by Ron McGee
Ryan pressed the starter and pulled back on the throttle. The ATV roared to life. Ryan motioned to Danny.
“Get on!”
“You ridden one of those before?”
“Not exactly. But I drove a Jet Ski—it can’t be that different, right?”
“Snow and dirt. Completely different.”
Ryan revved the engine. “You can always stay and play chicken with the rhino.”
Grudgingly, Danny climbed onto the back. The rhino turned to engage them once more. But Ryan had no intention of facing the colossal beast again.
He twisted the gas and the four-wheeler lurched forward.
Then it instantly died, the engine sputtering out.
“Don’t say a word,” Ryan warned Danny. As the rhino started toward them, he pressed the starter and twisted the throttle again. After the engine caught, he accelerated gradually, slowly gaining speed.
Ryan gave the rhino a wide berth. As they passed the downed ATV, he stopped long enough to scoop up the second poacher’s discarded helmet. Danny strapped it on, and they raced away.
CHAPTER
21
NEW YORK,
USA
How’s this?”
Kasey turned from the mirror to face Jacqueline. Her blonde curls were tucked inside a wig of straight black hair. The short, severe cut made Kasey look a lot older than an eighth grader.
“Almost perfect.” Jacqueline handed her a pair of trendy eyeglasses, and Kasey put them on. “There. Now, you look like a thousand other young women on the streets of New York.”
Morning sun slanted through the windows in the back room of Jacqueline’s store. Kasey had never been here before and wished she had more time to explore. The elegant shop was filled with rare musical instruments, some of them hundreds of years old, that Ryan’s mom bought and sold around the world. It was a great cover job for ERC missions, allowing Jacqueline the perfect excuse to travel anywhere she was needed.
The back room was an unfinished space crowded with spare instrument parts and packing supplies. Jacqueline had spread out a collection of jackets, scarves, and hats on a worktable. Several Styrofoam heads displayed wigs in a variety of styles and colors.
“The key to following someone,” Jacqueline told her, “is to never let them see the same person twice. That means always changing your look. A new hat or jacket and you’ll appear completely different to your target.”
Their target would be Tasha.
Jacqueline had been very conflicted about letting Kasey get more involved. But Kasey had pressed her case: What if Jacqueline called someone else in the ERC to help, and they were actually working with Tasha? The element of surprise was the greatest advantage they had in finding out who Tasha was working with and preventing more people from being exposed or killed. Until Jacqueline knew for sure who could be trusted, Kasey insisted that she was the safest choice.
Her argument finally swayed Jacqueline. She agreed to let Kasey help so long as she did exactly as instructed. They’d stop immediately if Jacqueline even suspected Kasey might be exposed to danger. Kasey promised to be careful and only do what Jacqueline said.
So far, things had gone well.
Kasey accomplished her first task yesterday afternoon, right after telling Ryan’s mom about Tasha. Jacqueline had asked her to come inside the brownstone and pretend to wait for Ryan. From the kitchen, Kasey could hear Tasha and John talking downstairs. She tried to relax and act casual, but couldn’t stop glancing at the stairway, waiting anxiously for Tasha to appear.
Jacqueline had come back, whispering that she had a job for her. Kasey looked down at the tiny electronic device Jacqueline pressed into her palm.
“It’s a magnetic GPS tracker. I need you to attach it inside the back wheel well of Tasha’s car. Can you do that?”
“Sure.” Kasey felt her heart beating faster.
“I’ll call you when Tasha’s gone,” Jacqueline said. “We’ll figure out what to do next.”
Kasey had been impressed with how calm and determined Jacqueline seemed. Only minutes before, she’d learned her son was probably half a world away and that a woman she thought of as an ally was really their enemy. Kasey could see how worried Jacqueline was, but Ryan’s mom kept her cool and made a plan.
In front of the brownstone, Kasey made sure no one was looking, then placed the transmitter inside the back wheel well. Quick as a flash, her first assignment was done. Easy.
