Read The Weathermakers (Rebelutionaries Series: Book 1) Page 8

Chapter 7

  Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it.

  But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth,

  and you will know the key to photography.

  -George Eastman (1854-1932)

  I’d trekked around after them for the best part of three hours. My sexy but sensible heels were holding out but my patience wasn’t. Why three blokes would want to take so many uninspiring photos was beyond me. Meaningless photos of rock fissures... little holes drilled in the rock face near the cracks... Some black marks on the rocks that looked like bathroom grime. They’d also been interested in a piece of chewing gum wrapper. Some Korean brand. I’d already drunk two bottles of water to pass the time. As for Pete, he’d completely avoided my camera. So much for getting some sizzling shots to send back to his mother. Bored out of my brain, I picked up my Nikon and casually looked through the telescopic lens.

  “Hey... I can see something other than spinifex... There’s group of men out there in camo gear.”

  “Where?” snapped Brendan, his tone brittle as metal.

  I turned and glanced at him in surprise. His normally cheeky face was reflecting back cautious tension.

  “That way... About 11 o’clock. Here. Look through my camera.”

  Dale was instantly by his side with a hand-held GPS.

  “28.326747°S... 122.005294°E...”

  “Good. Record the coordinates for Zac... I make their base camp about 2 kilometres from our present position... at bearing 330°. Better take some photos as well...”

  Ω

  “Well, what do you think?” asked Zac. “Up to being workshop leader for this project? We’ll help you of course.”

  Jake looked off into the distance.

  “Building it is cinch... Programming it will be challenging but we can do it together... Using it...” Jake hesitated for a long moment. “The thought makes my guts churn. And my brain won’t even go there...”

  “Ditto... To tell you the truth, I’m hoping we won’t have to use it... But if it comes down to using it to save the lives of several million innocent people, well I’m going to find the courage inside to use it.”

  Several million people?

  Jake’s expression reflected his full cooperation. Zac moistened his lips.

  “Come on then. Let’s make a start...”

  Ω

  A moving shadow to my left caught my attention.

  “Hey guys. Don’t look up but we’ve got company,” I said in a low tone. “He’s big, brawny and wearing camo gear like those other blokes.”

  “Where?”

  “Squatting up on the rock-face near where you found that chewing gum wrapper before.”

  “Shi... ugar!”

  “Naughty naughty... I’ll tell Zac.”

  “Pete? Any ideas?” breathed Brendan.

  “Run?” suggested Pete.

  “Zac hasn’t trained you to run. Besides running might arouse Mr Camo’s suspicion.”

  “Suggest something better then!” hissed Dale.

  “Follow my lead,” I said softly. “Dale... Go back to the 4WD and hide those coordinates somewhere safe. Then come back with my bag full of cameras... Pete... Strip your shirt off...”

  “What?”

  “Don’t argue. Brendan - in my Fendi over there, there’s a bottle of baby oil... stroll over casually and bring it back to me... like it’s something you do all the time...”

  “Okay.”

  I moved closer to Pete... Nikon in hand.

  “Fabulous!” I purred, louder than necessary. “Now we want some sexy but strong poses... Here... let’s put some oil on your chest to get you in the mood...”

  My tone was seductive. I applied the oil in long, sensuous strokes and orientated myself so Mr Camo could fully see my actions.

  “He’s watching us,” I breathed into Pete’s ear. “Wipe the embarrassment off your face...”

  Pete exhaled noisily.

  “Better...”

  I moved back several steps.

  “...Now lean back on your arms,” I instructed loudly. “Head back... lick those lips... good! Where’s my Powershot? Thanks Big D... I want some panoramic shots of this area...”

  “Panoramic?” echoed Dale.

  Come on Dale... brain on.

  “Yes... those shots Big B told you to get a moment ago.”

  Dale worked it out this time.

  “Yes Ma’am!”

  “Big B... over here with my Canon MkII. And Big D will need the Sigma telephoto lens,” I said, pointing a thumb in the general direction of Dale.

  “You got it darlin’!” drawled Brendan.

  Definitely the better candidate for acting school.

  “Big P... we want the little-bit-naughty look... here... unclip your jeans button... that’s better... you’re still too tense though... Big B... take over the camera for a minute while I free this guy up a bit.”

  I moved back closer to Pete and draped both arms over his shoulders and casually rubbed his stomach. Pete involuntarily wriggled and laughed.

  A sexy laugh that made me ache to draw more than a laugh out of him...

  Stop it Maya! Fishing prohibited in these waters under Alaskan law!

  “Okay... now we’re getting somewhere... Think about an old girlfriend... petting you somewhere naughty... Yes! That’s the look I’m after... raw desire... aching to be touched... Yeah... Big B... walk around us in a full circle... like you’re a prowling cat... Some close up face shots of us now... yeah good... back about a metre... Okay I’m moving out of the picture now, but I want photos all angles... Some of him with that spinifex in the background. The light’s good. Some towards the rocks. Okay Big P... Now strike a provocative pose... Like you’re waiting for that girl of yours to come and get you... That’s it!... Great... Big D... more photos over there...”

