Missing (4 page)

The next few days I spent getting used to jumping out of a helicopter under the watchful eye of an instructor. When Mum asked me where I'd been, I just said I'd been flying. It wasn't completely untrue. If she'd known the whole truth, she wouldn't have been very happy. There are some things mothers are better off not knowing.

I was relieved when I heard Ryan had finally been in touch with his mum and reassured her he was on Shadow Island and having a good time. I'd be even more relieved when I'd seen him myself to confirm that was really true.

I marvelled at how persuasive SI-6 must have been about my upcoming absence because no-one seemed to have any problem with me taking off for a ‘special apprenticeship' at a conveniently
concocted elite flying school. I really must get these guys to help me out next time I have an assignment due, I decided.

‘When are you going to take me up with you, Cal?' Gabbi asked, looking up at me with her big eyes as I put some clean dishes away.

‘Soon, Piglet,' I said, ruffling her hair.

‘Don't call me that!' she said, kicking me.

‘Hey, no kicking! How about the way you demolished that tub of ice-cream?' I joked as Gabbi threw a tea towel at my head.

My backpack was packed and I was ready to go. Earlier in the afternoon, Winter and Boges had said goodbye.

‘Good luck,' Winter said, giving me a fierce hug. ‘And while you're away, we're going to track down Brittany Philips. We need to know why she was made to leave the Paradise People Resort.
And
why she became so anxious and frightened.'

That weighed heavily on my mind, and I knew I'd be relieved once Winter and Boges found out what Brittany knew.

‘Later, dude,' said Boges, giving me a punch in the arm. ‘Don't go troppo or get all James Bond on us, OK?' he smirked.

‘You know me, super low-key!' I joked back.

Now, I watched as the pilot ran through his pre-flight checks. I was anxious to get going,
frustrated by the bad weather which had delayed my departure to the island.

BB pulled something small out of his pocket. ‘There's a false bottom to your backpack—it's waterproofed and secure. Put this inside it,' he said, handing me a small USB stick. ‘On it is something we've developed called the Stealth Hacker. It's two programs in one—the first hacks into a system and collects information, then the second removes all traces of the hack. I just thought it might come in handy,' he smiled. ‘I was a Scout a long time ago and “be prepared” is a good motto. The casing is waterproof and shockproof so it's pretty indestructible.'

As I slipped it into the secret compartment of my bag, I thought,
Boges would love this
.

It felt like we'd hardly spent any time in the air when we began to descend and I prepared myself for the jump from the helicopter.

The instructor gave me the thumbs up—
go!

I hesitated for a second, staring down into the vast blackness of the night. Then, wishing myself luck, I tumbled out, dropping like a stone with the rushing air taking my breath away, as my hands
grappled with the controls. As I levelled out, I felt the glider wing fill with wind and arch over me.

The sound of the helicopter receded and now all I could hear was the wind rushing against my face and the crazy banging of my heart as I swayed through the night sky. Ahead of me, I could see my target. The pilot had pointed out the island to me as we approached and I steered the paraglider canopy by the couple of lights that shone in the distance below, pinpoints in the ocean of blackness.

Soon my vision adjusted. I could see the island better—a darker black than the ocean surrounding it, the mountain in the middle rising up to meet me.

The wind had picked up and buffeted me back and forth. I was going fast now and I braked, frantically steering away from the jagged rocks and steep cliffs I knew were on this western side of the island. If I crashed onto those, I'd be torn to pieces in the wild surf!

I leaned to the right, turning from the churning dimness of the water and the invisible rocks, flying over treetops, coming in lower, looking for a suitable landing spot. I needed some sort of cleared area. I sure didn't want to crash-land into vegetation where I might fall into a Gympie Gympie tree.

As I continued to pull on the brake loops, I noticed a clearing among the trees, about the size of a football field. In fact, it
was
a football field—I could now see the goalposts at either end. A perfect place to land. I tacked, turning into the wind, to prepare for a landing.

Four or five metres above the ground, I got ready, bending my knees, legs together, then braking. Remembering my training, I took some long running strides until my legs touched the ground. And then I was down, safely back on solid earth again. It would have been nice if I'd had an audience to appreciate my near-perfect landing. But on this occasion, an audience was the last thing I wanted. I hoped no-one had noticed my illicit flight. As quickly as I could, I gathered up my equipment, folding it hastily. I hurried from the field, taking off the harness as I went.

