Cate lay down on her bed, her mind racing. What was it Jacob had said? That there was an older brother, Michael. No one knew where he was. Cate bit her lip. Josie had known. But why keep it secret from everyone else? What was the point?
Unless he wanted to hide his identity. Cate thought back to when the Cotians had tried to burn down the HQ. Why would they do that? Miles had turned up, said he had received a warning. Supposing he knew about the indium B and he realised what it was worth. His grandfather was in mining – maybe Miles knew something about it too. Could Miles have alerted the Cotians? His family were broke, so he’d need funding to mine. Had he sold the secret of Snapper Bay to the highest bidder?
It made sense. It was the Cotians who had tried to buy Snapper Bay. When that failed they had decided they were going to take what they wanted anyway. Had Miles’s job been to clear the coast of all the eco-warriors? Had he brought his sister Josie in to try to scare everybody too? Except that hadn’t worked so well – Josie was so highly-strung no one had taken her fears seriously. She had been genuinely scared of the water though. Did she know something about the sharks, and why they were attacking everything? Cate thought back to the attack on Matthias. Miles had seemed genuinely distressed then – but had it been the Cotians’ warning to Miles to get everyone out of Snapper Bay so they could get on with their mining?
Cate’s hands were shaking as she pushed the cuttings back into the envelope. It looked very much as if she had found her sapo. The last person anyone would suspect of selling out his eco-friends at Snapper Bay.
Long before her phone vibrated its alarm, Cate was ready to go. She put on Mitsu’s wetsuit and packed her phone, her penknife and a torch into her waterproof pouch and strapped it firmly around her waist. She was worried about her phone. The signal was fading in and out, she found. Typical for this to happen just as she was going to be out at sea. The last thing she wanted was to lose her only means of communication with Marcus and Henri.
Quietly, she pushed aside her mosquito net and put her head out into the still night. The camp was in darkness. Everyone, it seemed had turned in for the night. Above her, clouds moved slowly over the sky, a sliver of moon providing just enough light for her to see by.
Slowly, gently, she stood up and, careful not to stand on any twigs or gravel, began to make her way down to the beach.
The kayaks were lined up on the wet sand like sleeping seals, their paddles underneath them. Cate pushed at the dark blue one. Clutching a paddle in one hand and the kayak in the other, Cate hopped in and pushed off, paddling out towards the mouth of the bay.
She looked up and fixed her eyes on the point where the bay opened out to the ocean. As soon as she headed around the point, she felt the water change beneath her. In the bay, the waves had been choppy but relatively gentle. Now they were higher, rearing up above her head one moment, and then rolling and lurching away underneath her kayak a few seconds later. She didn’t fancy being on the open ocean for too much longer.
She was just about to try her phone again, when a small, black dinghy materialised out of darkness, two dark figures sitting up high on either side. There must have been an engine, Cate reasoned, but it was so quiet she couldn’t hear it at all.
‘Hey, Cate, fancy seeing you here.’ One of the black figures stood and threw her a rope. ‘Here you go,’ said Marcus. ‘Tie that to your kayak. We’ll tow you in.’
The small naval boat was cloaked in darkness. Cate sat in a warm cabin below deck, wrapped in a blanket and drinking a mug of frothy hot chocolate.
‘Take your time, Cate,’ said Henri. He was perched on the edge of a table, his arms crossed, his face even more stern than usual. Marcus was lounging on an uncomfortable-looking grey sofa.
‘Have you heard of indium?’ Cate asked them eventually.
They looked surprised. ‘Yep,’ said Marcus slowly. ‘The stuff they use in micro technology, LCDs, iPads, anything that needs to be small yet powerful. Quite rare but not desperately so. A relatively valuable commodity.’
‘Blimey,’ said Cate. ‘I had to get Arthur to explain all that to me. Well, here’s another question. Have you heard of indium B?’
Henri frowned at her. ‘That’s classified information, Cate. How did you find out about indium B?’ His face cleared. ‘Of course. Your brother. We really are going to have to employ that boy one of these days. Cate, only a handful of people in the world know about indium B. The only reason I was told was because the IMIA is at the forefront of satellite tracking technology and, right now, that technology is going nowhere fast.’ He turned to Marcus. ‘We’ve basically got as fast and as accurate as we can without a major leap forward in the strength of the component parts. Unless we can improve them we’ll be stuck in a technological dark age. The problem is, Cate, indium B doesn’t really exist.’
