communications could be easily
intercepted and no network was a hundred per cent secure. So Amber and Henri had been
assigned the call signs Cub One and Cub Two.
‘As well as can be expected,’
Connor replied. ‘The youngest has accepted its new brother; the older one is a
little more resistant.’
‘What about the Nest?’ enquired
Charley.
Connor delivered his assessment of the
lodge’s lax security situation, being careful not to reveal anything too specific
that might identify the location.
‘Not ideal,’ she agreed.
‘But there aren’t any storms on the horizon so you should be OK. Have you
anything else to report?’
‘I’ve heard talk about the Black
Mamba coming back. Any idea who this might be?’
‘Not off the top of my head, sorry.
I’ll look into it and get back to you.’
‘Thanks,’ said Connor. ‘It
might be nothing, but a couple of the ministers here seemed concerned. How’s the
birdwatching going, by the way?’ he asked, subtly referring to Amir and Operation
Hawk-Eye.
Charley lowered her voice as if she
didn’t want anyone else at HQ to hear. ‘It’s having its ups and downs,
but don’tworry – our friend
hasn’t had his wings clipped yet. Tell me, how’s your luxury
suite?’
‘Pretty shabby,’ Connor replied,
reclining further back in his padded lounger. ‘There are only two showers, and the
private plunge pool isn’t that big.’
‘Sounds
horrible
.’
‘Yeah, but I’ll
survive.’
‘We’re counting on it,’
said Charley warmly. ‘Listen, I have to go. Stay safe.’
She signed off. Connor sighed contentedly
and returned to gazing at the stars. He always felt better after talking with Charley.
More grounded. Talking through the mission helped him put it in perspective. While the
security arrangements were less than perfect, the remote location reduced the risk of
direct threats. He thought that he might even be able to relax enough to enjoy the
safari tomorrow morning. Connor pocketed the phone and closed his eyes … A second later
they flew open as a piercing scream shattered the peace of the night.
Connor catapulted himself off the lounger and
leapt from the decking. Pushing through the privacy barrier of bushes, he scrambled on
to the neighbouring deck. The scream had come from within Amber’s suite. It
sounded as if she was being attacked, but the curtains obscured whatever was going on
inside.
He yanked at the glass door. Locked. He
heard another desperate cry. Connor sprinted round to the front. The main door was also
bolted. Taking a step back, he front-kicked it with all his might. The lock gave way and
he burst into the room. Amber wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Connor’s first
thought was that she’d been kidnapped. Then another scream erupted from the
bathroom.
Throwing open the door, Connor found Amber
standing in the middle of the tiled floor, wrapped in a towel, shaking her head
furiously.
‘Get it off me! Get it off
me!’
‘What?’ said Connor, looking
round the room for the threat.
‘The spider!’
Connor felt a surge
of relief. He’d thought it was something deadly serious.
‘Hold still,’ he instructed,
grabbing her by the shoulders and searching her damp locks of hair for the intruder.
When he saw it, he jerked away. No wonder Amber was screaming – the spider’s body
was the size of a golf ball. Dark brown with spindly hairy legs and two prominent fangs,
it was fearsome enough to give anyone a heart attack.
Connor grabbed Amber’s hairbrush from
the shelf and batted the spider off before it could sink its fangs into her. The
creature scuttled across the tiles at a horrific speed. Amber yelped again and leapt
into the bath for safety.
Gunner ran in. ‘What’s going
on?’ demanded the ranger, looking between Connor and Amber, still dripping wet
from her shower.
‘Spider,’ explained Connor,
pointing to the
intercepted and no network was a hundred per cent secure. So Amber and Henri had been
assigned the call signs Cub One and Cub Two.
‘As well as can be expected,’
Connor replied. ‘The youngest has accepted its new brother; the older one is a
little more resistant.’
‘What about the Nest?’ enquired
Charley.
Connor delivered his assessment of the
lodge’s lax security situation, being careful not to reveal anything too specific
that might identify the location.
‘Not ideal,’ she agreed.
‘But there aren’t any storms on the horizon so you should be OK. Have you
anything else to report?’
‘I’ve heard talk about the Black
Mamba coming back. Any idea who this might be?’
‘Not off the top of my head, sorry.
I’ll look into it and get back to you.’
‘Thanks,’ said Connor. ‘It
might be nothing, but a couple of the ministers here seemed concerned. How’s the
birdwatching going, by the way?’ he asked, subtly referring to Amir and Operation
Hawk-Eye.
Charley lowered her voice as if she
didn’t want anyone else at HQ to hear. ‘It’s having its ups and downs,
but don’tworry – our friend
hasn’t had his wings clipped yet. Tell me, how’s your luxury
suite?’
‘Pretty shabby,’ Connor replied,
reclining further back in his padded lounger. ‘There are only two showers, and the
private plunge pool isn’t that big.’
‘Sounds
horrible
.’
‘Yeah, but I’ll
survive.’
‘We’re counting on it,’
said Charley warmly. ‘Listen, I have to go. Stay safe.’
She signed off. Connor sighed contentedly
and returned to gazing at the stars. He always felt better after talking with Charley.
More grounded. Talking through the mission helped him put it in perspective. While the
security arrangements were less than perfect, the remote location reduced the risk of
direct threats. He thought that he might even be able to relax enough to enjoy the
safari tomorrow morning. Connor pocketed the phone and closed his eyes … A second later
they flew open as a piercing scream shattered the peace of the night.
Connor catapulted himself off the lounger and
leapt from the decking. Pushing through the privacy barrier of bushes, he scrambled on
to the neighbouring deck. The scream had come from within Amber’s suite. It
sounded as if she was being attacked, but the curtains obscured whatever was going on
inside.
He yanked at the glass door. Locked. He
heard another desperate cry. Connor sprinted round to the front. The main door was also
bolted. Taking a step back, he front-kicked it with all his might. The lock gave way and
he burst into the room. Amber wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Connor’s first
thought was that she’d been kidnapped. Then another scream erupted from the
bathroom.
Throwing open the door, Connor found Amber
standing in the middle of the tiled floor, wrapped in a towel, shaking her head
furiously.
‘Get it off me! Get it off
me!’
‘What?’ said Connor, looking
round the room for the threat.
‘The spider!’
Connor felt a surge
of relief. He’d thought it was something deadly serious.
‘Hold still,’ he instructed,
grabbing her by the shoulders and searching her damp locks of hair for the intruder.
When he saw it, he jerked away. No wonder Amber was screaming – the spider’s body
was the size of a golf ball. Dark brown with spindly hairy legs and two prominent fangs,
it was fearsome enough to give anyone a heart attack.
Connor grabbed Amber’s hairbrush from
the shelf and batted the spider off before it could sink its fangs into her. The
creature scuttled across the tiles at a horrific speed. Amber yelped again and leapt
into the bath for safety.
Gunner ran in. ‘What’s going
on?’ demanded the ranger, looking between Connor and Amber, still dripping wet
from her shower.
‘Spider,’ explained Connor,
pointing to the
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