I looked around for a place to hide my gear. The area was almost like a jungle, halfway up the mountainside. Not far from where I was standing, a huge Norfolk pine tree that had crashed down years ago had created a long ‘wall' from its huge girth. Its massive trunk lay in front of me, wrapped in overgrown vines and with small saplings springing up around it. I shoved the paraglider gear into a hollow under
the fallen tree and rearranged vines and twisted creepers over the top.

Part one of my mission was accomplished—I had landed safely on Shadow Island. Now all I had to do was find Sophie and Ryan, make sure that they were both well and safe, hang around for a little while to check out what was going on, then I could contact BB and be out of here in a matter of days. I was keen to see Ryan but also a bit anxious—why had he felt the need to come out here? Was it because of me? Or was there something else going on with him that I didn't know about?

I unrolled my sleeping bag and finding a sheltered spot alongside the giant tree, spread the groundsheet and made myself comfortable behind a curtain of vines and leafy undergrowth. I'd grab some sleep now and at first light I'd make my way down to the resort.

I woke to the sound of the first bird calls in the pre-dawn. Strange birds whooped and whistled, twittered and sang. Everything felt misty and damp. I pulled out a cereal bar for breakfast and started to make my way down the mountain, heading for the lights of the resort. The buildings were set back some distance from the beach on the opposite side of the island. The dawn wasn't far away but it was still dark under the tall canopy trees and I was glad to find a path of sorts, roughly cut out of the jungle growth. I used the torch from my backpack, keeping the narrow beam well down and trained on the ground. I didn't want to be seen and blow my undercover presence on the island as soon as I'd arrived.

As I approached the outer buildings, some instinct made me stop. While I stood there,
checking out the resort in the distance, there was a strange rattling sound and a crash. For a moment, I thought the noise was from the coconuts I spotted falling from the trees. But they weren't the reason for the rattling and shivering in the trees around me. The ground was jolting! With a shock, I realised it was an earth tremor! I waited, but nothing more happened. The coconuts stopped falling. The birds started calling again. The earth was still once more.

I listened. I could hear something, a slight rustling of the leaves, and the sound of steady movement. Thankfully it wasn't footsteps—this was a continuous sound, almost like a low hiss. I could see movement on the path ahead and I swung the torch beam in front of me.

Immediately, I jumped back in alarm! Caught in the intense glare of the torch, the beady eyes of a swaying python stared coldly into mine as it dangled from a tree branch right in front of me. The snake had to be at least two metres long, with mottled skin and yellow eyes.

Don't run, don't make any sudden movements
. My heart hammering in my chest, I cautiously backed away, slowly changing direction, moving sideways into the undergrowth away from the creature. But no matter where I went, those beady eyes remained fixed on me, the reptile's
head turning with every move I made. I'd never been scoped out by a snake like this and it was very unnerving. After I'd gone a little deeper through the undergrowth, I shone the light back through the leaves and saw those eyes still staring after me.

Taking long, deep breaths to calm myself, I continued my descent, but now very carefully watching where I put my feet and flashing the light quickly ahead of me in case there were more snakes hanging around. For all I knew, the one I'd just encountered came from a big family.

Almost there, I paused and checked the contents of my backpack, making sure both phones and the charger were safely hidden under the false bottom. I pulled out the USB with SI-6's Stealth Hacker program on it, ensuring it was safe in the pocket of my trousers. From now on, I would keep it with me at all times, just in case an opportunity arose for me to download information about the resort or the Paradise People.

I was thinking about how to find Ryan when a voice called out, ‘Is there someone there? Identify yourself! Say the password!'

Quickly, I crouched down, taking cover behind a clump of bushes. A password? BB hadn't mentioned anything like that.

I peered around the leaves and saw a young
man in a loud Hawaiian shirt and white shorts standing by what I saw now was a fence. Looking around, I realised the buildings were ringed by a tall security mesh with barbed wire running along the top. Inside, bright flags flew and huts painted in bright holiday colours contrasted with the fence running around them. What a fantastic place, I thought, taking in the beautiful beach huts, the basketball courts, and hearing the soft roar of the surf only a little distance away. But what was with the fence? Who were they trying to keep out? Or keep in? Perhaps the security fence was to keep the pythons out?

