Blue's Revenge (3 page)

‘Looks like you two have come to an end!'

Max and Linden stared at Harrison, not knowing what to do or say. This wasn't the welcome home they'd expected.

Steinberger looked away awkwardly.

A silence lined with anticipation poured into the room.

‘Looks like you two have …' Seconds passed. ‘…
done it again
is what I meant to say.'

Harrison, the Chief of Spyforce, breathed a disappointed sigh. He was known for his occasional mismanaging of words. In fact, whole sentences sometimes escaped from his lips making no sense at all. He looked down at his sprained wrist, which was cradled in a sling due to an accident with a tea trolley, a dish of cream buns and a rather quickly revolving door.

Max looked at Harrison's dejected face. She liked his way with words. Even though they weren't quite the right words at times, she'd miss it if he changed.

‘Not to worry, sir.' Steinberger, as usual, was by his chief's side. ‘For now, there's something we have to say to our two youngest spies.'

‘Yes. Yes, of course.' Harrison lifted two silver medallions from his desk drawer. They were
stamped with the Spyforce insignia and the following inscription:

‘And this is how we'd like to do it. Steinberger?'

Steinberger rotated a small white knob on the wall and the lights dimmed. A button clicked and the sound of a brass band piped up in full swing. A spotlight lit up the proud and now composed face of Harrison, who held the medallions before him.

‘Max Remy and Linden Franklin, as Chief of Spyforce it is my pleasure to award you these medals for the successful completion of your fifth mission at the Force.'

The volume of the brass band increased, accompanied by the splatter of excited applause. Max gave Linden a triumphant smile. Before joining Spyforce she was convinced she was no good at anything, but standing here beside Linden, she knew they made a great spy team.

‘You have both shown a level of courage and skill that is extraordinary. You've mastered Spyforce equipment, expertly followed mission briefs and
even overcome a certain tendency to …' Harrison levelled a gentle eye at Max. ‘… anger.'

Max bit her lip, knowing her temper wasn't her best quality.

‘We are proud to have you on our team.'

Harrison leant forward and carefully placed the medallions around Max and Linden's necks. The band crescendoed into a brassy explosion of trumpets, drums, tubas and cymbals. The lights flickered in a celebratory frenzy and small glittering pieces of tinsel fell around them.

Without warning, the music stopped and a mumbled ‘ooph' and clatter of metal was heard as Steinberger stumbled to the light switch and restored the room to a Spyforce office once again.

‘Excrement!'

There was another strained silence. The proud look drained from Harrison's face with his latest word blunder. ‘I mean,' he lilted, ‘
excellent
, of course.'

He sat down with a heavy thud.

Max was eager to see his smile return. ‘It's an honour working with you, sir.' She grinned so widely her cheeks started to hurt.

‘I think so too.' Linden blew a strand of hair from his eyes and let loose one of his smiles. ‘We wouldn't want to work for anyone else.'

A loud sniff sounded behind them. ‘Me too, sir.' Steinberger was doing very badly at hiding an urge to cry. ‘The agency would be a mere shadow of itself if it wasn't for your leadership.'

Now it was Harrison's turn to get all teary.

‘Permission to hug you, sir?' Steinberger asked.

‘Permission granted,' Harrison replied.

The two men moved in and, with Harrison's bandaged arm nestled between them, they hugged firmly, sniffing into each other's shoulders.

Max shuffled awkwardly. ‘I think we'd better leave.'

The two men untangled themselves. ‘Yes. Of course.' Harrison took out a hanky with his one good arm and blew his nose. ‘Sorry about that. Things have been a little … emotional … since the sleeping sickness almost, well … almost saw our end.'
²

Harrison gathered up a smile. ‘But you're right. It's time for school. Sleek is waiting in the VART to take you there.'

Max was relieved the two men had pulled themselves together. She wasn't good at displays of emotion and wasn't planning on changing that any time soon.

Harrison and Steinberger escorted Max and Linden to the Vehicular All-Response Tower, the hangar where all the Spyforce vehicles were kept. Once inside, Max stopped to say a final goodbye. ‘Sir? What about Blue?'

‘Blue is safely behind bars.'

But Max knew he was holding back and gave him a look that told him she wasn't going anywhere until she heard more.

‘Sir, we can handle whatever you have to say.'

Harrison knew the boundless reaches of Blue's brilliant mind and his capacity for evil. Even though he was safely locked away, they would be foolish to underestimate his intelligence or his determination to get what he wanted. Harrison reluctantly continued.

‘After your mission in the Amazon, I believe Blue will not rest until he has had a chance to …' He paused, searching for the right words. ‘To get his revenge.'

This last sentence fell between them like a wrecking ball cracking against steel.

‘Do you know if he is planning anything?' Linden held his silver medallion close to his chest.

‘No, but he is being held in a maximum security prison and the second he breaks even the smallest rule, we will be immediately notified.'

The squeal of a loudspeaker system shot out above them.

‘This is your captain speaking. Express flight to Sydney courtesy of the Invisible Jet is ready for take-off. Please board the plane, take your seats and settle in for a new and improved ride through the skies.'

‘Is the Invisible Jet fixed?' Linden looked behind him at where the jet would be if he could see it.

‘The crash landing in the Amazon gave it quite a nasty makeover but Sleek has been working night and day to repair it.' Steinberger proudly gazed at the seemingly empty space where the jet was parked. ‘He has outdone himself this time. It is faster, more fuel efficient, and quieter on take-offs and landings. But I'm afraid there's still the Automatic People Sanitiser.'

