Trials in Walls of Ivy (Triskelion Trilogy Book 1) (7 page)

Jay lunged forward in his seat, searching the surveillance screens. “Can’t see anything… wait, there!” He pointed to the screen showing the base of the castle.

There, in the corner was a figure, it was creeping slowly toward the wall Ash and Bree had just climbed. Cloaked in the darkness we created, the figure sauntered through the shadows along the perimeter of the castle, with no hesitation.

“Ash, Bree, there’s someone coming. You need to keep down,” I shouted.

“Shh, we know,” Bree whispered.

We watched the surveillance screen, holding our breath. The figure circled the perimeter of the castle twice, before entering through the front door.

“You see that? They didn’t hesitate,” Jay shouted, pointing at the door on screen.

“Yes, so?” Fern said, from close behind us.

Jay huffed and shook his head. “So, it’s the middle of the night. What is that door doing unlocked? They had to have had a key, which means they’re staff.”

“Which means Bree and Ash will be in big trouble if they get caught. And we will’ve failed this stupid test. Bree, Ash?” I whispered into the microphone.

“Yeah?” Ash responded.

“Whoever it is, they’ve gone into the building. They had a key. You need to move, now.”

Ash picked up the camera and looked into it as he spoke. “Roz, I’m going to take the clues with us. We can work it out back at the house, okay?”

“Good idea, just be…” My voice broke off as a wailing alarm ripped through the speaker. “Bree, Ash! Are you okay? What’s happening?” The camera blinked off.

“Shit. Shit it all to hell!” Owen shouted. His fingertips frantically hammered the key board.

“What?” I knelt on the floor beside him. “Are they alright?”

“It’s not them. Some bloody idiot set off the fire alarm on the ground floor. It’s gone into emergency mode. It’s locked me out of the fecking system. I’ll have to hack in again, but that could take ages.” He threw the keyboard down to the coffee table. It clattered and slipped off the other side. “They’re on their own up there.”

I stumbled across the floor to Jay’s set up. “You see them?”

He shook his head in frustration as we searched the screens, each one growing darker by the second.

“Jay, I can’t even make out the bushes anymore. You don’t think something’s happened to your cameras, do you? Do you think someone’s done something to stop us seeing?”

Jay flicked from one screen to the other. “I don’t think they could have. I mean, they would have to know where they were.”

We continued to watch the screens helplessly. The view had become so dark, we had no chance of seeing Bree and Ash even if they stood and waved.

We all sucked in a breath of shock as the screens suddenly came alive with blue lights. The fire engines tore through the campus and pulled up in front of the castle. They charged into the building without hesitation.

“Damn it, they’re gonna get caught,” Jay shouted. I was gripping his sleeve, my eyes fixed on the blue lights.

Urgent bangs hammered the front door. I bolted upright and almost knocking Fern to the ground as I tore across the room, ripping the door open to see Bree and Ash panting on the doorstep. I pulled them both inside and flung my arms around Bree.

“Alright, we’re fine,” She protested, shoving me away playfully.

Without a thought, I turned to Ash and threw my arms around him too. He responded by wrapping his arms around my shoulders. His skin was hot inside his dew soaked cold clothes.

“Sorry,” I said, as I realised what I had done.

“Hey, no problem here,” he grinned. He didn’t let go for a long moment.

A phone rang, breaking the silence. Fern fumbled to pull a mobile from her pocket. Without a word, she rushed from the room and out the door. We all watched through the window as she retreated across the grass, still in her slippers.

“Doesn’t talk much, does she?” Ash laughed.

“So, Roz. Why didn’t you tell us there would be others looking for this clue too?” Bree asked, as she opened a bottle of beer from the fridge.

“What? We were told we had random tasks. I thought they would be all different.”

“Well, she set the fire alarm off and headed straight for the roof. Lucky we ducked into an office as she passed.” Bree chugged her beer between breaths and was already hunting in the fridge for a second.

“Sounds like a good plan,” Owen said, “if she knew you had the cameras diverted, by setting the alarm and throwing it into emergency mode, you would get caught on camera.”

