The Medusa Project: The Rescue

  Over Carson’s shoulder I could see Djounsou, flanked by two guards, come into the room. Like Carson, all three were in sunglasses. On the other side of the doorway stood Tsonga, his hands tied behind his back. A fresh bruise made a dark red mark across his cheek. He looked exhausted.

  ‘No, Ed, you lied,’ Carson spat. ‘You told us that the weapons in Mahore were last seen in a hut with a blue wall and a red flag on the road west out of town.’

  ‘They move the weapons all the time,’ I said, desperately. ‘I said that too.’

  ‘Yes.’ Carson was breathing heavily, his face contorted with rage. ‘But the thing is, Ed, we know you made up the hut.’

  ‘What . . . how?’

  ‘There is no hut with a blue wall and a red flag on the road west out of town.’

  A tense silence spread across the room. I glanced at Tsonga. Hadn’t he specifically told me to pretend that’s where the weapons were? His expression was a mix of defiance and guilt. And then he met my eyes and I dived into his mind.

  Why did you tell me to say the weapons were in a hut that doesn’t exist? I thought-spoke.

  I was trying to protect my family – my village. I could not say the guns were in any place. Anyone found in whatever building I said would be killed. Ed, please, you must help my daughter. She is everything I have . . . my life.

  I broke the connection, furious. I’d tried to give Tsonga a chance and he’d just made things worse for both of us. I glanced at the general. He was watching me, his expression behind his sunglasses impassive.

  ‘I warned you, Ed.’ Djounsou shook his head. ‘You already had your one and only chance.’

  Carson raised his gun and held it against my head. ‘Tell us where the weapons are really being hidden.’

  My stomach tightened into a tense knot. What should I do? Admit I knew all along that the weapons were in the church in Mahore – which was an admission of the guilt I’d just denied and likely to get me shot? Or carry on claiming I had no idea – and probably get shot anyway?

  I forced myself to speak. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said, my voice barely more than a squeak, ‘I must have made a mistake. Let me mind-read Tsonga again and try to find out where they are.’

  I knew I was taking a calculated risk in not coming clean, but it seemed the best option. At least this way I could pretend to see the information for the first time.

  Unfortunately, my gamble didn’t pay off. Carson pushed the gun against my temple and roared. ‘There was no bloody mistake! You lied to us and now you’re lying about lying.’

  I glanced round the room. Ketty and Dylan were huddled together on the floor, watching what was going on with wide, scared eyes. Luz was still sitting on her mattress, her body trembling. I reached out my hand instinctively towards her, trying to reassure her.

  Big mistake.

  Carson had followed my movement.

  ‘Yes,’ he said, slowly. ‘An excellent choice, kiddo. No one will care about her. Except you.’ He walked over and trained his gun on Luz.

  Luz gasped and shrank away, pressing herself against the wall.

  ‘Stop!’ I rushed up to them, my heart like thunder in my ears. He couldn’t hurt her. He couldn’t. Luz had done nothing wrong.

  The confession spewed out of me like vomit. ‘Don’t take it out on her. You’re right, I did see where the weapons are in Mahore. Tsonga’s brother is hiding them in the church basement – St Luke’s Church.’

  Carson lowered his gun. Across the room Tsonga’s face contorted with grief.

  ‘My little Victoria,’ he wailed.

  Suddenly I saw what an impossible position he was in. I met his eyes, consumed with guilt. If Tsonga and his brother were killed, then Victoria would become an orphan – perhaps even a refugee – without a home or anyone to protect her.

  Just like Luz.

  I’m so sorry, I thought-spoke. Please understand I had to tell them. He was going to kill my friend.

  Please help Victoria. Tsonga’s plea pierced through me. Please save Victoria. She is just a child.

  I will. I promise. I broke the connection again and looked round the room.

  Djounsou was in the doorway barking orders at his private soldiers, telling them to contact their comrades in Mahore.

  ‘They must find the weapons in the church, round up Tsonga’s brother and the rest of his family, then wait.’ Djounsou checked his watch. ‘I will be there in two hours.’

  I gazed round. Ketty and Dylan were watching us, still huddled together across the room. Luz was shaking, pressed up against the wall. I knelt down and put my hand on her arm.

