Rat-Catcher (8 page)

It took less than ten minutes for Hex's program to crack the password.

'Very impressive, Hex!' said Alex.

Hex smiled smugly. 'I got lucky, that's all. It could just as well have taken hours.'

'
POWDERKEG
?' said Amber, reading the screen. 'What sort of a password is that?'

'It's a small barrel for storing gunpowder, isn't it?' asked Alex.

'Yeah, but "powder" is also a street word for cocaine,' said Hex, as he typed in the password. 'And a keg could be used to store other things. Like money, for instance.'

'So, this account must be where he stores all his drugs money. Pretty good, code-boy,' said Amber grudgingly.

'There it is,' said Hex.

Alex gave a low whistle as he stared at the figures coming up on the screen. General Manteca had millions of dollars stashed away in the bank.

'What are you doing?' asked Li, as Hex began typing again.

'I'm arranging a transfer of funds,' said Hex. 'The general is about to make a very large donation to charity. Any ideas?'

'Yes,' grinned Alex. 'What about Sister Catherine's House? With all that money, she could set up schools and houses for street kids all over Quito.'

Li nodded enthusiastically. 'And university places or job training for the older ones.'

'It's perfect,' agreed Amber. 'The Rat-catcher's funds going to help street kids.'

Hex nodded and dived back into the net, collecting all the details he needed to make a donation to Sister Catherine's House. 'Here we go,' he said, pressing the key that authorized the bank to go ahead with the transfer. 'Now we just need to wait--'

Hex stopped talking and they all froze in place.

Someone had just slotted a key into the front door at the other end of the hallway.

T
HIRTEEN

'Quick! We have to hide!' hissed Amber, her eyes wild with panic as the key turned and the front door creaked open.

'Where?' whispered Li. Someone stepped into the hallway and closed the front door. A key ring jingled loudly in the silence.

'Cupboards,' whispered Alex, suddenly remembering the empty spaces behind the doors. Li, Amber and Alex each dived for a cupboard and squeezed themselves into the coffin-like spaces beyond. Hex stayed where he was, watching the laptop screen.

'Hex!' breathed Alex, peering out through the latticework of the cupboard door. 'Hide!'

Hex shook his head. His face was pale with fear but also determined. He knew that if he broke the net connection before the transfer was complete, then all his work would be wasted. He turned back to the screen.

Out in the hallway the burglar alarm beeped four times as the security code was punched in. Then footsteps clunked along the bare boards of the hallway, heading for the kitchen door.

'Come on, come on . . .' breathed Hex. His hand was gripping the top of the screen, ready to close the lid as soon as the transfer was complete. The footsteps stopped outside the kitchen door and Hex felt sweat break out on his forehead. He looked back at the screen and there it was, confirmation that the transfer of funds was complete.

Hex slammed the lid down, which automatically severed the internet connection and shut down the laptop, then he dived for the nearest cupboard as the handle of the kitchen door began to turn. Frantically Hex forced himself into the cupboard and tried to shut the door, but it would not close. One of his feet was still poking out over the plinth at the bottom of the cupboard. Hex glanced up. The kitchen door was opening and he was still in full view. Biting his lip against the pain, he grabbed his foot and pulled it until the ankle joint was bent at an impossible angle. With a final twist, his boot slid over the plinth and down into the cupboard. His cupboard door swung shut an instant before General Manteca stepped into the little kitchen.

The four of them froze, cowering in the darkness behind the latticework doors and trying to breathe as shallowly as possible. Hex was in a great deal of pain from his squashed ankle, but he dared not move. They watched through the latticework as the general disconnected the laptop from the wall and shoved it into its carrying case. Alex stared out at the general's face and wondered how he could ever have liked him. Now all the smiles and pretence were gone, he could see a hardness in the man's jawline and a cruel set to the mouth. The general picked up the case, then walked over to the door that connected to the garage. They all tensed. If the general went through into the garage, he would see the broken wing mirror.

The general grabbed the door handle, tested the lock, then nodded and turned away again. Alex sagged with relief, thankful that he had locked the door earlier. The general headed towards the hallway with the laptop. He opened the kitchen door and was about to leave when, somewhere in the room, a cellphone began to ring. Alex jumped at the noise, then clenched his fists. He could not tell where the ringing was coming from. Was it the general's phone, or had Amber's uncle chosen this moment to call her about the satellite images?

The general stopped and stepped back into the room. He put the case down and reached into his pocket. Would he pull out a cellphone or a gun? Alex got ready to burst from the cupboard. If a gun came out he was planning to knock the general to the floor. That way they might have a chance of escaping into the street before he could shoot them. The ringing tone grew louder as the general pulled a phone from his jacket. For the second time in less than a minute, Alex sagged with relief inside the cupboard.

