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and an explanation.’ Under the light on the boat I could see that he was a strongly-built man with close-cropped dark hair and a cheeky grin—which I could have done without right now.
    â€˜You switched off my air supply!’ I snapped.
    â€˜And waited right behind you, making sure you didn’t panic yourself into trouble.’ He passedme a hamburger wrapped in a paper towel. ‘Go on,’ he laughed, ‘it’s not poisoned! Wrap yourself around this and D’Merrick, our team leader, will explain what’s going on.’
    Cautiously, I allowed myself to relax a little, sitting down opposite them and taking a bite of my hamburger. I was ravenous and wolfed the rest of it as D’Merrick spoke.
    â€˜We’re from SI-6—Secret Intelligence, Special Branch. We work as a unit within NIS, the National Intelligence Services, and we’ve had our eye on you for a while. We liked the way you handled yourself when you were on the run for that whole year, and how you solved the mystery of the Ormond Singularity. And now you’ve passed the tests we put you through. You used your intelligence to work out how to get out of that sealed room.’ She pulled her thick plait around to the front as she continued, ‘And you figured out the instructions Fido gave you.’
    â€˜You set up that dog?’ I asked.
    â€˜That’s right,’ said Paddy, folding his thick arms across his broad chest. ‘We thought we’d use something different to get your attention, courtesy of our robotics section.’
    â€˜And you kept it together in an extreme situation—when Axel stopped your oxygen. All pretty impressive, Cal.’
    I’d finished the hamburger and I was speechless. This had all been a series of
tests?
    â€˜I’ve heard enough—you said you knew about Ryan. Tell me! Where is he?’
    â€˜That’s where you come in,’ said D’Merrick.
    â€˜Me? I’m asking about Ryan.’
    The three of them looked at each other. ‘Look, this might sound tough to you, but we’re not cleared to talk about that just yet.’
    â€˜Not cleared?’
    â€˜Once we get back to headquarters,’ said D’Merrick, ‘we can explain everything. In the meantime, just relax, get warm and we’ll get you there.’
    The powerful motor launch took off, heading north. My three new acquaintances kept busy around the boat until we docked at a private jetty somewhere south of the city, where a black car was waiting for us. I was still very reluctant to go anywhere with them. D’Merrick opened the car door for me and said, ‘Just trust us a little longer—I know it might be hard after what you’ve been through, but believe me it will be worth it—especially when you know if Ryan is safe.’
    That clinched the deal. I climbed into the back of the car and even dozed off as Paddy drove and Axel and D’Merrick made small talk.
    I woke up with a jolt when the car stopped.My guts tightened in apprehension and fear as I saw we were back outside the building where my ordeal had begun.
    â€˜It’s OK, Cal. This time you’re our guest,’ said Paddy. Hesitantly, I climbed out, staring at the mirrored doors of the main entrance. As we approached, the doors swung open and the four of us walked through. I heard the doors quickly and quietly lock behind us.
Clayton Morris Industrial Estate,
Palmers East
4:37 am
    We were in a foyer with lifts straight ahead and corridors running to the left and the right. Paddy and Axel peeled off into the right-hand corridor while D’Merrick indicated I should follow her down the left-hand hallway. About halfway down, D’Merrick ducked through a door on our left as a small noise made me stop. I started to look around but a huge force brought me down to the floor as someone grabbed me by the throat and began to choke the life out of me.
    Extreme rage exploded through