For a little while, it felt like a fun game. Like being a real-life spy. But an hour later, after Tasha had left and Kasey was back downstairs with Jacqueline and John, the urgency of the situation became clear.
Ryan had been right to think that something bad was going on. The Quinns revealed to Kasey that people the ERC had rescued were starting to disappear. One had even been killed. If they didn’t find out who was responsible and stop them, more would be in danger.
Jacqueline and John both agreed that their priority was finding Ryan and Danny and bringing them home. But someone had to stay focused on stopping the leak inside the ERC. They decided that Ryan’s dad would go to Africa while Jacqueline stayed behind to deal with the ERC problem. John booked a seat on the next flight to Lovanda as his wife called Danny’s mom.
Kasey marveled at how skillfully Jacqueline transformed. Speaking with Mrs. Santiago, Jacqueline was bubbly and cheerful. While they were visiting Chicago, she said, a friend offered them his cabin up in the Adirondack Mountains for a few days. Was it okay if Danny came along? Mrs. Santiago was delighted, especially when Jacqueline added that she was instituting a strict no cell phones policy for the trip.
No cell phones meant Mrs. Santiago wouldn’t try to get in touch with Danny. Jacqueline thought of everything!
“That was amazing,” Kasey said. “You just came up with all that out of thin air.”
But Jacqueline was subdued, her carefree facade gone. “Lying to people you care about never feels amazing. It usually makes you feel pretty terrible.”
With his flight departing in fewer than three hours, John had to leave right away. He packed quickly and headed out. At the door, Kasey watched as he hugged Jacqueline, promising to update her as often as possible.
“Why would Ryan do something so dangerous?” he asked.
“Are you really surprised?” Jacqueline replied. “It’s in his blood.”
John nodded and sighed, then left.
By then, it was getting late and Kasey had to head home. Jacqueline said she’d keep track of Tasha for the night. They still had no idea why Ryan didn’t trust her. Was Tasha the leak inside the ERC? And if she was, were other members working with her? Jacqueline explained to Kasey that she didn’t have the capability to tap Tasha’s phone, but they could follow her and try to learn more about what she was doing. However, it took at least two people to effectively tail someone without getting spotted. Kasey volunteered to meet Jacqueline early the next morning.
The excitement of taking part in the operation faded overnight, though. Kasey hardly slept, tossing and turning. She worried that she’d mess up and couldn’t stop wondering if Ryan and Danny were okay. Kasey’s imagination often got the better of her. She envisioned a million different ways things could go wrong. By the time she woke, Kasey was a mess, filled with indecision and doubt.
Checking her phone, Kasey was confused to see an email from someone named Samuli Baako. She was about to delete it when she noticed the first line: MOM & DAD—SORRY. It was from Ryan! The message was brief, confirming Kasey’s belief that they were in Lovanda and assuring his parents they were being cautious. They were following the men who took Lawrence and Nadia. Ryan said the couple was going to be held at a house owned by a woman named Evelyn Buku.
Kasey jumped out of bed. Clearly, Ryan trusted her to get the message to his parents. She wouldn’t let him down.
Kasey texted Jacqueline that it was important they meet at her shop as soon as possible. Jacqueline responded immediately, giving Kasey the address. As she h
urried out, Kasey kissed her dad on the cheek and promised to check in during the day.
Running the whole way, Kasey found the musical instrument shop quickly. Inside, Jacqueline read the email from Ryan and fought back tears. Watching her, Kasey saw how hard it really was for Ryan’s mom to keep her emotions under control.
After a moment, Jacqueline pulled herself together and turned to Kasey. “Would you still like to help?”
“Of course. Whatever you need.”
“Then let’s get you changed.”
Now, standing there in the back of the store, Kasey looked in the mirror, barely recognizing herself in the short hair and glasses that Jacqueline had given her. She still felt nervous and uncertain. But Ryan and his mom both seemed to have faith in her, so she’d better have it in herself.
“Tasha’s on the move,” Jacqueline said, snapping Kasey out of her reverie. “You navigate, I’ll drive.”
