Authors: Fiona Palmer
‘I had a meeting today that finished early so I’m home to make dinner. I’m going to cook my famous steak, chips and eggs, if you are interested in staying?’ Mr Stewart cocked his thick eyebrows skyward. They were the same colour as his sandy blond hair, which was going grey at the sides near his sideburns. He looked a little on the thin side, which Jaz put down to stress and not eating well. The lines at the corner of his eyes made him appear tired. But his smile was just like Taylor’s and you couldn’t help but see the handsome similarities between father and son. Maybe now was a time to press him for some questions? But Jaz dismissed it straight away. She could not do that to Tay. It felt wrong and she didn’t like the idea of mixing her work with her ‘normal’ life.
‘Thanks, Mr Stewart. I will if that’s okay.’ Jaz paused to text her mum and let her know. ‘You staying?’ she asked Anna.
‘Yep, of course. Mum’s making her meatloaf.’ Anna pulled a face like she was going to throw up. ‘Totally not going home to that.’
Mr Stewart laughed at Anna as he pulled some meat out of the freezer. ‘Great. I’m glad you’re both staying. We love having you around. It’s good for Tay and it’s good for this house to have some laughter again.’
The sad smile on his face tugged at her heart. He must miss his wife every moment of the day.
‘Let us know if you need a hand,’ said Anna. ‘We’ll just be with Tay.’
‘I should be right. Unless you see lots of smoke,’ chuckled Mr Stewart.
Anna opened Tay’s door for her so she could swing her crutches straight in.
‘Hey,’ said Tay, jumping up from his bed.
To his credit, there were workbooks strewn across the bed but Jaz was dubious about him needing Anna’s help. Tay wasn’t exactly struggling at school.
‘So, how’s the study going?’ said Jaz, giving him a sly wink. Tay’s jaw flexed but he didn’t blush.
Tay checked his door was closed tight as he whispered. ‘Painfully. I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been dying to know if Ryan said anything?’
They all sat huddled on the bed.
‘He said as soon as I’m all better then we are going to follow your tag and see where he goes. Hopefully get some information,’ said Jaz.
‘I want to come too,’ said Anna.
Jaz frowned. Ryan would not like that at all.
‘I’m going. It’s my family they’re threatening so there’s no way I’m being left behind either,’ said Tay.
‘Ryan won’t like it.’ Jaz chewed her lip. ‘Maybe I could text you where we end up, but you’d have to stay back.’ She gave him her most stern expression.
‘We will,’ said Anna nodding vigorously.
‘Anna, I don’t think it’s a good idea—’ began Tay, but he was cut off.
‘You will not leave me out of this. I don’t care if it’s dangerous. You are my best friend, no one messes with my friends. Besides, I know how to fire a gun,’ Anna said, matter-of-fact.
‘Um, no one need take a gun,’ said Jaz. Shit, Ryan would kill her if he found out what these two were planning. ‘I’ll only text you where we are IF you promise to wait outside in the car. Let us handle it.’
‘Why do you get to go?’ asked Anna suddenly.
Jaz realised her mistake. ‘Um, only cos I know how Ryan works and I’ll be his eyes and backup.’ Anna squinted and Jaz waited for her to call her out on her lie.
‘I guess you do know how to fight. Damn, I wish I had some special skills,’ said Anna, dropping her head forward, causing her hair to drop around her face like curtains.
Tay leant against Anna, bumping her shoulder. ‘Hey, you do. What you can do with a computer leaves us for dead. Just look at how you saved Ryan’s arse by figuring out Pax’s secret computer stuff.’ Tay’s words put a smile on her face.
‘Yeah, I am pretty speckie, hey?’ Anna joked but didn’t smile. She gazed at them with big round eyes.
Jaz felt the guilt at lying to Anna gurgle in her stomach. Her friend knew they were keeping something from her but she didn’t pester them, which only made Jaz feel worse. She reached over and held Anna’s hand.
That night they sat around the table eating together like a family, and by the way Mr Stewart and Taylor smiled and laughed, Jaz knew it meant the world to them. Something they hadn’t had in a while. They told jokes in between Mr Stewart’s crazy cop stories from his early days. Tay hung on every word even though he’d probably heard them all before. It was more than likely the first time either of them had relaxed, knowing Tay and the house were being watched. It would be hard not to feel safe in your own house.
