I met his gaze, my own thoughts firming as I spoke them.
‘We get the girls, break into the bank and take the safety deposit box right now,’ I said.
Ed’s eyes widened. ‘But it’s not even night-time.’
‘We can’t afford to wait,’ I said. ‘We have to find some way of fooling Avery and getting to that bank before he knows what we’re doing. Otherwise, we could be walking into a trap.’
‘But how?’
‘We use Cal,’ I said. ‘We say we want to try flying as a group . . . test it out . . . and we get him to fly us as close to Sydney as he can. Then we dump him and head for the bank.’
‘Why not tell him what we’re planning?’ asked Ed.
‘Because if Avery’s working against us, then you can bet Cal is, too. Have you seen the way he looks at me?’
Ed nodded. ‘He is a bit hostile to you, but then you’re a bit hostile to h—’
‘You need to contact Ketty and Dylan telepathically,’ I interrupted. ‘Get them out of that pool and ready to leave while I work out how we’re going to break into this bank in broad daylight.’
‘I’m sure we can tell Cal what we’re planning,’ Ketty said. ‘We don’t have to say we suspect Avery, just that we want to get on with finding the evidence against Geri.’
‘No,’ I said.
‘But I don’t like lying, especially to Cal.’
Great.
‘We can’t risk it,’ I snapped. ‘Can’t you see that?’
Ketty shook her head.
We were waiting for Cal at the gates of the ranch. Dylan and Ketty had accepted that Avery was working behind our backs though, I suspected, more because Ed was saying so than because I was. They’d also both agreed we needed to set off to retrieve the evidence on Geri straight away.
However, neither of them wanted to leave Cal out of the expedition. Dylan’s argument was that he’d be useful at the bank. Ketty, on the other hand, seemed more concerned that he’d be upset if we deceived him. Why did she care so much about his feelings?
I looked out at the dusty landscape beyond the ranch. The sun was bright in the sky and the distant outline of the city shimmered in the distance. The blue hills rose up beyond. I still couldn’t take in how big everything was.
‘We’ll be fine without Cal,’ I said. ‘I mean, we haven’t got Amy who’d probably be more useful in terms of getting into the bank and nobody’s complaining about that.’
Ketty set her mouth in that grim line I knew so well and turned her face away.
Man, now what had I said?
A minute later Cal joined us.
‘So you just want to try flying together?’ he said with a frown.
‘Yes,’ I lied.
‘Cool,’ Cal said. ‘Though I’ve never taken four people up at once.’
‘If it’s too many, I’m happy to find another way,’ Ed said quickly.
I glared at him.
‘Nah, should be fine,’ Cal said. ‘Especially if we’re just gonna have a look round the area.’ He hesitated. ‘You know we’ll have to stay real low in the trees when we get nearer the city. Dad’ll kill me if anyone sees us.’
‘Well, we wouldn’t want you getting in trouble with Daddy,’ I said. ‘Can we get going?’
Cal threw me a contemptuous glance. ‘If we rush, we’ll make mistakes.’
It was the kind of thing Ed would say and sounded as pompous as he often did.
‘Fine,’ I said sarcastically. ‘Please take your time.’
The atmosphere tensed. Cal looked at Ketty.
‘What should we do first?’ she said.
‘Join hands.’ Cal organised us so that the two girls were standing on either side of him with me next to Ketty and Ed on Dylan’s other side.
‘Now I’m not gonna do any acrobatics in the air, so just hold on tight and keep your body as still as you can.’
‘Oh,’ Ed said, the colour draining from his face. ‘Do I really have to do this?’
‘Oh yeah, Chino Boy,’ Dylan said with a grin. ‘You’ll be awesome.’
‘Everyone needs to follow my lead and do what I say, okay?’ Cal said.
He was quite clearly directing those words at me.
‘Whatever,’ I replied grudgingly.
‘Everybody holding on?’ asked Cal.
We all nodded our assent. I gripped Ketty’s hand tightly. I suddenly realised that I was about to fly. Adrenalin surged through me. But before I had time to think about how exciting it was, my feet had left the ground.
