James and Tom did a final check, before slamming the doors and heading towards the service station. Kyle stuck close to James in case his ankle gave out, but Tom said he was busting and raced off towards the toilets.
Kyle excitedly mouthed the question he’d been burning to ask for five hours. ‘So what info did you get in the house?’
‘Got a good look at his driver’s licence. His real name is Kennet Marcussen. I found a pen and jotted down all the numbers off the speed dial on his mobile and a couple of credit cards. I texted the whole lot through to campus while you were driving and Tom was asleep.’
‘Great stuff,’ Kyle said, stifling his grin because he knew someone from the AFA might be waiting nearby to collect the big Nissan. ‘I didn’t realise you were sending messages back there. MI5 might even be able to put a surveillance team on Mark before he leaves the house.’
‘I expect they’ll have someone here ready to take pictures of whoever comes out and collects that Nissan too.’
‘Not a bad night’s work,’ Kyle grinned, as they stepped through the automatic doors and on to the just mopped tiles inside the service station entrance.
‘Tom ran that bloke over though,’ James said. ‘And the way those flames went up, what if one of the dudes hanging around near the kiosk got caught by the blast?’
‘They’d have had to be seriously stupid not to have backed off once they saw us run out,’ Kyle said. ‘The smell of fuel was eye-watering and for all they knew we had some kind of timed detonator ticking away in there.’
‘I bloody well hope you’re right,’ James said. ‘If we’ve misjudged it, we’ll have some awkward questions to answer when we get back to campus.’
‘When you’re playing with big boys’ toys, it’s never risk free,’ said Kyle. ‘I flicked the radio on a couple of times while you were asleep and they mentioned the fire and another arson attack down south. But they only said
unconfirmed reports of casualties
, nothing specific.’
As they headed into the toilets, the boys passed couples and families eating full English breakfasts and looked on enviously.
‘I could murder a bacon sandwich,’ Kyle said. ‘Then about fifteen hours’ sleep and I’ll be fine.’
*
Tom dropped James and Kyle back at Corbyn Copse. It was almost 7 a.m. and they found Lauren on the living-room couch watching Sky News.
‘Are you OK?’ she asked. ‘The Animal Freedom Army is the top story.’
James and Kyle were anxious for news. ‘What are they saying?’
‘In your attack: a hundred and six vehicles totalled and two guys taken to hospital with smoke inhalation,’ Lauren said. ‘And did you run someone over?’
‘Tom did,’ James nodded.
‘He’s in the hospital, described as serious but stable. If you keep watching for a few minutes, they’ll show pictures of the flames again. The fire crews are still dousing the buildings. And there was another attack down south, too.’
James and Kyle noticed the text scrolling along the bottom of the screen: BREAKING NEWS: CLYDE WAINWRIGHT, CHAIRMAN OF MALAREK UK CRITICALLY INJURED IN CAR BOMB WHILE HOLIDAYING IN CANARY ISLANDS.
‘Jesus,’ James gasped.
‘I thought you knew,’ Lauren said. ‘Didn’t you have a radio in the car?’
‘I clicked it on and off a few times while we were on the motorway,’ Kyle said. ‘But the one in Viv’s car is busted.’
‘When did the car bomb news come through?’ James asked.
‘It came up as a newsflash about half an hour ago.’
‘This is bigger than we thought,’ Kyle said, shaking his head. ‘We thought the AFA was a splinter group of the AFM, but it looks like more than that now. It takes organisation and a lot of money to pull off three operations on this scale.’
‘Mark pulled out three hundred quid for me and Kyle to replace our clothes and trainers without batting an eyelid,’ James added, before gawping as Ryan appeared on the television screen.
The TV people had tamed Ryan’s hair and dressed him up in a jacket and tie. James read the caption to make sure his tired eyes weren’t deceiving him:
Ryan Quinn – Founder, Zebra Alliance
.
‘He was a bit miffed,’ Lauren grinned. ‘The BBC were sending him a car, but they cancelled when they got hold of Madeline Laing and he ended up getting Sky instead.’
James smiled, as Ryan condemned the AFA actions and began explaining the background to the campaign against Malarek Research.
‘Morning, boys,’ Zara said brightly, as she rushed into the room and kissed both lads on the cheek. ‘It’s good to have you both home safely.’
‘Have you heard whether anyone was hurt when the napalm went up?’ James asked anxiously.
Zara shook her head. ‘I just got off the phone from campus and it looks like the only serious injury was the man who got hit by the car. He has a fractured arm and pelvis, but there’s no reason why he shouldn’t fully recover.’
