Missing (14 page)

Outside, voices were coming. On the TV screen, I could see Damien at the head of the pack of people on their way back to the resort. I prayed they hadn't found Sophie. Maybe she'd given herself up to save Zak's hide-out.

The download bar began filling very, very slowly—12% … 18% … 21% …

‘Come
on. Hurry up!
'

27% …

I cursed the slow download.

To ease my anxiety, I minimised the file, and checked out the other icons on the desktop. There were various files, for the CCTV, attendance lists, amenities, advertising material and another icon labelled Emergency.

Outside the noise had become really loud and I flattened myself against the wall to peer out one of the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. To my horror I saw that Damien was striding across the compound, already through the gates, dragging a struggling figure. From this distance, I couldn't see who it was.

43 … 54% … 61% …

Hurry,
hurry
.

The group and the struggling captive came into view. I swore. My worst fear had been realised. The struggling figure was my brother, Ryan.

Ryan had obviously been caught during the search for Sophie and was now being hauled back by a very angry Damien, and worse still, I knew he would be brought up here into the office. I could hear Ryan yelling out as Damien, now with Dean's assistance, manhandled him across the wide sports field heading for the office building. Thank you Ryan, I thought, as I realised he was making all that noise to make sure I knew they were coming. So I could get out … but I was stuck. Behind them, the staff
who'd been in the search parties peeled off to their various dormitories and to the recreation centre.

73% … 85% …

The download was taking forever to finish. I couldn't leave yet.

Finally, it finished, but that was only the first part. The Stealth Hacker had two parts, and the second was just as important—Cover Tracks.

Thank goodness that program was much faster. My pulse was racing, the blood pounding in my head. It was still taking way too long. Slow seconds ticked by and then it was done. Frantically, I whipped out the USB from the port, loading it into my phone. I emailed it to BB as the commotion outside the office building got louder. With fumbling fingers, I emailed it to Boges as well.

I just had time to close down the Mordred Key program as I heard them starting up the stairs. But where could I go? Where could I hide? I looked around the room, realising the lounge would not suffice this time. My heart sank.

There was no way out
.

As the footsteps rang out on the steel stairway, and my brother's struggles failed to stop their progress, I desperately spun around, looking for an escape.

Any second now and they'd be through the door and into Damien's office. Ryan and I would come face to face and Damien would discover our secret. I thought of Damien's chilling tone earlier and shivered. He would be furious. What would happen to us after that was anybody's guess.

But I knew it couldn't be good.

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First published by Scholastic Australia in 2013.

This electronic edition published by Scholastic Australia Pty Limited in 2013.

E-PUB/MOBI eISBN 978 1 921990 663

Original text © Gabrielle Lord, 2013.
Cover design and internal graphics by Nicole Stofberg.
Cover copyright © Scholastic Australia, 2013.
Cover logo designed by Natalie Winter.

Cover photography: Cal's head by Wendell Levi Teodoro (www.zeduce.org) © Scholastic Australia 2013; Cal's body © istockphoto.com/Sacha Bloor; lightning © istockphoto.com/Leonid Tit; sky © istockphoto.com/Miroslav Georgijevic; paraglider © istockphoto.com/Andrzej Burak; cliffs © istockphoto.com/Joakim Leroy; stormy weather © istockphoto.com/o-che. Internal photography and illustration: mobile phone on page 185 © istockphoto.com/pressureUA; world map on page 185 © istockphoto.com/David Vernon; skull on page 185 © istockphoto.com/zmina; tablet computer on page 155 © istockphoto.com/loops7; group playing volleyball on page 155 © istockphoto.com/Eleonora Nazarova; girls playing volleyball on page 155 © istockphoto.com/Iakov Filimonov; group playing guitar on beach on page 155 © istockphoto.com/Kevin Klöpper; row of kayaks on page 155 © istockphoto.com/Laila Røberg; tropical island beach on page 155 © istockphoto.com/Gergana Valcheva; map on pages 146–145 and pages 046–045 © istockphoto.com/Eric Scafetta; icons on pages 146–145 and pages 046–045 © photos.com/John Takai/art12321/Lumumba/joingate; tag on page 049 © istockphoto.com/Robyn Mackenzie; mordred key symbol on page 030 © istockphoto.com/Krystsina Birukova.

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