speak Japanese?’ asked Mr Yoshio.

  But Andy was saved from explaining as a horrible grinding sound echoed from the cable above.

  CRUUUNNCHH!

  ‘What was that?’ said Mr Yoshio.

  The cable car stopped abruptly. They were just hanging there – still a good distance away from the summit.

  ‘It sounds like a mechanical problem,’ said Andy.

  CRUUUNNCHH!

  The carriage jolted and then actually dropped a few centimetres.

  CRAANNNNKKK!

  ‘We’re going to plunge to our deaths!’ cried one of the scientists in Japanese.