‘Oh yes it does,’ said Cate, quietly putting down her mug. ‘I’ve seen it. And so, I think, have the Cotians.’
Henri stood up and stared at her, his eyes wide and shocked. For once his composure had vanished. ‘My God, Cate, are you sure?’
‘As far as I can be. Do you remember I was telling you that at the meeting the Cotians were talking about Indian mining. I though they meant a mine somewhere in India or something. But they didn’t. They’d said indium. I only realised when I saw it in the kitchen at Snapper Bay. Maria was trying to boil up some sort of root than had been growing in it and she got surrounded by this like purply blue aura.’
‘Er, Cate,’ Marcus said sheepishly. ‘Are you sure you’re feeling OK?’
‘Marcus do be quiet,’ Henri said sternly. ‘I know exactly what she’s talking about. Indium gives off a purply blue haze when viewed through a certain light structure, but indium B is only detected through its aura, which can appear in sunlight, moonlight – even through water. That’s what Cate saw.’
‘I thought about it and suddenly I realised it all made sense,’ Cate went on. ‘The Cotians wouldn’t come halfway around the world for something that cost a few thousand dollars a kilo. Nor would they go to all that expense to try to get their hands on the land surrounding Snapper Bay. It had to be something incredibly rare, incredibly precious. It had to be indium B.’ She reached for her bag. ‘I’ve got some here if you want to look at it.’
The effect on Henri was electric. His mouth fell open and his outstretched hand was shaking. Cate reached into the small pouch and brought out a small handful of the dull metal, still brushed with red soil. She put it into Henri’s hand and he looked at it silently.
‘We’d better get it checked out,’ Marcus said. He walked over to the door and opened it. A smartly dressed naval man sprang to attention. ‘Can you send the captain to us, please? We need to get an urgent message to HQ in Sydney.’
‘How on earth did the Cotians find out about this?’ said Henri, finally pulling himself together. ‘We didn’t know about it, the Aussies didn’t know about it.’
‘Someone told them, of course,’ said Cate. ‘It was their sapo. Their informer. And I think it was a guy called Miles Finlay.’
‘Miles Finlay? The dude who heads up the Australian Eco Trust?’ Marcus was incredulous. ‘You can’t be serious.’
‘That’s what I thought,’ said Cate. ‘In fact, I never, ever, considered him. After all, everyone knows he is the ultimate eco-warrior: passionate, committed, trustworthy. Except he isn’t. Trustworthy, or even called Miles. He’s actually Michael O’Leary, the son of David O’Leary, otherwise known as one of the Lucky O’Learys. Google him. His sister Josie was here at the camp. Been here for a few weeks. I can’t be sure, but I think Miles must have found the indium B. He knew immediately what it was worth, and had contacts in Cotia. He’s gone travelling round the world before. And you can bet your bottom dollar that his passport will have a few South American stamps in it.’
There was a knock on the door and Marcus opened it, speaking quietly to the person outside before turning back. ‘They’re sending a scientist to pick up your stuff
now, Cate. They’ll analyse it and have the results back by tomorrow.’
Henri spoke. ‘If this is true, Cate, do you know what this means? The Cotians are going to try and get to the indium B illegally. Which means all of you at Snapper Bay could be at risk at any time.’ He drummed his hands on the table. ‘We’re going to have to shut the turtle sanctuary down. I’m sorry, Cate.’ He raised a hand to her protest. ‘We can’t risk harm coming to any of you.’
There was a long silence.
‘If only we knew where the Cotians were hiding out,’ said Marcus finally. ‘We could go in and arrest them. We’d find something to link them to the seaplane pilot’s death and Cate here got a good look at the bodyguard who threatened to kill Marissa.’
‘But we don’t know where they are,’ said Henri testily. ‘They all met up at Purbeck Island, so maybe the base is near there. Somehow they’ve managed to get under our very extensive radar.’ He thumped his hand down on the table. ‘They’re outwitting us at every turn. They’ve got us on the defensive and I don’t like it.’