“Lucky you had two nifty Wolves doing the dirty for you.” Ash winked at me, still glowing with the excitement of the night.

I held up my hands, signalling stop. “Who knew I had cameras? Who set off the alarm?”

“Spring. She was alone, from the look of it,” Bree said, “with the way the lights all went dark there as we were escaping, looked like she tried to shut everything down. Think our hacking cocked up her plan. Probably explain why she set off the alarm.”

I stood back, stunned. “How did she know? Do you think she knew who was already in there? I wonder if she got out.” I scrubbed my hands through my hair. Too many questions.

“Ha, not likely.” Ash grabbed his bag and emptied the contents onto the table. “We got through the second floor window. Was the only way to get out passed the fire guys. We got the clue though. Which means, she didn’t.”

He held up the five papers and laid them out on the floor in the same pattern, so we could all see. I put my hand on his arm and smiled in thanks. They had done so much for me tonight.

The centre note was exactly what Ash had read:
The correct password is all you need.
Which word will you keep?
The other four notes each held one word apiece:
Windermere, Dove, Daffodil
and
Wordsworth
. It was obvious that one of these words was the password which I needed to submit. This word was the secret which had been hidden. But which one?

“This is all you, Roz,” Bree said, from the bottom of her third bottle. She seemed to be well on her way to checking out for the night. Or morning, as the sun had begun its slow climb in the distance.

I paced the room in place of where Fern had left. The clues were here, I knew they had to be. I just needed a few more hours and a good night’s sleep to work it out, which I didn’t have.

“Come on then, like before,” Owen called. “Talk it through. Which word is it?”

Ash was kneeling over the papers, his face screwed in concentration. “It has to be Wordsworth. You said the first clue was his poem.”

I pondered the idea, but shook my head. “No, it doesn’t connect to the rest. Why would we have to go to that much trouble? I already had the name Wordsworth.”

Jay switched off the surveillance screens and turned to me. “Then what do we know? Wordsworth was a poet?”

“He was English, lived in the lakes for a long time,” Ash said. “That connects to Windermere.”

I picked up the four papers. “They all connect to him. So the clue must be somewhere else. Was there anything else up there?”

“Nothing. Just moss and leaves,” Bree said, with a drunken giggle. “I was hoping to see some old arrow heads or something.”

Jay laughed. “Arrow heads? Why would you see those on a university building?”

“Well it is the keep.” Bree tried to get up, but Ash pushed her back down with ease and sat beside her. She scowled up at him, but stayed down. “It’s an old castle. What else were castles used for, other than fighting off invaders?”

“I think you’ve had enough,” Ash said, as he took the bottle from her and drained it.

“Hang on,” I said, coming to a stop mid pace, “they were hidden on the Keep roof. That’s it.” I jumped on the spot and laughed. “That’s it. The Keep.”

“Roz, you numpty.
Keep
, isn’t one of the words,” Bree laughed, as she laid her head across Ash’s knee. He shoved her off playfully.

I leaped over the settee and grabbed the first note. “Look. Which word will you keep?” I held it up for them all to see. “Don’t you get it?”

They all looked to each other and shrugged. “Why don’t you enlighten us?” Owen asked.

I groaned impatiently. “Wordsworth was English. The clue was hidden in the keep, which is a castle.” I nodded, waiting for them to get it. “An English man’s home is his castle.” I said the words slowly, waiting for them. “Oh, come on.”

“Just fecking tell us!” Bree shouted.

“Dove! He lived in Dove cottage. His home is his castle. Which word to
keep
. Get it?” My grin faltered as they all stared at me like I was losing it.

Owen cleared his throat. “How on earth did you get to that?”

“You think I’m wrong? I suppose I could be.”

“No, I’m sure you’re right. I just don’t know how you managed to connect all that.” Owen smacked me in the arm playfully. “Hey, looks like you really are a super information gathering Mole. Who knew?”

“Erm, thanks?” I smacked him back. “Right, now to just send it and we can get on with joining Bree in celebrations.” I ran up to my room to retrieve my laptop. The university logo fired up and I logged on to the Mole submission page.

“Here goes nothing.”