Afterwards Tay drove them both home, which seemed silly as they lived close by but her bad leg made the decision easy. Mr Stewart hugged them goodbye and came out to the street to watch them leave. But Jaz figured he was checking the area, scoping out any undesirables.
As Jaz headed up to her room, she thought back to six months ago when life just seemed plain and boring, when she was oblivious to the ugly side of life and still innocent when it came to death. Gosh, how times had changed.
With Ryan’s words echoing around in her mind, Jaz got down on the floor and did a set of push-ups and crunches to stay in shape. She needed to be ready to go as soon as possible. There were people to hunt.
***
The next day after school, Pax was waiting for her in his little red car to take Jaz to The Ring while Anna went to the library and Tay to basketball. It was the little bit of freedom from her friends she needed to get some work done with Pax. Although she wasn’t quite sure what work it would be exactly.
Pax parked out the front of the gym, which was weird as he always went around the back.
‘Okay, Jaz. I want you to walk into the gym and by the time I get back in there I want you to tell me all the things you notice that are different.’ Pax pushed up his glasses and grinned.
‘You’re having fun with this, aren’t you?’ she said with a smile.
‘It’s not often I get to be involved like this. Go on, I’ll meet you inside.’ Pax drove off and parked around the back while Jaz headed inside the white door.
Bags was inside working out on the speedball, sweat ran down his skin like a shower. Usually a telltale sign that the characters in his book weren’t doing what he wanted. But instead of asking him about it, Jaz focused on the inside of the gym.
She made a mental note of things that had been moved, removed or just seemed out of place.
‘Righto, how did you go? List them,’ said Pax, who’d come in through the office, puffing slightly. He had a clipboard and a pen.
‘Mohammad Ali’s photo isn’t straight, there is a strange bag by the window, a note stuck to the change room door, the back corner light isn’t working.’ Jaz’s eyes darted about as she listed all the things she could spot. She rattled off nine details in total while Pax’s pen moved across the page.
‘How did I go?’ she said quietly.
‘Great. Amazing, actually.’ Pax smiled as if she’d just won a marathon. ‘You got them all except the tape over the lock on the office door.’
‘Ah, yep. Am I allowed to move around? If I’d been closer I might have seen it.’
‘No,’ said Pax with a shake of his head. ‘You might only get this far into a room so you need to practise spotting things from a distance with just a glance. Ryan said every little detail could tell you something about what’s happened in the room. A stray bag could have something in it or belong to someone new. A moved picture could mean someone has been searching this room already, scratches or stuff around locks could mean a break-in … you get the gist. Now we’ll try this again but in the office.’
Jaz followed him feeling nervous, like she was taking a test that she wanted a hundred percent on. Pax waddled to the office in his jandals, shorts, patterned shirt and clipboard.
‘Now I’m going to lift this tea towel.’ Jaz frowned at the dirty green towel on the computer desk. ‘And you have two seconds to memorise all that you see before I cover it up again. Ready?’ said Pax.
The towel came off and Jaz started from one side and worked her way across, trying to take a mental picture of what she’d seen before Pax threw it over again.
‘Well?’
Jaz closed her eyes, to help her focus and began listing things. ‘Stapler, red pen, blue pen, three paper clips, an AC/DC CD, your glasses case, scissors, a post-it note with “get lunch” on it.’ Jaz opened her eyes. ‘And the gym keys.’
Pax’s eyebrows shot up. He didn’t say anything but pulled the tea towel off for her to check.
‘Ah bugger, it was four paper clips,’ said Jaz.
‘Shit,’ said Pax, who normally wasn’t one to swear. ‘How did you get all of them and what was written on the post-it note? I’ve been trying this all day and I’m the one who put it all there and I still couldn’t remember.’ He shook his head.
Jaz shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Too many spy movies,’ she teased. ‘I guess I already know how important it is to remember things from Ryan and how important all the small details are, like what’s written on notes. I’ve had practise at Marcus’s house too, Pax. Every time I step foot in there I’m looking at everything. Don’t feel too bad.’ She gave him a hug and breathed in deeply. ‘Is that pastry I smell?’ Jaz sniffed again, but closer to Pax. ‘It is! Pax! You know you’re not supposed to eat them. What if you have another heart attack?’ said Jaz, throwing her hands on her hips.
Pax turned a shade of pink. ‘I have been good, but what is life if I can’t have at least one now and then?’ He frowned.