14: Flight
My stomach seemed to fall away as we soared up . . . up . . . into the air. For a few seconds, I was filled with terror, gripping Ketty’s hand as hard as I could. My mouth was open, but I was too traumatised to scream. And then I felt it . . . the flow of energy through Ketty’s arm . . . coming from Cal. It was holding us in the air, like we were on a surfboard riding the crest of a wave, or in a roller-coaster just before the deepest plunge.
I kept my feet together. Wind whistled past. I looked down. Already, the ranch looked like a toy building.
This was, without doubt, the most exhilarating thing I’d ever done – the total definition of freedom. The ground raced by beneath me, the wind whooshing in my ears. We rose and fell a fraction.
‘Isn’t it amazing!’ Ketty yelled over the noise of the rushing wind.
I stared at her. No wonder she loved this. I gazed past her at Cal. He was clearly working hard to steer us. All his movements were precise and controlled, yet he moved with effortless grace . . . his face utterly focused.
A stab of envy pierced me. I’d always thought I had the best Medusa gift – telekinesis – but, at that moment, I would have given anything to be able to do what Cal could do . . . to be the one making Ketty’s eyes shine.
But it was him.
On his other side, Dylan looked like she was whooping with pleasure, though I couldn’t hear anything over the noise of the wind rushing past my ears. Beside her, Ed’s mouth was open in a scream – though whether one of terror or delight I couldn’t tell.
Cal dropped lower and I had that delicious, theme-park-ride experience of leaving my stomach several metres above me as I fell. I grinned. It was impossible not to, as we rose and dipped again. Cal steered us to the left, away from a long stretch of road and into a huge wood. He flew us through the trees until they became too densely packed for us to pass safely, then he landed.
We came in slowly, but even so I stumbled as I touched the ground again. Ketty, landing gracefully beside me, tugged at my hand to stop me from falling over completely.
I turned to her. ‘Wow,’ I said.
Ketty flung her arms round me. ‘I knew you’d love it,’ she said breathlessly, drawing back to look me in the eyes. Her face was lit up, her natural prettiness heightened by the pink flush in her cheeks. ‘Isn’t it the coolest thing?’
For a second, all I could see was her excited expression, then I got a sense of the others around us in the cool shade of the trees. Ed was sitting on a tree stump, his face a nasty shade of green. Dylan was bent over, talking to him. But Cal was watching me and Ketty. He’d heard her question and was waiting for my answer.
I raised my voice slightly to make sure he heard.
‘Flying was okay,’ I said, ‘but I’ve been on cooler rides at millions of theme parks.’
Ketty flinched as if I’d hit her. She jumped back, away from me, a hurt look in her eyes.
I looked again at Cal. He was breathing heavily, his face glistening with sweat. He shrugged.
‘That was hard work,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry you didn’t like it.’
Ketty rushed over to him. ‘It was brilliant,’ she said.
She hugged him. Jealousy wriggled through me like a snake. Cal put his arms round her, then looked up at me. He raised his eyebrows, triumphant.
I stared from him to Ketty, knowing that I’d been rude, but with no idea what to do to make things right . . . to make Ketty see I wasn’t
mean and difficult, like she’d said.
‘Which way’s Sydney?’ Dylan asked, turning round from Ed.
Cal pointed through the trees. ‘Though it’s only the very outskirts,’ he said.
Ketty disentangled herself from his hug. She didn’t look at me.
‘Are you okay, Ed?’ she said, her voice filled with concern.
Ed nodded, his face still unnaturally pale and tinged with green.
‘I don’t think I’m going to be sick now,’ he said.
Dylan rolled her eyes. ‘Awesome,’ she said. ‘Did you hear him screaming? Right in my ear!’
We set off through the wood. Soon the spaces between the trees became so narrow we could only walk single file. Cal led the way, followed by Ketty. I was last.
After another twenty minutes we reached the street. A hundred metres or so along the road were a few shops and a bus stop where we were planning on getting a bus to the city centre. Cal told us the name of the place, but I barely heard him. Ketty still hadn’t looked at me . . . hadn’t come near me, in fact, since our flight had ended.
