The Hollywood Mission

by Deborah Abela

  ‘So what’s your next trick? Diving from a plane with no parachute?’ Linden tried to cheer her up.

  Max looked around, making sure the other guests couldn’t hear. ‘The skier who ran into me did it deliberately.’

  ‘Maybe they didn’t like your suit,’ he joked, but Max’s steely gaze let Linden know she was serious.

  ‘You really think they wanted to kill you?’

  ‘No. They could have done that easily. I think they wanted to scare me.’

  Linden lowered his voice. ‘Who do you think it could be?’

  ‘I don’t know, but I don’t think it was an accident that Raychik was so handy.’

  ‘Do you think it’s about the Spyforce mission?’

  ‘Not sure, but that skier was upset about something.’ Max trembled as she thought about how close she’d come to being really hurt, and knew that next time she might not get off so lightly.

  When Max woke up the first thing she saw was her father’s wide-brimmed smile.

  ‘Hello. You’ve been missed.’

  It took her a moment to remember where she was. And to remember the fall. She went to move but flinched with pain.

  Her dad’s smile dropped and he quickly put down the papers he was working on. ‘The doctor said you might be a bit sore, but that shouldn’t last too long.’

  The fire had died down yet still threw out a strong orange glow.

  ‘You scared me today. Promise me there’ll be no more accidents.’

  ‘Okay,’ Max agreed and remembered the mission Steinberger had given them. She needed to gather information about how the film industry worked, so she asked her dad about who held the power, who made the decisions and who had direct contact in creating the finished product. Her dad explained that it was different for each film, but mostly the producers, editors and directors had the biggest control.

  Max ran through the information in her head. Since the director of her father’s movie was her dad, she knew the bad guy wasn’t him. She’d find out about the producer when she got back to Hollywood, and after meeting the editor, Raychik, she planned to keep a close eye on him.

  ‘I never knew you were so interested in the film business.’

  Max looked up and saw her dad smiling. She felt another twinge of guilt. She’d never been very interested in what her dad did and now she was only asking because of Spyforce. ‘Do you like what you do?’

  Her dad got this wistful look in his eyes. ‘It’s like breathing, Max. I couldn’t imagine what I’d do if someone told me I couldn’t make films any more. It was a big decision when I first thought about moving to America. I knew it’d be great for my career, but I also knew it would put a lot of pressure on your mum and me.’

  So their divorce wasn’t all her mum’s fault, Max thought.

  Her dad sighed. ‘Remember you and your mum and I used to go skiing all the time when you were younger? You were only three when you had your first skiing lesson and the moment you got on that snow, you were a natural. There was a coach there who wanted to sign you up for the Olympic ski team there and then.’

  Apart from never having been called a natural at anything before, Max smiled as her head filled with memories of snow fights, hot chocolates and falling asleep in front of fires as her mum and dad laughed and talked into the night. She wanted to ask what went wrong when her dad spoke up and answered her secret thoughts.

  ‘Your mum and I began to want different things,’ he said sadly. ‘I still think she’s one of the nicest people I’ve met, but when you stop bringing out the best in each other, you’re not being fair to any one by staying together.’ Max’s dad looked at her intently. ‘Even though we don’t live together any more, you and I will always be the same. You know that, don’t you, Max?’

  Max felt as if her body was covered in bubbling waves. It was true. Being with her dad again, it felt like nothing had changed between them, but Max wanted to tell him that she still missed him saying goodnight before she fell asleep. Waking up each morning knowing he wasn’t in the house was something she’d never gotten used to.

  ‘How’s your Mum? Is she okay?’

  ‘She’s okay,’ Max began. ‘She’s getting married.’

  ‘She told me,’ her dad said carefully. ‘Is he a good guy? Because you and I have to make sure he is good enough for her.’

  Max wished her mother could hear what her dad was saying and how important it was to him that Aidan was okay.

  ‘He’s alright,’ she lied.

  ‘Good.’

  They sat in silence for a few minutes before her dad said, ‘Time for bed. After the day you’ve had, you’re going to need all the rest you can get.’

