The Genius Wars Read Free

squad members, Cadel and Sonja, who wanted to put the past well and truly behind them.
    As far as Hamish was concerned, trying to bring down acorrupt organisation could only be a good thing, no matter what questionable means you might employ to do it.
    ‘Okay – well – I’ll call you,’ Cadel assured Sonja, before Hamish could make one of his sour remarks about Judith’s busy schedule. ‘Some time after lunch, say? Around two? And we can work out who should go where.’
    ‘
All-right
,’ Sonja agreed, her calm, metallic delivery undermined by her eager expression. ‘
See-you-later, then
.’
    ‘Bye.’ Cadel began to edge away. ‘Bye, Judith.’
    ‘Bye, boys. Have fun.’
    Hamish snorted. He didn’t respond to Judith’s cheerful wave. And on his way downstairs, he accused her of ‘taking the piss’.
    ‘Like we could possibly have any fun in Paediatric Programming,’ he complained. ‘Do you know what she told me last week? She told me she was chasing after money that
Prosper English
has tucked away in some tax haven, somewhere. Can you b-believe that? The police are going after Prosper English, and they haven’t come to you for help!’
    ‘Because I don’t want to help.’ Cadel slammed through a fire door. ‘I wouldn’t help even if they asked me.’
    ‘Yeah, but they
d-didn’t
ask you. That’s what I’m saying. It’s like they think you’re useless, when you probably know more about Prosper English than anyone.’ Hamish then launched into his usual rant about the criminal stupidity of disbanding Genius Squad: how it wouldn’t have cost too much to run, no matter what the accountants said; how its teenaged members had not been the least bit ‘unreliable’, no matter what the police commissioner claimed; and how, if Genius Squad had been permitted to survive, Prosper English would have been caught within weeks of his escape from prison. ‘Instead of which, we’re all given a slap on the wrist and told to go home! And nine months later Prosper’s still at large, free as a bird and breathing down our necks!’
    ‘He’s not breathing down our necks,’ Cadel said shortly. ‘He’s gone to ground.’
    ‘Yeah, b-but he’s still out there, isn’t he? And you know him better than anyone. The police should be
begging
you to help.’
    ‘No they shouldn’t, Hamish! Because it wouldn’t do any good!’ Cadel suddenly became aware of how loud his voice was, as it echoed around the concrete walls of the stairwell. So he continued more quietly. ‘I don’t want Prosper English in my life any more. If I leave him alone, he’ll leave me alone. It’s a trade-off.’
    ‘You can’t be sure of that.’
    ‘Yes I can.’ Cadel
was
sure of it. He had calculated the probabilities. There could be no other explanation for the nine months of perfect peace that he’d enjoyed – unless, of course, Prosper English was dead and buried. ‘If he saw me as a threat, he would have got to me by now,’ Cadel went on. ‘He could have killed me the minute I left the safe house. But he didn’t. So I’m going to be fine, as long as I keep my nose out of his business.’
    ‘Do you think he’ll go after Judith, then?’ Hamish queried, following Cadel down another flight of stairs. ‘Since she’s sticking
her
nose into his b-business?’
    ‘I don’t know.’ It was a good question. It had certainly crossed Cadel’s mind. Saul Greeniaus, however, had assured him that Judith was just a very small part of a large, long-term, ongoing pursuit of Prosper English, whose criminal empire was slowly being taken apart, piece by piece, all over the world.
    According to Saul, police from half a dozen different countries had so far failed to uncover any evidence that Prosper was trying to undermine their investigations. There had been no attempts to bribe or kill or intimidate any members of the task force. And this meant that Judith would probably be safe as well.
    Because they’re nowhere near Prosper
, Cadel had