Split Second (24 page)

‘Sure.’ I watched him race down the steps and out of sight, then went back into the party room. Aaron was busy, in the middle of a large group. Jas was nowhere to be seen. I wanted
to be on my own for a bit, anyway. I drifted around the outskirts of the party for a while, thinking about what had just happened. I could hardly believe Nat had kissed me, that he liked me. I
almost wanted to shout out to the whole party how brilliant it felt. But of course I didn’t. I kept my eyes on Aaron the whole time, waiting for a moment when I could wander over and start
chatting.

I was just about to make my move, when my EFA phone buzzed. I opened Taylor’s text, expecting a request for an update. Then I stood, staring at the screen.

That was odd. That was
really
odd.

I took the earpiece from my pocket and put it in my ear as I hurried out into the freezing cold. It was going to take me another fifteen minutes at least to get to Covent
Garden tube. Taylor would expect me to be already there.

‘Hello?’ I said, feeling guilty.

‘Where are you?’ Taylor snapped in my ear.

‘Almost there, sir,’ I lied.

Taylor swore. ‘I needed you outside the tube five minutes ago. Let me know when you get there.’

‘Yes, sir.’ I broke into a run. It felt good to pound along the street, dodging the passers-by. A huge wave of happiness washed over me. Charlie liked me. The way she’d looked
at me . . . the way she’d looked . . . I drifted into a daydream about that blue dress and Charlie’s face as she’d drawn away from our kiss.

She liked me. I hardly dared believe it was true, but she had made it clear. I darted into Camden Town tube and down to the platform, my head still buzzing. I couldn’t believe something so
fantastic had actually happened to me. I bounced into the end carriage of the train that had just pulled up at the platform. Man, everything was going better than it had for ages. Okay, so Mum and
Dad were still all over the place and Lucas was still in his coma but at least I knew he had been one of the good guys, a soldier on the side of right.

And now, here I was, actually following in his footsteps, a soldier myself, with Charlie beside me.

Yes, life was definitely looking up.

I changed onto the Piccadilly Line and my train sped to Covent Garden. Up in the lift to street level and I contacted Taylor again for instructions.

‘You’re very, very late,’ Taylor said tersely.

‘Sorry, sir.’ I tried to sound like I meant it. After all, Taylor had drilled the importance of discipline into us over and over again. But the truth was that I didn’t care
about being late.

Charlie liked me. What else mattered?

‘Outside,’ Taylor ordered. ‘There’s a guy in a blue sweatshirt sitting against the wall. Go over. Give the oath. Take the package he offers you.’

I sighed. It sounded like a pointless game of pass the parcel. Still, I knew better than to complain.

‘This is important, Nat,’ Taylor went on. ‘The package contains vital League of Iron information. Something we might be able to use to expose them to the public, destroy them
once and for all.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Feeling suddenly more enthusiastic about the mission, I went outside, onto the street. The air was cool and the pavement crowded, but I saw the guy in the blue sweatshirt
straight away. He was sitting, hunched against the wall, his hood pulled low over his face and a tatty backpack clutched in his lap.

He looked like a tramp but as I squatted down beside him I noticed that his hands were clean and his fingernails carefully cut. Clearly this was another EFA agent.

‘Blood and soil,’ I whispered.

‘Strength and honour,’ came the man’s hoarse reply.

‘Hope and sacrifice,’ I finished.

I expected the man to take something out of his backpack and give it to me. Instead, he shoved the entire bag into my hands, then jogged away. I stood up, slung it over my shoulder and walked
back into the underground station.

‘Got it, sir,’ I said, keeping my head bowed so no-one passing by would see me talking. Maybe if Taylor didn’t want me to take the bag far, I would still have time to get back
to Charlie at Aaron Latimer’s party.

‘Good work,’ Taylor said. ‘Now take it down to the southbound platform.’

Southbound? My heart sank. If I was ordered to travel to south London it would take me ages to get back.

‘Which station d’you want me to go to, sir?’ I asked.

‘You’re not getting on a tube,’ Taylor said. ‘Lionheart will get off an incoming train, meet you on the platform, collect the bag, then get back on again. After that,
you’re free to go.’

‘Yes, sir.’ I grinned to myself. If that was all I had to do I could be back at the party with Charlie in less than half an hour.