  He gently picked her up from the lounge to carry her to bed, and even though with all her bruises it should have hurt, she snuggled into his neck and didn’t feel a thing.

  It had been a rough day and the soreness from Max’s fall was starting to ache, but it wasn’t the bruising that had caused her the most pain.

  They were back in Hollywood and Max, Linden and, of course, Toby were extras again. Her dad was having a bad day. She’d overheard a few of the crew talking about the film running over budget and the leading actor threatening to walk off the film, and the way her dad was acting, he wasn’t happy about it either.

  The woman with the clipboard spoke into her microphone. ‘Okay, let’s go, people. We have a film to make and a deadline to keep.’

  Max was worried about the change in her dad’s mood when Toby came up to her biting into a breadstick. ‘Your dad looks a little stressed.’

  ‘He’s not stressed.’ Max was so used to disagreeing with everything Toby said, she contradicted him automatically. He was right, though. Her dad did look stressed, only she wasn’t going to admit it to Toby.

  Max stayed out of her father’s way all day but when it came to going home, he hardly even noticed she was there.

  ‘Mmmm? Oh, Max. You and your friends go home with the driver. Mee Lin’s away for a few days filming in San Francisco, but there’s plenty to eat in the fridge. I’ll be home late.’ Then he added, ‘I’m going to be busy over the next few days so I won’t be able to spend much time with you.’

  Toby looked at Linden, who shrugged. This wasn’t the Max’s dad they knew.

  He turned away and started talking to a member of the crew. Max’s shoulders slumped as she walked to the exit of the studio. She could hear voices behind her becoming heated and turned to see her dad arguing and throwing his hands around.

  Linden, Toby and Max walked through the studio grounds to the car in silence. Linden knew Max was sad and wanted to cheer her up. ‘He’s had a rough day.’

  ‘Or maybe he’s sick of me already?’

  Linden frowned. ‘How could anyone get sick of you?’

  ‘Well, first of all …’ Toby began, until Linden elbowed him in the ribs.

  ‘Maybe he wishes he’d never had me.’

  ‘Max, he’d never wish that.’ Linden leant into her gloomy face and shone her one of his best smiles. ‘When you meet great people, you never regret it.’

  Max smiled back. ‘One of your mum’s sayings?’

  ‘Yep. I’ve been saving that one for a special occasion,’ he replied proudly.

  Toby frowned. He wasn’t sure who was acting stranger, Max’s dad or these two.

  ‘And Mee Lin never mentioned anything about going away.’

  ‘Maybe it came up unexpectedly,’ Linden suggested.

  ‘Or maybe she’s over me, too?’

  At her dad’s home, all three collapsed on the lounge in exhaustion.

  Until there was a knock at the front door.

  Max sat up, jumpy from the day she’d had at the studio and her attack in the snow. She looked through the curtains and shuddered when she saw a man in a uniform carrying two parcels. The last time she’d received a parcel it almost led to the destruction of spy agencies across the world.5

  ‘What if it’s the man who tried to kill me on the s
lopes,’ she whispered.

  ‘A killer who knocks?’ Linden questioned.

  ‘Killers can have manners too, you know,’ Toby reminded him sarcastically.

  Max ignored them and grabbed one of her ski stocks that had been left in the hall.

  ‘You don’t think there’s a possibility it could be someone else?’ Linden asked.

  ‘Who else could it be?’

  As Linden thought of the many other people it could be there was another knock.

  ‘Coming,’ Max ushered Toby and Linden to the other side of the door.

  She again looked through the curtain and saw something that made her heart go cold. The guy’s delivery uniform was too small for him and beneath it Max could see a different layer of clothing. The real delivery guy was probably lying in the garden somewhere while this phoney had taken his suit, put it on over his clothes and was here to kill her.

  Max clenched her teeth and flung open the door. Before the guy could say anything, she hit him with her stock. He fell to the ground with a pained groan and a thud like a sack of potatoes.

  ‘Max?’ Linden and Toby leapt out from behind the door to see the crumpled figure of the guy beside two parcels.

  ‘What did you do that for?’ Toby asked, worried Max’s skiing accident had dented her brain.

