Every Second Counts

by Sophie McKenzie

A coruscating fury filled me from head to toe. The man had seemed so sincere, I could barely believe it. But there was no other logical explanation.

  ‘What boat?’ I demanded, clenching my fists. ‘Where is it?’

  The guard pointed to the fire door. ‘It’s called the Kimberley Jack, moored out the back of the hotel. But you’re probably too late, and I’ll need to check your bag if—’

  I raced across the room and through the fire door and on to the marina. A boat with a blue hull was chugging away from its mooring. The name Kimberley Jack was written along the side.

  I stared at the boat in horror. It was still close enough for me to make out Latimer and Riley at one end of the deck, deep in conversation. I scanned along the railings. No, there was Charlie. She was facing away from me, but it was unmistakably her. She was wearing a green dress, the skirt flapping around her legs. The dark-haired boy from the video and Taylor stood on either side of her. I watched them, bewildered. Charlie had said she and Riley’s son, Spider, were swimming into the venue underwater. Had she been conned? Had the whole thing been some elaborate trap?

  ‘Parveen? Simon? Sean?’ I listened intently but there was still no reply. They were gone. And so the truth dawned: Latimer had betrayed us to Riley, Riley had decided to abandon his bomb plot and – instead – use the occasion to entrap the resistance. Parveen and the others were either captured or killed.

  I could barely take it in. Terror gripped me. I ducked behind the nearest boat and glanced around. Was anyone after me? It didn’t look like it, the marina was virtually empty.

  I told myself to run, to hide. I could take stock, then attempt to contact the resistance later. Except – if Latimer had told Riley about our plan to foil the bomb plot, then Riley must also know that Charlie was secretly working for us.

  I had to warn her, to save her, but the boat was already a couple of metres away from the dock, chugging steadily past the other boats, heading towards the open river.

  No, no, no.

  A sick feeling settled in my stomach. I was, surely, too late.

  Latimer had betrayed us.

  Riley had won.

  And Charlie was going to die.

  Charlie

  Taylor led Spider and me off the open deck and into the main cabin. It was a large, square, brightly lit room with striped streamers over the portholes. I stared at the streamers as they fluttered in the light. They were lilac and white — the Future Party’s signature colours. Uchi had told me the other day the colours stood for hope and peace.

  What a con.

  We stood in silence, surrounded by politicians chatting, kids squealing and waiters offering coloured drinks from silver trays. Lilac and white balloons hung from the walls.

  My head spun. I still couldn’t believe that Riley knew I was working with the resistance and that Nat and the others were here, right now, trying to stop the bomb plot. Taylor had said he was waiting for confirmation they’d been taken. He’d meant Nat specifically. And Parveen. Were they okay?

  And what about the bomb? Were we still going ahead with Operation Neptune? Taylor had certainly given the security guard who checked Spider’s backpack a very meaningful glance. The guard had nodded at him, given the backpack a cursory look, then waved us on. The bomb was still, obviously, in the bag and the guard was, equally obviously, in on the whole thing. I looked around as two children in orange lifejackets ran past and clocked two other security guards in their navy uniforms. Did they know about the bomb as well? It was Riley’s party, so presumably everyone who worked for him was in some way involved.

  I gazed past the guards, searching desperately for someone who wasn’t on Riley’s side. Someone I could warn. Someone who might be able to help Nat and the others. Across the room, Mayor Latimer was talking with Riley. Nat had said that, for all his professed support for Riley, Latimer was secretly in league with the resistance. Was that really true? If it was, how come Latimer hadn’t warned anyone that the venue for the bomb plot had been changed? Or had he been kept in the dark until the last minute, just like I had?

  I spotted a politician I recognised from TV. I’d seen him arguing once with Riley. He definitely wasn’t on the same side, politically. And as far as I could remember, he was quite a senior figure in his own party. I took a step away from Taylor and Spider.

  Taylor caught my arm. ‘Don’t even think about it,’ he hissed, steering me into an alcove. He eyed me warily. ‘I’ve got confirmation that some of the resistance has already been captured. Look.’ Leaning over me, so that no one else could see, he shoved his phone under my nose. The screen showed Parveen, bound and gagged, her eyes wild with fury. Two men I didn’t recognise sat beside her, similarly trussed up.