My fingers shook with impatience and adrenalin. With a deep calming breath, I slowly and deliberately typed
Dove
into the answer bar. I glanced up at my team as I pressed Enter.

My heart stuttered. The screen flickered to blue.

“What the bloody hell?” I screamed at the idle laptop.

“What now?” Owen asked. He was already in the kitchen fishing out a beer.

I held up the computer for him to see. “I got the blue screen of death! It was working until I tried to submit it.”

He took the laptop from me and studied it for a moment. Within seconds he revived it. “Looks like they’re giving you another test. The site isn’t down, you just needed to get past the block.”

“Another test? Is this ever going to end? How the hell do I get past a computer block?” I felt like crying. I was so close. But a computer block? I didn’t have a first clue how to get past one of those.

Owen laughed. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist. You’re the leader of a team, remember? Can’t you ask someone, say a good looking tech savvy guy, to submit it for you?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Please, oh tech savvy guy, could you submit it for me?”

“You forgot the good looking bit,” he said, as he keyed the laptop. “Never forget to tell your favourite computer hacker how good looking he is.”

“I won’t,” I replied.

Bree erupted in laughter. Owen handed back the laptop with a flashing blue box in the centre of the screen. Submitted.

“Oh, Owen. Thank you so much!”

“No problem. Drinks are on you next time.” He slumped back in his chair.

I couldn’t wait. I was up, dressed and out the door before my alarm. The campus was just showing the signs of life as I walked toward Llamp’s office. The coffee shop doors were just opening, the staff of the library were making their way in. I laughed to myself as I realised how strange it was to walk these paths without the constant murmur of music from the ever present parties.

My pace slowed as I grew closer to Llamp’s office. Two students were already stood patiently by her door. I was ridiculously early, therefore thought they must have been there all night since finishing their tasks. I hadn’t thought of doing that.

I took my place and held my bag against my chest. This was the first real test. If I had passed and gotten through, my place here would be secured for the first year. At least I hoped it would. My mind raced over my conversation with Ash. What did happen with students who failed? The rules clearly stated that we were forbidden from talking about anything here. Even after we left we were committed to working for the government. So, what did happen to those who failed? I didn’t want to find out. I shifted on the spot self-consciously as a group of Mole students stood in line behind me.

“Next,” Llamp’s tart voice called from the room. The door opened and a guy I had yet to speak to came out. He was rubbing at his face with his sleeve, his eyes puffy and red. The girl in front of me entered the room and the line moved forward a step.

I looked at my watch to see we were still half an hour early. This must have been yet another test. Did she want to see if we were eager or scold us for arriving too soon? Only a moment had passed when the girl opened the door and stormed from the room. Her expression was the vision of rage. I watched as she charged down the corridor, people dodging out of her way as she passed. The next girl took a shaking breath and entered the room. I was next.

“Bit eager. You hoping to get brownie points by being first in line?” Spring shouted, as she came to stand by me at the head of the queue. “You’re going to fail this, you know.” She folded her arms and smirked at me.

“Why do you say that?” I asked, keeping my voice strong. I wasn’t going to back down to her as I had seen so many do since we got here.

“Oh, come on. Getting people to complete the task for you? You can’t honestly think you’re going to get away with it?” She looked behind me, clearly pleased with the audience. “Having two Wolves do the dirty work. And, if that wasn’t enough, you had a Shark and a Spider do the thinking for you!” She laughed audibly, flicking her long hair over her shoulder.

I refused to look back as the echoing laughter ran through the queue behind me. I held my jaw clamped shut, refusing to ask her how she knew about Owen and Jay.

The laughing stopped as the door of the room opened. We all held our breath as the girl came out confidently, smiling.

I stepped forward to enter the room when Spring shoved me out of the way. “Hey,” I shouted. She smirked at me as she closed the door.

My shoulder slumped against the cold wall. Almost there. Just a few minutes and it would all be over and done with. I looked down the queue and was shocked to see how many people were now waiting. Every person stood neatly in line, nervously watching the closed door. We were still too early for class, but it seemed we were all here.

I leaned further forward to see Karissa. She wasn’t anywhere to be seen. She
had
to come soon if she wanted to pass. This had been the real first test. She was smart enough to know not everyone was going to pass.

