Although I was worried about my Dad, I needed to call Renny next. I hadn’t heard from either him or the girls for a while. I could be making all these plans and putting Charlie’s life in danger for nothing. They needed to come through for me. Sometimes no news is good news, but not always. I was worried!
‘Renny, tell me something…’
‘Yeah, Iago, a little busy here at the moment. Could you be a bit more specific?’
‘Sorry to be a bother Renny, but some of us are putting our lives in danger. Now DO you have an update for me!’
‘OK, OK, the GST has reached out to as many kids as possible. They even posted on school intranet sites and library homepages. These guys are amazing...!’
‘Renny!’ I snapped.
‘Anyway, the message is, for kids to switch on as many computers as they can. Kids are even walking into computer shops and logging on every computer in the shop. Once the computers are logged into ‘The Grid’, their hard drives are frozen and locked in. But even that much processing power won’t be enough. The GST is trying to find us some extra juice. It means they will have to try to get into some big organisations, maybe electricity companies, banks, anyone with terabytes to spare! I don’t know where you are with the countdown, Iago, but it will be tight!’
‘It’s got to happen Renny! There is no other way. You need to deliver!’
‘Stop wasting my time then!’
* * *
I tried Cam next.
‘Iago – perfect timing! We just got to the door.’
‘The door of what – I thought you saw a flag?’
‘Well the flag is on a pole in front of a huge metal door. It looks like a giant submarine hatch. It seems to be built into the side of the mountain.’
‘What?’
‘Mie says that it’s an old bomb shelter. She says that there are dorms in some of them with bunk beds and kitchens and all. You can come and stay here on a school exchange trip. How cool is that?’
‘Yeah Cam, that all sounds very cool, but well - things are not so cool here!’
‘Oh, sorry Iago! We’re going in…’
‘What do you see?’
‘Looking for the light-switch…OK, got it. I see one long corridor with lots of doors leading off.’
‘Any message? Anywhere?’
‘Not that I can see.’
‘Just try all the doors then.’
‘This could take a while!’
‘You don’t have a while!’
‘Why…what do you mean?’
‘If I heard right - Dad’s on a train somewhere and…There might be a bomb on that train!’
‘WHAT? Why didn’t you tell me Iago?
‘Believe me - we’ve got an even bigger problem than that!’
‘I’ll find him Iago!’
‘I know you will Cam! Call me when you find the clue!’