Jacqueline handed Kasey a smartphone. On its screen, a blinking dot hovered over a map of Manhattan. The dot was moving along Park Avenue.
“She’s headed north,” Kasey reported.
“Grab a jacket and hat in case we have to follow her on foot.” Jacqueline opened the back door as Kasey scooped up several items. “You ready for this?”
After a quick adjustment of her wig, Kasey nodded. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER
22
LAKE TARU,
LOVANDA, AFRICA
The ATV roared down the two-lane road. Even though it was December, it was hot here, the afternoon sun baking Ryan and Danny as they traveled along the asphalt.
To their left, a sprawling shantytown extended in all directions. Flimsy huts built from sheets of corrugated metal were packed together with no sense of order. Dust from the dirt roads created a haze that hung in the still air. Ryan had seen a lot of extreme poverty in his travels, and he never got used to it. It made him mad that people had to live like this in the modern world.
“There’s a turnoff a couple of miles ahead,” Danny yelled, consulting the photo of the map. “That’ll take us to the lake.”
They continued along the road, cresting a small hill. Coming down the other side, the shantytown vanished from view, and the deep-blue waters of the lake appeared in the distance. The opposite shore was lined by the jagged peaks of a mountain range. It was beautiful, Ryan thought, so unspoiled. Only a few miles separated the shantytown from the lake, but they seemed to exist in two different worlds.
“There!” Danny pointed to an intersection up ahead.
Ryan took the turn and followed a smaller road toward the water. For several minutes, they wound around the lake’s perimeter, rising up and down over rolling terrain. As they reached the top of a hill, a walled complex came into view below.
“That must be it,” Danny said. Ryan pulled the ATV off the road and parked behind some bushes. Using trees for cover, the boys climbed uphill to get a better view.
The compound was made up of a collection of buildings spread over several acres along the lake’s shoreline. Golden lion heads adorned the front gates. The main residence was an ornate chateau with columns and gold-leaf decoration. A fountain in the middle of the circular driveway spewed water high into the air.
“It’s like she built her own Palace of Versailles,” Danny marveled.
But Ryan’s focus was on the armed guards patrolling the entrance gates. He saw two out front, both carrying submachine guns, and assumed there’d be many more inside. The walls that surrounded the compound looked about ten feet high and were topped with security cameras at regular intervals. Getting in without being spotted would be tricky.
“I’m gonna move closer and try to figure out if Lawrence and Nadia are inside.”
“Not without me.”
“It’s too risky. Stay here. I’ll find a way in.”
Danny stepped in front of Ryan. “Have you never seen a horror movie? When friends split up, terrible things happen. We stick together. End of discussion.”
Ryan was surprised at Danny’s determination. “Fine. But no doing crazy stuff this time, okay?”
“Deal.”
They skirted the edge of the property until Ryan was certain they were out of the guards’ view. Keeping low, he and Danny ran to the wall, then followed it toward the lake. Ryan hoped they might discover some place to sneak in from the rear where the cameras wouldn’t see them.
They reached the end of the wall, which was only a few feet from the lake’s edge. Ryan peered around the corner. He was disappointed to see that the property wasn’t open to the water. Even back here, the security wall continued all the way across the shoreline, interrupted only by a closed entry gate.
Danny glanced up. “What’s that buzzing?”
Now Ryan heard it, too. The sound was getting closer. Ryan looked at the lake, examining the docks that backed up to Madame Buku’s home. One of them was a perfect circle surrounded by water. A long walkway connected it to the shore.
“It’s a landing pad!” Ryan grabbed Danny and pulled him down. “Press against the wall—don’t move.”
Moments later, a helicopter whooshed past. The sleek blue chopper looped around, its roar deafening as the downdraft buffeted the boys. Slowly, it made its way to the helipad.
Ryan crawled forward for a better view. A staff member in a crisp white shirt and black pants emerged through the gate and hurried along the dock to the chopper. Several guards with submachine guns followed, watching the arrival. Finally, the helicopter landed and the back door opened. A striking African woman got out. She wore a turquoise gown that touched the ground, her hair covered in an elaborate head wrap the same color as the dress. The wind from the still-spinning blades forced her to hold the headpiece down as she disembarked.