I span on the spot when the door ripped open. Spring stepped out and stopped in front of me. Her face was inches from mine, blazing red.

“Stupid bitch! You’re going to regret this.”

She shoved me hard against the wall and stormed away, swearing at people to move as she barrelled through. I stared after her, the crowd sniggering and whispering in her wake.

“Next,” Llamp shouted, impatiently.

I shrugged my bag up onto my shoulder and entered the room.

Huge windows lined the back of the classroom. Day light flooded through, giving the situation an unnatural element of forced welcome and comfort. This wasn’t comfortable. The bright sunlight felt like I was on a stage, the spot light focused on me and I had forgotten my words. I stood in front of Llamp’s desk, where she sat with an open file.

“Miss Grove. Sit.”

She didn’t lift her head as she spoke. I sat on the edge of the seat with my knees facing the door, like I was readying myself to escape at any moment. A minute stretched by. It felt like an hour.

“Miss Grove, what did you think of your test?”

My mouth flopped opened and closed with no words. What did I think of the test? I hadn’t considered what I thought of it. I just tried to solve it. I knew I hated the pressure it put me under.

“Ah, I thought it was clever.” I crossed my fingers under the seat, hoping this was the answer she was aiming for.

She raised her head. Smiling. “Clever. How so?”

“Well, the riddle and the location were connected.” I looked out of the window and nodded toward the castle in the distance. “I had to understand both the riddle and what to do physically to solve the whole thing.”

“And that you did.” She held up a piece of paper to read from. “With the help of students Owen Mitchell, Bregus Llewellyn, Ashton Loncastre and Jayendra Suresh.” She looked at me, waiting for a reply.

I lowered my head and sighed. “The instructions on the task said to use all means available. I thought that would include putting a team together from most areas.”

“Indeed it did,” she replied, with a bright smile as she passed me a sealed brown envelope. “Congratulations, Miss Grove. You passed. You placed team members in strategic positions. You weren’t seen and you removed the information before your competitor could use it.” Her wide smile put me even further on edge.

“My competitor?”

“Yes. The tasks you and your fellow students were provided with were doubled. Therefore, when you received your task of climbing the tower, so did another student.”

I looked to the door as if Spring was still standing there. “Spring. She got the same task as me.”

“Yes. I must say she is not best pleased at you for removing the information before she could get to it.”

“But, I didn’t know I was supposed to leave it for her,” I protested.

“You weren’t. You were to treat the task as if it were the real thing. And, in the real world, you would not leave information behind for the enemy.” She leaned over the desk and pushed the envelope closer. “Now, for the next task.”

“Is this a double too?” I asked, determined to know where I stood this time.

“No. This is an independent task over a longer time frame. You are in control of what you research, where you investigate and how you go about it. All the information you need is in here.” She tapped the brown square of paper.

“You will be required to produce regular updates of your progress. From what I have seen so far, you know how to take advantage of the university’s methods. I expect you to excel in this test; I want to see you push yourself and your abilities. Be original, and don’t hold back. You’re training to infiltrate and get what you need. You’re a Mole, use that authority.”

Her eyes fixed on mine, willing me to understand her intensity.

*   *   *

I stepped out of the room with the envelope clutched in my hands. My feet walked automatically as my mind played back what she had said. I passed. She was pleased and expected me to excel? How the hell had I done that? I was to use my authority?

My thoughts were reeling. I walked without thinking of a destination, when I came to a stop at the campus coffee shop. The polished metal tables and chairs which lined the outside glistened in the sunlight. I lowered myself into a chair and stared into the distance. I had passed the first test. I was staying here at university. For now.

With trembling fingers, I slid the single sheet of paper from the envelope. It was as basic as the first test’s instructions. I read through it three times in the space of one minute, hardly understanding a word. My insides felt like they were sinking.

I was instructed to research a mystery. Any mystery.

I was to choose the mystery myself, along with whatever means I would use to solve it, if possible. I was to be marked against my methods in following evidence, utilisation of assets and formulation of ingenuity. My mind went blank. The instruction note stated six weeks as my completion time, with a number of update meetings along the way. I was glad to be given such a larger timeframe, but that was the only silver lining. What was I supposed to research? A mystery could be defined in so many different ways.

