Ariel nodded as Zak continued. ‘They explained it to us as a lesson in trust. Like how people in the olden days used to cut their arms and mix the blood to swear loyalty to each other? Something like that. I wasn’t too keen on it so when Ariel refused, so did I. Man, did that get us into strife! They told us that nobody else had ever refused and that it meant that we weren’t team players and weren’t suitable to be in the program any more. We’re guessing that Sophie didn’t want it either.’
‘So then what happened?’ asked Ryan.
‘They said they were going to send us back when the next supply ship came because we “no longer upheld the high values of striving for excellence and loyalty to team members”.’
‘So, if Sophie also rejected the idea of the initiation,’ I said, ‘we can assume she got the same kind of lecture and treatment?’
‘It’s our best theory so far,’ said Zak. ‘We were locked up and I reckon she is, too. Maybe they’ve decided to hold her inside the mountain to make sure she doesn’t run away like we did.’
‘We were cool with not being in the The Edge anymore. We’d learned a lot about ourselves and decided we’d go home and explain things to Mum—try to get her to understand. Work it out with her instead of just running away again.’
‘And then?’ I asked, riveted by their story.
‘But then we discovered it wasn’t going to be that simple,’ Ariel said. ‘We were in disgrace, kept apart from everyone, like we had a disease or something. Zak was held near Damien’s office, and I was in one of the smaller storage rooms.’
‘The morning before the supply ship came in, I saw Brittany through the window, running like crazy towards the room where I was. She had two counsellors and Damien after her. She burst through the door and came racing in—almost knocked me over. She pressed something into my hand just before they grabbed her. She said, “Help him! He knows what’s going on! He says there are others, too!” and then they hauled her away.’
‘Who do you think she meant?’ I asked, extremely anxious now. ‘What others?’
‘We don’t know. All I know,’ she said, ‘is that there was an announcement at rollcall that Brittany had taken a stinger suit without permission and gone swimming near the outcrop where it’s really dangerous. But that’s not why she was sacked. We think she got too close to the truth about what’s going on. We’ve heard the rumours about someone being locked up out there.’
‘Actually, it’s a fact,’ I said, and I told them about my night journey to the outcrop and the strange man who didn’t know who he was.
Ryan’s question interrupted my thoughts. ‘What did Brittany pass you?’
Ariel searched around in a small box on the floor of the cave. ‘This. I wish I knew what it meant,’ she added, passing it to me. It looked like a name tag of some sort, one that had been pulled off something.
I stared at it, staring at the triangle with the two lines inside it. ‘Can you make any sense of it?’ I asked Ryan, handing it to him. He looked at it for a moment and then passed it back, shaking his head.
‘Not really. It looks kind of mathematical. Could it be something to do with a key? Could it have come off a key ring?’
‘Why a key?’ Ariel asked.
‘Brittany had nightmares after she got back from here,’ I said. ‘She spent some time at a centre where a friend of mine has done some voluntary work. According to the woman who runs the place, Brittany would yell out in her sleep about some kind of key—she was really upset about it.’
I pulled out my mobile and took a picture of the mysterious triangle and emailed it to Winter. She’d made sense of strange symbols before. Maybe she could work this out, too. ‘I’m sending it to a friend of mine,’ I explained to Ariel and Zak.
‘She’s really good with codes and languages,’ Ryan added.
‘She’s working on the mainland,’ I said, ‘doing what she can to help me over here.’
The four of us sat in silence for a while, and I worried about Sophie and finding her.
‘Cal, you’ve gotta call BB,’ Ryan suggested, his face serious. ‘I don’t like the sound of what’s happened to Sophie.’
‘Who’s BB?’ Ariel and Zak asked together.
‘Sophie’s father,’ I said. ‘He was worried about his daughter.’ There was no need to reveal everything—I stuck to my simplified version of events. ‘Everything seemed to be all right, but then she suddenly disappeared. And from what you’ve told us, we’ve got a reason to worry. I’m going to get inside the mountain and find Sophie,’ I said. ‘But I might need some help.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ said Ryan.
