The Deception (9 page)

Jaz glanced at Cody, curious as to what his op entailed. He tucked some of his unruly hair behind his ear, which was pierced with a small black stud. How long had he been with the Agency? How old was he? Cody turned and caught her gaze. Was he wondering the exact same things about her?

‘So let’s start with the basics. A raised open hand means “stop”, he said showing them. ‘A closed fist means “go down to cover”.’

Jaz quickly wrote it down on her notepad along with a quick picture.

Ryan showed them the signs for listen, see, change direction, come together, move in quickly, how to show number of opposition approaching and much more. ‘Don’t worry if it seems like a lot, we will put these into practise on Saturday and you’ll have them sorted in no time.’

Most of the signals were self-explanatory. Jaz was sure she could point to her eye to give the command to ‘see’.

‘But if we are doing a daylight surveillance it’s slightly different. You don’t want to be seen waving your arms about. In the next few days, you two are going to work together to keep surveillance on someone.’

They both nodded and Jaz felt the kick of adrenaline; she was actually excited about it.

‘So if you were watching someone in a restaurant it’s different, as you need to be unnoticeable.’ Ryan put his hands on the bench and stroked his left hand then turned it over and put one finger in his palm. Jaz bit her lip, unsure of what he’d just done. ‘I just told you I have one target on my left.’ Quickly they jotted this down. ‘Maybe while you’re sitting there you notice two guys at another table watching suspiciously, maybe they are guards, so you tell your partner “two guys on my right”.’ Ryan stroked his right hand then splayed two fingers on that palm. ‘If you see your target making moves to leave then you would close your fists quickly.’ It looked like Ryan was just stretching his fingers. ‘This would alert your man to get out so that he could follow from the front while you follow at the back.’

After Ryan had gone through all the hand signals for combat and surveillance, he tested them. He’d give them scenarios and they’d have to do the right command. Jaz had to concentrate because Cody was good. She felt like she was competing at school for top honours and had to go up against the best. Cody’s eyes were focused and she recognised that instinct to win, the desire to be the best, because she felt it herself on many occasions.

‘I’ll be back,’ said Ryan, as he got up and walked towards the toilet block.

He’d hardly walked five metres before Cody asked his first question. ‘So, how long have you been with the Agency?’ he asked leaning forward.

‘A few months now. How about you?’

‘Going on seven months.’ His brow came together and his forehead creased. ‘So how old are you? You’re still in school.’ He made it sound ridiculous.

‘Nearly eighteen. Why, how old are you?’

‘Nineteen.’

His eyes squinted, his eyelashes were quite long. ‘Have you been on any missions?’ Jaz asked.

‘On a couple of small ones, mainly surveillance.’ He sat up as if he’d just saved the world. ‘What happened to your leg?’

‘I got shot.’

Cody’s eyes bulged. ‘No shit? Really?’

Jaz just nodded. Cody squirmed, he really wanted to know more, she could tell. ‘What do you do for work?’ she asked, trying to change direction.

‘I work at the casino and the racetrack mainly, and a few other gigs.’ He glanced to the toilets. ‘Hey, how did you get shot? And how long have you known Ryan? Did he recruit you?’

‘Yep. Did he recruit you?’ She avoided his first question and hoped he’d forget.

Cody shook his head. ‘No. I was surfing with this dude called Mac on a few occasions. One day these guys were harassing a girl, I told them to leave her alone and then one threw a punch, then the others. But I sent them all home with a few bruises,’ he said with a wink. ‘My dad’s in the Air Force so I was carted from school to school growing up and used to get into plenty of trouble.’ The twinkle in his eyes suggested he quite liked making trouble. ‘Anyway, Mac had been watching and not long after that he approached me about this gig. I was amazed at how much he knew about me. Kinda scary.’ He shrugged. ‘Mac said he saw a great fearless leader in me, but I don’t see it. Not yet anyway.’

Jaz watched him as he threaded his fingers in front of him. ‘Isn’t it funny how others can see things in us that we haven’t even figured out yet? Nothing like this had crossed my mind before, but now I think I was born for it. I’m glad Ryan thought this was for me.’

Cody’s head leant to the side as he watched her. ‘You’re a strange one, Jaz. You look nothing like a secret soldier,’ he said with a cute smile.

‘She may look sweet and innocent but she’ll knock your arse to the floor if you’re not careful,’ said Ryan, who came to stand by the bench.