The man turned and looked straight at me. He started hurrying in my direction. If I broke cover and ran, he'd see me for sure. But if I stayed, my chances weren't much better. As he came closer, I saw that he was actually looking past me. I remained frozen where I was, barely breathing. I didn't dare look to see what had attracted his attention.

Behind me, I heard someone crashing through the jungle, running away back up the mountain.

‘Hey! Come back!' the man in the Hawaiian shirt yelled. But whoever was running away kept going. The man looked undecided, unsure whether to chase whoever it was, or remain at the fence. Eventually, he must have decided to
give up the pursuit and he moved away, head down, using a two-way radio, aiming towards the corner where the fence made a right angle.

I was puzzled. Who was the runner? And why would you run away from the Paradise People Resort?

I remained crouched down for a while, thinking that it was going to be tougher to get to Sophie and Ryan than I'd expected.

By now, the sun had risen out of the sea, after turning the sky gold and pink. Through the fence, I could see what looked like dormitory blocks with washing lines alongside, and beyond them, I caught glimpses of a swimming pool, surrounded by tall palm trees decorated with fairy lights. A blue and gold flag with a cross of white stars billowed on a tall flagpole. Beneath it a smaller, dark pennant fluttered.

From somewhere in the resort, the smell of a delicious breakfast teased me, reminding me how hungry I still was. I jumped as a loudspeaker broke the silence. ‘Breakfast is served!'

I saw people in friendly groups laughing and talking as they made their way towards a long, block-like building that I guessed was the dining hall. Others with beach towels and
swimsuits ran through the grounds, heading for an early morning swim. I could hear the joyful cries and yells of teenagers as they splashed into the sparkling swimming pool. But I didn't have time to admire the attractions of the island resort—I was on a mission and needed to stay focused.

My attention was caught by the red door of one of the nearby dormitory blocks opening and three people walked outside, laughing. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that one of them was Ryan! He looked well and happy as he laughed and joked with his companions. But as they turned away, Ryan's expression changed. Not much, but enough for his twin brother to spot it. His face had gone from happy to I'm-not-sure-about-this, the same expression I had when I was worried about something. He seemed to be limping, too. Maybe that's what was causing the face, I thought. He's injured himself in some activity and is putting a brave face on it.

There was no sign of any staff now so I ducked over to the mesh fence, calling from the outside as loudly as I dared. ‘Hey! Ryan! It's me!'

My brother stopped in his tracks. I saw his face register complete disbelief, then astonishment, then a worried smile. He hobbled over to join me on his side of the wire.

‘Cal!' he frowned. ‘How come? What are
you
doing here?'

‘It's a long story. But I'm really pleased to see you—we've been worried about you. The way you just took off. What happened to your leg?'

Ryan looked around behind him, checking that no-one was watching.

‘That's a long story too. And yeah, I did just take off. I had my reasons. We can talk about that later. But we can't talk here. The CCTV cameras might pick this up.' He sighed. ‘See those boats over there?' He pointed to a couple of kayaks lying upside down outside the corner of the fence. ‘I'll meet you there after breakfast, before rollcall.'

‘Rollcall? That sounds like school,' I said.

‘They do it two times a day for safety reasons. But I think it's to make sure everyone is where they should be. I'll be done in half an hour or so, OK?'

‘I'll be there,' I said. ‘There's a password.'

‘That's right. They change them every now and then. The current one is Hannibal. Not sure why they have them. The counsellors—the people in the Hawaiian shirts—keep an eye on everyone and help out. Mostly they're pretty cool. But that guy over there? The groundsman?' Ryan pointed to a thin guy with black hair slicked back from a
narrow face. ‘That's Elmore. Watch out for him—there's definitely something off about him.'

Ryan must have noticed the look on my face. ‘I know it sounds weird, but there's a lot about this place that just doesn't add up. Some of the other kids told me if you're somewhere you shouldn't be, you have to stay out of the security camera range. If Elmore spots you, you get called up to Damien's office. Damien says it's because he has “a duty of care” for us—he's responsible for us and needs to know where we are at all times, like good parents do. Look. I've gotta go. You'd better get lost, too.' He looked around and I saw teenagers coming out of their dormitories, all heading down towards the breakfast room. The smells were unbearably tempting.

‘Mmm. Something smells good—sausages?'