The sun was low in the sky now and a cool breeze whipped through the trees behind us, making me shiver.
‘What d’you wanna do now?’ Cal said.
‘Let’s head for that diner,’ I said, pointing to a café along the road just beside the bus stop.
This stage of the plan was critical. We had to wait and keep our eyes open for a bus so that when one came, we could make a speedy exit – hopping on the bus before Cal realised what was happening.
As we strolled down the street, Ketty hung back, waiting till I caught up with her. She wasn’t smiling.
‘Change of plan,’ she said. ‘We’re not leaving Cal behind. Dylan and Ed agree.’
‘No way.’ Anger rose up in me. ‘That’s stupid, Ketty. We don’t know if we can trust him. He’s Avery Jones’s son.’
‘Well, Harry is Jack Linden’s son and we trusted him.’
‘Only after Ed mind-read him.’
‘Ed’s mind-read Cal again, too.’
I stared at her. ‘When did that happen?’
‘Earlier. Dylan said we shouldn’t tell you yet, but I’m fed up of all of us having to work around your ego.’ She threw me a withering look. ‘Cal can be useful. He wants to help. Ed says we can trust him. He’s in.’
Ketty marched off. Furious, I sped up, trying to reach her, but as I passed Ed, he telepathically pushed his way into my head.
Er, Nico . . . ?
What?
I’m certain Cal doesn’t know if Avery is doing stuff behind our backs.
Get out of my head.
Ed vanished and I stomped along, head down.
We reached the diner. Everyone else went inside, but I stayed out on the pavement. My shadow cast a long oval across the road. For a moment, I considered going to the bank on my own. But even as the idea occurred to me, I knew that it was impossible. I’d seen the floor plans and the security protocols. No way could I get into the room with the safety deposit box on my own. I needed the others.
I kicked at the wall of the diner then went inside.
Ketty, Cal, Ed and Dylan were sipping milkshakes in one of the booths. They looked up as I walked over. I folded my arms and took a deep breath.
‘Okay, Cal can come,’ I said.
Ed smiled. Dylan rolled her eyes. Cal offered me a smug grin.
I glanced at Ketty. She was staring down at her lap. Irritation raced through me.
‘But you stick close to me, Cal, okay?’ I said.
Cal nodded. ‘Sure, boss,’ he said sarcastically.
I checked the road through the window. A bus marked City Centre was trundling along the street towards our stop.
‘Finish your drinks,’ I said. ‘We’re off.’
15: Bank Job
I sat on my own at the back of the bus. Dylan was in front of me, next to Cal. Ketty had positioned herself in the seat in front of them, next to Ed.
As the bus turned a corner onto a busier street, Cal turned round.
‘I don’t get it,’ he said. ‘I mean, I know that you’re planning on getting into the bank and I know why you want this safety deposit box, but why are we going now without a full briefing or back-up from Avery?’
Dylan raised her eyebrows. Ed and Ketty stopped talking and looked around too. I cleared my throat.
‘Ed and I have sorted everything we need to know – so no need for a briefing. And I’m sorry if you’d feel happier with back-up from Daddy, but we’re used to operating on our own.’
Cal’s face turned scarlet. Ketty’s angry glare burned my cheeks. Ed shook his head. I sat back in my seat and gazed out of the window. Who cared what they all thought.
After twenty minutes of awkward silence we reached the bank.
‘Any visions, Ketts?’ I asked, trying to keep my voice light.
She shook her head, making eye contact with me for the first time since before the diner. ‘I’m too stressed to see anything,’ she snapped. ‘Which is totally your fault.’
Don’t blame me, they’re your powers. I bit back the words.
‘We’ll be fine without the precog,’ Dylan said impatiently. ‘Let’s just get going.’
I nodded. ‘Wait here. I’m going inside to see how it looks.’
I put my sunglasses on and kept my head bowed as I opened the door into the bank.
It was large and intimidatingly smart, with an atmosphere of hushed formality. The foyer felt cold after the heat of the street. A blast of air con sent a shiver across the back of my neck.