‘Go,’ Taylor urged. ‘We’ll lose contact once you’re below ground, but you have to wait for Lionheart. Stay on the platform until he gets there.’

‘So how long will—?’

‘Just follow the freaking order, Nat. Do you have the floor plan on your phone?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Muttering under my breath, I headed into the lift. The bag weighed heavily on my back. I wondered what kind of important information on the League of Iron was inside it.
There was no point asking. All I’d get out of Taylor would be an irritated: ‘Classified.’ My thoughts drifted to Charlie again as I walked to the southbound platform then stood
waiting. There was no sign of Lionheart on the first tube. Or the next. Or the one after that.

I waited as people got on and off each train.

And I waited.

Ten minutes passed and still Lionheart didn’t appear.

I started to worry. I wanted, more than anything, to head up to ground level and ask Taylor what was going on, but I didn’t dare. Taylor had told me to wait down on the platform and if I
left I was likely to miss Lionheart’s arrival. Another train stopped. Still no sign of him. The platform cleared. What had happened? I decided to give Lionheart another five minutes, then I
was going up to ground level and I didn’t care what Taylor said.

‘Nat!’

I turned to see George flying along the platform towards me, his face consumed with panic. He rushed up, panting for breath.

‘What is it?’ I asked.

‘The mission’s been compromised,’ George gasped. ‘The League of Iron has found out about the information you’ve got. They know about Lionheart too. They’re on
their way down here right now. Taylor says we have to get out of the station.’

My heart thudded violently. Steadying the backpack on my shoulder, I took a step towards the exit.

‘Not that way,’ George said, grabbing my arm. ‘Taylor said we had to go through the door at the end of the platform. He says you’ve got a map? A floor plan?’

I stared at him. ‘What’s that got to—?’

‘Taylor knew it was a high risk mission so he made sure you had a fallback, just in case,’ George explained. He tugged at my arm and pointed along the platform. It was filling up
fast. The next train was signalled to arrive in two minutes.

‘Why don’t we just wait? Or get on a tube?’

‘No time,’ George insisted. ‘Don’t you get it? Saxon66 and his men
know
about us. They’re
here
, trying to find us.
Now
.’

He raced off. Steadying the backpack again, I charged after him, along the platform to the door at the end.

Taylor’s text told me to go to the Ladies toilet – which was just along the corridor – and retrieve a package from the end stall. Mystified I hurried along to
the bathroom. I checked my face in the mirror as I passed. My cheeks were flushed, my eyes shining.

It was because of Nat.

I could still feel his fingers on my face and the soft touch of his lips. I had never felt like this in my life. I wanted to yell out, to tell the girl emerging from the middle cubicle that the
most amazing thing had just happened. I almost couldn’t contain it – but of course I did, simply scurrying over to the end stall and shutting the door. I felt for the package, which
was, as Taylor had said it would be, taped to the underside of the cistern, hidden from view. I pulled it free from the tape which held it in place and brought a large padded envelope out into the
light.

The envelope contained something hard. I ripped off the end and pulled out a slim black box with an earpiece taped to the top. The box was locked with a number combination, so I tucked it under
my arm. I peered outside as I put the tiny earpiece in my ear. The bathroom was empty, the doors of all five other stalls swinging open, no-one at the sinks.

‘Taylor?’ I whispered. ‘Are you there, sir?’

‘I’m here,’ Taylor said. He sounded tense. ‘Do you have the package?’

‘The box?’ I said. ‘Yes, sir. What’s this ab—?’

‘The assassination is tonight,’ Taylor interrupted.

‘What?’

‘The League of Iron is sending someone to kill the Mayor, his wife
and
their son. Tonight.’

‘
What?
’ My head spun. ‘Kill Aaron? Are you—?’

‘Sure? Yes,’ Taylor snapped. ‘We don’t know who they’re sending – probably three separate hitters – and we don’t know exactly when or how. But it
will happen in the next hour.’

I sat down hard on the toilet seat behind me. How could this be happening? We were at a
party
for goodness sake. Nat had
kissed
me. Aaron was in the next room
dancing
.

‘Charlie?’ Taylor’s voice was like steel.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘You need to focus.’

‘Yes, sir. What do you want me to do?’