‘Better you go back to the resort,’ I said. ‘You need some good food, a warm bed and a hot shower.’
I filled him in on how I’d been recruited for the Zenith team so that he could take over. ‘How’s your fitness level?’ I joked.
‘It was pretty good until I did this,’ said my brother, pointing to his injured ankle. ‘If Hamish notices anything, I’ll tell him I had a relapse. I’d better go.’
We swapped clothes and gave each other a high-five. ‘Keep your eyes peeled for anything helpful,’ I said. ‘In case there is anything I need to know.’
‘How are you going to get in there?’ Zak asked, when I’d rejoined them in the cave.
‘I suppose I could wait until training tonight, now that I’m a member of the Zenith team. But I don’t really want to wait that long and I might not be able to do a proper search if I’m meant to be training,’ I said. I looked at Zak and Ariel and wondered if they would help me. ‘What do you guys think?’ I said.
‘We want to know what’s going on here just as much as you do,’ said Ariel. ‘We’re getting a bit sick of living like Robinson Crusoe.’
‘And this might come in handy too,’ Zak said, as he pulled out a piece of folder paper. ‘This is a map of the real Shadow Island.’
‘Wow,’ I said. ‘Cool. So, let’s make a plan.’
And that’s exactly what we did.
WELCOME TO SHADOW ISLAND
Outside Mountain Bunker
3:41 pm
I’d cleared out Ryan’s hide-out, taking the clothes and rations back to Zak and Ariel’s cave, and I’d made up my mind that I’d contact BB to organise a pick-up as soon as possible. Maybe Sophie would be willing to leave the island now her situation had become more precarious.
Now I was well hidden behind rainforest plants not far from the rock face, waiting for an opportunity to get inside. The mosquitoes were becoming very annoying and I rubbed some lemon scented herbs that Ariel had given me over my bare arms and face. I heard a noise and strained to hear what was happening. I could hear people jogging through the thick rainforest jungle. It must be a Zenith team. I shrank down, hoping I was invisible in the undergrowth.
The whirring sound started as the group approached and I saw that the trainer was holding a remote in his hand. I watched once more as the door in the mountainside opened. The team disappeared through it, followed by their trainer. As it started to close, I dashed forward, a small tree branch in my hands, and just made it, squeezing through with only seconds to spare. Quickly I jammed in the branch, leaving a narrow crack in the door, just big enough for someone to squeeze through. I hoped no-one would notice.
Once inside, I froze, not daring to move until my eyes had adjusted to the dim light and I could be sure I hadn’t been seen.
Just like before, the kids regrouped in the small arena beneath me. Staying low, I watched their breathtaking martial arts display. These guys were good—very good. They could have been part of an Olympic team. One girl threw a grappling hook attached to a long rope high up into the ceiling of the huge cavern where it caught and anchored. A few strong tugs to make sure it was securely lodged, and then she seemed to run up the wall like a superhero. I’d never seen anything like it. Finally, they finished their training session with some astonishing sparring, taking each other down in a blur of speed. Would joining the Zenith team make me a
ble to climb and fight like this too?
The team had finished its work-out and now were heading down the corridor. This was my chance.
As quietly as I could, I crept towards the corridor. The sound of people chattering filled the narrow space. Silently, I checked out the first door on my right. It opened easily and from the light in the corridor, I could see that it was a storeroom, with shelves piled high with food. I closed the door and sneaked along to the next one. This one too was filled, this time with sporting gear, bicycles, racquets, a couple of jumping horses and gym gear. Now came the most dangerous part—getting past the dining room. I was about to close the door of the equipment room when I heard footsteps coming up behind me. Quick as a flash, I dived into the room and closed the door, leaving a tiny crack to look through. It was Damien, striding along purposefully. I feverishly hoped he wasn’t looking for equipment.
