Blue's Revenge by Deborah Abela Page B

iron bars of a prison cell. She was still wearing her wedding dress, which looked dirty and torn. On the back was a scribbled message that said:
    Â 
    Wish you were here,
Love Mum
    Â 
    â€˜Where is she?’ Max wanted what she was seeing not to be true.
    â€˜With Blue,’ Harrison answered quietly.
    â€˜What is he playing at?’ Ben was furious.
    â€˜Revenge mostly,’ Harrison explained. ‘But there are other reasons he has yet to make clear to us.’
    â€˜Revenge? What has my mother ever done to him?’ Max could feel the blood racing through her veins as her fury rose.
    â€˜We’ve yet to work that out but, with respect, Max, it’s not about your mother. Or Steinberger, Quimby or Plomb. Blue likes to savour his revenge by working towards his main target through those around them.’
    â€˜His main target?’ Linden looked puzzled.
    â€˜Me.’
    Max and Linden fell into a breathless silence.
    â€˜He has wanted his revenge on me for years forkicking him out of the Force and now he aims to get it.’
    Linden glanced at Max and knew he was ready to do anything to save her mother. ‘What should we do now?’
    â€˜I’ve accepted Blue’s invitation.’
    â€˜But sir …?’ Steinberger’s head shot up. ‘If something were to happen to you …’
    â€˜Sir,’ Alex spoke frankly. ‘You will be walking into a trap. One that Blue will not let you escape from.’
    It was obvious Harrison had wanted to make his announcement without any discussion.
    â€˜Max’s mother needs our help and …’ Here Harrison’s voice gave away a deeper, hidden level of anger. ‘… I will not let Blue toy with Spyforce agents any longer. If he wants to have his revenge on me, let him have his chance.’
    His words were edged with defiance. ‘Agents Crane and Suave?’
    Alex paused only momentarily. ‘We stand by your decision, sir.’
    â€˜Absolutely, sir,’ Suave added.
    â€˜Steinberger? Do I have your support?’
    Steinberger stared at Harrison. He dreaded the outcome of his decision, but his loyalty andtrust towards the Chief of Spyforce far outweighed that dread.
    â€˜Completely, Mr Harrison.’
    Max’s mouth went dry as she listened. How could they agree with him? Harrison was a brilliant leader and he had been a great spy when he was young, but once Blue had him where he wanted him, it would be a fight that would not be over until someone was dead.
    â€˜Sir, why don’t you send …’
    Max was interrupted by beeping from Harrison’s computer. He looked down at the screen and activated the message link. It was Quimby.
    â€˜Sir, we have the answer to Blue’s apparent double existence. A few years ago Blue was working on a Doppelgänger, a device capable of creating perfect human replicas. You may remember that after the ramifications of such a device were explored, your father, then head of Spyforce, refused to let the experiments continue. The project was cancelled and all the research was destroyed.’
    â€˜A doppelgänger?’ Linden marvelled at such a device. ‘And it creates an exact replica of a human?’
    â€˜That was his aim while he worked here,’ Quimby replied.
    â€˜So the replica of Blue was the one who savedthe prisoners from the fire. And the one who was killed,’ Eleanor spelt out for them. ‘Which leaves Blue to do his dirty work as freely as he likes, without anyone knowing it’s him.’
    â€˜Thanks, Quimby. I’ll be down to be equipped immediately.’ Harrison shut down his computer and stood up from his desk.
    â€˜Should we be equipped too, sir?’ Max asked as she and Linden leapt from their lounge.
    Suave gave Alex a sideways glance before looking back at his notes. It was a look that told Max she wasn’t going to like what Harrison had to say.
    â€˜Max, we can’t allow you to