Cody looked like he was about to laugh, until he saw how rigid Ryan’s face was and the smile slipped from his face.

‘Listen up. I want you both to write up a scenario and then you’re going to hand signal it to each other. Afterwards you can check how close you came to getting all the details right.’

Jaz and Cody eyeballed each other. Yep, they were both in this to win. But neither one did, both getting a few bits wrong so it ended up a draw.

‘Righto, time to go,’ said Ryan.

They’d been in the park for over two hours by the time Ryan called it a day. Jaz packed up all her books and notepads while some kids rolled by on skateboards. Without thinking she smiled, wishing she could use hers. If she’d never taken on the mission with Marcus, she’d never have known the challenge of riding a skateboard.

‘So can I get your number?’ asked Cody.

For a minute Jaz thought he was talking to Ryan, but his eyes were on her and his phone was in his hand ready.

Jaz glanced to Ryan, who stood with his hands pushed into his back pockets. All that did was emphasis his strong pecs. She had to drag her eyes further up to his face. ‘Is that okay?’ she asked, unsure if it would be okay by the Agency. Ryan’s cheek pulsed as if he was grinding his teeth. ‘I could call Cody if I can’t get you. Be better than Tay, wouldn’t it?’

‘I guess so,’ he said bleakly.

Jaz called out her number and Cody plugged it into his phone. When he was done, he shot her a slightly lopsided smile. He had one tooth that was a little crooked, but teamed with his smile it seemed to give him more character.

‘Cool. I’ll send you a text so you have mine. So who’s Tay?’

‘My best friend,’ said Jaz frankly. ‘Oh, Ryan,’ she said reaching for his arm. ‘I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Anna may be joining us.’ Jas tried to put as much innuendo as possible.

His eyes went to her hand that was latched onto his arm, which she drew back quickly as if his eyes shot out hot laser beams.

‘What do you mean?’ He frowned.

‘Pax let the cat out of the bag. So she knows everything now and we’re just waiting on the Agency’s approval,’ said Jaz cryptically. She didn’t really want to spell it out with Cody listening in.

Ryan’s brow shot up. ‘Right. I see.’ He pondered this for a moment before turning to the car.

Jaz and Cody followed him. At the car her phone chimed.

Call me anytime Cody
X

She could feel all eyes on her so she slipped her phone back into her pocket and climbed in.

Inside the car, Ryan turned in his seat so he could see them both. ‘I want you to practise and try to remember these because Saturday we’ll put them to use. It’s easy enough to get your signals right when you have time to think about them, like today. But when you’re in a high stress situation you don’t have time to think. So I need you both to meet me at 101 Light Street in Freo at four o’clock on Saturday. Got that?’

They both nodded after memorising the address.

‘Jaz, it might pay to have some heavy padding over your wound,’ said Ryan, ‘Just in case.’

‘Her bullet wound?’ fished Cody. ‘How did she get that anyway?’

Ryan started the car, his head forward, watching the traffic. ‘By being reckless and going into something unprepared and without backup. A mistake hopefully you won’t repeat.’ His voice was stern.

‘True? Like in a mission on her own?’ Cody probed. His voice gave away his disbelief.

Ryan said no more but it didn’t matter, the damage was done. Jaz was angry. She didn’t like how his words made her feel. Like a child scolded. Even though she automatically wanted to defend herself she didn’t. Maybe because there was a lot of truth to what he said. Jaz realised she could have handled things a lot better at the warehouse. Next time she wouldn’t let Ryan get to her. She’d keep her thoughts about him professional and do what was right. But it still pissed her off that he’d made it personal with the text he sent, which sent her pigheadedly into the warehouse to prove herself. He couldn’t care for her one minute, then push her aside the next, and expect her to cope rationally. She still had feelings, secret agent or not.

When Ryan pulled up at The Ring, Jaz grabbed her bag and got out without a word. She heard Cody’s ‘goodbye’ as she slammed the door and walked into the gym without a backwards glance. She was so angry she forced herself to walk properly, not limp. Jaz welcomed the pain that ripped through her. But once inside, she went straight into the change rooms and gathered herself with shaky breaths, her anger threatening to turn to tears. None fell. She wouldn’t allow it. Instead she changed and worked out on the punching bag. It made her feel ten times better. And maybe she did pretend that she was pounding Ryan’s chest. It certainly was therapeutic.

