be talking first thing, young man.’
A pulse of irritation flickered through me at the thought of goody-goody Ed grassing on me. I was about to explain that, apart from a few sips of beer, I’d drunk nothing stronger than Coca-cola all evening, when it occurred to me I’d much rather defer Fergus’s ‘talk’ until morning, if I possibly could.
Fergus insisted that I handed over my winnings. I gave him the two fifty-pound notes without protesting, then made my way, soggily, up to bed. The dorm was empty. It was still only nine-thirty on a Saturday night, after all. I took my clothes off and crawled under the covers. I closed my eyes, but could still see Ketty’s angry face. I screwed my eyes tighter shut, feeling tears prick against the lids. A huge sob welled up from my guts but I forced it back, just as my mobile rang from my trouser pocket.
Was that her?
I leaned out of bed and fished out the phone. Jack calling. I hesitated before answering. Frankly, I didn’t care if I ever spoke to Jack again. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have lost Ketty.
I answered on the sixth ring.
‘Nico, my man.’ Jack sounded cheerful and breezy. ‘I won’t keep you, as I’m sure you’d rather be with Ketty than—’
‘I’m not with Ketty,’ I interrupted, my anger rising again. ‘Thanks to you, she hates me.’
‘What?’ Jack sucked in his breath.
I explained, briefly, what had happened after we left the bar. ‘You were wrong about her seeing me as some sort of hero,’ I went on, bitterly. ‘And you were wrong about Ed keeping quiet, as well – he came straight back to school and told Fergus everything.’
‘ What? ’ Jack snarled. ‘And what’s that idiot going to do?’
‘I don’t know,’ I stammered, shocked by the sudden fury in his voice. It might be okay for me to say Fergus was an idiot, but it didn’t feel right when Jack did it. I took a deep breath. ‘Anyway, I guess I’ll find out tomorrow. Fergus says he wants to talk to me in the morning. And I don’t think he’s planning on raising my allowance.’
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
‘Jesus Christ,’ Jack said through gritted teeth. ‘I had no idea either Edward or Ketty would react like they have.’
‘Yeah, well . . .’ I tailed off.
More silence.
‘Jack?’
‘I’m just thinking,’ he said, sounding a little calmer than before, ‘. . . about you talking to Fergus.’
‘What about it?’ I sighed inwardly. No doubt Jack was going to suggest I concealed as much as possible about Geri Paterson and the demonstration she’d just forced me and Ed to give.
‘I think you should tell Fergus everything,’ Jack went on.
I sat up, surprised. ‘Really?’
‘Yes. I feel very guilty that, thanks to me, there’s a wedge being driven between the two of you.’
I frowned. Jack didn’t sound like he felt guilty.
‘Well, we weren’t exactly close before,’ I said.
‘Still, I was wrong to encourage you to keep secrets from your stepdad.’ Jack paused. ‘There’s only one thing I’d appreciate you not mentioning . . .’
‘What’s that?’
‘The fact that we’re looking for the fourth person with the Medusa gene.’
‘You mean Viper?’ I said, remembering the code name Geri had told Ed and me about earlier.
‘Yes. Whatever you think of me you have to understand that my only objective is to help you and the others come to terms with your gift. That’s what Geri wants too – she might be an overbearing, control freak with too much power at her disposal, but she’s not a bad person . She wants to help. And if Fergus knows we’re looking for Viper, he might take steps to make sure we never reach her.’
‘Tell me who you and Geri work for,’ I said.
‘I can’t right now, not over the phone,’ Jack insisted. ‘It’s too complicated. But I promise I’ll tell you soon.’
I thought about what Jack was asking. He had a point – whatever else he’d done, he had certainly
A pulse of irritation flickered through me at the thought of goody-goody Ed grassing on me. I was about to explain that, apart from a few sips of beer, I’d drunk nothing stronger than Coca-cola all evening, when it occurred to me I’d much rather defer Fergus’s ‘talk’ until morning, if I possibly could.
Fergus insisted that I handed over my winnings. I gave him the two fifty-pound notes without protesting, then made my way, soggily, up to bed. The dorm was empty. It was still only nine-thirty on a Saturday night, after all. I took my clothes off and crawled under the covers. I closed my eyes, but could still see Ketty’s angry face. I screwed my eyes tighter shut, feeling tears prick against the lids. A huge sob welled up from my guts but I forced it back, just as my mobile rang from my trouser pocket.
Was that her?
I leaned out of bed and fished out the phone. Jack calling. I hesitated before answering. Frankly, I didn’t care if I ever spoke to Jack again. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have lost Ketty.
I answered on the sixth ring.
‘Nico, my man.’ Jack sounded cheerful and breezy. ‘I won’t keep you, as I’m sure you’d rather be with Ketty than—’
‘I’m not with Ketty,’ I interrupted, my anger rising again. ‘Thanks to you, she hates me.’
‘What?’ Jack sucked in his breath.
I explained, briefly, what had happened after we left the bar. ‘You were wrong about her seeing me as some sort of hero,’ I went on, bitterly. ‘And you were wrong about Ed keeping quiet, as well – he came straight back to school and told Fergus everything.’
‘ What? ’ Jack snarled. ‘And what’s that idiot going to do?’
‘I don’t know,’ I stammered, shocked by the sudden fury in his voice. It might be okay for me to say Fergus was an idiot, but it didn’t feel right when Jack did it. I took a deep breath. ‘Anyway, I guess I’ll find out tomorrow. Fergus says he wants to talk to me in the morning. And I don’t think he’s planning on raising my allowance.’
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
‘Jesus Christ,’ Jack said through gritted teeth. ‘I had no idea either Edward or Ketty would react like they have.’
‘Yeah, well . . .’ I tailed off.
More silence.
‘Jack?’
‘I’m just thinking,’ he said, sounding a little calmer than before, ‘. . . about you talking to Fergus.’
‘What about it?’ I sighed inwardly. No doubt Jack was going to suggest I concealed as much as possible about Geri Paterson and the demonstration she’d just forced me and Ed to give.
‘I think you should tell Fergus everything,’ Jack went on.
I sat up, surprised. ‘Really?’
‘Yes. I feel very guilty that, thanks to me, there’s a wedge being driven between the two of you.’
I frowned. Jack didn’t sound like he felt guilty.
‘Well, we weren’t exactly close before,’ I said.
‘Still, I was wrong to encourage you to keep secrets from your stepdad.’ Jack paused. ‘There’s only one thing I’d appreciate you not mentioning . . .’
‘What’s that?’
‘The fact that we’re looking for the fourth person with the Medusa gene.’
‘You mean Viper?’ I said, remembering the code name Geri had told Ed and me about earlier.
‘Yes. Whatever you think of me you have to understand that my only objective is to help you and the others come to terms with your gift. That’s what Geri wants too – she might be an overbearing, control freak with too much power at her disposal, but she’s not a bad person . She wants to help. And if Fergus knows we’re looking for Viper, he might take steps to make sure we never reach her.’
‘Tell me who you and Geri work for,’ I said.
‘I can’t right now, not over the phone,’ Jack insisted. ‘It’s too complicated. But I promise I’ll tell you soon.’
I thought about what Jack was asking. He had a point – whatever else he’d done, he had certainly
Similar Books