Cate felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. ‘Hi, Arthur,’ she said. ‘Great timing. What’s going on?’
His voice was excited, jumping with enthusiasm. ‘I’ve just checked Rafe Schuster’s phone. You know how the signal was at Snapper Bay? I’ve just checked it again and it’s moved.’
Henri swiftly left the room and Cate heard him barking orders to connect Arthur to the ship’s communication system.
‘Cate, can you please explain again who Rafe Schuster is?’ Marcus asked as they raced to the bridge. Henri and the captain were poring over a chart of the Friday Islands.
Arthur’s face was up on a large screen, directing operations from his chalet bedroom.
‘Rafe? He’s the boy who went missing from the camp a week or so before I got there,’ said Cate. ‘Everyone said he must have done a runner, even the police. But there was always something suspicious about him disappearing without saying goodbye. And his girlfriend, Maria, had said his mind was on other things before he disappeared – he was going to talk to her, but never did.’ She stopped suddenly.
‘Go on,’ said Marcus quietly, his dark eyes never leaving hers. Henri too was very still.
‘The thing was that if he hadn’t done a runner, that meant that someone had cleared out his belongings. I didn’t want to admit it, but the more I thought about it, the more likely it was that something bad had happened to him. I just couldn’t work out what or how. The other day, Maria was admiring my blue T-shirt. She told me she’d bought one just like that for Rafe as a present when they went to the market at Parsons Rock. And guess what? The Cotian at the drop-off point was collecting a passport and clothes. Including a bright blue T-shirt. It has to mean they had Rafe.’
‘And the phone?’ Henri asked.
‘Not everyone knows they can be tracked when switched off,’ Arthur chipped in. ‘You can bet it’s with his clothes. Which are most likely now in the same place as Rafe.’
‘But why kidnap the boy?’ Henri was speaking almost to himself. ‘Why go to all that trouble?’
‘Perhaps he had stumbled across something that meant he was a danger to the operation,’ said Cate. ‘Maria did say he was distracted. Or maybe he just got unlucky.’ She didn’t voice her real concern: that these people hadn’t worried about killing when it suited them.
‘Don’t worry, Cate,’ said Marcus, reading her mind. ‘The fact that the Cotians bothered to collect his clothes suggests Rafe is alive. Perhaps they think they can use him as a bargaining tool, should things go wrong.’
‘Either way,’ said Arthur, ‘that phone will probably lead us straight to the Cotians.’
Marcus and Cate looked at each other and shook their heads in admiration. ‘Arthur, man,’ said Marcus. ‘Double, no, triple respect. When all this is over, I am going to buy you any piece of computer kit your heart desires.’
‘Done,’ said Arthur. ‘Actually, I could do with an introduction to the guys who are creating Geronimo – you know, the new generation of satellite positioning. I’ve heard they’re a really cool bunch.’
‘No problem,’ said Marcus, smiling back up at him.
Henri looked up from the chart. ‘Those co-ordinates, Arthur. They’re for a place called Razor Island, about twenty kilometres from here. According to our captain, it was used as a submarine base in the Second World War when the Aussies were terrified Japan was going to invade from the North. It’s been wired off and abandoned for years.’ He seemed to come to a decision. ‘Marcus, you’ll head up a surveillance team tomorrow morning and we’ll check it out. If the Cotians are there, I’ll take a team in. All being well, we’ll go in tomorrow at nightfall. In the meantime, Cate, you get back to camp before you’re missed. I take it you haven’t told Michel about your secret life and it’s best you keep it that way.’
‘Well done, Cate.’ Marcus was sitting ahead of her in the dinghy, the kayak trailing out behind them. ‘Yet another amazing result. I honestly think you have the luck of the devil. And that’s a compliment, by the way.’ He paused. ‘This time tomorrow it will all be over, hopefully with as little fuss as possible. Once we’ve arrested the Cotians, we’ll pick Miles up quietly and you and the guys at Snapper Bay can go on doing your thing, whatever it is eco-warriors do nowadays.’
They had reached the mouth of the bay and Marcus pulled up the kayak and held it steady whilst Cate clambered into it. Her job was done now, the danger over. She could leave everything to the IMIA and go back to being a teenager. She should be relieved. So why then did she feel so miserable, so cheated?
