Trials in Walls of Ivy (Triskelion Trilogy Book 1) (6 page)

“Hey, who said I was readily available?” He reached behind to pick up his laptop from the kitchen counter, and elbowed me out of the way with a smirk. “Right, Shark at your service. What do you need?”

I stood and began to pace the kitchen. “The poem is the key, that’s obvious.” I snatched up my coffee as I paced, sipping in motion. “It’s about a painting of a castle. But we don’t have the painting here.” I took another sip and turned abruptly to face Owen. “But we do have a castle!”

“Brilliant. It’s hidden in the castle then. Where abouts?” He switched his laptop on and brought up the university castle on screen. He flicked through pictures of each room, descriptions of the history and what they were being used for now.

“It will have to be somewhere hidden. Somewhere where nobody would move it.”

“Well, that rules out the main library and offices.”

“Is there anywhere off limits?” I asked.

It had suddenly dawned on me what this task was going to entail. Llamp was throwing us in at the deep end. This task was going to involve every group within the university, I was sure of it.

I knew what Owen was going to say before the words left his mouth.

“Just the roof.”

It was obvious. The clue was on the roof. A place where cameras watched, was in full view of everyone passing and was strictly off limits and locked.

“How am I supposed to get up there?”

“You sure it’s there?” Owen was looking at a picture of the roof.

I leaned in behind him to study it.

“It could be hidden somewhere else,” he mused, flicking again through the university web site.

“No, it’s there. It makes sense.” I didn’t know why I was so sure, but my trusty gut feeling told me I was right. “Now to figure out how I’m going to get in there unseen.” I paced the kitchen, knocking back my coffee with each step.

“This is a real test, I have to get there unseen, collect it unseen, and deliver it unseen. Moles get their information and are never seen. Owen, if I fail this, what am I going to do? I have no other uni to go to, nothing but working back at home in a dead end job. And that’s if I can go home.” I came to an abrupt stop at the sink and dropped my cup in. It clattered at the bottom, snapping me out of my building panic.

No, I couldn’t fail. I had to beat this. I was surer of this than I had ever been since arriving at this strange university. This was my opportunity to matter, to become proud of myself.

I had a target. Now all I needed was my team.

Within five minutes of my phone call, Bree arrived back at the house with Ash and Jay. The three of them walked through the door noisily chatting, without a care.

“You call, we answer,” Jay announced, as he threw himself down next to Owen.

Ash stood beside me, leaning against the counter. He leaned over and whispered
hello
in my ear, sending goose-bumps along my arm. I tried to ignore the growing flutter in my stomach I felt whenever he was near. Feelings like that weren’t going to do me any good in leading a team.

I looked to each expectant face and cringed back against the counter top. I had asked them to come, but didn’t know what to do next. Where to even begin?

“Roz?” Bree asked, waiting for me to speak.

“Sorry,” I cleared my throat; a feeble attempt to hide the shaking in my voice. “Okay, you all know we need to form teams to get through the training?” They nodded as one. “Well, if you guys don’t mind, I would like you to be on my team.”

I folded my arms around myself, forcing the trembling to still. It didn’t work, I was never meant to be a public speaker.

“Already?” Jay asked. “I thought teams would be put together near end of training?”

“I’ve not been told formally to form my team. But, I have a task and have been told to use all means available to me. By my thinking, that means a team.”

I watched as the three of them stared silently at each other, then to me.

“We’re in, of course,” Bree grinned, “what do you need?”

I visibly sagged with relief. “I have to find something which is hidden on the roof of the castle. Consummate rules are on, so I can’t be seen, heard or discovered while I’m there. I have to get up there, find whatever it is and get back tonight.”

A wash of stillness took the room. Each of my friends considered my problem silently. I watched as Jay leaned toward Owen, looking over his shoulder at the computer screen. Bree leaned back in her chair, balancing on two legs. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ash looking down to me. I didn’t dare break my concentration by looking at him directly.

“Roz?” He asked, “does it have to be you?” He moved closer beside me so our arms were touching.

I gave in and looked up to him, gritting my teeth against the wave of butterflies. “Yes, of course it does. It’s my task.”

Owen waved my task sheet toward Ash. “She has to do what a Mole does best, get the info, by any means”

Ash took the sheet and looked back at me with a grin. “It doesn’t have to be you.” He put his finger on a line and held it out toward me to read. “Role of a Mole agent, it says here. Isn’t being the leader of a team a role?”