Max groaned. The Sanitiser was a balloon-walled room at the entrance of the jet that acted as an all-over human vacuum cleaner. After its passengers were jostled, bounced and cleaned, it felt like they'd had their brains sucked out. Or at least that's how Max felt.

‘We thought after your mission in Morocco you'd be grateful of the jet's hearty meals and time to rest before school,' Harrison explained.

Linden's eyes drifted dreamily. ‘Food. Yeah. That'd be great.'

The loudspeaker squealed again. ‘This is your captain speaking, take-off is in thirty seconds.'

‘Gotta run.' Max and Linden caught sight of the interior of the plane through the invisible door and leapt inside. After the usual brain-sucking jostling of the Sanitiser, they hurriedly took their seats just in time for Roger the cabin-hand to lock the doors and take his own seat. The jet then lifted to hovering and shot like a catapult out of the VART and into the skies above London.

Linden immediately opened the Digital Think Amajig that was nestled in the armrest of his chair and ordered a hamburger with the lot, a chocolate milkshake and a bowl of chips.

Max doubted even Linden could eat that much. ‘You sure that's going to be enough?'

Linden looked concerned. ‘You're right.' He added a side order of fish fingers. ‘That should do it.'

Max smiled until Harrison's words came back to her.

‘Linden, do you think Blue is planning his revenge?'

Linden looked down the aisle, eager to spot Roger bringing his food. ‘He's under maximum
security. I don't think he can plan much.' He noticed Max hadn't ordered her meal.

‘Aren't you going to eat anything?'

‘Maybe later.' Max looked out the window. She had suddenly remembered that her mother's wedding was on the weekend, a thought even more unsettling than Harrison's suspicions of Blue.

Later, as Linden finished the last mouthful of hamburger, the jet slowed down and Sleek's voice floated over their heads.

‘This is your captain again. We will shortly be arriving in Sydney before heading west to Mindawarra. Please make sure your tray tables are stowed and your seats are in an upright position. I hope you enjoyed your trip and choose to fly again with Sleek.'

‘He's in a good mood.' Max had never heard Sleek sounding so happy.

‘Must be relieved to have the jet back together.'

The windows filled with the deep blue expanse of Sydney Harbour that lit up with the morning sun so that it looked like a dappled bed of diamonds. Lush green parks and wild bushland nestled snugly around its shores. Boats and ferries jostled on its surface and a passenger ship sailed under the world's most famous coathanger, the Harbour Bridge.

The jet turned inland and slowed down to a hovering standstill, just above a large tree in a park near Max's school.

‘See you on the weekend?' Linden asked carefully.

‘Sure.' Max tried to sound excited. Even though there was very little chance of the wedding being anything but a total nightmare, at least with Eleanor, Ben and Linden there, she might just make it through alive. ‘Well done on another successful mission, partner,' she added.

‘Couldn't have done it without you, chief.'

‘I know.' Max spun around and pressed the exit button. The door opened upwards and she walked past the deflated Sanitiser walls to the edge of the hovering jet. After slipping on her super-grip gloves, she grabbed hold of an Abseiler rope that was attached to the roof.

Max took a deep breath before lowering herself into the thick camouflage of the tree. Seconds later, she landed safely on the ground.

She looked up and watched as the Abseiler rope moved upwards and disappeared. The top of the tree swayed slightly as if a gust of wind had stirred it, and Max knew the jet had turned and was headed to Mindawarra.

After she'd brushed herself down and removed
her gloves, she flipped open the top of her red chrome Spyforce watch and smiled. There was just enough time to make it to school before the bell rang. She'd been late a few times during last term. So far she'd managed to keep Principal Peasers off her back with faked notes, believable-sounding excuses and Oscar award-winning limping on ‘sprained' ankles, but she knew if she pushed it any further, her luck would run out.

But when she came out from behind the tree, she saw something she hadn't expected.

Toby.

He was sitting on a bench only metres away.

Her heart did a weird flip as if someone had tossed it like pizza dough. Why was he here? And alone? And why did he look so sad?

It was then he looked up and instantly flashed her a wide grin.

Max faked a casual semi-smile that she suspected looked anything but casual.

She was about to give Toby a brief wave and keep walking, but his smile faded and there was something about his look that wouldn't let her leave.

‘Great,' she mumbled. Even though Toby had made her life a misery from the day they'd met, she couldn't walk away.

‘Out walking with all your friends?' Toby asked when she stood before him.

Max raised one eyebrow. ‘No, I thought I'd try walking with all
your
friends instead.'

Toby smiled. There weren't many people who could give back like Max could.

‘At least this way you're finally the smartest one in the group.'

Max winced through a smile. Toby was obviously fine. Why did she even bother stopping? ‘Yes, and now I have to get to school so I can become even smarter.'

When she turned to leave, she again saw his face fall. Something was up. She could feel it. And why was he just sitting here when they were late already? Then she did something she couldn't explain.

‘Do you want to walk to school together?'

What? Max's brain silently asked her mouth. Walk to school together? Was she crazy? What was it about this boy that made her act all weird?

Toby looked like he was going to accept. Max held her breath. Escaping from sword-wielding criminals in Morocco suddenly seemed easy compared to spending whole minutes side by side with Mr Popularity, where she'd only end up finding a new way to make a fool of herself.

As if he'd guessed her thoughts, Toby stood up and threw his bag over his shoulder.

‘Nah. I've gotta do something first. And I …'

He looked like he wanted to say something else but stopped himself and changed the subject. ‘What are you doing walking this way anyway? You live the other way.'

Max froze. ‘I … um. It's just that … I wanted to have a walk before school.'

Good one, Max silently grumbled. Very convincing.