“That’s her.” Danny was right beside Ryan. “Madame Buku.”
With a slight bow, the valet took a briefcase from Madame Buku. She moved toward the gate, where the guards snapped to attention. Everyone’s focus was on their boss’s arrival. Ryan guessed this might be the best chance to get in unnoticed. He looked up at a security camera atop the wall, then picked up a rock.
“What are you doing?”
“Hopefully, throwing a well-aimed fastball.”
Ryan whipped the rock at the security camera, hitting it squarely and smashing the lens. The noise of the chopper drowned out the shattering of glass.
“Nice!” Danny exclaimed.
Ryan shrugged. “Lucky for us I’m better at baseball than I am at basketball.” He looked at the wall. “You remember when we had to climb the rope in PE last month?”
Danny’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I sucked at it.”
“Well, that’s not an option today. We have to move fast before someone notices the camera’s broken. Put your back against the wall and give me a boost.”
Danny braced himself, joining his hands together to create a place for Ryan’s foot. Ryan backed up, then ran toward Danny.
“Hold tight!”
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea—”
Before he could finish, Ryan planted a shoe in Danny’s interlaced hands and catapulted himself as high as he could. He grabbed hold of the top and hoisted himself up, throwing one leg over to the other side.
He’d made it. Now, he just had to get Danny up. Hugging the wall with his legs, he reached back down.
“Grab my hand,” he urged.
Danny backed up to get a running start. “What if I fall?”
“You won’t!”
Danny took a deep breath, then ran and jumped. Planting a foot on the wall, he sprung up and stretched for Ryan’s outstretched arm. The boys clasped hands, Ryan anchoring himself on the ledge.
“Now climb!”
Danny clutched at Ryan’s jeans, struggling to lift himself up. He clawed Ryan’s shirt, slowly making his way to the top. When he accidentally yanked a handful of hair, Ryan yelped.
“Sorry,” Danny muttered. But with Ryan’s help, he finally manag
ed to scale the wall.
Over the water, the helicopter took off once more and flew away. The reverberation of the blades faded as Ryan and Danny dropped into the compound.
They were in.
CHAPTER
23
LAKE TARU,
LOVANDA, AFRICA
Danny tried to hide how scared he was. He thought he was keeping a pretty brave face, but inside his stomach was churning.
Please god, don’t let me puke, he prayed.
For some reason, he kept thinking about his family. Wondering if his parents were worried sick, not knowing where he was. Or if he’d ever come back. He hated that he might be responsible for making them feel like that. Danny was surprised how much he missed his nanay and tatay. He even missed Analyn and Lilibeth, which was a total shocker.
Danny had no business being here. He was holding Ryan back. Maybe he should’ve just stayed with the motorbike and let Ryan do this on his own.
At least getting around unnoticed in the compound wasn’t too hard. There were plenty of buildings and the grounds were lush with landscaping. Lots of places to hide.
But also lots of places to keep two captives.
“Look,” Ryan said, pointing. “That’s Laughlin.”
The mercenary with the scar was walking from the front of the property back toward the main house. His coat was off, exposing a shoulder holster that contained a powerful-looking gun. Laughlin whistled a cheerful tune, relaxed and easygoing.
“I bet he’s going to report to Madame Buku.” Danny studied the path Laughlin was walking, which looped around the perimeter of the property. “So maybe he’s coming from wherever Lawrence and Nadia are being held.”
Ryan nodded. “Good thinking. Let’s check.”
Danny felt a little boost of confidence. Maybe he wasn’t so terrible at this after all.
Staying concealed behind a row of bushes that lined the path, Danny followed Ryan. They came to a long two-story building, a coach house that faced the road out front. The bottom floor was a huge garage with spaces for at least ten cars. The SUVs from the airstrip were parked in the driveway and a couple of Laughlin’s men hung around, talking and laughing. A cobblestone driveway curved away from the garage, leading to a separate entrance for the vehicles.
