‘How do they get things in and out of the lab?’ Kensy asked.

Hector showed her the device which served as a dumb waiter, sliding back and forth through the wall.

‘I think I can fit in there,’ Kensy said.

Max shook his head. ‘What if it’s sealed on the other side?’

‘We have to try,’ Kensy said. She wasn’t relishing the thought of tucking herself into a ball and being pushed through a thick concrete wall, but there was no other way.

Marisol clutched the girl’s arm. ‘No, you mustn’t go,’ she said vehemently. ‘They will kill you.’

‘I have to,’ Kensy said. She looked to Max for support. The boy took his grandmother’s hand in his and squeezed it.

‘Good luck, ma chérie,’ Marisol whispered, and kissed Kensy’s forehead.

Kensy flicked on her torch as the box moved slowly towards its destination. If there was anyone waiting for her on the other side she was in big trouble, but to her surprise the panel slid up and she found herself in what looked like a control room.

Kensy unfurled herself and stared at a large screen. She studied the diagram and hoped with every fibre of her being that she was about to make the right choice. Her finger hovered over the green button for a moment, then she bit the bullet and pressed it. Seconds later, a panel slid away and she came face to face with her grandparents and Max.

‘Come on!’ Kensy hissed as they rushed through. She flew up the ladder and through an open trapdoor with the others behind her, then came to a screeching halt at the top. ‘Nick,’ she breathed.

The man looked at her in surprise. ‘What are you doing here?’ he demanded. ‘How did you get in?’

‘You know you work for a monster,’ Kensy said. She hopped off the top rung and slowly walked towards the man.

‘Turn around and go back downstairs,’ Nick ordered. ‘NOW!’

Kensy inched along the wall of the office, trying to distract him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Max hop over the top of the ladder too and then her grandparents. ‘I’m not going anywhere, but you will be – straight to prison when the police arrive.’

Nick lunged at the girl, but Max was ready. He charged at the man, sending him sideways. Hector grabbed Marisol’s hand and the two of them scurried across the room as Kensy spun around and landed a heavy kick to Nick’s stomach. She lined up for another, except this time he managed to grab her by the foot and fling her away.

‘Kensy!’ Max yelled, running to his sister’s aid. He delivered a blow to Nick’s kneecap, aggravating an old football injury, which had the man moaning in agony. Max looked for something to defend himself. He spotted an open toolbox, but before he could reach it, Nick grabbed Max’s leg and began pulling him towards the trapdoor.

‘Oh, no, you don’t,’ Max said, suddenly remembering his glasses. He pressed the logo on the side and a reticle appeared on the lens in front of his left eye. He zeroed in on Nick with the crosshairs and pressed the logo again, this time firing a tiny poison dart straight into the man’s neck.

‘Ow!’ Nick swatted at the microscopic device, but the effects were immediate. He stood up and staggered forwards until he fell through the open hatch and onto the concrete floor below.

‘Oh my word.’ Marisol’s eyes were huge as she watched her grandchildren in action.

Kensy looked at the two biohazard cases near the door. ‘What about these?’

‘Bring them with us,’ Hector said. ‘But be very careful.’

‘Quickly, someone’s coming,’ Max said. He guided Kensy and his grandparents to the other end of the shed. It was Dash, returning to collect the next two cases. He soon realised they weren’t there.

‘Nick! Hurry up. I’ve got to meet the plane in thirty minutes,’ he shouted.

Hector, Marisol and the twins were hiding behind a tractor. Who knew what Dash might do when he worked out what had happened?

Outside, Curtis hadn’t dared to move. He was soaked to the bone, his hair plastered across his face. He poked his head out around the back of the car and was shocked to see the man from the ferry and the blonde woman were making a run for the shed.

‘Nick! Where are you?’ Dash peered into the opening and recoiled when he saw the man lying unconscious at the bottom. He looked around in confusion, then scampered down the ladder and grabbed another container. He didn’t stop to check if Nick was still alive – there were far more important things on his mind.

‘Hello?’ a woman’s voice echoed through the shed.

‘Lucy! What the heck are you doing here and why haven’t you been answering your phone?’ Dash demanded, as he exited the office with the case.