'Manteca,' said the general, leaning back against the bench to take the call. Something made Amber look up at the motion-detector directly above the general's head. Her eyes widened. The blob of foam polish that had been covering the detector was slowly slipping down the front of the little box and forming into a trembling white teardrop hanging from the bottom edge. The drip looked ready to fall at any second. Amber nearly groaned out loud.

'Ross!' said the general. 'Thanks for getting back. Listen, don't go to meet the kids at the airport. They aren't going to make it this time. They're . . . unwell. But don't worry, I have other ways of getting those parcels to you. Do you understand? Good. I'll be in touch.'

The general flicked the phone shut and remained leaning against the bench, deep in thought. Above his head the trembling teardrop grew bigger as more foam slipped over the edge of the detector box. The general flipped the phone open again, then changed his mind and straightened up, just as the foam blob finally began to fall. The general bent to pick up the laptop case and the foam hit the bench behind him with a soft splat. He straightened up and headed out into the hallway, closing the kitchen door behind him.

A few seconds later the alarm system began sounding a muted warning tone, then the front door was pulled shut. The general was gone. Alex, Li and Amber burst out of their cupboards and headed for the door into the garage, with Hex limping along behind them. They tumbled into the garage and pulled the kitchen door shut just as the house alarm finished setting itself and the warning tone stopped.

'When he was talking about the kids, he meant Paulo and Eliza, didn't he?' said Li a few minutes later, as they walked towards the city centre.

'Yes,' said Amber, 'I think so.'

'What did he mean "the kids are . . . unwell"?' demanded Li. 'What has he done to them?'

'Li,' said Hex, 'I know you're worried about Paulo. We all are. But will you stop asking questions we can't answer?'

'Sorry,' muttered Li.

They tramped on in silence for a while, then Li began to talk again, her voice high with anxiety. 'But what if he's hurt really badly? What if we don't get to him in time? I'd never forgive myself if . . . Look, maybe we should tell the authorities - the police, or the army?'

'No, we're on our own,' said Alex. 'We don't know how far the general's influence goes. If we talk to someone in authority here and they turn out to be working with him, then we've just blown our only chance of reaching Paulo and Eliza.'

'But he can't have corrupted the whole army,' insisted Li. 'There must be someone--'

'And how do we know who to trust?' interrupted Alex. 'Like my dad said, the general's men would do anything for him. And if they don't,' he added, remembering the two bodies at the truck stop, 'then he kills them.'

'What about your dad, then?' demanded Li. 'Can he help?'

Alex came to a sudden stop. He had been so busy worrying about Paulo, he had forgotten about his father. 'I have to warn my dad,' said Alex, pulling his cellphone from his pocket. 'I have to warn him about the general. But what can I say? I'm supposed to be in Argentina with Paulo.'

'OK,' said Amber. 'Call to tell him you arrived safely. Then . . . um . . .'

'Does he trust your judgement?' asked Hex.

'Yeah, I think so.'

'Then tell him you didn't like the general,' said Hex. 'Tell him you think he was too good to be true - something like that.'

Alex nodded as he keyed in the number of his father's cellphone. It was a good plan. Planting a doubt about the general in his dad's mind might be all that was needed. The ringing tone was replaced with a click as the call connected.

'Dad!' said Alex. 'I was just calling to say--'

'Hello, Alex,' said a familiar voice. 'Luis Manteca here.'

Alex felt his blood turn to ice. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

The general laughed softly in his ear. 'Alex,' he chided, 'you weren't expecting your father to answer, were you? You know you cannot talk to him.'

'Why not?'

'Have you forgotten? Your father is deep undercover. He cannot be contacted. He left his phone with me.'

'Oh, right,' said Alex, thinking furiously. 'Um, I was just calling to let him know I've arrived safely in Argentina.'

'I will let him know when he gets back to Quito,' said the general.

'When will that be?'

'I have no idea,' said the general. 'Now you must excuse me, Alex. I have to go.'

'Where are you going?' asked Alex, hoping for a clue to help him find Paulo.

'Hunting,' laughed the general. 'I am going hunting.'

The general hung up and Alex was left staring at the puzzled faces of the others as they gathered around him.

'Who were you talking to?' asked Hex.

'General Manteca.'

'What!'

'He said he was going hunting.'

They all stared at one another, trying to guess what the general meant. Then Amber jumped as her own phone started to ring.

