The Medusa Project: The Set-Up Read online

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Ed said.

  ‘Nothing. Er . . . d’you want more drinks?’

  ‘I’ll get them.’ Ed fished out his wallet and turned to the barman.

  I raised my eyebrows. Where was all Ed’s confidence coming from?

  Ed bought three Cokes and we chatted on for a bit. Ketty was clearly having a great time, explaining various school customs and procedures to Ed. He was all silent smiles and encouraging nods. I hung back, grim-faced, wondering what was about to happen. I didn’t have to wait long.

  After about ten minutes a youngish man in a suit and tie wandered over, his eyes on Ketty.

  ‘Hello, miss,’ he said with a frown. ‘I need to ask you to step into the office for a minute.’

  I froze. I wasn’t expecting anyone to challenge us for being here. Hadn’t Jack said that he knew the manager?

  ‘White flag,’ I said.

  The man ignored me.

  ‘I’ve got ID,’ Ketty squeaked, picking up her bag. ‘And we only drank Coca-cola.’

  ‘That’s not it, miss,’ the man went on. He took the bag from her. ‘I’m afraid we have reason to believe you are in possession of class A drugs.’

  ‘What?’ Ketty and I spoke together.

  Ed’s eyes widened into circles.

  ‘That’s ridiculous.’ Ketty’s lip trembled. ‘Look in my bag if you don’t believe me.’

  The man thrust his hand into her bag. He slowly pulled out a small tube of pills.

  Ketty gasped. ‘They’re not mine.’ She looked at me.

  ‘They’re not hers,’ I insisted. ‘Someone put them there.’ The idea that Ketty would take pills was ludicrous. Of all the people I knew Ketty was the last person who’d ever use drugs.

  And then it struck me. This must be what Jack had warned me about – what he’d been referring to when he’d told me: Just go along with it . . . I’m pulling the strings.

  The man remained impassive. ‘Like I said, please, no fuss, miss. We’d just like a private word.’

  I was too shocked to think straight as we crossed the crowded bar towards the casino room. Why had Jack arranged to have drugs planted on Ketty? It didn’t make sense.

  The man took us into the little cloakroom with all the coats and bags.

  ‘I don’t understand.’ Ketty was shaking now. ‘I’ve never taken drugs. Not even the tiniest bit.’

  The door from the casino swung open, letting in a shortlived burst of light and chatter. The woman in the long black dress that I’d seen watching Jack earlier swept in.

  She had short blonde hair cut in a sharp bob and smelled of a deep, musky perfume. Her dark, hard eyes took us in, then she turned to the man. ‘Please take the girl outside, Scott.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’ The man opened the door and indicated that Ketty should leave.

  ‘Where are you taking her?’ Ed’s face was pale under his freckles.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Ketty looked over her shoulder at me, her eyes full of fear as she was led away.

  I stared down at my feet, unable to meet her gaze. What was going on? Where was Jack? I forced myself to remember what he’d said: Whatever happens, go along with it. Everything’ll be okay.

  Ed looked like he was about to be sick. ‘This isn’t right,’ he said. ‘We weren’t taking drugs. Oh, God, please don’t tell my parents.’

  I bit my lip.

  ‘Don’t worry, Ed, dear.’ The woman smiled. ‘Nothing’s going to happen to you or Nico or Ketty, providing you do what I tell you now.’

  Ed stared at her. ‘How do you know our names?’ he said.

  ‘Oh, I know a lot more about you than that, Ed.’ The woman smiled again. ‘In fact, there’s something inside you both that was named after me.’ She glanced at me. ‘I’m Geri Paterson.’

  ‘Sorry, but I don’t think I have anything called Geri Paterson inside me,’ I murmured.

  A flicker of amusement crossed the woman’s face. Like she was acknowledging the fact that we both knew the drugs thing with Ketty was a fraud but we weren’t going to let on to Ed.

  I decided I didn’t like her.

  It’s a pleasure to meet you.’ Geri Paterson smiled.

  Ed shook his head, clearly completely baffled. ‘I don’t understand,’ he said. ‘What d’you want? What have you done with Ketty?’

  ‘First things first.’ Geri smoothed down her sleek blonde bob. ‘I think you’ll both understand when you hear my code name.’