‘Nice one,’ Kyle said, as he exchanged relieved grins with James.
‘MI5 ran a check on Kennet Marcussen,’ Zara continued. ‘He’s a Dane. He was involved in British and European liberationist groups in the eighties and early nineties, but he fell off the radar. Everyone assumed he’d gone back to Denmark and started a family or something. He was part of a long-defunct group called EAA: Extreme Animal Action. The group was small, but always had plenty of money and most of its members originally lived in a women-only commune near Birmingham.’
James nodded. ‘Sounds uncannily similar to what we’ve seen of the AFA. Do we know the names of any EAA members?’
‘Most of them have MI5 files,’ Zara nodded. ‘They’ll start making enquiries and they’re trying to get a surveillance team on Marcussen before he leaves the house in Wrexham. But we’ve got to proceed gently, because if he suspects he’s under investigation your cover will be blown apart.
‘We’ll also be making discreet inquiries amongst the local body shops. Your van had a pressurised cylinder welded in the back, a complete respray and Rapid Trak logos applied to the side. There can’t be many places capable of pulling off a remodelling job like that in three days flat. We’re going to start putting together a list of places that can do that kind of work in this area and see if any of them have links to known animal rights activists.’
‘At least we’re finally getting somewhere,’ Kyle said, stretching into a yawn, ‘but I’m exhausted. Is there anything you want me to do, or can I grab a few hours’ sleep?’
Zara scratched her head. ‘James’ text messages were pretty thorough, so I think I’m up to speed on everything that happened.’
‘I might turn in for a few hours as well,’ James said, catching on to Kyle’s yawn.
‘Afraid not,’ Zara said. ‘You took a nasty kick to the ribs and I want it looked at properly.’
‘I’m fine,’ James tutted. ‘I’ve been up half the night. I need six hours’ sitting around in a casualty department like a hole in the head.’
‘It’s not my idea of fun either,’ Zara said. ‘But you could easily have cracked a rib. I want you X-rayed and examined by a doctor.’
*
Kyle felt sorry for James, but it was a bonus being able to fall asleep without his constant fidgeting in the lower bunk and the irritating whistle made by his left nostril. He slept solid, but the hours of driving had stamped themselves on his mind and when Lauren shook him awake, he’d been dreaming about a motorway.
‘Your phone,’ Lauren said, reaching up on tiptoes and jiggling the mobile in front of his blurry eyes. ‘Unrecognised number,
answer
it.’
‘Yeah, hello,’ Kyle said dozily as he flipped his phone open.
He perked up when he heard the familiar female voice. ‘You did an excellent job last night. Welcome to the Animal Freedom Army.’
‘Thanks,’ Kyle said. ‘It went pretty well, didn’t it?’
‘I tried calling James, but his phone is switched off.’
‘Yeah, our mum saw the state of his chest and took him to casualty. You have to switch your mobiles off at the hospital.’
‘Do you think she was suspicious?’
‘Nah,’ Kyle said. ‘Don’t worry, James always gets in scraps. We told her we stayed at Tom and Viv’s and that James fell down the stairs.’
‘So, you’re ready for the big time?’
‘Ready, willing and able,’ Kyle said enthusiastically.
He knew he wouldn’t get details of the big operation itself, but Kyle figured that the previous night’s actions had earned him some respect and decided to try finding out when he’d be needed.
‘There’s one problem,’ he explained. ‘I can pretty much come and go as I please, but James is only fourteen and our mum keeps tabs on him. So, a bit of advanced notice would make our getaway a lot easier, especially if you’re expecting us to stay out overnight again.’
Kyle half expected to get chewed out, but the woman paused for a moment before replying in a friendly voice. ‘We’ll pick you up on Wednesday afternoon. If all goes to plan you should be back home by Friday morning. Can you manage that?’
‘That’s great,’ Kyle said. ‘I’ll start buttering our mum up right now. Say that we’re staying in town with a mate or something.’
‘I’ll call you Tuesday evening and tell you what to bring and where to meet us,’ the woman said.
‘Look forward to it,’ Kyle said. ‘Bye.’
Kyle flipped his phone shut before handing it down to Lauren.
‘Do us a favour, Lauren. Call campus and tell them that the AFA operation is taking place between Wednesday and Friday and that me and James are definitely both involved.’