  I pointed towards the guy in camo gear who had been stealthy getting closer to us...

  “Oh there you are!” I chirped, making direct eye contact with him.

  Mr Camo froze in crouch position.

  “What are you doing over there? You’re supposed to be over here!” I said flashing him a fraudulent smile.

  He looked confused. I walked boldly up to him and grabbed him by the hand. To everyone’s surprise including mine, he allowed himself to be tugged over to where Pete was sitting. I pushed him down into sitting position and flashed another toothpaste-ad smile at him.

  “Nice outfit... But far too many clothes for this shoot... Bit shy eh? Here... take off the cap for starters... Actually Big P... let’s mix and match you two... You wear his cap if it fits... it looks genuine army issue except for the label... It’s in some foreign lingo... The shirt looks authentic too but the overall effect is too military... let’s unbutton your shirt so it’s much naughtier... Hmmm you’ve got a bit of a sweat up, but you need oil too...”

  Seductive fingertips tantalized his chest... The incredulity on his face was priceless.

  “Some nice close up shots of Big P in that nice uniform Big B... Circle them both... This time I want the come and get us look... Chin up... Show off that attractive angular face of yours... Better... Big inviting smile... chest out...”

  Mr Camo looked confused. I started removing his unbuttoned shirt.

  “The agency didn’t send through your name but we’ve been expecting you... What’s your name anyway?”

  “Tai Ang Chong.”

  Dale and Brendan exchanged subtle glances.

  “Write that down Big D... It’s too big a mouthful for me though... Let’s make you Big T for today mate... What are you doing standing around Big B? You’re being paid to take photos... Time to make our way over to the rock ledge where we’re doing the nude shots... Okay... Big T... You’ve had enough time to get to know me... Off with the pants now.”

  “What?”

  I turned my smile back on like a porch light.

  “Coy eh? No problem... that’s why we’ve selected this loc
ation to do the nude shots... There’s no one else for miles... By the way if you need my help to get the stiff look I’ll be happy to oblige...”

  I made the offer in my sexiest contralto purr. I stepped towards him, baby oil in hand. His jaw dropped open in terror.

  “No way lady! There’s been a mistake.”

  His English was excellent. Until he devolved into cursing anyway. After that, he grabbed his shirt and fled like a hunted rabbit off in the direction of his base camp.

  “Oh dear... it is so hard to get good nude models these days,” I said, with a smile in my voice. “Maybe I’ll meet someone else to have fun with while you’re taking your boring nature photos at the next place.”

  “We aren’t making any more stops. We’re heading back,” exhaled Dale shakily.

  Thank goodness for that!

  I’d had enough of testing my shoes...

  Memo to self: Open toed shoes + red dust + spinifex = sore feet.

  I watched the three amigos grab everything in one swift load. I was impressed. Repacking gear after a photo shoot generally took me ages. Dale slid into the driver’s seat and we took off. No one said anything for a full minute, then everyone erupted into relieved laughter.

  “Did you get the photos you needed?” I asked.

  “We sure did...” replied Brendan. “We now know nationality... camp location... approximate numbers... and we know they’ve got a chopper and a jeep at their disposal. Thanks to your plan Maya... It was brilliant!”

  “And a scream. The look on his face when you told him to strip!” grinned Pete.

  “Wait ‘til we tell Zac!” laughed Dale.

  “Are you sure you should tell Zac?”

  “Definitely. We want to talk him into letting you join the Australian team.”

  Join their team?

  “Yeah. All Zac’s other overseas teams are men only.”

  There were other teams like them? Overseas?

  “But if we tell him what a great job you did, Gordon and Zac might consider a mixed team. For this assignment anyway...”

  Ω

  Zac listened to the three amigo’s breathless rendition of their day. I elected to say nothing.

  “Sounds like you’ve had an interesting day too, Maya,” said Jake, picking up on my silence.

  “Yeah... well you know... it was just acting... I wouldn’t have really oiled him there.”

  “Well you had me aroused at the thought!” grinned Pete.

  I glanced fleetingly at Zac. Certain he would be angry. To my immense relief he seemed to be restraining his amusement.

  “What’s the gadget you’re building anyway?”

  I wasn’t really interested in the gadget or the multitude of pieces in front of them. I just wanted to alter the direction of the conversation, and I figured I could depend on Jake to turn it into tech-talk.

  “It’s a crude frequency generator at the moment.”

  “Right... What’s it do?”

  Jake glanced clandestinely at Zac.

  “When it’s finished it will have the capacity to put their gadgets out of action if we need to.”

  “You mean wreck their experiments?”

  “Ah ha. You know... like the International Rescue team... Independent and quietly working in the background... Intervening if necessary.”

  The three amigos simultaneously glanced at Zac. Zac failed to hide his astonishment.