‘Marcus,’ said Cate as she picked up the paddle. ‘I don’t suppose I could come with you guys tomorrow, could I? Just to watch the action.’
Marcus laughed. ‘Don’t even think about it, Cate. It could get very nasty. And let’s not forget your dad. He wasn’t very pleased with us last summer. If he thought we were taking you into another risky situation, I don’t like to think what he would do.’
‘Marcus, come on,’ she wheedled. ‘I’ll just stay on the boat and watch from a distance. There’s no harm in that and my dad will never know. I won’t even tell Arthur – well not until it’s all over. I’ve done all the hard work. I’ve practically led you to the Cotians. And now, just when the fun starts, suddenly I’m a little kid and told to run along. I thought better of you, I really did.’
Marcus shifted uneasily in his seat. ‘OK, OK, Cate,’ he said. ‘I’ll speak to Henri. But I’m not promising anything, mind. I’ll text you later.’
Cate had just got back to her tepee when her phone bleeped. You win.
Yeeees, thought Cate triumphantly. She lay back on her pillow, a huge grin on her face and thirty seconds later was fast asleep.
CHAPTER 17
‘And then there were six.’ Jacob and Cate stood at the edge of the track watching the jeep carrying Dan and Tuyen into the distance.
‘There’s going to be five for a while, I’m afraid,’ Cate said. ‘I’m meeting my friend Nancy in Parsons Bay this afternoon. Michel is dropping me off and she and I might just stay put for the evening.’
‘The Nancy Kyle?’ asked Jacob enviously. ‘Can I sneak along and join you? I could do with a break for a few hours.’
‘Sorry,’ said Cate, feeling guilty that she was lying so efficiently to such a nice guy. ‘There’s only room for two on Michel’s bike. Another time. I’ll arrange it, I promise.’
Cate lay in the hammock, looking out to sea. Michel was surfing with Noah, their black wetsuit hoods standing out sharply against the morning haze. She waved to him and he waved back, then turned to catch a wave that was rising behind him.
He really had no idea what she had been doing these last few days, Cate realised. How was that possible when in many ways they were so close?
She was desperate to tell Michel about the Cotians, about the IMIA, about last summer. But she knew that it wasn’t fair to put such a burden on him. Henri was right. It was best tha
t he didn’t know.
‘Hey, Cate, how are you doing?’ It was Maria, carrying a large fishing rod in her hand. ‘I thought that as our two fishermen had gone I would give it a go myself,’ she said. ‘Just how hard can it be to catch a few fish?’
‘I might join you in a bit,’ said Cate, suddenly in need of company. ‘My dad showed me how to cast a line. It’s not too difficult, as long as you haven’t got any trees to get it caught up in.’
Maria laughed. ‘I’m glad you’re here, Cate,’ she said, ‘and not just because you’re the only girl. You’re such good fun.’
‘Has anyone seen Miles?’ Jacob was stomping crossly along the beach, carrying a clipboard in one hand and binoculars in the other. ‘He was on turtle watch last night and he hasn’t left any records of nestings. Honestly! It’s bad enough that we’re so shorthanded without him going flaky on us as well.’
Maria and Jacob wandered off along the beach leaving Cate to her thoughts. She was glad she hadn’t seen Miles that morning. She still couldn’t work out how someone could be so duplicitous, so evil. The Cotians with their blatant crimes and thuggery were awful, dreadful people, but at least they didn’t pretend to be anything else. Miles had fooled everyone into thinking he was some kind of eco hero when in fact he was selling out his friends and the environment.
She pictured Josie, driven to despair by her brother. And how did he thank her for her help in trying to get everyone away from Snapper Bay? She was pretty sure he’d overheard Josie talking to her, got worried Josie was going to tell all, and pushed her off the cliff.
Cate sighed and walked towards the tepee, checking her phone for about the twentieth time that morning. This time there was a signal but still nothing from Marcus. She hoped he wasn’t going to go back on his word. She grabbed a towel and shampoo and headed for the showers. She may as well make the most of all the unused hot water.
She was just towelling off her hair when she heard a noise behind her. It was Miles, looking flustered.
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