  ‘Do you still want this one?’ Carson said, indicating me.

  Djounsou slowly nodded. ‘Yes. I do not think he is lying now. It seems as if he has almost learned his lesson.’

  I held my breath. What did that mean?

  ‘You’re right.’ Carson said. ‘About both things. He is telling the truth now, but he still needs to be punished for lying to us before.’

  He raised the gun and pointed it at Luz’s head again.

  She shrank further away. My hand fell from her arm.

  ‘No!’ I said. ‘I told you what you wanted to know.’

  ‘But not in time,’ Carson said, not taking his eyes off Luz. ‘Remember, Ed. This is your punishment. You did this.’

  I froze. This couldn’t be happening.

  ‘No,’ Luz sobbed, ‘no, por favor!’ She spun wildly to face me. ‘Eds, help—’

  The gun exploded as I reached for her. Luz jerked back against the wall, then slumped to the mattress. Across the room, Ketty screamed.

  I stared at Luz’s body. It was bent at an impossible angle, her hair fanned out over the mattress, her arm trailing onto the floor.

  I couldn’t take it in.

  And then the world came back into focus. And I knew that nothing in my life would ever be the same, because the girl I had kissed, and promised to help, with the silky hair and the beautiful sea-green eyes, was lying on the floor beside me, dead.

  21: Decision

  Ketty’s scream died away and a terrible silence filled the room.

  Carson stood, panting, staring down at Luz’s body. Everyone else was frozen in the moment, which seemed to stretch inside my head, as if I’d been sitting, gazing at Luz’s lifeless body for days rather than seconds. Blood was seeping out from the back of her head. I watched it, mesmerised, unable to take in what I was seeing. A strand of hair had fallen across her face. I knelt to brush it away, then glanced up.

  Ketty and Dylan were staring at me, their faces stricken. Across the room, Djounsou stood, apparently unmoved, but Tsonga was weeping, his body heaving in great sobs as he stared at Luz.

  She’s dead. The words went through my head, but didn’t seem to connect with the reality of what lay in front of me.

  ‘Stupid girl, getting in the way.’ Carson curled his lip in disgust.

  ‘NO!’ The yell tore out of me like a bullet. And somehow I was on my feet, hurling myself at him. Anger like I’d never known before – a red haze all around me – swallowed me up. I punched and shouted – totally off my head. The two guards started threatening and tugging at me, but I didn’t stop. Couldn’t.

  Carson punched me in the gut. I doubled over, then lunged back at him.

  In the background I was dimly aware of Ketty’s screams and Dylan’s yells and, above them both, Djounsou’s thunderous command: ‘Do not hurt him.’

  I have no idea how long the struggle lasted. In the end, I felt someone grip my arm above the elbow, then the familiar ratchety noise of the stun gun. A searing pain in my shoulder and the world went black.

  When I woke it was almost daylight – the dawn sky was a soft grey-blue and the dark pearly swirls from earlier had faded to pale pink. I was back in my cell, lying on the narrow camp bed. My head throbbed and my wrists and ankles felt sore. For a second I lay there, completely disoriented. I moved a little – but my hands and feet were tied up. Why?

  An
d then I remembered. I struggled to sit up, my head filled with the image of Luz’s dead body. For a moment I thought I was going to be sick.

  I sat on the edge of the bed, feet firmly planted on the floor, and took a few deep breaths. I couldn’t have been out for that long. From the look of the sky outside, no more than half an hour had passed since I went into the girls’ room.

  Again, an image of Luz’s slumped body flashed into my head. I saw her face, turning to me, her mouth opening to speak. Ed, help me . . .

  I closed my eyes, unable to bear it.

  She had died asking for my help, just as she had lived believing I would help her.

  What had Carson said to me? You did this.

  It was true. I felt sick. I’d promised to help Luz and, instead, I had led her into terrible danger. I had insisted Carson brought her with us and now . . .

  The door opened. I caught a flash of a guard’s uniform, then Nico – blindfolded and bound by metal chains at the wrists and ankles – was pushed into the room.

