The Gathering: Quantum Prophecy 2 by Michael Carroll

Author:Michael Carroll [Carroll, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Puffin Books
Published: 2009-04-01T15:00:00+00:00

16

COLIN AND DANNY WERE IN SAKKARA’S gym, taking turns halfheartedly tossing a basketball through a loop Colin had tied in one of the ropes.

Colin knew that he could make every shot, but he deliberately missed a few: Danny was finding it difficult enough to even pick up the ball.

“This is the worst Christmas Day ever!” Danny said. “My mum and Niall are in some safe house God-knows-where, there are no presents, no decorations and no nice food. And Renata’s gone. I hope she’s going to be OK.”

The ball bounced back to Colin and he caught it left-handed. “I’m sure she will be. She’s able to look after herself.” Go on, Colin urged himself. Say it! “So, um, you and her are…Well, what’s happening there? Are you going out together or what?” He threw the ball at the loop.

“Close one…No, we’re not,” Danny said. “But…I get the feeling that something might happen.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that she’s really twenty-four?”

“No she’s not. She was frozen for ten years! Physically and mentally she’s only fourteen.” He sighed. “She likes me, I know that much.”

“So does Mina.” Colin sighed. “Just once I wish some girl would show some interest in me.”

“What about Stephanie? She’s always teasing you. And it’s pretty clear that you’re crazy about her.”

Colin hesitated. “Clear to you or clear to everyone?”

“Everyone.” Danny trapped the basketball with his foot, then leaned over to slip his hand under it: it was the only way he could pick up the ball.

“There’s just no way a girl like her would go for someone like me,” Colin said.

“Well, you know how to find out, don’t you? When they all get back from the safe house, you could ask her.”

“I can’t do that! What if she said no?”

“What if she said yes?”

“She wouldn’t say yes.”

“Then forget about her.”

“I don’t think I can.”

Danny raised his eyes. “God, that’s pathetic, Col.” He spun the ball on one finger. “Hey, I can still do this!”

“Suppose I do ask her out,” Colin said, “and she says no and then tells everyone and laughs about it?”

“Would you go out with the sort of person who would do something like that?”

“Well, no.”

“Do you think Stephanie is that sort of person?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. Probably not.”

“There you are, then. Just ask her!”

“Or I could get Renata to ask her,” Colin said thoughtfully.

“Yeah, but—”

The alarm sounded. They jumped to their feet and ran toward Ops. As they rushed into the room, Caroline was speaking into the communicator, “No way to tell whether it’s the same people. A large black copter, coming out of nowhere…Strafing the railway carriages.”

Paragon’s voice replied, “Doesn’t matter whether it’s them or not. Whoever it is has got to be stopped.”

Josh turned to Colin. “Get to the roof! Now!”

Façade was running toward the StratoTruck as Colin emerged on to the roof. “What’s going on?” Colin asked.

They climbed into the vehicle and Façade began the start-up sequence. “Strap yourself in. We’ve just got a report of an unmarked black helicopter attacking the industrial railway station five miles north of here.

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