He walked straight past and into the dining room. Phew! At least that will keep them occupied, I thought. The chattering din in the dining room quickly subsided as he began to speak in his commanding voice, ‘Ladies and gentlemen of the Zenith squad …’
I noticed to my dismay that he’d pushed the door right open when he went in. I swore. It would now be even harder to get past without being seen. I didn’t want to end up like Sophie, locked up and powerless. As Ryan, I already had a couple of black marks against my name. Being caught down here was bound to create a whole new set of problems for me.
There were two more doors further down the hallway, half-concealed in darkness. I had to check those rooms. That meant I had to get past the dining room. I started tiptoeing along the wall, listening to Damien’s ringing voice as he praised and complimented his elite athletes. Walking steadily and without any sudden moves that might catch people’s peripheral vision, I slowly walked past the wide open door. From the corner of my eye I could see everyone was facing Damien. Don’t turn around, anyone, please, I prayed. If I was spotted, I hoped that Ariel and Zak would activate their part of the plan.
Bit by bit, I edged across until finally I’d gotten past the doorway. I’d done it!
But a sudden silence from the dining room froze me in fear. I heard footsteps from the dining room, heading my way.
What could I do? Where could I go?
I was about to make a desperate dash for the end of the corridor and the exit out to the coast when to my surprise, the door to the dining room was suddenly shut.
I leaned against the wall and let out a huge breath of relief. The silence had not been about me after all. Whatever reason, it gave me a break.
With no time to wait for my heartbeat and breathing to return to normal, I approached the remaining doors. The first one was locked. I pressed my mouth close to the crack in the door. ‘Sophie?’ I hissed. ‘Sophie, are you there?’ Nothing. I tried again.
Behind me, I heard the dining room door being thrown open. I pressed myself flat against the first door, trying to take cover in the slight recess. But it wasn’t going to hide me for long, and the voices and the footsteps were coming closer. Any moment now I’d be discovered. Ariel and Zak! Where are you?
A commotion further away came like an answer to my silent cry. The footsteps and voices abruptly turned, going back the other way down the corridor, away from me. The runaways had arrived, sneaking through the rocky doorway I’d propped open.
I knew I only had a few minutes. Ariel and Zak could divert the Zenith team for a while, but I couldn’t rely on too much time.
I raced to the second door. ‘Sophie! Are you there?’ I called, louder now. ‘It’s me, Cal.’
The answer was almost immediate. ‘Cal? Cal? Really? Is it you?’
‘It’s me!’ I said.
‘Please help me, I’m locked in here!’ Sophie cried. ‘Can you open the door?’
I tried turning and twisting the door handle but to no avail. It would not open.
Behind me, the cries and running footsteps were becoming louder.
‘Sophie, I can’t open the door. But I’m going to get you out of here, OK? And then off the island. But I have to go now.’ As I looked at the locked door, I saw a small sign next to it—D-2. I recalled some of the keys I’d seen hanging on Damien’s key panel—D-1 and D-2. I knew what I had to do!
Shouts came towards me. ‘Lock her up!’ I heard Damien yell and then Ariel shouting out, ‘Let me go! You have no right to do this! Get your hands off me!’
They’d captured Ariel! No! What sort of a retreat was this where people get captured? I couldn’t wait any longer. ‘Sophie, don’t give up. I’ll be back as soon as I can. OK?’
‘Please! It’s awful being locked up like this!’
The fear and desperation in Sophie’s voice jolted me. This was way out of line. Damien had every right to run the resort the way he wanted to, even with his silly rules and programs.
But not this.
Locking people up, depriving them of their freedom—this was outright criminal behaviour. The situation was getting too much to handle. Tonight, I’d tell BB everything. I couldn’t risk waiting any longer.
I darted down the narrow corridor heading for the exit at the waterside. I felt like a rat running away while two friends were in trouble, but it was essential that I get away. Ryan, Zak and I were the only ones who could help them now.
I had to get into Damien’s office and get the key to D2, and get everyone to safety. My mission was getting bigger by the minute.
I wished Repro was there as I made my way back around the coast, slipping and sliding on the slimy rocks, dodging the waves that crashed over me. He would have had the door to D-2 open in a flash. And he would have helped me release the unknown prisoner trapped across the water.