  The door shut. Nico stumbled forwards. ‘Hello?’ His voice sounded weaker and more scared than I’d ever heard it. ‘Is anyone there?’

  ‘Just me, Ed,’ I said.

  ‘Phew.’ Nico relaxed a little. ‘They’ve moved me. Need my room for something – it sounded like they were leaving a body down there, but I couldn’t be sure.’

  He didn’t know.

  ‘Right.’ The word came out like I was being strangled.

  ‘You don’t sound very pleased to see me,’ Nico said, with a terse grin. ‘God, these frigging chains they’ve put on me. I have no idea how to undo them – it feels like they’re frigging welded together.’

  I said nothing.

  ‘Ed, has something happened? The girls are all right, aren’t they?’

  I bit my lip and stared at the ground.

  Nico sat down in the middle of the room. ‘Ed?’ His voice was suddenly tense. ‘What’s going on?’

  I told him about Luz, keeping my eyes on the dirty concrete floor at my feet and my explanation as brief and factual as possible. ‘So afterwards,’ I said, flatly, ‘I went mad and attacked Carson and the guards knocked me out. I just this minute woke up.’

  Silence. I looked up. Nico’s face behind the blindfold was pale.

  ‘Oh, God,’ he whispered. ‘He actually killed her?’

  I swallowed, the image of Luz’s lifeless body forcing itself into my mind again.

  ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I’m guessing it’s her body they’ve put in your room.’

  Silence again. ‘What about Geri?’ Nico said. ‘Have you made contact with her?’

  ‘Not yet,’ I said. Everything that had happened earlier had knocked my plan to make contact with Amy – and therefore Geri Paterson – out of my head.

  ‘It’s even more important now, Ed,’ Nico insisted. ‘Now we know how far Carson’s prepared to go.’

  I suddenly remembered Tsonga – and Djounsou’s mission to punish the rebels in Mahore. He’d told his soldiers he’d be there in two hours, less than thirty minutes ago. Here was my chance to keep my promise to help Tsonga’s daughter. If I could just contact Geri she would be able to rescue us and stop Djounsou murdering Tsonga’s family and the other rebels. I’d failed to save Luz. I had to help Tsonga.

  I took a deep breath. ‘Okay,’ I said.

  Nico lay back on the floor. I tried to focus on my sister, Amy. Would I be able to connect with her a second time? After all, the remote mind-reading hadn’t worked with anyone else apart from Nico and Ketty.

  I slowed my breathing and pictured Amy’s pale face and blue eyes.

  With a whoosh, I was there. I recognised Amy’s mind straight away – the same high-pitched level of hysteria as before.

  Hi, Amy.

  Ed? The whirlwind of emotion that was Amy’s mind spun faster. Ohmigod, ohmigod, it’s you, it’s really you.

  Yes, did you tell Mum and Dad? Did they get Geri?

  Yes. They’re all here. Geri’s been here all night, waiting.

  I sighed with relief. Okay, Amy, I need you to tell her exactly what I tell you. All right?

  I don’t like her, Ed. She looks at me like I’m some stupid little kid. And she’s been really rude to Mum and Dad too.

  I know, but, Amy, this is important. Blake Carson has captured us. We’re okay but being held prisoner in a compound, somewhere in North Africa, near a place called Mahore. Tell her now, then tell me you’re done.

  Ohmigod, ohmigod. Okay.

  I waited while Amy spoke out loud to Geri. I could hear the echo of her voice as it sounded in her head, but not anything going on in the wider world, which meant I couldn’t hear Geri’s reply. After what felt like a long time, Amy was back.

  Ed?

  What did she say?

  She said I had to tell you that the four of you should attempt to get yourselves out of the compound and—

  What? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Isn’t she coming to rescue us?

  She says she has no idea where you are – that her contacts at Interpol don’t know where Carson’s compound is. That the satellite pictures over the area aren’t giving any useful clues. She wants you to get to safety, then contact her – to say where the compound is. She’ll send people to pick you up – and to deal with Carson.

  But . . . I could barely formulate my thoughts into anything coherent enough to communicate. Getting out of here without help is impossible. Tell her we can’t do it. I explained how Carson had killed Luz and about Djounsou and what he’d made me find out from Tsonga and how Tsonga’s family and village were now in terrible danger.

