lifeguard was sprinting over, calling the police on his walkie-talkie. A group of beach bums were applauding Ling’s fighting skills as she made her way up the steps. The blond surfer near Chloe was kneeling beside his board, checking it for damage.
But the two skaters had vanished.
So too had the white pickup truck.
‘That was no random mugging,’ said Connor, nursing his lip with a bag of ice from the hotel’s minibar. Having called Mr Sterling’s chauffeur, they’d escorted the girls back to their home, a gated mansion on Point Piper. Then the two of them had been dropped off at their hotel in Circular Quay.
‘Thieves often work in pairs,’ Ling observed as she settled back on her bed and flicked through the TV channels.
‘Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious that
both
the girls were attacked?’
Ling shrugged. ‘Not really. They were carrying expensive designer handbags. That made them a target. Hey, cool, a Bruce Lee movie!’ She tossed aside the remote.
Connor set down his bag of ice. ‘How can you be so relaxed about all of this?’
‘We stopped them. Job done,’ said Ling, folding her arms behind her head and focusing on the TV screen. ‘Now stop worrying and watch the film.’
‘I disagree. There’s
everything
to be worried about. It can’t be coincidence. The attack had to be planned. Whatabout those men in the pickup truck? Perhaps my instinct was right. Maybe they were carrying out surveillance on us?’
Ling glanced over. ‘For what purpose?’
‘To test our skills.’
Ling sat up and muted the TV. ‘Are you suggesting that Mr Sterling would have his own daughters
mugged
?’
Connor nodded. ‘Either that, or someone else has a personal grudge against the girls. If it’s the latter, then we have a real problem on our hands.’
There was a knock at the door. Connor got up, checked the peephole, then unlocked the latch.
Colonel Black strode in and switched off the TV. ‘I’ve just come off the phone with Mr Sterling.’
Connor braced himself for the fallout. Although they’d protected the girls, he knew he’d been slow to react. That stupid dropbear prank of Jason’s had distracted him at the crucial moment. If he’d been switched on and in Code Yellow, he would have noticed the skater’s approach, questioned his diversion from the cycle track and taken action to remove Emily from the danger zone
before
the attack. Only Ling’s speedy intervention had stopped the skater escaping with her bag.
‘So what did he say?’ Ling prompted.
Colonel Black offered one of his rare smiles. ‘He was delighted with your reactions today.’
Relieved, Connor slammed a fist into his palm. ‘I told you!’
The colonel’s brow knotted with puzzlement. ‘What are you talking about?’
Connor explained his suspicions regarding the mugging being a set-up job.
Colonel Black glanced out of the hotel window at the opera house and rubbed his chin. ‘You’ve no firm proof. And, judging by my conversation with Mr Sterling, I’d be surprised. So we must assume a hostile party is involved. Could you identify the men?’
‘The two skaters, yes. Mine had a distinctive lion tattoo on his arm,’ replied Connor.
‘And I won’t easily forget how bad my guy’s breath smelt!’ said Ling, waving a hand in front of her pinched nose.
‘But the men in the truck, no,’ Connor admitted. ‘Their bandanas and shades covered most of their faces.’
‘Then this is our wake-up call,’ said Colonel Black, fixing them with his flint-grey eyes. ‘Operation Gemini has to be watertight. In the Seychelles, you’ll be surrounded by sunscreen and bikinis, but you must remain focused on the job. Remember, you are
not
on holiday.’
Mr WiFi whistled in admiration as he examined the
Orchid
’s specifications online. ‘This is one fine yacht: fifty metres of pure French style and craftsmanship.’
He scrolled down the page, his small rounded eyes sucking in the
But the two skaters had vanished.
So too had the white pickup truck.
‘That was no random mugging,’ said Connor, nursing his lip with a bag of ice from the hotel’s minibar. Having called Mr Sterling’s chauffeur, they’d escorted the girls back to their home, a gated mansion on Point Piper. Then the two of them had been dropped off at their hotel in Circular Quay.
‘Thieves often work in pairs,’ Ling observed as she settled back on her bed and flicked through the TV channels.
‘Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious that
both
the girls were attacked?’
Ling shrugged. ‘Not really. They were carrying expensive designer handbags. That made them a target. Hey, cool, a Bruce Lee movie!’ She tossed aside the remote.
Connor set down his bag of ice. ‘How can you be so relaxed about all of this?’
‘We stopped them. Job done,’ said Ling, folding her arms behind her head and focusing on the TV screen. ‘Now stop worrying and watch the film.’
‘I disagree. There’s
everything
to be worried about. It can’t be coincidence. The attack had to be planned. Whatabout those men in the pickup truck? Perhaps my instinct was right. Maybe they were carrying out surveillance on us?’
Ling glanced over. ‘For what purpose?’
‘To test our skills.’
Ling sat up and muted the TV. ‘Are you suggesting that Mr Sterling would have his own daughters
mugged
?’
Connor nodded. ‘Either that, or someone else has a personal grudge against the girls. If it’s the latter, then we have a real problem on our hands.’
There was a knock at the door. Connor got up, checked the peephole, then unlocked the latch.
Colonel Black strode in and switched off the TV. ‘I’ve just come off the phone with Mr Sterling.’
Connor braced himself for the fallout. Although they’d protected the girls, he knew he’d been slow to react. That stupid dropbear prank of Jason’s had distracted him at the crucial moment. If he’d been switched on and in Code Yellow, he would have noticed the skater’s approach, questioned his diversion from the cycle track and taken action to remove Emily from the danger zone
before
the attack. Only Ling’s speedy intervention had stopped the skater escaping with her bag.
‘So what did he say?’ Ling prompted.
Colonel Black offered one of his rare smiles. ‘He was delighted with your reactions today.’
Relieved, Connor slammed a fist into his palm. ‘I told you!’
The colonel’s brow knotted with puzzlement. ‘What are you talking about?’
Connor explained his suspicions regarding the mugging being a set-up job.
Colonel Black glanced out of the hotel window at the opera house and rubbed his chin. ‘You’ve no firm proof. And, judging by my conversation with Mr Sterling, I’d be surprised. So we must assume a hostile party is involved. Could you identify the men?’
‘The two skaters, yes. Mine had a distinctive lion tattoo on his arm,’ replied Connor.
‘And I won’t easily forget how bad my guy’s breath smelt!’ said Ling, waving a hand in front of her pinched nose.
‘But the men in the truck, no,’ Connor admitted. ‘Their bandanas and shades covered most of their faces.’
‘Then this is our wake-up call,’ said Colonel Black, fixing them with his flint-grey eyes. ‘Operation Gemini has to be watertight. In the Seychelles, you’ll be surrounded by sunscreen and bikinis, but you must remain focused on the job. Remember, you are
not
on holiday.’
Mr WiFi whistled in admiration as he examined the
Orchid
’s specifications online. ‘This is one fine yacht: fifty metres of pure French style and craftsmanship.’
He scrolled down the page, his small rounded eyes sucking in the
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