‘Who’s that?’ Kensy whispered.

Max peered out just far enough to see that it was Dash’s assistant. But then he spotted the man from the ferry lurking in the shadows, out of sight, with something in his hand. ‘It’s Lucy,’ Max whispered, ‘and that journalist, George Kapalos.’

‘I need to ask you something,’ Lucy said, her voice wavering.

‘What?’ Dash roared. A huge clap of thunder shook the building. Rain hammered the tin roof.

‘What is it that I’ve been organising the transport for all this time?’ she yelled.

‘For heaven’s sake, not now, Lucy. I’m in a hurry. Your mess-up has meant I need to get this batch to the plane,’ Dash shouted.

‘This isn’t a vaccine, is it?’ she pressed, marching into his path. Her hands were balled into two tight fists and her body was so tense it felt like it could snap at any second. ‘I know what you’re doing, and it has to stop.’

Dash scoffed. ‘I’m saving millions of people, that’s what I’m doing.’

Max peered around the tyre again and realised that George Kapalos had a phone out, filming the exchange.

‘You make people sick,’ Lucy hissed. ‘You spread the diseases then you make millions from the cures.’

Max turned to his grandparents. ‘Is that true?’

Hector nodded.

‘You’re delusional, Lucy. Did you take a bump to the head?’ Dash shouted.

Max hesitated for a second then stood up.

‘What are you doing?’ Kensy grabbed at his trousers, but he was too quick.

‘She’s telling the truth,’ Max said loudly as he emerged from his hiding spot.

Lucy flinched in fright and Dash did a double take. ‘Max?’ he baulked. ‘What are you doing here?’

Kensy appeared too, followed by Hector and Marisol.

Dash dropped the biohazard case in his hands. ‘How on earth did you …?’

‘So, it was you,’ Hector said. ‘You have been our captor for these past twelve years.’

Marisol clung to her husband’s arm, shaking.

‘Might you at least have the decency to tell us your name?’ Hector said.

Lucy’s jaw gaped open. She had no idea who these people were, but her boss had clearly done something even more despicable than she had uncovered.

‘He’s Dash Chalmers,’ Kensy said. ‘Head of The Chalmers Corporation.’

At the revelation of the man’s name, Hector staggered. ‘Your parents are Faye and Conrad Chalmers?’

‘Do you know them?’ Kensy asked. It was her turn to be confused.

Marisol nodded. ‘We were in talks to do business with them when we were taken. Their reputation is impeccable, but we never met their son.’

‘I don’t have time for this,’ Dash said. He picked up the case and looked set to make a run for it. ‘If it makes you feel better, my parents don’t know a thing.’

‘But why do it in the first place?’ Hector breathed.

‘Are you kidding?’ Dash retorted. ‘You had developed a vaccine that would rid the world of every strain of the common cold. We would have lost everything going into business with you. I couldn’t let them do it. This way, the company made billions.’

Hector shook his head. ‘Thousands of innocent people suffered and many have likely died because of you and your greed.’

‘Collateral damage, old man,’ Dash sneered. ‘Now, get out of my way.’

‘You’re not going anywhere.’ George Kapalos stepped into the light. ‘Except to prison. We have enough evidence to put you away for the rest of your sorry life.’

Dash frowned. ‘Who are you?’

‘He’s a journalist who’s been helping me with the paper trail, uncovering exactly what you’ve been up to all this time,’ Lucy said. She took a few steps towards him. ‘Tinsley’s gone, Dash, and she’s taken Van and Ellery with her. You’ll never find them.’

‘What are you talking about? What have you done?’ the man spat. ‘My wife is at home with our children – exactly where she belongs. She knows better than to try to leave me.’

‘Someone sent her a letter about your sister and how she died. Tinsley said that she couldn’t stay with you any longer. She and the children weren’t safe,’ Lucy retorted.

‘Lies! It’s all lies!’ Dash looked at the box in his hands. He placed it on the ground and unlatched the clips, then reached in and pulled out a phial. ‘If any of you dare to come closer, I will break this and we will all be dead within a week.’

‘No! Don’t you dare!’ Hector yelled. ‘It cannot end this way.’