The woman at the help desk just to the left of the entrance looked up at me suspiciously. I kept my head down. No way was I making the same mistake here that I had at the art gallery.
Beyond her the bank was quiet. Just a small knot of people around the paying-in machines and a couple standing with a teller. There was only one security guard, but unfortunately, he was standing close to the staff door that was our route through to the bank vault containing the safety deposit boxes. I left the bank.
‘There’s hardly anyone in there,’ I said, trotting down the steps to where the others waited outside on the pavement.
‘That’s good, isn’t it?’ Cal said.
‘Not really,’ I snapped. ‘It means fewer distractions for the bank workers so they’re more likely to spot us.’
‘No one’s gonna spot us,’ Dylan drawled. ‘Not if you take care of the security cameras.’
‘Ed has to take care of the security guard by the staff door first,’ I said, giving him a nudge. ‘Go on,’ I urged. ‘Inside.’
Ed gave a business-like nod, then vanished inside. We stood on the pavement, waiting. Our plan followed the same procedure that we’d used many times before. Ed would use his newly-honed hypnosis skills to ensure no one stopped us as we passed through the locked door that led along the corridor to the bank vault. The rest was up to me and, if we were attacked, to Dylan as well.
I glanced at Ketty. We all knew that, of the four of us standing outside, Ed was most likely to contact her telepathically when he was ready.
‘Not yet,’ she said.
Suddenly Cal jerked his head up. ‘Whoa!’ His eyes widened. ‘Ed’s inside my mind.’
I frowned. Why was Ed communicating with Cal?
‘That’s nice,’ Dylan said with a sarky smile. ‘Ed’s trying to make you feel like you’re part of the group.’
‘What’s he saying?’ asked Ketty.
‘He’s saying he’s mind-read the security guy and planted the idea that its okay for us to walk through the staff door.’
I tugged my hood over my head. ‘Let’s go.’
As I entered the bank a second time, it occurred to me just how amazing Ed’s mind-reading talent was . . . and how far he had developed it in such a short time. From basic telepathy to an ability to manipulate other people’s thoughts was a massive achievement, not that Ed ever made a big deal of it.
He was waiting by the door.
He glanced around the bank, waving his hand to indicate the security guard by the staff door across the lobby.
‘He’s expecting us to walk through that door in the next few minutes, then he’ll forget we were ever here,’ he said. ‘I haven’t hurt him or even looked beyond the surface layer of his thoughts.’
‘Thanks, Ed,’ I said. ‘That’s brilliant.’
Ed’s face reddened with pride.
‘Come on.’ Dylan pointed at a couple of customers now walking out of the bank. ‘Let’s go while it’s quiet.’
We crossed the lobby. As we neared the security guard, I looked around for the security camera I knew would be trained on the staff door behind him.
There. It was positioned on the opposite wall, just below the ceiling. I twisted my wrist, intending to turn the camera so that the lens pointed away from the door.
The camera didn’t budge. I stopped . . . tried again . . . nothing.
My heart raced. I could feel the others watching me. I raised my hand higher this time, focusing harder on the arm of the camera that protruded from the wall. Why wouldn’t it move?
‘What’s wrong?’ Dylan hissed in my ear.
‘The camera’s stuck,’ I said.
‘We have to move it,’ said Ed, his voice rising with anxiety. ‘We can’t risk anyone seeing us going inside.’
I tried again. The camera refused to move.
‘What are we going to do?’ Ketty asked.
The blood throbbed in my temples. If the camera wouldn’t move, I had to think of another way to prevent it from filming us.
‘I’m going to cover the lens,’ I said.
I glanced around the room. My eyes fell on a pile of papers on the front desk. If I could get the street door to fly open at the right moment, I could make it look as if a gust of wind blew into the bank and sent the papers flying into the air. As soon as I thought this, I acted.
In one flowing movement, I opened the door telekinetically and teleported the papers into the air. People turned around, their mouths agape at the disturbance.
I kept my focus on a single sheet of paper, lifting it higher and higher until it was positioned over the camera lens.
‘Come on!’ I breathed.