It was hard to stay cross with his kind eyes seeking sympathy. ‘As long as it’s only one a week.’ Pax’s eyes shot to the left and she knew it wasn’t. ‘Pax, people are counting on you. If you get sick again, who is going to take over?’
‘Jaz, don’t fret. I’m as tough as old boot leather.’ He slapped his round belly.
‘I used to think that, Pax, until I found you slumped on the floor half dead. I can’t go through that again.’ She reached out for his arms and held them tight. ‘Please, look after yourself or else Anna and I will put a detail on your arse and watch everything that goes into your mouth.’ Jaz had a better thought. ‘Maybe you should start training Anna for the Agency work. Especially if you’re going to eat yourself into an early grave.’ Jaz was cross and she wanted to scare him because he’d scared the hell out of her by nearly dying.
‘Train me for what?’
Jaz and Pax turned around to find Anna standing behind them. All colour drained from Pax’s face.
‘Anyone wanna tell me what’s going on?’
‘It’s nothing,’ said Pax quickly.
‘He’s been eating pastries,’ said Jaz, hoping to shift the conversation.
Anna’s mouth dropped open. ‘PAX!’
He shot Jaz a furious glance.
Anna went and closed the office door, even though it was only Bags in the gym pounding the speedball. ‘But that wasn’t what you were talking about was it? That’s it. I think it’s time the truth came out, don’t you.’ Pax’s face was grim and his eye twitched slightly. ‘I want you to teach me what you do. I want to be involved. I want to help, I
know
I can help.’ Anna stood her ground, looking foreboding even in her school uniform.
Jaz tried to hide her smile. She was so proud of Anna. Her words were clear and strong, she wanted this on her own merit.
‘I … um don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Pax’s voice raised in pitch just as a line of sweat broke out on his brow.
‘You can’t fob me off, Pax. I know what you keep in your locked room and I know you are doing some important stuff.’ Anna stepped closer, her eyes narrowed.
‘How do you know—’
‘Who do you think finished Ryan’s special passport?’ said Anna.
Pax pushed up his glassed and swung around to Jaz accusingly. ‘I told you not to bring her into it!’ It was as close to a growl as Pax had ever come.
‘It wasn’t Jaz,’ said Anna. ‘I found your room long before that. You have some amazing gear in there and I want to use it.’
Anna didn’t mention the fake IDs she’d made them, which was probably a good thing right now. Pax was growing redder by the second and Jaz worried he might be having another heart attack. ‘Pax, are you okay?’ She gripped his shoulder and he released his held breath with a rush, his colour returned. He wasn’t taking this very well. ‘How about we take this into the kitchen and have a strong coffee. It’s time we all talked.’
No one disagreed, so they shuffled into his house. Anna and Pax sat opposite each other at the table while she made their coffees. It wasn’t until they each had their cup did Anna break the silence.
‘Can you tell me what exactly it is that you do, Pax? Please.’
Pax took a big scull of his coffee, wincing from the hotness, before he replied. ‘Do I have a choice? By the sounds of it, you know too much already.’ Anna waited patiently, her face set seriously. ‘Alright. I work for the government in a special secret branch. The MTG Agency, to give it a name but we just call it the Agency.’ He sighed, defeated. ‘I was recruited due to my computer skills to help make the necessary documents needed for the operatives or agents to carry out their missions.’
‘Missions? Like the one Ryan had to go on to Pakistan?’ said Anna.
He winced at the knowledge she had gained, everything he’d been trying to keep from her. Jaz felt sorry for him, but they were no longer little girls.
‘Yes,’ replied Pax. ‘Often I have to make a whole new identity for someone. I travel a lot, keep up to date with the latest technology and do special drops for documents. Years ago things were a lot simpler, but with the way technology changes it’s hard to keep on top of it, for an old man like me.’
Anna leant forward, her coffee forgotten and her brow set in concentration. ‘So then teach me. I’m ready, my mind is sharp. I want this, Pax. I want the challenge.’
But he was already shaking his head. ‘I can’t have you involved, Anna. It’s dangerous work. It’s bad enough that Jaz is involved.’
Oops. Jaz nearly choked on her coffee.
Anna’s eyes popped. ‘Jaz. What?’
Jaz smiled as if she’d just been caught eating the last chocolate biscuit. ‘Sorry Anna. I really wanted to tell you but I couldn’t. Guess I don’t have to now, thanks Pax.’ Her shock was soon replaced by relief. Her friend now knew and she hadn’t betrayed Ryan or the Agency.