That night, after she’d showered and crawled into bed in her flannel pyjama pants and singlet, she rang Marcus.

‘Hey you,’ she said.

‘Back at ya. How was your day?’ he asked, his voice soft and gentle.

Jaz imagined him settling back on his bed.

‘Okay. Survived school without my crutches and Mum made wraps tonight and brought a tub of that Belgian chocolate ice-cream, so I’m lying here very full.’ She’d fed her emotions, like most females did, but the ice-cream didn’t give her any profound answers on how to deal with Ryan.

Marcus’s light laughter relaxed her, as she nestled into her pillows and pulled up her doona.

‘You did better than me. Mum and I ate takeout alone again.’

‘Oh no,’ she said sadly. Jaz didn’t have to probe for information about Carl, Marcus gave it up freely. She was his girlfriend and he trusted her.

Her insides twisted at the thought.

If only he knew.

Chapter 8

On Saturday Jaz arrived at the address Ryan had given them. He was waiting out the front of a large old building, which was a couple of storeys high with arched windows encased with aged bricks. Some of the windows were blacked out, others splashed with bright colours.

‘Just waiting for Cody to arrive,’ said Ryan. He stood with his legs apart and his arms crossed, looking every bit a sexy soldier in grey cargo pants and a black t-shirt.

‘Righto. What’s this place?’ she said glancing up towards the entry point. There was a sign in black with bright colours. ‘Oh, paintball.’

Ryan smiled. ‘How’s the leg?’

‘Yeah,’ she said with a shrug. Now she understood while she had to bandage her leg. Getting hit in that spot would feel like getting shot again and that wasn’t something Jaz wanted to relive.

A rust bucket red jeep pulled in alongside Ryan’s car, a surfboard wedged inside next to Cody’s smiling face. ‘Yo, dudes,’ he said, coming to stand by them in his surf shorts and a singlet. He winked at Jaz. She ignored him.

‘Right, let’s go inside, get kitted up and then it’s you two against the rest,’ instructed Ryan.

‘Just shoot everyone?’ said Jaz.

‘Pretty much. I want you to work together, sweep your way up to the top storey, clearing the rooms as you go. I’ll be right behind you, watching.’

‘Awesome,’ said Cody. He slapped his hands together, eager to start.

Her own fingers were tingling with excitement as her competitiveness rose.

While Ryan paid for all their gear, Cody and Jaz put their heads together and whispered out some tactics.

As they pulled on their protective face covers Ryan ran over his ‘rules’.

‘No talking either.’

‘This should be easy. We’ll knock these amateurs over,’ whispered Cody after Ryan turned his back.

Jaz had been thinking the same thing, but it all seemed a little too easy, which wasn’t Ryan’s usual form.

They entered into the playing rooms; walls were splattered with yellow, green, and red. Crates and boxes covered the floors, ready to hide behind. Visibility was bright enough with the light through the windows as they stalked forward, straining their ears. Jaz could hear hushed voices and the odd click and whack as someone fired off balls and hit targets.

Jaz motioned them forward to the next doorway and they took up position either side. She had a quick glance and then told Cody through hand signals what she saw. Two on the right.

Cody replied. One left.

Jaz told him to get his target first. Her plan was that it might separate the two together.

Cody fired off some shots. The second one hit target and they heard a cry. ‘Oh, damn it.’

She covered for Cody while he ran for the cover his first target was hiding by. While he was there, he covered for Jaz so she could make her way into the room and shoot the other two. And it was all going splendidly, until they headed up the stairs. The top room was dark and someone was firing at them with great aim. Jaz could literally feel the paintballs whizzing past. They were stuck in this room, not getting a chance to move forward with the shooters being such good shots.

Jaz spotted a crate and signalled to Cody. She hoped he understood what she was planning to do.

While he laid down some heavy fire, she dragged the crate upright. Gave Cody the nod and then crouched behind it, sliding it along the floor towards a pillar in the room that would give her cover. The crouched walk was killing her leg but she gritted through it as the crate was pelted with balls. Paint splashed through the gaps in the crate, small drops of yellow flecked her overalls. She heard Cody return fire, hopefully catching the shooters out and taking the pressure off. A second longer and one of those yellow balls could have found a gap in the crate, hitting her. The shooter was so good she half wondered if Ryan had some fellow agents who weren’t doing much today.