  ‘Your what?’ Ed frowned.

  I just raised my eyebrows, determined not to let her see that I was almost as confused as Ed. ‘So what’s your code name, then?’

  Geri’s smile deepened.

  ‘Medusa.’

  ‘Medusa?’ I frowned. ‘As in the Medusa gene?’

  ‘Named after me, dear.’ The faintest flicker of smugness crossed Geri’s face. ‘Not by its creator, William Fox, but by the people who paid for it.’

  I stared at her. ‘I thought Jack Linden raised the money.’

  ‘Jack was the go-between.’ Geri rolled her eyes. ‘But the money came from us.’

  ‘And who are you?’ That was Ed. He still looked completely traumatised.

  ‘Yeah,’ I added. ‘What’s with the whole code name thing?’

  ‘That doesn’t matter.’ Geri batted the question away with her elegantly manicured hand. ‘We were hoping that Jack could bring you in without us having to force the issue but I understand, Edward, that you are in denial about the worth of your abilities.’

  Ed stared at her, open-mouthed.

  ‘What have you done with Ketty?’ I said.

  ‘Ketty is being held in the front office until you’ve both done what I’m about to ask of you. I wish it wasn’t necessary to have planted those drugs on her, but I’m afraid you, Ed, made that the only option when you refused to co-operate with Nico and Jack.’

  ‘What?’ Ed said, his mouth still gaping.

  ‘‘So, do you work for Jack Linden?’ I clenched my fists.

  ‘No.’ Geri sniffed. ‘Jack Linden works for me. His mission was simply to find you. I was the one who insisted he brought you and Edward here.’

  ‘Jack Linden’s here too?’ Ed sounded close to tears.

  ‘What do you want us to do?’ I asked.

  ‘Put simply, dear,’ Geri said, ‘we want a demonstration of your abilities in action. At this stage, all I’m looking for is proof that Medusa works – that the gene synthesis made a quantifiable difference to your development. Jack tells me he’s seen you in action, Nico, and that you’ve experienced Edward’s abilities, but . . .’ she paused . . . ‘I hope you understand I prefer the evidence of my own eyes.’

  ‘But why here?’ I gritted my teeth.

  Geri looked surprised. ‘That was for your benefit, Nico. Jack insisted you should be rewarded for your efforts and I felt that having you beat the house by gambling would incentivise you and be a satisfying outcome for us.’ She laughed – a surprisingly light, tinkly laugh.

  ‘You want us to gamble?’ Ed said, aghast. ‘At a card game?’

  ‘Not exactly.’ Geri turned from him to take us both in. Her manner became more brisk. ‘When we go into the casino room next door I want the two of you to accompany me to the roulette wheel. Once there, I will bet on various numbers. After a while, I will look at Edward and “think” the number I need the roulette ball to land on. Edward will hopefully “hear” my thought and then communicate the number he “hears” to Nico – demonstrating he can both receive and give information. We’ll be watching to make sure Edward doesn’t cheat by signalling the number another way. Having confirmed the number with me, Nico will then attempt to manipulate the ball to land in the right slot on the roulette wheel. You will both have to work fast and under pressure, but that’s all part of the demonstration. We want to see how you perform under stress.’

  ‘And what if we don’t do what you say?’ I said.

  Geri tutted impatiently. ‘Then poor Ketty will probab
ly have to deal with a night in the cells, a caution from the police and the wrath of her parents.’

  ‘That’s not fair.’ My heart was thumping with the injustice of it. ‘None of this is Ketty’s fault.’

  Geri raised an eyebrow. ‘Nico, I thought you were on board with all this? Jack said you were highly co-operative – that you were even looking for a way to make money from your abilities.’

  Beside me, Ed gasped. I could feel his accusing gaze. But Ed was the least of my worries right now.

  ‘I don’t want anything if Ketty has to suffer for it,’ I said. God, how could Jack have got this all so wrong?

  ‘Ketty won’t suffer,’ Geri snapped. ‘Provided you do what you’re told.’ She turned to the door. ‘Come on.’

  Seething, I followed her. How dare she put Ketty in this situation? How dare Jack?