  “Oh, I get it. You’re like Brains, right?” I ventured.

  A shy grin from Jake.

  “That’s right Lady Penelope!”

  Eye contact between us.

  “Thunderbirds are go!” we blurted out in unison.

  Jake laughed in delight. I giggled girlishly and moved closer to him. To my surprise, he made no attempt to back away.

  “Guess what Zac taught me to do while you were out?”

  “What?”

  “I learnt to shoot a gun... It took about ten attempts but finally I got the drum. Want to see the hole I made in it?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I glanced briefly at Zac. His body language was patting me on the back for interacting positively with Jake. A subtle but definite change had occurred in our relationship. Four pair of eyes watched us walk outside. Zac ran his fingertips across his lips, as if deep in thought.

  “What have you two been talking about today while you’ve been assembling the weapon?” murmured Pete.

  “Tesla mostly... A bit of bloke’s chat... Why?”

  “It’s like he’s like a different kid! This morning he was too scared to even say boo to her.”

  “I bet it’s something to do with your angel Jireh,” added Dale, shaking his head his disbelief.

  Zac chuckled softly.

  “I thought you weren’t gonna tell him about the assignment until after Gordon rang?” added Brendan.

  “I haven’t discussed the assignment with him at all yet.”

  “But the way he likened us to International Rescue...”

  “I know... It’s uncanny... I remember watching that show when I was a kid... living out the adventures... It must be years since I’ve thought about it though.”

  “Well it hasn’t been years since Jake’s thought about it. He still watches the shows,” shrugged Pete.

  “How do you know?”

  “He showed me his music and video folders after he changed my screensaver. He’s got all the Thunderbirds episodes on his laptop. Along with Beethoven, Mozart and these other decomposing composers.”

  “What a waste of disc space!” chortled Dale.

  “Nah... his whole collection of only uses a milli-fraction of his computer’s hard drive... That laptop of his! I still can’t get over it. Have you seen it Zac?”

  “Not yet.”

  “He built it himself!” said Pete with genuine admiration. “Yeah it’s a bit of an ugly beast. But he’s got 4.2 trillion bytes of processing power... Wireless external backup. He built the modem himself and half the components... And he’s set himself up with free internet access and unlimited data transfer and storage.”

  “How?”

  “He’s piggybacking on some satellite... not a regular communications one, but something that’s supposed to be decommissioned space junk but has still got some spark in it.”

  “A setup like that would have to be 10 years ahead of the rest of the world in terms of portable laptops. He could make a killing if he built them for other academics,” mused Dale.

  “Not everyone’s interested in money. Some people just want to make a difference,” said Zac reflectively.

  “So what do we do about Brains and Lady Penelope anyway?” ventured Brendan.

  Zac glanced through the open fly screen door at Jake and Maya.

  “Jake is here by invitation. He’s been cleared by Gordon. But Maya... At this stage I think I’m going to have to break my rule of same sex workshops for the first time in ten years of running them... To protect her.”

  “She’s gonna hang out with our team?”

  “Subject to clearance from Gordon... I’m sorry. I know you all enjoy the sense of camaraderie we share as fellas... It’s a one off... Guest starring this episode only... Lady Penelope.”

  Pete, Brendan and Dale exchanged looks.

  “If any of you secretly feel threatened about the mixed sex arrangement, let me know and I’ll do my best to help you through it.”

  “Nah... We’ll be right... Will you be alright but Zac?”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah... You know... What if Lady Penelope makes amorous advances towards you?”

  Zac chuckled in amusement.

  “That’s the least of my worries. I’m not Maya’s type. Maya’s type is... well I’m not sure what it is, but I’m sure I’m not it!”

  Another exchange of looks between the trio. Pete moistened his lips.

  “What about the other way around Zac?”

  “What d’ya mean?”

  “Well she hasn’t got silicone implan
ts or collagen enhanced beauty.”

  “And she’s full of character. And she’s already letting you mould her.”

  The corners of Zac’s eyes crinkled with delight.

  “Oh... I get your drift! You think I might fall for her and lose my virginity eh?”

  “Nah, not that...” replied Pete. “We know you could hold off hopping in the cot with her even if she petted you... You’re like that.”

  “But girls can screw blokes up inside. She might distract you on the mission Zac,” ventured Brendan.

  “Or make you lose your edge with Jireh,” added Dale.

  “Thanks for your concerns. Especially you Dale. I think I can guard my heart... But I’m hearing you. Let’s modify our usual pact just a little. Where’s Jake?”

  “I’m here.”

  “Where’s Maya?”

  “With Jen.”

  “Perfect.”

  Zac extended his fist out into the middle of the group. Three other hands slapped down over the top of his. Jake tentatively closed his hand over the top of the others.

  “We agree to remain like mouldable clay in the Potter’s hand... learn from each other... watch each other’s backs... And on this particular assignment, fully chaperon each other around Ms Maya Gregory...”