The Lethal Target(17)

Robbie looked at Jake in alarm, but Rona’s look continued to be angry and defiant.

‘Yes, we are! And proud of it!’ she said.

Robbie still looked uncomfortable.

‘How did you know?’ he demanded.

‘Because being a Watcher is handed down through generations, and your uncle didn’t have children of his own, so it makes sense for it to be passed on to you.’

Robbie regarded Jake suspiciously.

‘Are you a Watcher?’ he asked.

‘No,’ said Jake, shaking his head. ‘But I know a Watcher down south. She told me.’

‘She wasn’t supposed to,’ said Robbie.

‘She said I was in danger,’ explained Jake. ‘She did it to save my life.’ Then he added with a slightly embarrassed smile. ‘She thought I was one of the good guys.’

‘And are you?’ demanded Rona. ‘One of the good guys?’

‘I think I am,’ said Jake. ‘That’s why we’re here. To stop the Russians getting hold of the book.’

Inside he felt guilty because he didn’t add the whole truth, that he and Lauren still wanted the book to bring the whole business of the hidden library out into the open. But if he told them that, they’d close up against him.

‘How do we know we can trust you?’ asked Robbie, still wary.

‘You don’t,’ admitted Jake. ‘But I’ve told you why we’re here, and that we know about the hidden books of Malichea.’

‘So?’ challenged Robbie. ‘You could be working for someone else who wants the book.’

‘True.’ Jake nodded. ‘But you can check me out with your senior Watchers. They’ll tell you that I’m definitely not working for anyone with bad intentions.’ Changing tack, he asked: ‘Do your parents know about you two being Watchers?’

‘Of course,’ said Rona. ‘It’s in the family. They were pleased we decided to carry it on.’

‘But we failed,’ said Robbie bitterly.

‘No we haven’t,’ said Rona fiercely. ‘The Russians haven’t found it yet!’

‘But you two know where it is,’ said Jake.

This time, the brother and sister looked at one another cautiously, then Rona said warily, ‘We don’t know you.’

They were interrupted by Mrs MacClain calling from inside: ‘Robbie! Rona! Where are you?’

‘We have to go,’ said Robbie. He touched his sister on the shoulder. ‘You OK?’ he asked.

Rona nodded and stood up, wiping her eyes and her face with her sleeve.

‘I’ll be fine,’ she said. She turned to Jake. ‘Maybe we’ll talk to you later.’

‘I hope so,’ said Jake.





Chapter 11



Jake went back into the guest house. He headed towards the lounge, but saw the door was shut and a handwritten notice had been stuck to it saying: Private. He wondered if Lauren was still in there, being questioned. Then he heard her voice from behind him call out, ‘Jake!’

He turned and saw that she had just come downstairs.

‘Where have you been?’ she asked.

‘Talking to Robbie and Rona,’ said Jake. He told her about their conversation. When he finished, he could see that Lauren wasn’t happy.

‘You lied to them,’ she said accusingly.

‘No I didn’t,’ he defended himself. ‘I just didn’t tell them the whole story.’

‘You didn’t tell them that we plan to use the book to tell the world about the Order of Malichea,’ said Lauren. ‘And that’s exactly what the Watchers were set up to stop. Their job is to keep the books hidden.’

‘Until the time is right for the information to come out,’ countered Jake. ‘Maybe now is the right time?’

Lauren didn’t appear convinced.

‘You lied to them,’ she repeated. ‘You led them to believe that we want the books kept hidden, the same way they do.’

‘I was trying to get them on our side,’ protested Jake.

‘By lying to them,’ insisted Lauren. ‘If we go down that road, we’ll be as bad as Pierce Randall. Pretending to be one thing, all public-spirited, but in reality wanting the books for our own ends.’

‘Well, it may look that way . . .’ began Jake defensively.

‘It doesn’t just look that way, it is that way,’ Lauren told him firmly. She sighed. ‘We have to forget this one.’

‘What?’ exploded Jake.

‘We know there’ll be other books,’ said Lauren. ‘We’ve already had our hands on two.’

‘And lost both of them!’ said Jake bitterly.

‘Ask yourself: what’s this one about? How to create spontaneous human combustion! How many people’s lives will this science save?’ She shook her head. ‘No, we have to let this one go.’