  ‘Wait.’ Ed’s voice was shaky but determined, his face bright red. ‘What if we go to the police and tell them what you’ve told us and how you’ve set Ketty up? We know your name, we could get you arrested.’

  Geri appeared unfazed. ‘You could try, Edward dear, but my operation is completely above the law.’ She paused, her eyes narrowing. ‘I suggest you don’t test me. You may not enjoy the consequences.’

  Her threat hung in the air as she pushed open the door to the casino. Ed and I followed her through. Jack was standing beside the roulette wheel. He winked at me as we walked over. I looked away, feeling mutinous.

  What did Geri mean . . . how could an operation be above the law? That meant being able to control the police. What kind of organisation was able to do that?

  Geri took her place at the roulette table. At its head was a wooden bowl – the roulette wheel – that contained a circle of numbers in random order, each in a coloured slot – alternately black or red. A silver-shirted man stood beside the wheel, presumably ready to spin it. Beyond the wheel, a green baize-covered table stretched away – its surface covered in numbered squares corresponding to the ones inside the wheel.

  Jack took Ed’s arm and led him round to the other side of the table. Ed looked numb with fear.

  ‘Place your bets,’ the silver-shirted man called.

  Geri pushed a pile of round, plastic betting chips onto the number two on the table. A couple of other people, also at the table, placed their chips on other squares.

  ‘No more bets,’ Silver-shirt called. He spun the wheel. The numbers flashed by in a blur. Then he chucked a tiny ball into the wooden bowl. It rattled round the rim, then bounced in and out of a few of the numbered slots. Both wheel and ball moved fast at first but, as the wheel slowed to a halt, the ball settled into the number six slot and stayed there.

  Geri sighed as Silver-shirt raked in her chips.

  The game continued for several minutes. Geri bet and lost on numbers twenty, then six, then two again.

  Ed and I received a number of disapproving glances from the other players. We were obviously underage. Still, Silver-shirt was completely ignoring us and nobody else actually said anything.

  ‘Place your bets,’ Silver-shirt called again.

  This time Geri looked up at Ed.

  I watched his face. His eyes were boring into hers – with that same intense look that I’d seen when he’d helped me during that history lesson. He was obviously reading her mind – finding out whatever number it was that she wanted the roulette ball to land on. The other two players around the wheel didn’t seem to notice.

  Ed looked away and Geri glanced back down at the green baize table. She ran her pink, polished fingernail along the cloth, then looked sideways at me.

  This was it. Now Ed’s job was to communicate the number Geri had chosen to me.

  I focused on his face. He was staring grimly at the roulette wheel. Geri coughed.

  I willed him to look up.

  Geri coughed again.

  At last Ed raised his dark blue eyes and met mine. I steadied myself, waiting for the rushing sensation I’d experienced before.

  There. A split second later, Ed’s voice was in my head, forcing me to listen.

  The number she wants is seventeen. And by the way I hate you.

  He tore his eyes away and I felt a rushing sense of release as my mind was freed from his hold.

  I looked down at the table. Geri was tapping her nails against the pile of plastic chips in front of her. It suddenly struck me that I was only going to get one chance at this – and that I had to make it look smooth. My heart pounded in my chest.

  For Ketty.

  I took a deep breath and let the outbreath flow through me, down to my feet.

  ‘Final bets please.’ Silver-shirt looked disinterestedly round the table. He clearly had no idea that Ed and I had just communicated telepathically.

  I could feel Geri’s eyes on me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

  ‘What number d’you think I should bet on, Nico dear?’ she said.

  I swallowed. ‘Seventeen,’ I said.

  Geri smiled. Without speaking, she placed a slim tower of plastic chips on the black square numbered seventeen.

  Focus.

  ‘No more bets,’ Silver-shirt cried.

  A bead of sweat trickled down my back as he spun the roulette wheel. An expectant hush descended on the table. All eyes focused on the wheel. Silver-shirt threw the little ball into the bowl. It rattled round the wooden rim. Once round. Twice.

  I tried to work out where seventeen was on the wheel, but the numbers were spinning by too fast. My mind raced, following the wheel round. Where was seventeen? There. It whizzed past and I lost it. But the wheel was slowing now, the numbers easier to see. I found seventeen again. My mouth was dry as the ball clattered in and out of a slot on the other side of the wheel.