“Yes, but,” I thought about what he was saying and shook my head, “yes it does, but I can’t send someone else in. This is my task.”

“Your task is to get the information with whatever means available to you? Well, I’m available.” He lowered his head as Bree giggled from what felt like a mile away. “You know what I mean,” he said, quietly so only I could hear.

He didn’t meet my eyes as he looked down at the floor. My single butterfly suddenly turned into a
kaleidoscope
, my lips trembling as my breath caught.

“Thank you, Ash,” my voice shook.

“Ash is right,” Owen’s voice dragged me back to the moment, “you’re supposed to get the information the Mole way. You need to figure out how to get in and out of the castle, with us as your team.”

I regained control by looking to each member of my new team. Every pair of eyes were wide, eager for the challenge. I couldn’t help but cringe. How could I be their leader? They were all so capable, so independent and strong. 

Owen winked at me, like he knew what was going through my mind.

“You really think we can do this? You all think I can come up with a way to get us in and out unseen?” I held my chin out, covering for the quiver in my voice.

“We’re a team,” Jay leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs on the table, “no problem. This will be a breeze.”

We spent the next three hours bent over a growing pile of notes, which spread across the table. Each sheet of paper depicted a different point of our plan. It didn’t take us long to deduce that the best time to carry it out would be the early hours of the morning, when it was still dark, but too early for passers-by. A nervous lump grew in my throat as supplies were gathered and jobs were divided. Finally, as the clock struck four, we got to work.

The first part of our plan was for Jay and I to set up a surveillance system throughout the campus. Intent on looking natural, I dressed in my running clothes, which were practically new from lack of use, and pretended to go for a jog. At every corner and lamppost I stopped to stretch and discreetly placed a camera. By the time I ran back to the house every angle of the university campus was flickering to life on the multiple screens Jay had set up in the living room. Thankfully, I didn’t need to explain to Warwick why we were taking over the room, as he hadn’t returned home. Fern and Karissa came home just as we were finishing the set up. After a quick explanation they were happy for us to use the room. Fern even offered to help watch the monitors as Karissa loped up the stairs to bed.

“Karissa?” I called, after her, “did you get your test sheet?”

“In the morning, Roz,” she mumbled, stumbling on the steps. I hoped for her sake she had a handle on her task. Llamp didn’t come across as the forgiving kind.

Fern hovered by the back of the settee.

“Are you sure you want to stay and help?” I asked. Although we lived in the same house, this was the first time I had really gotten to speak to Fern.

“Sure. I’m not in a group yet, I didn’t think they were being chosen this soon.” She ducked her head and blushed. “That’s if you don’t mind me being here, with your team?”

“Of course not.” I moved one of Jay’s bags of wires from the chair for her to sit. “So, you’re in science?”

“Yeah, biology. It’s fantastic here, isn’t it? The labs have everything. I can do so many more experiments here than at other labs.”

“They definitely like to challenge us,” I said, without her enthusiasm.

As the agreed time grew close, Bree and Ash returned to the house after gathering their supplies. They walked in like shadows. Black pants, black jackets and a black hood covering their faces. With them they brought a rope, some kind of climbing equipment and what looked like a gun.

“What’s that for?” I shouted, when I saw the handle sticking out of Ash’s bag.

“How else do you think we’re getting up there?” Bree said. She was looking in the mirror above the fire place, straightening the hood on her face.

“By killing people?”

“What?” She span on the spot to face me. “It’s a grapple gun, you idiot. We shoot it to the roof to hook on.”

My face flushed red. What the hell was I thinking? “Well, it looks like a gun. How was I supposed to know?”

Bree shook her head at me through the mirror, smirking at my idiocy.

I was glad of a diversion when Owen lifted his head from his computer. “Time’s almost here. You guys ready?”

Jay handed Bree and Ash an ear piece each. “Remember, we can’t cut their cameras until five o’clock, so stay under cover until then. And don’t shout, the mic will pick you up fine.”

Ash nodded and pushed the ear piece into place. “We know.” He turned to me and smiled. “I’ll be waiting for you to boss me around.”

My mouth opened to protest, but then closed with a snap, not knowing how to respond.

“Don’t enjoy it too much,” Owen shouted, winking at Ash.

I didn’t know whether he meant his mission or me bossing him.

“Good luck. And, thank you so much for doing this,” I said, as Bree and Ash walked out the door into the night. I closed it behind them, my insides churning. What if they got caught? What if they fell? They could get in so much trouble and it would be all my fault.

