Aftershock (30 page)

‘I see,’ Nero said. ‘Go on.’

‘Well, I managed to get my hands on the core dump but then Harrington and those two morons, Block and Tackle, jumped us. Before I had a chance to retrieve the exam papers I was forced to use my abilities to copy the data from Laura’s Blackbox to Harrington’s so that it would look like he was the one who’d stolen the data. I didn’t feel too guilty about it considering he was planning to kill us so that he could sell H.I.V.E.mind’s source code to the highest bidder. Looking back, I should have realised that there was no way he could have known about the core dump, including H.I.V.E.mind’s source code, unless someone had already told him that was what we were planning to do. The same person who had told Laura that if she didn’t put this whole plan into motion and get the location of the Hunt for the Disciples, they would murder her family. The person who sent Harrington after us to give her a cover for getting rid of Laura. There was just one thing that they didn’t allow for. They didn’t realise that H.I.V.E.mind would figure out what was going on and trigger the security alarms. Before they could kill Laura and me, since I was the only witness, the alarms went off and they were forced to act as if they were just reacting to the security alert. At the time I thought that they’d managed to get to the accommodation block incredibly quickly – H.I.V.E.mind had triggered a school-wide alarm, so there was no way anyone could have known exactly where in the school the problem was. Raven only knew where to come because H.I.V.E.mind told her that the door to the accommodation block had been opened. Do you remember who it was that opened the door? Who got there before anyone else? The person who put this entire plan into motion and then presumably killed Cole Harrington to cover her tracks.’

‘Dekker,’ Nero whispered.

‘Bingo,’ Otto replied. ‘Laura told us that she had been dragged into Dekker’s office just before she came up with the plan to hack into H.I.V.E.mind. I’m willing to bet that it was then that Dekker showed Laura evidence that the Disciples had her family and told her that if she didn’t do exactly as she was told that they would be killed. Dekker’s run this whole thing. We stole the data, Laura gave the data to Dekker, Dekker sent the information to the Disciples.’

Nero pushed a button on his desk. A moment later Raven’s voice came over the speaker.

‘Raven here.’

‘Could you come to my office immediately please – there is something that we need to urgently discuss.’

Nero looked at Otto, his expression furious.

‘Do you realise what your actions have caused?’ Nero asked. ‘An entire year’s Alpha students, bar six, missing or dead. A massacre! You must realise how serious the punishment for everyone involved with this will be.’

‘Yes,’ Otto replied, ‘but neither Laura nor I knew what was being planned. If we’d known, even for a second, what was going to happen, of course we would never have done this.’

‘Who exactly was involved with the theft of H.I.V.E.mind’s source code?’ Nero asked angrily.

‘Just me and Laura,’ Otto lied. ‘It was a hack, a very clever hack, but we were the only ones involved. That was why Dekker and the Disciples choose Laura – she’s the best hacker in the school. If anyone was going to be able to somehow hack into H.I.V.E.mind’s central core it was her. They also knew she was vulnerable, because they knew she had family.’

The door to Nero’s office hissed open and Raven walked into the room.

‘What’s going on?’ Raven asked with a frown.

Nero quickly explained to Raven everything that Otto had just told him.

‘So how long do you want me to make it last before I let Dekker die?’ Raven asked angrily when Nero had finished.

‘She doesn’t die before I know absolutely everything she does about the Disciples,’ Nero replied.

‘Understood,’ Raven replied.

‘There is something else I wish to discuss with you,’ Nero said. ‘There is the small matter of Mr Malpense’s punishment for his involvement in this situation. I fear that I have only one option even when your past service to this school and G.L.O.V.E. is taken into consideration, Otto. There is, however, something you may do to make amends in some way for the chaos that your actions have caused. Here is what I propose . . .’

Otto walked into accommodation block seven and saw Wing, Shelby and Franz waiting for him on their usual hang-out sofa. He didn’t quite know how he was going to tell them what Nero had just decided.

‘Hey,’ Shelby said, ‘how’s it going?’

‘I’ve told Nero about Laura,’ Otto said, sitting down, ‘and I’ve told him that Laura and I were the only ones involved with the raid on H.I.V.E.mind.’

‘It is not right that you should shoulder the blame for that alone, my friend,’ Wing said, frowning. ‘I would rather we had all taken our share of the responsibility.’

‘Wing is right. We are all being involved, Otto,’ Franz said, nodding.

‘Yeah, stand together, fall together and all that stuff,’ Shelby said.

‘It’s a nice idea, guys, and I appreciate the sentiment,’ Otto said with a sad smile, ‘but I don’t think there’s much point in us all getting expelled.’

‘What do you mean?’ Wing asked, sounding shocked.

‘I’ve been expelled,’ Otto said, looking down at the floor. ‘I’m leaving immediately. I just came to say goodbye.’

