Mutation by Chris Morphew Page B

without swinging out on the rope again.
    Which meant they had to be right where we were standing when Luke had seen the cave. Right on top of all of our bags and clothes.
    Close enough for me to make out their voices.
    â€˜Sir,’ called one of the guards. ‘Found something over here.’
    My fingernails dug into the ground.
    No.
    Quiet from across the water.
    When the other guard spoke, he sounded unimpressed.
    â€˜A shirt.’
    â€˜Give it to me,’ Calvin barked.
    More quiet.
    Adrenaline coursed through my body, fuelling me up to run away or fight. Useless energy when I couldn’t do either.
    Finally, Calvin spoke again. ‘It’s not theirs.’
    â€˜Sir – How do you know?’
    â€˜Look at it,’ Calvin spat. ‘It’s enormous.’
    Tank, I realised.
    I glanced over my shoulder, half-tempted to go back there and kill him myself.
    â€˜Sir,’ said the guard who’d spotted the shirt, ‘there’s a boy in their year who’s probably about this –’
    â€˜I’m aware of that,’ said Calvin.
    â€˜Yes, sir. Maybe he was with them.’
    â€˜Obviously he was with them.’
    The officer seemed to sense that Calvin was losing patience. ‘Yes, sir,’ he tried again. ‘Obviously – But – Maybe he was helping them.’
    â€˜No,’ said Calvin, and now it sounded like he was talking to himself. ‘No, they know better than that.’
    He paused again.
    I felt my stomach twist with every break in the conversation, terrified that one of them had noticed the cave.
    â€˜Sir,’ the officer said slowly, ‘this would be a lot easier if you told us what you think these children are up to.’
    â€˜Making your life easy is not a priority of mine, Miller,’ said Calvin coldly.
    â€˜No, sir.’
    I waited to hear Calvin’s next orders, but the conversation seemed to be over. Whatever they were doing now, they were doing it quietly.
    In my head, I saw Calvin pressing a finger to his lips. Pointing out to the cave. Stepping into the water. Waving at his men to follow.
    I forced myself to focus, listening for any splashing in the lake.
    Nothing.
    Nothing, for what seemed like forever.
    And then I saw them.
    Over on the opposite shore, walking back the way they had come.
    They were leaving.
    I pulled my body up a bit higher, shifting around to track their path around the lake.
    Calvin and his men were almost back at our picnic site now. Almost gone.
    Then Calvin stopped.
    He turned, staring across at the rock face.
    I shrank back into the shadows.
    Calvin watched the rocks, like he knew he was missing something. Looking nearly straight at me.
    Then he moved on again, leading the others away into the bush.

Chapter 14

    T HURSDAY , J UNE 18
56 DAYS
    I found Luke waiting in line at the bakery the next morning. He looked wrecked. The stress of yesterday would’ve been more than enough to explain it, but I knew that wasn’t the reason. I’d seen that battered look before – usually early in the morning, and always when he thought no-one was watching.
    He’d been up thinking about his dad again.
    Mourning. Worse than mourning.
    Everything we knew told us Luke’s dad had been tracked down in Sydney and killed. But what if he hadn’t? What if he’d somehow managed to escape whoever Shackleton had sent after him? How long could Luke keep holding onto that hope?
    â€˜Hey,’ I said, hopping off my bike and joining the line behind him. ‘You all right?’
    Luke thought about it. ‘Alive,’ he said. He nodded at the counter in front of us. ‘You want anything?’
    â€˜I’ll get it,’ I said, reaching for my purse. ‘We’re already even.’
    â€˜Jordan, seriously, it’s the end of the world,’ said Luke. ‘Tell me what you want for breakfast.’
    I negotiated him down to a hot chocolate, and we wandered up the