  ‘He’s not a real delivery person,’ she said with more than a hint of victory in her voice. ‘These aren’t his real clothes.’

  ‘I’ve heard better reasons for whacking someone,’ Toby mumbled.

  The guy put a hand to his head and let out a moan.

  ‘Who are you?’ Max stood over him with the ski stick held above him.

  ‘My name’s Brad.’ The guy rubbed his sore head.

  ‘Prove it,’ Max ordered.

  ‘It says so on my name badge.’

  ‘He’s right.’ Toby read the guy’s badge.

  ‘The badge would have been on the suit when he stole it. Check his wallet,’ Max instructed.

  Linden looked at the guy. ‘Do you mind?’

  The guy shrugged. Linden pulled his wallet out of his pocket and read the name on the licence. ‘It is Brad, actually.’

  Max frowned. ‘Let me see that.’

  She stared at the photo of the guy on the doorstep and the name Bradley Walker. ‘I thought you were … I was only trying to … I’ve been a little jumpy since …’

  ‘Can I help you up?’ Linden offered the guy his hand.

  ‘I think I might do it myself,’ said Brad as he pulled himself up. ‘If you could just sign this form, I’ll leave you alone.’

  Max took Brad’s pen and signed. ‘I’m really sorry, I …’ but Brad had turned and was on his way down the driveway.

  Linden turned to Max. ‘Max, promise me something, will you?’

  ‘What?’ she asked contritely.

  ‘Make it a rule to find out who people are before you attack them.’

  ‘Okay,’ she promised, feeling guilty for about the millionth time this week.

  Seconds later there was another knock on the door. Max grabbed the ski stock as Linden jumped in front of her. ‘Why don’t I see who it is this time?’ He looked out the curtains. ‘It’s Ben and Eleanor. Maybe it’d be better if you disappeared, Toby. They’ll want to talk about the mission.’

  ‘You can hide in my room,’ Max offered and he quietly slipped upstairs.

  ‘Why do you think he likes hanging around so much?’ asked Linden. He couldn’t help thinking it wasn’t just the mission Toby wanted to be involved in.

  ‘Beats me,’ Max answered. ‘I wish he’d find someone else to be a shadow for.’

  Linden opened the door. Ben and Eleanor swooped in with their usual hugs and kisses. ‘Are you two okay? We were worried sick. Was there any more trouble?’

  ‘No. Nothing,’ Max replied into the layers of her aunt’s clothes.

  Ben spied a bowl of fruit on the hall table and picked out an apple. ‘How was your form, Linden?’ Ben knew about Linden’s ability to pick things up quickly.

  Linden shrugged. ‘All right, I guess.’

  ‘I knew it,’ Ben mumbled through a mouthful of apple. ‘You got it first go.’

  ‘Oh!’ Eleanor exclaimed. ‘You’ve received your Spyforce parcels. Those delivery people are very efficient.’

  ‘And lucky to be alive,’ Linden said out of the corner of his mouth. He looked at Max, worried that one day her temper would get them into serious trouble.

  Before Ben could ask what he meant, Eleanor’s palm computer lit up.

  ‘Steinberger,’ she announced. ‘Bring your parcels to your room. It’ll be safer to talk to him there.’

  Max and Linden shot each other a quick look that Eleanor spotted. ‘Is there something wrong?’

  ‘Of course not. Why would anything be wrong? Everything’s fine. Completely fine,’ Max rambled.

  Eleanor wasn’t so sure as she and Ben climbed the stairs with a nervous Max and Linden following closely behind, but when they walked into Max’s room everything seemed normal. Max scanned the room carefully, poking her head into the bathroom and checking the wardrobe but found no Toby.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Eleanor queried.

  ‘It’s just the fall,’ Linden explained, giving Max a ‘calm down’ look. ‘She’s been a bit funny ever since it happened.’

  Ben ran the Securicore over everything, checking for bugs and looking for any signs of tampering, while Eleanor took a small metal globe from her pocket. As she lifted it into the air, it lit up like a sparkler and she drew a wide sweeping arc that left a glowing green curve around them.

  ‘What’s that?’ Linden was impressed by the flickering dome shape.