  It took a while. Amy kept stopping me, uncertain of the names, then telling Geri small bits of information at a time. Geri’s reply was much more succinct. Through Amy, she told me:

  I’m sorry about the girl, but that just shows you what Carson is capable of. As for Djounsou, he’s small fry in global terms and I don’t want you sidetracked. I will report what you’ve said to the Foreign Office, but they’re already well aware of his activities in the region.

  Then why aren’t they doing anything about it?

  It’s not our problem, Geri’s response came back. I’m sorry you’re caught up in this, Ed, but you need to stay focused on getting to safety as fast as possible . . .

  So that’s what it came down to – Geri didn’t care about Tsonga and his family and she certainly didn’t care about Luz. She didn’t even really care about me and Nico, Dylan and Ketty. We were all just pawns in her game.

  Well, Tsonga had asked for my help to save his daughter and I had promised to give it. I was never going to make that promise again – to anyone – and fail.

  I ended the connection and told Nico – using remote telepathy, in case Carson had bugged the room – what Geri had said. He was as shocked as I was.

  So we have to get out of here alone and find a safe place to contact Geri.

  Yes, but we’re not doing that.

  What? Nico thought-spoke. What are we going to do, then, Ed?

  I gritted my teeth, Luz’s lifeless body filling my mind again. We can’t just desert Tsonga and the people in Mahore. Djounsou’s going to kill Tsonga’s daughter. We have to at least try to stop him.

  Ed, have you gone mad? How the hell are we going to do that? Djounsou’s got a frigging army!

  We go to Mahore. Prevent the killings.

  What? How are we going to get there? And even if we do, it’s a suicide mission.

  We’ve got powers. You were all keen about being part of The Medusa Project. Well, this is what we do. We fight crime. We stop bad people like Carson and Djounsou from starting wars and creating innocent victims – like Tsonga’s daughter – because ordinary people can’t do it themselves. But we can . . . between us we’ve got amazing skills.

  Okay. Listen, Ed . . . Even if we can get ourselves to Mahore, how are we going to stop Djounsou’s army from killing the rebels?

  I don’t know yet, but we will. Somehow
. I took a deep breath. There’s something else. If we manage to get out and tell Geri where Carson’s compound is, there’s a big chance that he won’t be here when she arrives. We have to make sure he follows us to Mahore. Then we can be certain she’ll have a chance of finding him – and dealing with him.

  Nico’s thoughts and feelings swirled up in his head – a mix of intense emotions. He thought I was mad. He thought I was brave. He was astonished I was capable of coming up with – let alone acting on – such a plan.

  Never mind all that, I cut across his thoughts. Djounsou’s men are probably already on their way to Mahore. They’ll have had almost an hour’s start on us. Which means our first priority is to escape from this room.

  Escape? Nico’s thought-speech now sounded completely bewildered. But I’m chained and blindfolded and you must be tied up too.

  I know. I paused for a second. Here’s what I think we should do.

  22: Cornered

  We were ready when the guard arrived with our food. As he pushed the door open, I held my breath. What we were going to do would require split-second timing.

  As I’d feared, the guard was wearing sunglasses, like Carson and Djounsou had been earlier. That would make what we were planning even trickier. He put the tray, containing two bowls, cups and spoons, on the floor in front of Nico, then stood back.

  Nico groped for the food. He found one of the bowls and fell on it, grabbing a spoon and shovelling in the contents – some sort of watery stew. It was clearly hard for him to coordinate the movement with his hands tied, but the guard didn’t seem to have any intention of helping by untying him.

  He was a stocky guy – one of the unsmiling men I’d glimpsed through the doorway of the communications room round the corner. I cleared my throat.

  ‘What about me?’ I said.

  The guard’s bunch of keys slapped against his side as he turned to me, then picked up the second bowl and shoved it into my hands. Nico was still scooping up stew like he hadn’t eaten for a week.

  ‘Eat,’ the guard ordered.

  I nodded, then raised my arms. ‘I can’t eat with chains on.’

  ‘Tough.’