‘Clear a path for me to get to my vehicle and I will let you live,’ Dash said evenly.

Lucy stepped aside and George did too. Hector pulled Marisol back, shielding her.

The man edged past them. When he neared the door, he turned, his eyes full of venom. ‘Catch!’ he shouted, and launched the phial high into the air, then fled into the storm.

The little glass container tumbled up and up and over and over.

Max sped towards it but it was too far. Kensy spotted Curtis standing at the shed entrance and yelled, ‘Curtis! Catch it!’

The boy could see the object in the air. A flashback to last year’s C-grade cricket final began to enter his mind, but he pushed it away. This time he wasn’t going to drop the ball. His eyes never left the tube as he reached out. To everyone’s great relief, it landed safely in his hands.

‘Well done!’ Hector shouted. ‘Now, hold it very carefully.’

But the distraction had given Dash more than enough time. He was already in the car, its wheels spinning.

‘He’s getting away!’ Lucy yelled as she, George and the twins charged out after him.

They could see Dash’s tail-lights melting red in the pouring rain as the car rocketed down the sodden track, skidding and sliding. George ran towards his car, but a branch had come down in the storm, blocking it in. Meanwhile, inside the shed, Curtis had returned the phial to the box and secured the locks.

‘Excuse me,’ Curtis said to Hector and Marisol, ‘I think I should go and help my friends.’ He ran outside to join Kensy and Max. The rain had stopped and all around them steam was rising from the earth.

Kensy threw her arms around the boy. ‘You were brilliant, Curtis, and your timing couldn’t have been better.’

‘I heard lots of angry shouting and thought I’d take a look, in case you needed me.’ He shrugged. ‘Don’t worry, I was ready to run as well.’

‘But we lost Dash. He’ll be heading for the plane,’ Lucy said. ‘With his evil cargo.’

‘He doesn’t have it,’ Curtis said. ‘I took out the boxes and hid them behind a tree.’

Just as the children were about to retrieve them, they were stunned to see headlights on the driveway. Moments later, Song and Rupert leapt out of a silver sedan.

‘Where is he?’ Rupert demanded.

Kensy gasped. ‘Uncle Rupert, what are you doing here?’

‘No time to explain. Where’s Dash?’ the man said desperately. He had a wild look about him, as if he hadn’t slept in days.

‘He got away,’ Max said. ‘He’s heading for an airstrip.’

‘Where?’ Rupert pleaded.

‘I know,’ Lucy said. ‘I can take you there.’

Rupert jumped back into the driver’s seat. ‘Quick, get in!’ he yelled out the window.

‘I’m coming too,’ George said, making a run for the sedan. ‘I’ll call the police on the way.’

‘No police,’ Lucy said. ‘He has everyone in his back pocket, right up to the commissioner.’

‘Uncle Rupert, how did you know?’ Kensy cried out, but the man was already gone.

Song ran towards the children. ‘Are you all right? He didn’t hurt you, did he?’

‘We’re fine,’ Max said. ‘We’re all fine.’

Song looked up and caught sight of Hector and Marisol standing by the shed door, instantly recognising them from the handful of occasions they had attended family events at Alexandria. He rushed towards them. ‘Are my eyes deceiving me?’

‘Dear Song.’ Marisol kissed the man on both cheeks and hugged him fiercely.

‘Excuse me, I have a question,’ Curtis said, putting up his hand. Everyone turned to look at the boy. ‘Who are you all?’

Max grinned at his sister. ‘That’s probably a story for another time.’

Curtis sighed. ‘No, you need to tell me – who are you really?’

‘Let’s just say, Curtis,’ Kensy said, throwing an arm around his shoulder, ‘that one day, when you least expect it, you might get a call and all your wildest dreams will come true.’

‘I still don’t understand,’ the boy said, shaking his head. ‘But I’m really glad you’re my friends, because you’re kind of scary – in a good way, I think.’ Curtis checked his watch. ‘Oh heck, is that the time? Do you think we could go home soon? Mum’s doing a bolognese for dinner and it’s my favourite.’

‘Home,’ Marisol said with tears in her eyes. She squeezed Hector’s hand and gazed at her grandchildren. ‘What a wonderful notion.’