  ‘They are prisoners and Nat soon will be,’ Taylor went on. ‘We have eyes on him right now. Remember, Charlie, if you attempt to draw attention to our mission in any way, Nat and the others will die – and we’ll set the bomb off anyway.’

  I looked up. Taylor mouth was set in a grim line. Spider hovered beside him, his dark eyes darting everywhere but my face. Despair filled me. ‘But . . . but . . .’ I stammered. The inside of my mouth felt like ashes.

  ‘Get a hold of yourself,’ Taylor snapped.

  ‘When did you find out?’ I whispered.

  ‘I suspected you knew about Operation Neptune back in Cornwall,’ Taylor said. ‘And, unlike your father, neither Riley nor I believed in your sudden conversion to our cause. So we set a trap to see if you would “borrow” Spider’s phone and reveal our plans to Nat, which of course you did.’ Taylor narrowed his eyes. ‘You know as well as I do, Charlie. Riley has ears everywhere. And you also know that trained EFA agents do not leave their mobile phones lying around unguarded.’

  He shot a look at Spider, who was still refusing to meet my eyes.

  I gulped. So it was my fault that the resistance plan had been exposed.

  ‘Did you hear the whole conversation?’ I asked.

  ‘Just your side of it,’ Taylor said. ‘Enough to tell you were speaking with Nat.’ He shook his head. ‘Never let your emotions cloud your judgement, Charlie. You stayed on that call far too long.’

  A terrible chill settled around my heart. ‘So you’re going ahead with the bomb?’

  ‘Of course,’ Taylor said. ‘It’s going to happen at seven-thirty, just as we planned.’

  I closed my eyes, the full horror of the situation settling inside me. I leaned back against the cabin wall, feeling the chug-chug of the boat’s engine throb through my dress. And then a new thought occurred. I snapped my eyes open. ‘Wait a sec,’ I blurted out. ‘We’re on a boat on the river. How will Riley get away from the bomb? What about the guards? Spider’s his son, how is Riley going to save him? Or you? Or—?’

  ‘It’s all sorted, Charlie,’ Taylor said. ‘You and I and the rest of the EFA will be quite safe.’

  I felt sick. Taylor steered me out of the alcove. We seemed to be waiting for something. Across the room, Riley and Martina were still deep in conversation with Latimer and Aaron. I stared past them, unseeing, at a lilac rosette pinned to a large vase of white roses on the sideboard. Hot fury raged inside me. I had let Riley – and Taylor – trick me again. I gritted my teeth. I would stop this bomb and get my revenge on them both, if it was the last thing I did.

  A man dressed as a clown, with oversized red shoes and a big smile painted on his face, was ushering a group of small children towards the door at the end of the cabin. The children were laughing and chattering at the tops of their voices. As I watched them leave the cabin, I remembered what I’d overheard Riley say about the ‘extreme’ effect of the bomb. Had he meant ‘extreme’ in the sense of many innocent lives being lost? All those kids?

  Beside me, Spider straightened up. I followed his gaze. Riley had left Martina and the Latimers and was walking across the room to the makeshift stage, where a microphone stood ready for him. A young woman I didn’t recognise was calling for quiet. As she started to introduce Riley, the roo
m fell silent.

  Taylor touched my arm. This was obviously our cue.

  ‘This way,’ he said curtly.

  Gripping my arm, he ushered me out of the cabin and down a set of stairs. Spider followed right behind. The boat felt deserted. Clearly almost everyone was in the main cabin, listening to Riley. I checked the time on my synchronised plastic watch: 19:03. Taylor had said the bomb was still planned for 19.30.

  Which meant that I had less than thirty minutes to try and stop it.

  Nat

  I stared after the Kimberley Jack as it chugged past the other boats along the marina. It was about fifteen metres long, the deck running on either side of a central cabin festooned with lilac and white balloons and streamers.

  Latimer, Riley and Charlie and most of the people on deck had disappeared into the main cabin, leaving just a small group near the front and a couple of security guards watching them. No one was looking in my direction.

