Hunted

by Sophie McKenzie

  ‘Sure,’ I said.

  Ketty nodded.

  As we drew closer, we stopped speaking. We didn’t need to talk about how best to approach the hut. We’d worked together so many times it was obvious. Nico teleported a handful of stones into the air as we walked, then glanced round, making sure we were all ready.

  Get your torch out. Ed’s thought-speech appeared in my head, and vanished in an instant.

  Torch? Oh, yeah, he meant my flashlight. As I pulled it out of my pocket, Nico teleported his stones so that they landed a few metres away from the hut.

  The patter of the pebbles on the earth wasn’t loud – but carried clearly across the night air. A guard appeared in the doorway, looking for the noise. He turned and drew the hut door shut. It was impossible to tell if anyone else was inside, but the website picture had shown two armed men.

  We hid in the shadows, unseen. The guard crept towards the stones, peering round as he walked.

  And then everything happened real quick. Nico teleported the guard up and flat on his back. The man fumbled for his gun. A moment later it was careering out of its holster and across the grass. The guard struggled to sit up. We ran towards him, Nico reached him first. Pushed him back as Ed arrived, making eye contact, doing his freaky hypno-mind-reading thing.

  The whole thing took just seconds.

  Nico rushed into the hut, Ketty and I at his heels. I had my force field fully primed, ready for the second guard, but the hut was empty.

  I looked around. There was no sign that anyone else had been here – just a table and stool with a radio, a pile of old magazines and a cigarette lighter set along the only shelf.

  Without speaking, Nico raced back outside to Ed.

  ‘I guess the cutbacks we read about included letting go of the other security guard,’ I said.

  Ketty nodded.

  I pointed to the security deck that sat on the table. It was a mass of knobs and buttons, with two CCTV screens above. Both showed pictures of the grass and wire fence beyond.

  ‘Doesn’t look like we’re on camera,’ I said.

  Ketty glanced outside the hut, to where Ed was now attempting to hypnotise the guard into forgetting he’d seen us.

  ‘Hope Ed’s quicker on that man than he was with the guy at the last place,’ Ketty said, fingering the deck.

  ‘Guess we just have to wait it out.’ I picked up the cigarette lighter from the shelf and flicked it on. ‘Nico’s got real good at telekinesis, hasn’t he?’ I murmured, trying to sound casual.

  She nodded proudly. ‘Yeah.’ She smiled. ‘But don’t tell him. He’s big-headed enough as it is.’ She hesitated. ‘I wish I could see something in the future, but I’m getting nothing.’

  The old me would have undoubtedly made some crack about how ‘seeing nothing’ was nothing new for Ketty, but I didn’t want to annoy her. I swallowed, then set the cigarette lighter back on the shelf. There was a question I needed to ask her.

  ‘How do you feel about him?’ I said quietly. ‘Nico, I mean.’

  Ketty’s head shot up. She gave me a searching look.

  ‘Why?’ she said suspiciously.

  ‘No reason,’ I said. ‘I just saw you guys after the scene in the garage with Milton and McKenna and I thought you looked . . . like a serious item.’

  Ketty looked outside, to where Nico was staring at Ed in exasperation.

  ‘I want to do the hypnosis first,’ Ed was saying. ‘It’s more secure that way.’

  ‘Sounds like a waste of time, man,’ Nico insisted. ‘Come on, you must be able to mind-read something to do with the security system.’

  ‘A bit, but I can’t see enough of his thoughts to be sure,’ Ed said.

  ‘Just tell me what you can see,’ Nico said, sounding deeply irritated.

  Ketty smiled.

  ‘I really like Nico,’ she said simply. ‘And he says he really likes me.’

  ‘Do . . . do you find yourself thinking about him a lot?’ I said. ‘Like . . . like caring what he thinks, and liking him even though sometimes he can be really annoying?’

  Ketty smiled again. ‘Are we still talking about me and Nico, or is this about you and Harry?’

  Damn.

  ‘No way,’ I protested, alarmed she’d seen through me so easily. ‘Course not.’

  ‘Okay, we’re done.’ Nico appeared in the hut doorway. ‘There’s definitely only one guard. Ed’s finally got the guy in a deep sleep. Says he can only make it last half an hour, though.’