“You lost again?”

I put my hands up in time to stop the Saint Bernard knocking me off my chair. It rubbed its face against my chest enthusiastically, pushing my arms up with its head. I buried my fingers in its thick brown fur, nuzzling my face against the top of its head playfully.

This dog had to be the cutest thing to walk the planet.

“Easy Mendel.” He pulled the dog back and grinned at me. “I didnae get your name last time. I’m Mark. This daft dog is Mendel.” He pulled up a chair and sat beside me.

“I’m Roz,” I said, as I continued to stroke his dog, “nobody slapping you today?”

He rolled his eyes. “Not ma fault. Guess that wasnae the best of introductions.” He held out his hand toward me. “Let’s start again. Hi, I’m Mark.”

I took his hand and shook. “I’m Roz.” I couldn’t help but grin.

“So, Roz. How’re you findin’ the university life?” He patted the dog’s back and it laid down across our feet.

“It’s intense, that’s for sure. It feels like there’s a test around every corner.”

Test was a mild way to put it. With the way my nerves were rattled, it was like they were trying to plough me into an early grave.

“They do like to shit you through the ringer ‘ere, don’t they?”

I laughed. “That’s a good way to put it. I just got through with one task that almost gave me a nervous breakdown. Now, I’ve just been handed another.” I held up the brown envelope which I was yet to understand.

“Och, you just need an outlet. Like runnin’ with a beast of a dog for instance.” He leaned over and patted the dogs head. It leaped to its feet and began pouncing round on the spot excitedly. “Down, ye daft dog!” He pushed Mendel back to the floor, flicking the trails of saliva from his hands.

“He’s gorgeous.”

“He’s a slobberin’ ball of fur, that’s what he is.” He turned back to me and smiled. “I’m sure it’ll get better here. When I first started my uni, I spent the entire first year stressed about gettin’ work in on time, puttin’ enough research in there. You get to the point where you have to remember to live too.”

“You’re not a student here?” I asked.

“I’m doin’ ma doctorate here. I did ma degree and masters back home in Glasgow.”

“What’re you doing a doctorate in?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Genetic surgery. Well, I’m compiling research into applyin’ genetic manipulation as a form of corrective surgery in cases of genetic disorders.”

My mouth flopped open. “That sounds…”

“Not what you were expectin’?” He laughed.

“Not really. Sorry.” My face flushed. I didn’t know what I’d expected him to be studying, but it definitely wasn’t that. “So, isn’t that like, trying to change D.N.A.?”

“No,” he shook his head and laughed, like what I said was utterly absurd, “genes are made from hundreds, sometimes thousands of D.N.A. bases. That’d be far too complicated. Ma work focuses on a single gene as a whole.”

“But, isn’t that like, the biological version of rocket science?”

“Thanks for that vote of confidence,” he laughed loudly, causing the surrounding people to turn and stare. “You know, you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover. You dinnae exactly look like a leader of the people.”

“I’m not aiming to be,” I laughed.  “So, what do I look like? In fact, don’t answer that.” 

“You look like my date for Friday night.” He watched me, unflinching.

I couldn’t tell if he was joking. “Your date?” I giggled a little too loudly.

The surrounding people were now openly watching us. I stared at the woman at the table beside us until she twisted back around.

“What about your friend from the other night?” I challenged.

“Slappy? Think I’m gonna steer clear of her. You seem like much more fun. You have’nae even tried to punch me yet.”

“That’s got to be the worst pick up line ever.”

“Did it work? You goin’ out with me Friday?”

“Just a drink as friends? Nothing else?” I eyed him with a smirk.

He held up his hands, like he was surrendering. “Maybe pizza, but that’s where I draw the line.” He stood and held the dog back as it erupted once again in excitement. He twisted the thick lead around his arm. “Last chance.”

I stroked the dog one last time. “Okay, I’ll go. Meet me here?”

“Eight o’clock. See you then, and…” His words were lost as the dog pulled him away.