  How dare Riley and Latimer play games like this with people’s lives? Blood thundered in my ears as the boat moved slowly past the jetty. It was still only halfway along the marina, still close to the other boats. Maybe there was a chance I could catch it before it reached deeper water. If I could just get on board, I could find Charlie, warn her that Riley knew she was a spy and somehow save her.

  And if I got a chance to push Riley and Latimer overboard, so much the better.

  I raced along the boards, swerving on to the next jetty.

  ‘Parveen?’ I gasped into my mike, hoping against hope that this time she might answer. ‘Sean?’

  Silence. They were definitely gone, probably captured. I was on my own.

  I reached the end point of the jetty as the Kimberley Jack began to turn away from the marina. It was still only a few metres away and moving slowly. But it was bound to pick up speed soon.

  I tore off my shoes and jacket, shoved my phone, the earpiece and the mike underneath them and dived into the water. The cold made me gasp. I swam hard, pulling against the clammy drag of my clothes. My taser was in my trouser pocket but it would be no use to me once it was wet.

  Never mind. I would just have to do this without a weapon.

  I kept my eyes on the security guard watching the group in the bow. I couldn’t let him spot me. I glanced towards the back of the boat. There was a set of iron rungs attached to hull near the stern. If I didn’t let my pace slacken, I had a good chance of reaching those. I took a deep breath and dived under the water. It was hard to see but I forced myself on. Stroke after stroke after stroke. The pressure on my chest was huge but I kept going. Another pull of the arms. Another. My lungs were desperate for breath. I dragged myself on, knowing in a few more moments I would have to surface for air.

  One more pull.

  One more.

  One.

  Charlie

  Below deck the boat was a lot less festive than up in the main cabin. The walls were painted a greyish white and the floor laid with grubby-looking plastic. Taylor led Spider and me along a corridor to where a thickset security guard stood beside a door marked PRIVATE. Taylor made the sign of the EFA – an open hand, followed by a fist.

  ‘Evening, sir,’ the guard said quietly. He opened the door beside him and stood back to let us pass.

  The door opened on to a small cabin with two sleeping berths on either side of the door and a sink. As soon as we were all inside, Spider bent down, brought a screwdriver out of his backpack and began unscrewing the large metal grille at the bottom of the wall.

  ‘Okay, remember the package is all ready. You just have to set the timer, like you’ve been shown,’ Taylor said calmly. I stood beside him, my heart thudding. Clearly he was planning on keeping me where he could see me the entire time.

  ‘Yes, sir.’ Spider carefully removed the grille and laid it on the floor.

  ‘Through there.’ Taylor ordered. ‘I’ll replace the grille when you’re in.’

  Spider crouched down and eased his way into the tunnel behind in the wall.

  It was some kind of air duct and it looked tiny. No way would Taylor himself have fitted inside. Spider disappeared from view.

  ‘Now you, Charlie,’ Taylor commanded.

  I stared at him. ‘Me?’

  Taylor nodded. I bent down and peering into the tunnel. I could just make out Spider’s feet a metre or so along the vent. Was Taylor seriously going to let me go with him to set the timer on the bomb? That didn’t make any sense. Taylor and Riley knew that I had passed information to the resistance. Why on earth would they trust me to help carry out this mission?

  ‘Go on,’ Taylor urged. ‘You have to use the air duct or else you’ll be caught on the boat’s CCTV. Don’t let Spider get too far ahead.’

  I crawled into the tunnel, my heart beating fast. I had no idea what was going on, but maybe – just maybe – this turn of events would give me a chance to overpower Spider and take the bomb off him – or, at the very least, sound a warning to everyone else on the boat.

  Nat

  My clothes weighed me down as I pulled myself through the cold water. It was Charlie who’d been training for an underwater swim, not me. I’d never been the strongest of swimmers.

  Faster. Faster. The pressure on my chest grew heavier and heavier.

  At last my fingertips felt the side of the Kimberley Jack. I slid up the hull, my head breaking the water, my lungs bursting.