  I made a face. That wasn’t a lot of time.

  ‘What about the security system?’ Ketty asked.

  ‘Ed says that button on the end turns off the power,’ Nico said, pointing to the security deck. ‘That’s the fastest way to disable the electric fence and the cameras.’

  I turned and found the button. A minute later we were through the gates to both rings of fences, and circling the building looking for a way in.

  There were no windows at ground level and, so far, no door into the building.

  ‘Here,’ Ed said.

  I shone my flashlight at where he was pointing . . . a huge front door.

  ‘No sweat,’ I said, standing back to let Nico open it with his telekinesis.

  He studied the door for a second, then twisted his hand in front of it. Nothing happened.

  ‘There’s no electric current serving the lock, so I should be able to click it back,’ he said.

  I nodded, waiting. Nico’s telekinesis had always worked before.

  Nico flicked his wrist again. Still no movement in the door.

  I glanced at the others. Ketty was staring at Nico, her mouth open with alarm. Ed met my gaze, the same expression in his eyes.

  And then, from the other side of the building, the sound of dogs barking erupted into the night air. I froze as, seconds later, two snarling Alsatians came racing around the corner towards us.

  22: The archive

  The noise was unbelievable. The two dogs were furious, barking their heads off. Nico was shouting nearly as loudly, his voice full of panic as he roared at them to get away.

  I stared at him. Why wasn’t he teleporting them over the fence? The same thought obviously struck Ketty.

  ‘Telekinesis!’ she screamed at him. ‘Use your telekinesis!’

  Immediately, Nico raised his hands. They shook as he focused on one of the dogs. It lifted off the ground, yelping in terror. As Nico moved it away from us, the other dog rushed forward. Nico quickly turned his attention to the second dog, but as he teleported that one away, the first dog was back on the ground, racing towards us again.

  ‘Do something!’ Ed yelled.

  It took me a fraction of a second to realise he was shouting at me.

  The door we’d been trying to access was right beside me. Why hadn’t Nico’s telekinesis unlocked it? I gave it an angry shove. To my amazement it opened.

  Of course. How stupid we’d been! Shutting down the electricity had released everything automatically. Nico had been trying to unlock a door that was already unlocked!

  ‘Guys!’ I shouted. ‘We’re in.’

  Nico turned to see the open door. In that moment he lost concentration. The nearest dog leaped forwards, past him, bounding up to Ketty. His paws reached her chest. With a shriek she fell backwards.

  Now all hell broke loose. Everyone was yelling.

  Nico was torn, turning between the dog that was snarling over Ketty and the one that he was keeping at bay.

  ‘Focus on that one,’ I yelled, pointing to the dog he was holding off. ‘I’ll deal with Ketty.’

  Force field charged, I hurled myself at the Alsatian that was pinning Ketty to the ground. His mouth was clamped round her leg, his teeth piercing her sweats and skin.

  For a second I gagged at the sight of the blood oozing through the material, then I gathered all my focus on my energy field and slid my hand into the dog’s mouth. I made a fist and pushed, forcing my way to the back of the dog’s throat. The dog made a choking
sound, then released Ketty. He backed away from me snarling furiously. I was dimly aware of Nico beside me, teleporting the first dog over the fence and into the distant woods, but I kept my force field charged, and my focus on the dog right in front of me.

  As soon as the first dog had disappeared, Nico dropped to his knees beside Ketty. Ed was already tearing open her sweats, examining the bite.

  Out of the corner of my eye I could see Ketty, her face screwed up in pain. I kept my attention on the second dog, now padding backwards and forwards in front of me . . . wary of me . . . but coming closer again . . .

  ‘We should get her to a hospital,’ Ed said. ‘She might need stitches and she should definitely have a tetanus jab.’

  At the sound of his voice, my dog stopped pacing. He growled, then leaned back on his paws. Jeez, he was going to leap out at Ed.

  ‘Nico,’ I hissed. ‘I need you to teleport this dog.’

  But Nico wasn’t listening. He was trying to help Ketty to her feet.

  And then everything happened at once.