'Uncle? You've got the satellite photos? He's where? OK. We'll meet you at the shop.' Amber disconnected her phone and smiled at the others. 'The satellite located the tracker signal. Paulo's up in the mountains, in some sort of prefabricated building on the edge of a glacier. My uncle reckons it must be the cocaine factory. We're meeting my uncle at the climbing supplies shop in the city centre, to get kitted out. Then we're going in after Paulo and Eliza.'

'At last!' grinned Li. Then her smile disappeared as two pairs of hands grabbed her from behind. The others barely had time to register what was happening before they were grabbed too and twisted round to face a grinning Leo.

Li kicked and struggled, trying to break free, but two more street kids moved in and held her still. 'What does he want?' she gasped, wincing as her wrist was twisted back.

'Revenge,' said Hex grimly, glancing up and down the road. Apart from the four of them and a gang of about sixteen street kids, the road was empty.

Alex opened his mouth and yelled at the top of his voice. 'Help! Somebody help us!' His cries were cut off as a very dirty hand was pressed over his mouth, mashing his lips against his teeth. He twisted his head, trying to see whether anyone was coming. The street remained deserted.

Leo grinned and walked towards Li, who started struggling even harder. 'We have to go find Paulo!' she shouted. 'We don't have time to hang around here while this idiot tries to look big in front of his mates! We--'

Li's head snapped to the side as Leo back-handed her hard across the face. She turned her head back and spat at him.

'In front of his mates,'
repeated Amber in a dazed voice as she watched the knife appear in Leo's hand. She forced herself to focus on the story she had heard Eliza tell Paulo. There was something in that story Leo would not want her to repeat in front of his friends. Amber's eyes brightened as she remembered. Yes! That was it!

Alex and Hex were both yelling at Leo, warning him not to touch Li.

'Shut up!' shouted Amber. 'Leave this to me.'

Amber began talking to Leo in halting Spanish. 'Good odds, Leo. Sixteen of you against four of us. That tells me one thing about you. You're a coward. I know another thing about you, too.'

Leo frowned and turned towards her, the knife still in his hand. The two boys holding her gripped her arms more tightly as Leo walked towards her.

'I know what you did to Eliza and her brother,' continued Amber hastily. Leo stopped. 'Send your friends away, Leo. I want to talk to you alone. Send them away, or I'll tell them what you did to Eliza.'

Leo sneered at Amber and turned back to Li. The knife glinted in the sun as he lifted it towards her face. Li closed her eyes. Amber thought furiously. OK. So Leo did not mind his friends knowing he was a scumbag. But what if she threatened to tell them something which would isolate Leo from all the other street kids?

'Wait!' shouted Amber desperately. 'If you do that, I'll tell your friends who else was in the alleyway that night. And - I'll tell them you saw him!'

A look of shock appeared on Leo's face. 'Be quiet!' he hissed.

'You want me to say his name now?' asked Amber. 'If you hurt any of us, I promise you, I will say it. I'll tell your friends you saw him that night, unless you make them go away. Now!'

Leo glared at her. He knew that, if the other street kids thought he had seen the face of the Rat-catcher, he would be on his own. A kid alone on the streets of Quito would not last long. Like any true survivor, Leo knew when to retreat. He lowered his knife, then barked orders at the other street kids.

Amber turned to Li, Alex and Hex. 'Stay still,' she ordered in English as the street kids let them go. 'Still and quiet. OK?'

They nodded and Amber turned back to Leo as the other street kids moved off to the end of the street. She talked to him earnestly in Spanish for a few more minutes. Leo scowled as he listened, watching Amber suspiciously and snapping a few short replies. Finally he gave a reluctant nod before he loped off down the street to join the other street kids.

'Come on,' said Amber to the other three. 'Let's get out of here.' She turned and jogged away in the other direction.

'Thanks, Amber,' said Li, catching the other girl up. 'I think you just stopped him playing noughts and crosses on my face.'

'I did more than that,' smiled Amber smugly.

'What did you do?' asked Alex, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure that the street kids weren't following them.

'I persuaded Leo to help us,' said Amber.

'Out of the kindness of his heart?' asked Hex.

'No. I blackmailed him,' grinned Amber.

'But how could he help us?' asked Li.

'He says he knows the gringo soldier with blond hair and grey eyes,' said Amber. 'The one who always gives money to the street kids.'

'Does he mean my dad?' asked Alex.

Amber nodded. 'Leo promised me that he will try to warn the gringo soldier about the general, as soon as the unit comes back to Quito.'

'You don't really think he'll do it, do you?' asked Hex cynically.

Amber shrugged as they jogged on towards the climbing supplies shop. 'Who knows?' she said.