Day of the Predator - Alex Scarrow [43]
Several of the students glanced at each other.
‘Talkie motion pictures? You did say you were from the future, didn’t you?’ said Kelly.
‘Well, not as such. Not directly … no. Actually I’m fro–’
‘Caution!’ said Becks, striding back up the shingle towards them. ‘Confidential information.’ Her glare silenced the stirring murmur of voices. ‘That is unnecessary data. You do not need to know anything about the operative, Liam O’Connor.’
‘Actually, I think I’d like to know a little more about you as well,’ said Whitmore. ‘I mean who the h–?’
‘Stop!’ barked Becks. ‘This conversation will now cease!’
Laura made a face. She stepped forward and planted herself in front of Becks. Both girls about the same height, eyes locked in a silent challenge of each other. ‘Oh? And who exactly made you the boss?’
Becks silently appraised her. ‘You are a contaminant and a mission liability.’
‘What? What’s that supposed to mean?’
Becks’s cold glare remained on the girl. For an unsettling moment Liam wondered whether she might just reach out and snap Laura’s neck like a dry twig. He’d seen Bob effortlessly do far worse to countless grown combat-fit men.
‘Becks!’ he called out. ‘Leave her alone!’
The support unit finally spoke. ‘Liam O’Connor is … boss. I am just the support unit.’
‘Support unit?’ Laura’s face creased with a look of bemusement. She turned to Liam. ‘Sheesh, what exactly is the problem with your sister? She got some kind of behavioural problem?’
‘She talks like some kind of robot,’ said Keisha.
‘Well now, since you –’ Liam was about to explain, but Becks cut him off again. ‘Irrelevant data.’ She took a step away from Laura towards him, Laura’s challenge instantly dismissed and forgotten. ‘Recommendation, Liam.’
Liam nodded. ‘Go on.’
‘A bridging device can be constructed.’ She turned her gaze towards the roaring river to their left. ‘The narrowest width is precisely thirty-two feet, seven inches.’ Her eyes then scanned the tall and straight trunks of the nearest deciduous trees along the riverbank. ‘These trees are all of suitable length.’
‘And just how are we supposed to fell a tree!’ said Lam. ‘All we’ve got is Mr Kelly’s penknife, some bamboo spears and a bunch of freakin’ useless hatchets.’
Liam decided he’d better start sounding decisive and leader-like. ‘Well now, listen. Me and Becks’ll figure something out, so we will. Right … Becks? … Sis?’
She looked at him. ‘Question.’
‘What?’
‘Are we still pretending to be brother and sister?’
The others stared at them.
Liam sighed. ‘Not any more.’
CHAPTER 25
2001, New York
Sal spun round in the chair at the sound of the roller shutter rattling up. ‘Maddy?’
Maddy ducked beneath and into the archway. ‘Yeah, it’s me,’ she replied, in a dull, lifeless voice.
‘I thought you’d left us. Maybe gone for good.’
Maddy’s face creased with a tired smile as she crossed the floor. ‘It did cross my mind.’
‘You shouldn’t blame yourself. But look –’
‘Don’t, please.’ Maddy raised a hand to hush her. She slumped down in a swivel chair beside Sal. ‘I screwed up. I was hasty and impatient and killed Liam in the process. I’ve got to find my own way of dealing with that. And it’s not going to help you trying to tell me that I shouldn’t be beating myself up over it.’ She buried her face in her hands, pushing up her glasses and rubbing tired eyes.
‘No, listen to me,’ replied Sal, sitting forward. ‘Bob says he might not be dead.’
Maddy peered through her fingers.
‘In fact, Bob’s been analysing the tachyon signature around the window we opened. He’s almost certain that we caused a portal, not an explosion.’
The screen in front of them flickered to life.
> Sal is correct. An 87% probability of a random portal.
Sal reached out for her arm. ‘He’s alive, Maddy. Do you see? Alive.’ She made a face. ‘Probably.’
Slowly Maddy lowered her hands from her face. ‘Oh my God. You serious?’
‘Yeah.’
Maddy turned towards the screen. ‘Bob? You’re sure of this?’
> 87% probability. The decay signature of the particles while our window was open was very