I sat between Owen and Jay, Fern pacing behind us. The living room was filled with screens. I had no clue as to where they got them all from. The left was where Owen was monitoring the security system and power. On the right was Jay’s surveillance. From where we placed all the cameras, we could see Ash and Bree walking stealthily toward the target.

“You’re all clear.” I said, through the microphone.

“Shit. God, Roz you scared me.” Bree laughed. I watched her jump on camera as her voice rang through the little speaker.

Ash waved at the camera to signal our attention. “Okay Owen, your turn.”

Owen’s fingers fluttered across the keyboard. A moment later his screens flickered to life, the University of Terram triskelion in the centre of each screen.

“That’s the security. Hang on,” He said, as he continued to click keys. A moment later Jay’s screens saw all the lampposts go dark. “Right guys, that’s it. Lights and security alarms are down. You have exactly twenty eight minutes to get in and out.”

We watched as the two shadowed figures ran across the street. They ducked behind hedges and ran low beneath windows. They looked every bit the professionals they were training to be.

“Why only twenty eight minutes?” Fern asked, from behind us. She was biting her nails, her eyes fixed on the screens.

“The system is designed to recycle every thirty minutes. We could extend it, but this lowers the risk of being caught.” Owen replied.

We watched through the hidden cameras as the pair reached the bottom of the castle. With a sharp thump, Ash fired the grapple toward the crenelation. Through his microphone we could hear the clatter as it made contact. We all scanned the surveillance screens, searching for anyone who could have heard. I sucked in a breath as a figure running with a dog ran by on the path, close to their position. The moment stretched by as he continued to jog out of sight.

They were clear for now.

“Okay guys, you’re all clear. Remember to check each other’s harnesses before you go up,” I said, still uncomfortable with them going instead of me.

“We know what we’re doing, Roz,” Bree protested.

“Just do it. Please.” I watched as Bree pulled at Ash’s harness. She turned so Ash could check hers in return.

“All clear, boss lady,” Ash said. “We’re ready when you are.”

I took a deep breath and looked to Owen and Jay. “We ready?”

“Everything’s rolling. It’s now or never,” Owen said, without taking his eyes from his screen.

“Ash, Bree, all clear. You’re free to climb.” I sat back helplessly.

They both grabbed a hold of the rope and pulled it taut. Like the perimeter wall, the walls of the castle were covered in ivy. Thick green patches of it made the walls appear spongy. Bree swore as her feet got tangled in the vines. My eyes fixed wide, unblinking as I watched her struggle to free her legs. She swung helplessly off the rope, kicking at the ivy snare.

“Stupid. Fecking. Green stuff. You would think they would trim their bloody bushes.” Her voice buzzed through the little speaker.

I slapped Jay over the back of his head as he sniggered.

“Just take it slow. That’s it,” Ash whispered.

I watched as he reached down to help pull her free. Within a few minutes of navigating the wall jungle, Ash was over the top. A few moments later, Bree followed.

“Ash, can you set the camera so we can see you?” Jay asked, as he flicked from one screen to another.

“Hang on,” Ash whispered, before his face appeared on the centre screen. “How’s that?”

“Gorgeous.” Jay Said.

“Do me,” Ash laughed, as he put two fingers up at Jay through the camera. He backed away to see Bree gathering the rope, winding it into position for their return journey.

“Do you see anything?” I called, through the microphone. I scrutinised the screen, searching for something that could be the hidden object. The pathway they were stood on was a narrow strip of moss, with the parapet on one side and a domed roof in the centre.

“Can’t see anything yet. Hang on,” Bree whispered, as she turned on a torch and walked around the dome, off camera. “Over here,” She called, a moment later. I watched helplessly as Ash ran over to join her.

I stared at the motionless rooftop. Forgotten soggy leaves looked back at me through the abandoned camera.

“What is it?” Ash, Bree, What is it?” I was standing over the screen, the microphone gripped in my hand. Ash ran back to the camera and picked it up. The world in the screen turned upside-down as we watched his feet walk around the dome. At the other side of the roof top, the world shifted again as he held the camera in place.

“Your turn, Roz. What’s this mean?” Ash held the camera steady facing five pieces of paper. They were set out like dots on a die, each stuck to the parapet wall.

“I can’t read them properly. What does that middle one say?”

Ash didn’t hesitate. “The correct password is all you need. Which word will you keep?” The camera jolted and all view was lost.

“What was that?” I heard Ash ask. I could see their feet walking in front of the camera, like it had been dropped to the ground.