Hunted Read Free Page A

elegant, very beautiful. After I’d got the bangles on I messed around trying on a few different pairs of earrings. Eventually, I made my way downstairs.
    The others were in the kitchen. Our two couples – Nico and Ketty and Jez and Alex – were sitting opposite each other at the table, like an episode of Wife Swap , while Ed and Geri were talking in low, intent voices by the sink.
    They all looked up as I walked in.
    I raised my eyebrows. ‘What?’
    ‘Ah, you’re here, dear,’ Geri said. ‘We were waiting for you.’
    Ed explained the mission – and my role in it.
    I stared at him. ‘It’s just like the missions we’ve done in the past.’
    ‘So?’ Nico stood up. ‘What did you think, that we were going on an expedition into outer space?’
    ‘No,’ I said, trying to sound as withering as possible. ‘I just don’t get why you all think this is such a valuable use of our time.’
    ‘Of course you don’t.’ Ketty said.
    Jeez , talk about prickly.
    We set off after lunch. It was a long drive to the town on the English-Scottish border where the mission was to start. The first stage of Ed’s plan was simple. Nico and I were to get us into the public records office just before the end of the day. After we’d broken in, Ed was to mind-read the person on duty to get that day’s password. Once we had the password, we’d be able to get into the database of records and check out the report on the so-called ‘accidental death’ at the children’s care home to see if there was anything suspicious about it. While we did that, Ketty was going to try and focus on predicting the next ten minutes for us, making sure the coast would stay clear.
    Kind of a rerun of the training disaster in the woods, but with one significant difference.
    ‘How are you going to cover our tracks?’ I asked Ed. ‘I mean, if you have to mind-read someone for a password, they’re sooo going to know about it.’
    Ed blushed. ‘I’m using a new technique,’ he said quietly. ‘Kind of like a hypnosis thing that Alex helped me with. Stops people remembering they saw me, er, us . . .’
    ‘So you’ve been developing your telepathy?’ I raised my eyebrows. ‘Way to go, Hypno Boy.’
    I glanced at Nico. There was a time he’d have laughed at that. We used to be friends, but the more time we spent around each other, the less he seemed to like me.
    Whatever.
    ‘I still don’t see why someone can’t hack into the database remotely,’ I said.
    ‘Ed told you already,’ Nico said irritably. ‘They might be able to trace a hacker.’
    ‘And they change the password every day,’ Ketty added.
    ‘Okay, okay,’ I said.
    At last we arrived at the records office. Jez and Alex were with us, giving tactical advice on how to behave once we were inside.
    ‘If you get apprehended, say nothing, but let Nico disarm them, then put Ed in front of them straight away to block any memory they might have had of the incident. It’s vital that you lay a false trail to cover your tracks,’ Jez said, his face very serious.
    ‘And don’t forget your ABC,’ Alex added. ‘Attentiveness. Back-up. Caution. Keep your eyes peeled at all times. Remember to switch off your phones and . . .’
    ‘. . . And never take unnecessary risks . . .’ Ketty and Ed chorused.
    ‘You remember how to get out of an armlock, don’t you?’ Jez added anxiously.
    ‘We’ll be fine,’ Nico said impatiently.
    ‘Yeah, enough babysitting,’ I said. ‘Let’s go.’
    The public records office was a large, square, red-brick building. Jez and Alex dropped us at the fire door round the back and we waited while Ketty tried to see into the next few minutes to find out if we would be safe going inside.
    She stood there, her eyes all glassy, staring into mid-air. I waited impatiently.
    After a few seconds, she stopped. ‘I’m not seeing any problems,’ she said. ‘Looks like we’re going to get in and out in about twenty minutes. The guy you’re going to mind-read,