‘Get hold of Aaron. Tell him he has to leave.’

‘But what about the police?’ I said, my stomach shrinking inside me. ‘What about Aaron’s parents. Where are they?’

‘The police are compromised, they won’t move against the League of Iron. Or rather, they’ll wait until it’s too late. I have an agent on her way to get the Mayor and his
wife. But there’s no time to wait for her to get to you too.’

‘There’s a bouncer on the door. I could get him to help. He—’

‘For all we know he could be one of the hit men. It’s down to
you
, Charlie. Our agents are getting the proof we need to expose the League of Iron right now. But we have to
stop them taking Aaron. Which means you taking Aaron out the fire door at the back, down the fire escape. Someone will meet you there.
Hurry
, there’s no time. It could already be too
late.’

I stood up, my legs shaking. ‘How am I going to get Aaron to leave his own birthday party?’ I asked.

‘You’ll have to force him. Use what’s in the box, your birthday date and month is the combination: 259,’ Taylor said. ‘Now,
go
. I’ll be listening in.
Run
.’

I raced out of the cubicle, barged past a posse of giggling girls and ran back in to the party. The music hit me as soon as I entered the room – and the air, hot and crackling with
excitement and energy.

The black box was still in my hand. Clutching it tightly, I circled the dance floor. There was no sign of Aaron. I pushed my way into the crowd of heaving bodies, earning myself angry glances as
I shoved dancers aside. I passed Rosa, gyrating alongside a group of other girls I didn’t know. For a second I felt a stab of protective anxiety. For Gail and Brian’s sake, I needed to
make sure Rosa didn’t get caught up in the assassination attempt. Rosa saw me and waved. Ignoring her, I turned and pushed my way out of the throng. I circled the room once more. Still no
Aaron.

‘I can’t see him,’ I yelled over the music.

‘Try the back.’ Taylor’s voice was urgent in my ear.

I darted past the dancers and raced through the door marked ‘Staff only’. The fire door Taylor had mentioned was just a few metres away, but no Aaron. I ran along the corridor and
around the corner. I stopped in my tracks.

There was Aaron. He was kissing someone . . . a girl with long dark hair. They were so close together I couldn’t see her face. Then Aaron stood back and I realised who it was.

Jas.

My mouth fell open. Jas opened her eyes and saw me. She shrieked. Aaron turned and his already red cheeks blushed scarlet.

‘Charlie,’ he said, running his hand over his tousled hair. ‘Er . . .’

‘You have to leave,’ I said, trying to focus on my mission, rather than the fact that Jas and Aaron had just been eating each other’s faces.

‘What?’ Aaron frowned.

‘Leave.
Now
,’ I said. ‘There are people coming to kill you.’

‘
What?
’ Aaron repeated. A smile faltered on his lips. ‘You’re winding me up.’

‘Charlie, what’s—?’ Jas started.

‘I’m serious. You have to go.’ I took a step towards them. Aaron put his hand around Jas’s shoulders, pulling her close. It was a protective gesture, as if
I
were the enemy. Didn’t he get it? I was trying to save his life. ‘Come
on
!’

‘Calm down, Charlie.’ Aaron smiled properly now, his dimple appearing in his left cheek. ‘I get it. Good joke. But enough, already, okay?’

‘I’m not joking. I—’

‘It only just happened, Charlie,’ Jas butted in. ‘I’m sorry, I guessed how you felt about him, but . . .’ She tailed off, looking close to tears.

What was she talking about? Aaron patted her shoulder. Oh my goodness. They thought I was telling Aaron to leave because I’d caught him with Jas, because I was jealous.

‘This isn’t about
me
,’ I pleaded. I turned to Aaron. ‘It’s the League of Iron. They want to take you out. And your parents. You have to come with me
now.’

‘Don’t be daft,’ Aaron said. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

Jas shook her head. ‘How could you possibly know what the League of Iron is doing?’ she asked.

‘Do not mention the EFA,’ Taylor warned in a terse whisper.

‘I can’t tell you.’ Panic rose inside me. I was painfully aware of the seconds ticking away. Any moment, an assassin could burst in.

‘Box.’ Taylor’s low growl reminded me of the small black package in my hand. ‘Use what’s in the box.’

‘We’re going back to the party,’ Aaron said firmly.