  I gasped for air, trying to make as little sound as possible. Above me chatter and clinking glass from the main cabin filled the air. The iron rungs I’d spotted before were just a metre away. Half a metre. About to pass. As they reached me, I caught hold and swung myself up, out of the water. I crawled to the top, suddenly cold in the brisk air. I peered over the side of the deck. There were still five or six people – plus the security guard – at the front of the boat. Any one of them could have seen me if they’d looked up, but no one did.

  Water poured off me as I swung myself over on to the deck then, crouching low so I couldn’t be seen through the portholes of the main cabin, I raced to the back of the boat. I straightened up under the awning that hung over the end of the main cabin. I shook the worst of the wet out of my hair and wiped my face. Shivering, I crept back around the deck and peered into the first porthole I came to. Inside the cabin people were talking and drinking. The room was decorated with bunches of lilac and white balloons, matching the streamers that fluttered over the portholes.

  I heard footsteps behind me and spun around.

  ‘Nat?’

  It was Aaron, his mouth gaping. For a split second I reeled back, shocked. I’d completely forgotten Latimer had said Aaron would be at the party, watching out for me. And then all my fury gathered in my fist. If Latimer knew this was a trap, his son must have known as well.

  I lunged forward, gripping Aaron around the throat, pushing him to the back of the cabin and pinning him against the wall, out of sight of everyone else.

  ‘How could you?’ I demanded. ‘After everything you said to Jas, after all the help we gave you!’

  Aaron’s eyes widened. ‘Wh – what are you talking about?’ he gasped.

  ‘Your dad told Riley the resistance were coming to stop the bomb going off, so he changed venue on to this boat and . . . and neither of you even tried to warn us.’ I tightened my grip. ‘Your dad set us up. He’s sold us out to Riley and now Riley’s got Par and—’

  ‘No.’ Aaron’s voice was a hoarse whisper, his face reddening above my hand around his neck. ‘No. Dad had no idea Riley changed the venue till we got here a few minutes ago. We’ve been trying to get a message to you, but Riley’s kept us talking the whole time. I only managed to slip away because he’s making a speech.’

  I stared at him. There was no guile in his eyes. I thought back to the eager way he had followed me to the ops base and the adoration in his eyes when he looked at Jas.

  Whatever Latimer had done, I was certain Aaron hadn’t been any part of it. I released my grip around his throat.
<
br />   ‘I need to find Charlie,’ I said. ‘If someone from the resistance has told Riley we’re trying to stop the bomb, then they’ll also have told him that Charlie isn’t really on his side. She’s in danger.’

  ‘At least there isn’t a bomb,’ Aaron said, feeling his neck where I had held him. ‘I mean, Riley can’t set one off on board, he’d be killed himself.’

  ‘That doesn’t help Charlie.’ I shivered as a gust of wind whipped my cold, wet clothes against my skin. ‘So have you seen her?’

  Aaron nodded. ‘Yeah, in the main cabin a few minutes ago, just before I came on deck to try and call you. She was with Riley’s son and that guy who works for him – Tyson, is it?’

  ‘Taylor.’ I spat out his name, then turned towards the main cabin. Never mind that I was dripping with water and unarmed. I would just rush inside and grab Charlie before anyone could stop us. The marina was still well within swimming distance. We could dive overboard. Get away.

  ‘Wait, Nat.’ Aaron pulled me back to face him, his expressive face contorted in a frown. ‘Let me fetch Dad, tell him you’re here. He’ll be—’

  ‘No,’ I said, glaring at him. ‘Even if you didn’t know about it, your dad must have told Riley we were coming after him.’

  ‘That’s not true, I—’

  ‘Well someone did.’ I shivered. ‘Your dad knew what we were planning. He—’

  ‘So did everyone else in the resistance,’ Aaron insisted. ‘It’s not fair to blame my dad. It could have been anyone. Or . . . or maybe Riley just overheard Charlie when she called you to warn you about the bomb?’

  I stared at him in horror. It hadn’t occurred to me until he said it, but it was indeed entirely – and terrifyingly – possible that Charlie’s phone call to me had been bugged or eavesdropped. All of which left her in more danger than ever.

  ‘I promise you my dad wants rid of Riley as much as you do,’ Aaron went on.

  ‘I don’t care,’ I said, unsure now what to think. ‘It doesn’t matter right now anyway. All that matters is that I have to find Charlie.’