Meteorite Strike (26 page)

The sun came out, warming them despite the sea breeze. Waves rolled around the massive pillars of rock known as the Apostles, sending up crashing sprays of foam. The noise was deafening. Moments later, Wei and Louise came running with a handful of iced lollies from the gift shop at the edge of the car park.

“The woman in the gift shop gave us these,” Louise explained breathlessly. “She started asking questions about the truck, so we told her we're on a day trip from the medical base.”

“Very smart,” Sarah said as Wei handed a lolly each to her and Robert before running over to the twins.

“What are we going to do, Sarah?” Robert asked finally.

She looked out to sea. It was the question that had been haunting her since they'd left Esperinka.
What are we going to do?
she thought.

“We stay together,” she decided. “Rachel was right. We do hold the secret to a cure and we can save Daniel and the others. But we're going to do it on our terms, not HIDRA's. People will want our power, so we've got to be careful who we trust.”

“We need to find Louise and Wei's parents,” Robert added.

Sarah nodded. “We'll find them, and we'll find the cure for them too.”

The phone in her hands vibrated and she opened a new message: LETS MEET. She snapped the phone shut and put it in her pocket. Robert looked at her questioningly.

“Think we've got a buyer,” she said and immediately felt another pang of doubt, but she didn't let it show this time. She'd made her decision to use the diamonds and would follow it through – there was no use in worrying Robert. She changed the subject by placing a hand on his shoulder and saying, “I'm glad you finally found your power. It's pretty cool.”

Robert smiled, throwing his arms around her unexpectedly.
I'm glad too
, he said, just before he disappeared from her arms, reappearing ten metres up the beach.
But I bet you can't catch me!

Checking no one was watching from the cliff tops, Sarah chased after him with a laugh and soon the others joined in as well, even Octavio. As the waves crashed, they chased up and down the beach happily. Robert teleported from one spot to another and Nestor whipped up the sand in great clouds.

Finally, exhausted, they fell down on the sand and watched the sun set slowly in the west.

Epilogue

The HIDRA staff car pulled onto the deserted sixth level of the multi-storey car park and circled round in the middle before stopping. In the driver's seat Lieutenant Kaminski scanned the area unhappily and turned to the passenger in the back.

“I don't like this, Colonel,” he said. “Something's wrong.”

Rachel Andersen put her hand on the door. “Just keep the engine running.”

Kaminski held out a dart-gun in her direction, handle-first. “Just a precaution, ma'am.”

“If I'm carrying that, I really will be in danger,” Rachel replied with a shake of her head.

She stepped out of the vehicle, pulling her coat tight against the chill of the night air. Glancing around, she saw what she was looking for – a white X chalked on one of the support pillars. The lights beyond had been knocked out, creating an area of darkness that was hard to penetrate even with her keen eyes. She walked in that direction.

“Hold it!” a familiar voice called from the shadows. “That's far enough, Colonel.”

Rachel stopped and held up her hands. “Sarah?”

“So, you're military now?” Sarah responded, emerging from the darkness. “Just like Colonel Moss.”

Rachel shook her head. “Just an honorary title as I'm still a civilian. They put me in charge of HIDRA operations in the Asia–Pacific region. Under my command, the soldiers answer to the scientists.”

“For now,” Sarah added, studying Rachel closely.

“My superiors have learned their lesson,” she said. “Moss has been flown back to Europe under guard. He's going to be court-martialled.”

Sarah frowned. “I doubt that very much and so do you. They'll bury the story. Make him disappear.”

Rachel realized that there would be no hiding things from Sarah now. Her mind was an open book to the girl.

“HIDRA can't afford to be associated with a madman like Colonel Moss,” Rachel admitted. “But I promise he'll be locked up where he can never harm anyone again.”

“And HIDRA goes on as normal.”

“We're the only ones in a position to fight the fall virus,” Rachel insisted. “We contained it here in Australia, but what if another meteorite lands near a city? We've also just heard about the outbreak of a fall-like virus in a remote part of Russia – origin unknown. This isn't over. You and the others hold the key to the cure. You need to come in with me…”

Sarah shook her head slowly. Rachel sensed the presence of others standing in the shadows for the first time – the five other children listening to their conversation intently.

“You must help us!” Rachel protested, looking around the darkness.

Sarah gestured behind her and was handed an object – a red, plastic case. She bent down and slid it across the ground to Rachel.

“We want to find a cure just as much as you do,” Sarah said as Rachel picked it up. “We'll help, but want some things in return.”

Rachel opened the case. Inside were six vials – each containing a blood sample and labelled neatly with the name of a different member of Sarah's group. Rachel pulled out the one marked
Louise
and wondered how they'd managed to…

“We used the blood tester kits from the truck you gave us.” Sarah answered her question before it was voiced. “Those samples should keep you going for now. Plenty of information for your people to process.”

Rachel nodded. The snapshot of the evolving virus the samples would provide would be invaluable. She replaced the vial and closed the lid of the case.

“What do you want?” she asked. “Money?”

Sarah smiled, as if the question was a stupid one. “We're doing just fine, thanks. What we need is information. Like what happened to Louise and Wei's parents for a start.”

“Moss and his men displaced a lot of people,” Rachel replied. “We're still trying to piece together everything they covered up—”

“Then try harder,” Sarah interrupted forcefully.

Rachel nodded. “How will I—”

“We'll contact you,” Sarah replied. She tapped her forehead. “Until then, we'll be listening. If we find out HIDRA is pursuing the weapons programme with those samples, you'll answer to us.”

She stepped back into the shadows and Rachel sensed the others moving away.

“Wait!” she exclaimed. “There's something else – my men never located Major Bright's body in the desert.”

Sarah looked back and nodded. “We know,” she said. “There's a chance he's still out there. But when we find him, you'll be the first to know…”

Rachel moved forward quickly, reaching out to the girl. “Sarah, come back with me…”

Sarah held up a warning hand. “Louise!”

The front and back tires of the HIDRA car exploded simultaneously. Kaminski jumped from the vehicle, a weapon in his hand. Rachel turned and waved him away.

“Lieutenant, stay where you are! Sarah, it's okay.”

But when Rachel turned back, she sensed only darkness before her. Sarah and the others had melted away into the night.

With a sigh of resignation, Rachel tucked the case of blood samples under her arm and walked through the shadows to the low wall overlooking the night sky of Melbourne. In the distance an ambulance siren howled through deserted streets. The drone of a helicopter sounded overhead and Rachel watched its lights travel through the night sky in the direction of the new HIDRA base on the outskirts of the city, wondering if it was one of theirs. She turned her attention back to the streets.

Sarah and the others were out there somewhere.

“Good luck,” she said, before turning and walking back to the car.

A freak virus released by a meteorite storm has given
Sarah, Robert and their friends amazing superpowers.
But such powers are both a blessing and a curse…
Deadly meteorites are heading to earth, but mysterious
Russian billionaire Nikolai Makarov seems gleeful.
What is his secret and can the group of friends
thwart his master plan?

ANOTHER STUNNING ADVENTURE FROM A. G. TAYLOR,

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONE'S CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE

Paperback ISBN: 9781409520184

epub ISBN: 9781409532033

Kindle ISBN: 9781409532040

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