  The dog pounced, jaws open and teeth bared. He flew past me, aiming straight at Ed . . . going for his throat.

  I started to move, to hurl myself between Ed and the dog, but in that second I knew I wouldn’t get there in time.

  I also knew I had to protect Ed.

  I reached out with my finger and channelled every ounce of my force field towards him. As I touched his shoulder, I could feel the energy flowing through me and out of me, circling his throat.

  A split second later the dog reached Ed, but his teeth closed on air. He fell back with a whimper. My force field fell away from me altogether.

  This time Nico was ready. In an instant he’d teleported the dog up and over the fence and into the woodland beyond.

  The four of us stood, in shock, in silence.

  Nico was bent over, panting. Ketty clung to his arm, her face unnaturally pale, the bloodstain on her left leg widening every second.

  Ed was rigid with fear, his eyes wide and horrified.

  ‘How did you do that, Dylan?’ he said, his voice hoarse. ‘That dog was going to kill me.’

  I shrugged, as baffled as he was. ‘I just focused on my force field . . . on making it go around you.’ As I spoke, I reached out again, trying to repeat what I’d done before. I could feel the energy flowing through me – but it wasn’t as strong as before . . . not vital enough to extend across another person. The more I pushed, trying to force it away from me, the weaker it grew.

  ‘I can’t do it again,’ I said, suddenly feeling exhausted.

  ‘We have to get Ketty to a doctor,’ Nico said urgently. ‘She’s really hurt.’

  Ed and I turned to them.

  Ketty was leaning against Nico, wincing and clutching her leg. Blood was seeping through her sweatpants.

  ‘Man, I’m so sorry, Ketts,’ Nico was saying. ‘Those dogs really freaked me out. I panicked until you yelled at me . . . forgot what I could do . . .’

  Ketty shook her head. ‘Don’t—’

  ‘Can you make it through the gate, babe?’ Nico said. ‘Wait, I’ll teleport you and run underneath.’

  ‘No,’ I said. ‘Let Ed go with her. He can call an ambulance from the road.’

  ‘But I want to go with Ketty,’ Nico said. ‘I need to know she’s going to be all right.’

  ‘I’ll be fine, Nico,’ Ketty said crossly.

  I stared at him. I had no idea what we were going to face inside the Wardingham building. At this point, Nico’s psychic gift was going to be more useful than Ed’s.

  But how did I tell him that when his girl was bleeding in front of him? If it was Harry, I thought, I wouldn’t want to send him off with someone else – even though, logically, Ed was as good a choice as anyone.

  I’d want to be with him.

  I pushed the thought out of my head.

  Never mind freakin’ Harry.

  ‘Please, Nico. Dylan’s right,’ Ketty said. ‘She needs your skills the most. I’ll be fine with Ed.’

  Nico hesitated, frowning.

  ‘Come on, Nico,’ I said fiercely. ‘We’ve already been here far too long. We have to move.’

  ‘I’ll look after her.’ Ed touched Nico’s arm, then met his gaze.

  Nico glazed over as the two boys communicated telepathically.

  I don’t know what Ed said in that private chat, but when he broke the connection, Nico had clearly made the decision to let Ketty go.

  ‘Go on, then.’ Nico gave Ketty a fierce hug, then teleported her over the fence and across the field beyond. I could just make out the edge of the road where Laura had dropped us. As Ketty sailed through the air towards that point, Ed ran through the gates after her.

  ‘Keep checking in with us, yeah?’ Nico yelled. ‘Let me know how she is.’

  ‘I will,’ Ed yelled back. ‘Don’t forget you’ve only got about twenty-five minutes before that guard comes out of his hypnosis.’

  That wasn’t a lot of time.

  Heart thumping, I gazed across the field beyond the building, watching Ketty travel through the air to the edge of road. Nico set her down. A second later, Ed ran up to her. He took out his phone, presumably to dial for a cab to take them to hospital.

  ‘You don’t think those dogs will come back, do you?’ Nico said, looking worried.

  ‘No. We’d have seen them if they’d come out of the woods.’ I paused. ‘I guess they brought in the dogs because of the staff cutbacks we read about . . . a replacement for the second guard.’