‘They have great cooks here,' Ryan explained, ‘I'll give them that!'

‘Grab some food for me, please, Ryan?' I asked, my mouth watering at the thought.

We parted, Ryan to join a small group of chattering girls, while I headed back to the undergrowth where I hid myself, watching the proceedings. The Paradise People and the resort here sounded different from any resort I'd ever heard about. It looked like a whole heap of fun. But what sort of resort has rollcall? And
something was going on here that had caused Brittany Philips to have nightmares. Maybe she was just the sort of person who couldn't really cope with being away from home. But she had said some weird things and maybe there was something more sinister involved. And that's exactly what I was here to find out.

Breakfast was over and I was about to sneak over to the trees by the kayaks, when I heard someone calling, ‘Ryan! Ryan!'

I turned around, thinking someone was calling out to my brother, but then I saw that the counsellor was yelling at me—I'd been sprung! Then it dawned on me. The counsellor thought
I
was Ryan!

As casually as I could, I strolled over towards him. I saw now that he was only a little older than me and very well built, as if he'd been working out a lot. He was wearing another of the crazy Hawaiian shirts, this one covered with yellow pineapples. I noticed it had
Paradise People Resort
embroidered on one of the chest pockets and his fair hair was flattened down under a baseball cap decorated with the intertwined
PPR
.

‘What are you doing outside? You should be having breakfast,' he said, his eyes suspicious. ‘Password, please.'

‘Hannibal,' I said confidently.

‘And you haven't answered my question,' the counsellor said.

‘I don't have to answer to you,' I said, feeling defiant to this guy. Who did he think he was?

‘Ryan, you know the rules around here.'

What was this place, I wondered, a detention centre?

I thought quickly. ‘I was told to check the kayaks,' I said vaguely. ‘Make sure they're ready for anyone who wants to use them later.'

The counsellor looked puzzled. ‘Who told you that? The boss?'

‘Yep. That's right.' I didn't want this conversation to go any further so I turned and started walking away.

But the counsellor hadn't finished with me. ‘I've been watching you, Ryan. And I don't like your attitude. I'm not sure if you've got the right team spirit. You'd better not be late for the rollcall. You've already got one black mark against your name.'

I kept walking away, giving him a wave as if to acknowledge what he had just said. But my mind was in turmoil. What kind of a resort was this with overzealous counsellors, a nosey groundsman and passwords and black marks?

I risked a backward glance to see that he was still staring suspiciously after me. I prayed that
Ryan was safely eating breakfast and would stay out of sight until I could do the same.

Once the counsellor had left, I stopped fiddling with the kayaks and snuck off into the jungle. As I looked for a way through, I skidded to a halt in front of a large tree with heart-shaped leaves—it was the Gympie Gympie stinging tree! Phew, that was close, I thought, looking at the prickly little barbs covering the plant and making a mental note of its position.

I turned to walk away and promptly stumbled into something stuck in the ground. It was a headstone. I looked down and saw
Solomon Foote 1818–1842
carved into the leaning tombstone.

‘Oops. Sorry, Solomon,' I whispered, scrambling back. I'd ended up in an almost overgrown clearing set back from the beach. It must have been a cemetery for the convicts from years ago. It was fairly small—I counted around thirty to forty headstones scattered around. It was a peaceful place and I settled down nearby to keep the resort compound under surveillance, nestled down in some leaves to stay hidden.

From here, I could hear the yells and shouts of kids surfing and others playing a fierce game of volleyball further along the beach .
It wasn't long before I saw my brother hurrying in my direction, limping slightly, looking behind him as he came. I whistled to him and within moments, he had ducked down beside me.

I gave him a brotherly hug but Ryan pulled away. ‘Here, I brought you some food,' he said, handing over sausages and some squashed bread rolls he'd smuggled out of the dining room.

‘Thanks, bro,' I said carefully. Clearly he was upset about something.

‘So what
are
you doing here? Checking up on me?' Ryan asked abruptly.

I started to explain why I was there and how I'd arrived. Ryan was suspicious at first, but eventually, he was satisfied.

‘Are you OK?' I asked, finishing the last sausage. ‘Tell me what's been happening.'

‘Like I said, something weird is going on here. At first, I didn't notice. I was so stoked at all the activities and the cool campfires on the beach at night. But then—' He shrugged before continuing, ‘Things just didn't feel right.'