  ‘A Shush Zone,’ Eleanor explained as she logged onto Steinberger. ‘It creates a restrictive sound field that stops anything we say leaving this area.’

  ‘No bugs, Steinby.’ Ben dropped his apple core in a bin as Eleanor prepared to take notes.

  ‘Excellent. Glad to see you all again. And Max, I’m sorry to hear about your fall, but I, like Eleanor, think that it was no accident.’

  Max trembled at the memory. Linden saw her worried face and gave her a nudge — one he hoped reminded her of their pact to look out for each other.

  ‘In your parcels you’ll find all you need for your mission. Your pack doubles as a Personal Flying Device, and I know how much you loved the PFD on the last mission, Max.’

  Max groaned. Using the PFD hadn’t come very naturally to her.

  ‘Inside the packs are a Danger Meter, which, as you know from your first mission, is to be worn beneath your clothes and vibrates when danger is close. You’ll also find a torch, a knife, a laser and a pair of heat-sensitive, X-ray glasses. Not only will they find concealed objects, but they can pinpoint the location of a human in dark or hidden places by emitting a red pulsing glow. Finally, there’s one of Plomb’s dustless, soundless bombs and detonator. You of course have your palm computers with the built-in locator and other equipment will be given to you by a secret contact we have specially placed in the studio since the attack on Max.’

  He went on to explain the mission. ‘An eminent scientist has been kidnapped. He was working on a part-time basis for Spyforce. He never was a man to sit still too long, so he worked for us whenever he was in the country.’

  ‘He’s an adventurer?’ asked Max.

  ‘No, he’s one of the world’s most accomplished walking champions. He’s won medals for it in almost every country. Not for me, all that hip swinging and feet to the floor at all times. In my younger day I could have —’

  ‘What do we know about the kidnap?’ Max interrupted before they were all forced to take a trip down Steinberger’s crowded memory lane.

  ‘We know he was kidnapped because his home was left in a mess. He is a meticulous man who breaks into a sweat if anything is untidy for even a few minutes. There was an unmade bed, and eggs that had been boiling on the stove long enough to make them bounce when they were thrown against the w
all.’

  ‘How do you know that?’ asked Linden.

  ‘One of the agents tried it out.’

  Max and Linden were curious why the agents had nothing better to do in the face of a kidnapping than throw eggs around, until Steinberger continued.

  ‘They did this to estimate the time the eggs had been cooking and hence how long our scientist had been gone. Estimated kidnap time was three hours fifteen minutes and forty seconds earlier. We knew then that Dr Fartie was in trouble.’

  Because they were in the middle of a mission briefing, Ben and Linden did all they could not to laugh at Dr Fartie’s unusual name.

  ‘We’re not sure who kidnapped Biggus or what they plan to do with him, but we think it has something to do with the work on encoding he was doing for us. Or it could be his study of methane gas emissions, we’re not positive yet.’

  Linden sat on his hands and Ben squeezed his lips between his teeth. A laugh as full as a belly after Christmas was trying to wiggle its way out of both of them.

  Linden wanted to make sure he had things straight. ‘So Dr Biggus Fartie was working on smelly gases?’

  ‘That and encoding,’ Steinberger answered seriously.

  Eleanor let loose a small smile before concentrating even more intently on her notes. Max was annoyed at how much Ben and Linden were starting to fidget.

  ‘Whatever the plan, we believe Fartie’s kidnapping can only mean one thing,’ Steinberger added dramatically. ‘That someone, somewhere is carrying out a plot that has the stench of something rotten about it.’

  Linden squirmed and Ben let out a muffled snigger. If there was any more talk of farts and smells they were going to lose control completely.

  ‘Biggus Fartie is one of our best scientists. I want you to sniff him out, find out what evil he is being used for, and save him before another foul-smelling plan is let loose on the world.’ Steinberger wished them luck and signed off.

  That was it. Ben and Linden let loose. Even Eleanor joined in.

  ‘What?’ Max cried as they collapsed in laughter around her.

  Ben tried to explain as his cheeks ballooned in and out with fits of guffawing.