  Nico nodded. ‘We better get inside.’

  Side by side, the two of us ventured through the open door. The building was cold and dark and echoey, a bleak length of corridor with a long stretch of bare wall on either side.

  ‘We need to find stairs down to the basement,’ I whispered.

  Nico nodded. ‘Over there.’ He pointed to a set of concrete steps at the end of the corridor.

  The basement was even colder and darker than the ground floor. Our flashlights revealed four large rooms, jammed with cupboards and storage shelving.

  ‘How on earth do we know where to begin looking?’ Nico said, staring round in bewilderment. ‘The records on your dad’s final meetings with Bookman could be anywhere.’

  I marched across to the first shelf and picked up a piece of paper. It was a requisition – an order form – for a load of stationery.

  My heart sank. ‘There must be a key to the storage system somewhere . . . some way of working out where files are kept by date or name.’

  ‘How about on that computer?’ Nico pointed to a terminal in the corner.

  ‘Great, except we’ve no electricity to power it.’ I shivered.

  Jeez. We had about twenty minutes until the guard outside came out of his hypnosis and what felt like a million miles of archive material to search.

  And then footsteps ran towards us . . . a lean, male figure stood in the doorway, his flashlight weaving shadows across the wall opposite.

  I froze. Before either Nico or I could act, the guy reached round and flicked a light switch. Three overhead fluorescent tubes hummed into instant action, flooding the room with light.

  Harry stood in the doorway.

  I stared at him, open-mouthed.

  ‘I found a generator outside,’ he said with a grin. ‘See, Red? I told you I’d be useful.’

  23: Clusterchaos

  I stared at Harry, totally lost for words. Nico stood beside me, open-mouthed.

  Harry’s grin deepened. ‘Hey, Red, we must stop meeting like this. Empty office buildings are not my idea of a party environment.’

  ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ I snapped.

  ‘Mum refused to leave before. She wanted to be sure you got out okay, so we were still there when Ed and Ketty came out. Mum’s taken them to the hospital. I thought, seeing as you were two guys down, I might be able to fill in.’

  ‘For Pete’s sake, Harry.’ My irritation mounted. ‘This isn’t a freakin�
� game. You weren’t supposed to hang around. You could get hurt.’

  ‘Nice to know you care, Red.’ Harry winked at me.

  In spite of my annoyance, my heart gave a little lurch at that wink.

  ‘I don’t care,’ I said, trying to sound as withering as possible. ‘What I’m trying to say is that you can’t be any use to us and if it comes to a fight, then Nico and I will have to protect you.’

  ‘I can handle myself,’ Harry said, an irritated edge now creeping into his voice. ‘I got some power back into the building for you, didn’t I? And I disabled the alarm. Plus, you know I’ve got other, shall we say specialist, IT skills.’ He turned to Nico. ‘I can get you inside the intranet here . . . through any terminal . . .’

  ‘Really?’ Nico sounded impressed. This just added to my annoyance.

  ‘A bit of amateur hacking doesn’t make you able to crack an MoD security system,’ I said.

  Harry pulled a CD from his pocket. ‘This isn’t amateur hacking,’ he said. ‘It’s a proper program I downloaded off the net . . . brought it with me in case we needed it. It’s called Clusterchaos . . . works like a cluster bomb, like lots of sub-bombs exploding all at once to break down a firewall in several places at a time and—’

  ‘We don’t want to destroy their security system, we just want to find the information about my dad.’

  ‘Clusterchaos can do that. Once it’s disarmed the firewall, you can find anything you want – across the whole intranet . . .’

  ‘I don’t—’

  ‘Do it.’ Nico spoke over me, to Harry, pointing to the terminal we’d spotted before.

  ‘What are you doing?’ I turned on Nico, furious.

  ‘Harry sounds like he knows what he’s talking about,’ Nico said. ‘He managed to find and start the building’s generator so we’ve got proper lights and power. We should give him a chance to do this.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘Get over yourself, Red . . .’ Nico shot me a look – part irritation, part amusement. ‘There’s no way we can get through all the material in this archive doing a manual search, is there? Not in the twenty minutes we’ve got till the guard comes round. This is our best chance.’