  It jumped to another, and another. Little bumps now. I concentrated on lifting it . . . flicked it over the next couple of slots. Then another two.

  Seventeen was still several slots away.

  I kept my breath steady. I mustn’t overshoot the slot.

  Flick. Bump. Into fifteen . . . into four . . . Flick again.

  The ball landed in slot twenty-five. Crap. I breathed out, completely in the moment. The ball slowed. It was going to stop there unless I moved it again. Just one more tiny flick.

  Yes. The ball rattled next door into slot seventeen.

  A throb of exhilaration pulsed through me. I looked round, making sure no one was staring suspiciously at me, then glanced up at Ed. He caught my eye, just for a split second, his face registering pure relief.

  Then he looked away.

  One of the other players at the table groaned. Geri smiled at me and laughed her light, tinkly little laugh again. Silver-shirt took a pile of chips, added them to the slim tower already on square seventeen and pushed them towards Geri.

  ‘Excellent,’ she murmured to herself.

  I made my way round the table to where Jack and Ed were standing. Ed looked furious. Before I reached them, he turned and stomped out of the casino, closely followed by the man who’d taken Ketty earlier.

  I grabbed Jack’s arm. ‘We did what she wanted. Make them let Ketty go.’

  ‘Calm down, Nico.’ Jack rolled his eyes, shaking my arm off. ‘Well done, that was impressive.’

  I shook my head. Didn’t he realise the enormity of what he’d done?

  ‘You shouldn’t have threatened Ketty,’ I said.

  Jack looked at me, puzzled. ‘Nico, man, Ketty’s fine. I told you, I was pulling the strings all along. She’s waiting in the front office now. Nobody’s said a word to her yet. You can go in there and explain you’ve sorted out the misunderstanding over the drugs. Not only will you have money to spend on her, she’ll think you’re a hero.’ He chuckled, clearly delighted with himself.

  I frowned. Couldn’t he see it wasn’t that simple? ‘But Ed will tell her what really happened.’

  Jack shook his head. ‘Edward’s been warned to say nothing to anybody. Not Ketty, not his parents, not Fergus Fox.’ Ja
ck grinned. ‘I’ve got him out of your way too . . . he wanted to see Ketty, but I’ve had him sent back to school in a taxi. You’ve got her to yourself.’

  I thought this through. Maybe it wasn’t too late to save the evening, after all. Jack was right. If Ketty didn’t know what had really happened, I could still come across as a hero. Plus we could get some food, chill a bit and I could show her the juggling I’d promised. She’d laugh and be impressed and, after that, anything was possible.

  ‘Okay, I guess that will work.’ I hesitated. Now that my worry over Ketty had been ratcheted down a notch, it occurred to me that Jack owed me a couple of explanations. ‘Why didn’t you just talk to Ed like you said you were going to? And why didn’t you tell me you were coming here with someone else?’

  ‘Geri just turned up and took over,’ Jack said. ‘She’s not someone you can refuse. And the only reason I didn’t tell you about her before was that I didn’t want to overwhelm you with too much information.’ Jack sighed. ‘I promise you, Nico, everything I said about helping you develop your abilities was true. All Geri Paterson and I want to do is to help you and the others. That’s why it’s so important to us to find all the people with the Medusa gene.’

  I shook my head. I needed more information than that.

  ‘What’s this organisation you and Geri are part of? Who does she – who do you – work for exactly?’

  Jack shook his head. ‘I can’t tell you that yet but it’s an extremely powerful organisation. The point is, Nico, we have your best interests at heart.’

  I thought about the fear in Ed’s face earlier and my stomach cramped with anxiety. Even if everything turned out okay from this evening, I was beginning to see that Ed and I and the Medusa gene were just a tiny part of some mysterious – and far bigger – operation.

  An operation that was dangerous, powerful and – for reasons I didn’t fully understand – extremely interested in the way the Medusa gene had affected us.

  At that moment Geri appeared, an excited smile twisting across her thin lips. ‘Excellent work, Nico,’ she said, then turned to Jack. ‘Has Edward left already?’

  ‘Yeah, he refused to take any money.’ Jack sighed. ‘But, don’t worry, I made sure he’ll keep quiet about Viper.’