‘OK,’ Lauren nodded. ‘You know, I can’t help wondering what they’re planning. I mean, two major arson attacks and almost blowing up the chairman of Malarek, but
apparently
all this is just a warm-up …’
‘Tell me about it,’ Kyle nodded. ‘We came on this mission to catch a big fish, but I think we’ve accidentally hooked ourselves a whale.’
One advantage of knowing that the AFA didn’t need Kyle and James until Wednesday was that the kids could take a break while Zara went to her interview in Downing Street.
After the two and a half hour drive to London, the youngsters split from Zara and spent the morning cruising the shops in Oxford Street. Kyle got a couple of CDs he’d been after for ages, James got the latest FIFA game for his Playstation and Lauren got T-shirts and a couple of squeezy toys for Meatball’s rapidly expanding collection.
Mac had booked a table in a swanky restaurant at Piccadilly Circus, but the kids arrived to find a message telling them not to wait around: the Prime Minister was running behind schedule and Zara and Mac were going to have lunch with him.
The crowd was mostly business people in suits and the kids got odd looks as the waiter took them past a spectacular waterfall bar to a window table well away from all the other diners. It looked down eight storeys on to the bustle of shoppers and tourists in the paved square below.
‘Glad I’m not paying,’ James said, as he read down a list of main courses, the cheapest of which was twenty-one pounds.
In the end, James and Kyle both satisfied their meat cravings with thirty-five quid’s worth of rib-eye steak and French fries, while Lauren ordered roast vegetables in peanut butter sauce.
‘You’re really serious about this whole veggie deal, aren’t you?’ James said, as the waiter put their meals down on the table. ‘You’re gonna end up pasty and thin, like all the other vegetarians.’
‘Shut up and eat your dead cow,’ Lauren tutted. ‘If you think that a giant slab of red meat is going to be better for you than what I’m eating, you’re even stupider than I thought.’
‘Hey,’ Kyle said firmly. ‘This is supposed to be our day off. So how about I get a day off from you two digging at each other and we change the subject?’
‘How’s your chest today?’ Lauren asked.
James shrugged. ‘Bit stiff, that’s all. I
told
Zara it was nothing. Eight hours we sat around in that hospital and I ended up with a bottle of painkillers that she could have picked up in the village shop.’
‘Better safe than sorry though,’ Lauren said.
‘I suppose,’ James shrugged, as he watched a pigeon land on the window ledge outside.
‘I wonder how Zara’s getting on,’ Kyle said. ‘It must be
so
weird meeting someone that important. Especially for a job interview.’
‘It sounded like she was hurling up in the toilet this morning,’ James said.
‘Morning sickness,’ Lauren giggled, as she bit a roast parsnip off her fork. ‘Maybe she’s pregnant as well.’
‘I always get the
worst
diarrhoea when I’m nervous about anything,’ Kyle said.
James started to laugh. ‘Isn’t this nice? We come to a swanky restaurant in the middle of London, we order a hundred quid’s worth of food and drink and sit at the table talking about puking and crapping.’
‘You know what?’ Lauren said. ‘I wish I’d bought those camouflage trousers now. Do you reckon we’ll have time to go back?’
‘No
way
,’ James said firmly. ‘I know what you’re like. We’ll spend half an hour traipsing back to the shop and when we arrive you’ll try them on and change your mind again.’
‘When would I ever do that?’ Lauren said, grinning mischievously.
‘Besides, I don’t want a camouflage-wearing vegetarian for a sister.’
‘If you don’t shut it I’ll dye my hair black again.’
‘I thought your hair looked nice when it was black,’ Mac said.
The three youngsters had been looking out of the window and hadn’t noticed Mac and Zara being led to their table. The waiter asked if they needed anything as they sat down.
‘We’ll wait for the kids to finish their main courses,’ Zara said. ‘Would you mind fetching us some dessert menus? Then we can all have dessert and coffee together.’
The waiter nodded efficiently and walked away.
‘So?’ Lauren said, once he was out of earshot.
‘It was
good
,’ Zara said, checking that there was nobody within listening distance before breaking into a grin.
‘I was at Geoff Cox’s interview yesterday and it was very formal,’ Mac explained. ‘He spoke with the ministers about schools and education policy and a little bit about his time in the intelligence service.
‘Zara’s interview was totally different. The PM was hooked when she told him about the mission she was working on and how you two boys infiltrated the AFA before anyone had ever heard of it. He even asked Zara about her family and ended up looking at pictures of Tiffany and Joshua. After sitting through both interviews, I’m confident that Zara has nailed it.’