Read Online Contact by Chris Morphew - Free Book Online Page B

wants to take us to the Shackleton Building – Jordan –
    â€˜Peter?’ Mum called through the door.
    I dragged my head up from the pillow to look at the clock.
    10.28 a.m.
    What kind of time is that to be out of bed on a Saturday?
    â€˜I’m sleeping!’ I called back through the door, closing my eyes again.
    I heard the door ease open.
    â€˜You have visitors,’ said Mum.
    â€˜Wha –?’
    â€˜You – have – friends – here – to – see – you,’ said Mum, speaking slowly and clearly like I was one of her ESL kids.
    â€˜Oh,’ I murmured, gathering the strength to sit up. ‘Hang on, just give me a minute to –’
    The door swung open and Jordan and Luke walked in.
    Jordan. Over at my house for the first time ever. And there I was, half-asleep, hair messed up.
    Wearing freaking lightsaber pyjamas.
    Awesome. Thanks, Mum.
    Fortunately, Jordan looked almost as awkward as I did.
    â€˜Hey,’ I said, sitting up.
    â€˜Hey …’ she said hesitantly, stepping towards me. ‘We came – I came to apologise for yesterday.’
    â€˜Where’s my dad?’ I mumbled.
    â€˜Out, I think,’ said Luke, closing the bedroom door behind him.
    â€˜Okay,’ I said, trying to smooth down my hair. ‘Good.’
    â€˜I was out of line, ripping into you like that,’ Jordan went on. ‘ Whatever your dad’s story is, you’re in this as much as we are. I was just – I guess I was still wound up about the phone not working, and –’
    â€˜Don’t worry about it,’ I said. As if I was ever not going to accept her apology. ‘I – you weren’t the only one who overreacted.’
    I got up and moved towards her, pretty sure this was a hug moment.
    Jordan turned away and went to pull open my blinds.
    Okay, maybe not.
    Probably just not a hug person.
    I sat back down on the edge of my bed, just watching her for a minute. She was wearing her T-shirt with the green hearts – the same one she’d had on the day she arrived in Phoenix.
    â€˜I found out some more stuff about the phones,’ I said, breaking the silence again.
    That got a reaction.
    â€˜Settle down, it’s nothing good,’ I said. ‘Turns out they can’t call any outside numbers. They’re running on a short-range network that Co-operative people set up to call each other inside the town.’
    â€˜How do you know that?’ said Luke, clearly not wanting to believe me.
    â€˜Because …’ I trailed off at the look on Jordan’s face. ‘Okay, first you have to promise not to kill me.’
    Jordan’s expression didn’t change.
    â€˜Just hurry up and tell us,’ said Luke.
    â€˜Okay, fine,’ I said. ‘Yesterday afternoon, I used Pryor’s phone to call my dad.’
    Fire blazed up behind Jordan’s eyes, and I could tell that she badly wanted to blow up at me again.
    â€˜Yeah, I know, I know, it was stupid,’ I said hurriedly. ‘But it’s all right. I didn’t let him see our phone and I hung up on him as soon as he answered. He doesn’t know it was me that called.’
    Jordan’s shoulders relaxed, but only a bit.
    â€˜Here’s the other thing, though: he wants to take us to the Shackleton Building tomorrow.’
    The shoulders arched right back up again. ‘What for?’ she asked. ‘Your dad doesn’t even know us.’
    I hesitated, really not keen to admit that I’d been the one who brought it up.
    â€˜Calvin or Pryor or someone probably put him up to it,’ said Luke.
    â€˜Right,’ I said, latching onto Luke’s explanation.
    â€˜It’s a trap,’ said Jordan immediately.
    My chest heaved.
    No. Even if Dad was working with Shackleton, he would never go that far. He wouldn’t turn me over to them.
    â€˜We’re already trapped,’ said Luke. ‘They can grab us