Paradise People Resort
10:02 pm
I’d got back, drenched and shivering, racking my brain trying to think of a way to get to those keys in Damien’s office. But I had to bide my time. Eventually all seemed quiet and the coast looked clear. I took a running jump at the resort gate and climbed over it, jumping down, and running towards my dormitory.
‘Hey! Who’s that?’ The sudden voice shocked me. A nearby counsellor had seen or heard something.
I ducked behind a bush near the clothes lines area, pulling myself into a ball, trying to be part of the prickly shrub. I saw feet walk by as they checked out the area and watched the circular pool of light from a torch wavering over the ground. I held my breath. The torchlight moved past, heading for the fence, piercing the darkness of the night. It lit the palm trees further away near the end of the grassy area towards the beach. After a final pause, they moved on.
I crept to the window nearest the bed where both Ryan and I had slept. I could see my brother, snoring his head off. I threw a small stone in through the window which hit his shoulder. Ryan woke up with a shock, jumping up, about to yell out.
‘Quiet!’ I hissed.
He saw me at the window. ‘What’s going on?’ He didn’t look too thrilled at what I had to say. ‘We’ve got to swap over.’
‘Again?’ he whispered, padding over to the window. ‘Just when I was getting used to the good life. I like sleeping in a bed. I’m getting a bit over being your body double.’
‘C’mon, Ryan. I need to be here. I know where Sophie is but I need to get into Damien’s office—I’ve seen the key I need. And there’s some bad news—Ariel’s been captured too.’
‘When? What happened?’
Ryan got dressed. The rest of the sleepers snored on and we crept out of the dormitory and slid along the building until we were in a dark corner away from the CCTV cameras. I told Ryan about what had happened in the mountain and how I’d heard Ariel yelling. ‘I’ve tried radioing SI-6, but I haven’t had any luck so far.’
‘I could do it,’ said my brother.
I shook my head. ‘No. I can do it. I’ll try again from another position.’
‘I’ll go find Zak and make sure he’s OK,’ said Ryan.
‘Thanks, bro. Good luck,’ I
said giving him a farewell bear hug.
10:56 pm
I dozed fitfully for half an hour, and finally picked up my charged phone and crept outside. In a sheltered spot between two huge boulders some distance from the cemetery, I pulled out the satellite phone. I selected the secure channel. ‘Condor, Condor. Night Hawk calling Condor. Do you read me?’
The only reply was the sound of static. I tried again with the same result. I looked up at the looming mountain. For some reason, I simply wasn’t getting through. I would have to try again higher up. Or maybe there was something wrong with the phone? I tried one more time and then gave up.
Knowing she would be surprised at this hour, I rang Winter. ‘Hey, it’s me,’ I whispered when I heard her sleepy, grumpy voice.
‘Grrrr …’ she growled. ‘Do you know what time it is?’
‘Sorry. But I need you.’
‘You say the nicest things. So, what do you need?’
‘Have you had a chance to look at that torn tag I emailed you? The one Brittany managed to give to Ariel?’
‘The triangle with the two lines in it? I think there are a number of ways it can be read. It’s the shape of the Greek letter delta, so it’d be something like delta double one or delta 11.’
‘That’s brilliant,’ I said, alerted and excited, recalling the label on the key I’d seen hanging on Damien’s key rack—’D-11’. ‘And I’ve just realised something,’ I added. ‘Sophie is being held in a room called D-2—the door next to hers is D-1.’
‘Delta 1 and Delta 2!’ Winter said.
‘Winter, you’re a genius.’
‘Don’t tell Boges. He thinks he’s the only genius on our team.’
‘Promise I won’t. But right now I’ve got a bigger question for you.’
‘Only if you tell me everything that happened since we last talked.’
I dutifully brought her up to date—about the prisoner on the outcrop, meeting Ariel and Zak, the unbelievable skills of the Zenith team and all my concerns about what was really going on under the happy veneer of the Paradise People Resort.
Missing Page 9
