The Crescendo Read Free

were more pressing things occupying her mind.
    She went through the high fence at the front of the property and slid into the back of the Mustang. Before she could even shut the door properly, Taylor was driving off. Already he was programmed not to hang around for too long and risk being recognised.
    â€˜How is he? How are you?’ said Anna, turning around in the front seat. Her green eyes were huge and full of concern, reminding Jaz of the big sage lanterns that hung from the ceiling in their favourite coffee shop.
    â€˜He’ll be okay. Me?’ Jaz shrugged. Her brain hurt and yet she couldn’t even grasp one thought from the thousands whizzing around her head.
    â€˜Wanna go to Molly’s for a coffee?’ Anna asked.
    â€˜Can you drop me off home first? I need a shower.’ She’d washed off Ryan’s blood, but still she felt a full scrub was in order. ‘Then a coffee sounds great.’ Plus she needed to check in with her mum after being away for a few days.
    Tay pulled up at her house and Jaz snuck in quickly, still worried she may have missed a spot of blood or her face might give her away. But, as usual, no one was home. Her mum and stepdad were no doubt at work and Simon, her half-brother, was either in his room pulling apart a computer, playing a game on it, or with his dad learning more. Their dad. Paul was the only father she knew. At least he was who he was, unlike her mum who had a whole different identity. She often wondered if Paul knew. Paul was as far from a secret kick-arse agent as one could be. He worked in computers, a bit of a geek but so loveable. A lot like Pax.
    Jaz frowned. Pax. She wondered if he would have answers to some of her questions. Man, her head was driving her nuts and no matter how hot she turned up the shower it didn’t help relieve the tension in her muscles.
    In ten minutes she was back downstairs, wearing black cargo pants and a white tank top and her commando boots. But something wasn’t right. She touched her neck for her missing gold medallion. It was a circle with Saint Michael on it and her father’s name engraved on the back. At least Salvatore couldn’t trace it back to her as it didn’t have a last name. Not even Jaz knew her father’s full name. Her mum had kept it from her, and pretty much any other information about her biological father.
    â€˜Ready to go?’ asked Anna, who sat beside Tay at the kitchen table. They had helped themselves to the apples from the basket.
    â€˜Yep. Can we get coffee to go and head back to the gym? I think I need a work-out.’
    Anna bit her lip. She was doing a great job of trying to give Jaz space when she knew she was dying to ask her a million questions. Jaz walked straight up to her and gave her a hug.
    â€˜I will tell you everything, just not yet. I need time to process.’
    â€˜I know. We’re here when you’re ready.’ Anna smiled, her expression said she hoped it was soon. Anna hated waiting for anything: good news, bad news, any news.
    Tay stood beside them in jeans and a blue singlet, as he’d given her his shirt. He was looking muscled, well more than usual. Tay had always been fit, good at sports, but since he’d started training to get mission-ready he’d really bulked up in the muscle department. The girls at school had noticed; Tay was already popular, but now he was reaching superstar status.
    If only some of that could rub off on Jaz, who was still the scary freaky one no one went near, and Anna the smart computer nerd. But they’d been friends since kids, and it didn’t change no matter what others thought.
    They got their coffees through a McDonald’s drive-through on the way to The Ring. Tay pulled up outside the large shed-like structure. Paint peeled off the old tin and the broken footpath didn’t improve the feel about the area, but to Jaz it was home. She liked that it wasn’t in a fancy neighbourhood