‘Oh God, no, Otto,’ Shelby said, ‘that’s not fair. You didn’t know what was going on. It wasn’t like we helped the Disciples deliberately. It wasn’t even as if Laura had any choice. What was she supposed to do – just let them kill her entire family?’

‘Don’t worry,’ Otto said. ‘I get the feeling that the person who really caused all this is about to have a really, really bad day.’ He explained quickly to his friends about Dekker’s involvement in the whole affair.

‘I always knew there was something funny about that witch,’ Shelby said angrily.

‘Yeah, well, Raven’s been sent to ask her a few questions so I think it’s safe to say that she’s going to get what she deserves,’ Otto said. ‘Look, I haven’t got long. I just wanted to tell you all not to worry about me, I’ll be fine. This isn’t the end. I’ll see you guys again. It’s a pretty small world for people like us.’ He stood up and looked around the accommodation block. ‘You know, I never thought that I’d say this but I’m going to miss this place.’

‘Come here,’ Shelby said, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him hard. ‘Who on earth am I going to squabble with now? Take care of yourself, Otto.’ She stepped back, her hand to her mouth and tears in her eyes.

‘Be having good luck, Otto,’ Franz said, shaking his hand. ‘You have been a good friend, I will be hoping to see you again soon.’

‘Me too, Franz,’ Otto said with a smile.

Wing stepped forward and put his hands on Otto’s shoulders. ‘You are not just my friend,’ Wing said, ‘you are my brother.’ He pulled Otto towards him and hugged him so hard that Otto was afraid he might break his spine. ‘And brothers are always together in spirit. Nothing can change that.’

‘Feeling’s mutual, big guy,’ Otto replied, ‘feeling’s mutual.’ He pulled away from Wing and gave the three of them a broad smile. ‘Gotta go, Shroud’s waiting.’ He turned and walked towards the exit without looking back.

‘Otto, Laura, Nigel, the whole of our year of Alphas, all gone,’ Shelby said, fighting back tears as she watched him go. ‘What are we going to do, guys?’

‘What we always do,’ Wing said, taking her hand. ‘Survive.’

‘Hello, Max, what can I do for you?’ Diabolus Darkdoom said.

‘Diabolus,’ Nero replied, ‘I’m afraid I have to give you some very bad news. Nigel has been captured by the Disciples.’

‘What?’ Darkdoom said, looking stunned. ‘Where is he? Was he hurt?’

‘He was shot, Diabolus,’ Nero said sadly. ‘His current condition will, I’m afraid, depend very much on how quickly he received medical treatment. Diabolus, there’s something else you should know. He was captured by Anastasia Furan.’

‘That’s not possible,’ Darkdoom said, shaking his head, ‘Anastasia is d—’

‘That was precisely my reaction as well,’ Nero sighed. ‘Raven was face to face with her – there is no doubt it was her. It appears that she is now at the head of the Disciples.’

‘Do you have any idea where Nigel is being held?’

‘No, I’m afraid not but I do have an idea how we might be able to find out.’

‘Really? How?’ Darkdoom asked.

‘I’ll brief you later,’ Nero replied. ‘I’m just putting things in motion at the moment.’

‘How did this happen?’ Darkdoom asked, sounding bewildered.

‘The Hunt was ambushed by Disciple forces after its location was leaked to them by Chief Dekker.’

‘I don’t believe it,’ Darkdoom gasped. ‘Dekker worked for me for nearly fifteen years. I trusted her completely, that’s why I recommended her to you.’

‘Raven is questioning her, Diabolus, but the evidence we have so far appears damning.’

‘Good God, Max,’ Diabolus said, shaking his head, ‘she could have been feeding them information for years for all we know. She knew everything about my organisation.’

‘It might help to explain how the Disciples got their hands on the thermoptic camouflage technology. Their forces were using it when they ambushed the Hunt.’

‘This is a disaster, Max,’ Darkdoom said, looking suddenly tired. ‘What can I do to help?’

‘Just one thing,’ Nero replied.

‘Wake up, Dekker,’ Raven whispered in her ear as she cracked a tiny stimulant capsule under her nose.

Dekker woke up with a start, struggling against the straps that held her to the chair she was sitting in. She saw Raven standing in front of her with a nasty smile on her face. Without hesitation she crunched her back teeth down hard on the hidden compartment in one of her molars. She closed her eyes again and waited. A few seconds later she opened her eyes as she realised nothing was happening.

‘Looking for this?’ Raven asked, holding up the tiny capsule that she had removed from Dekker’s mouth while she slept. ‘Oh, you don’t get off that easily, Dekker. Now why don’t you tell me everything there is to know about the Disciples.’

‘Go to hell,’ Dekker snarled.

‘You know, I was actually hoping that would be your response. OK, girls,’ Raven said, pulling the twin blades from the sheaths on her back, ‘looks like we’ve got a long night ahead of us.’