just told him was true, there was suddenly a massive hole in Ricky’s strange life.
The laptop was set up at a table in the bedroom. Zak sat in front of it, but didn’t yet plug in the USB stick. Instead, he disconnected the laptop from the wireless network.
‘What are you doing?’ Ricky asked.
‘If the Agency’s watching you, they’ll be monitoring your internet traffic,’ Zak said. He pulled another mobile phone from his pocket and tethered it wirelessly to the laptop.
‘How do you know they’re not monitoring your mobiles?’ Ricky asked.
‘They’re not mine,’ Zak said. ‘I stole them from some passers-by.’ He gave Ricky a sidelong glance. ‘You’re not the only one who can pick pockets, you know.’
Once the new internet connection was up and running, Zak plugged in the USB stick. Watching the screen, Ricky saw that it contained a single document. Zak opened it up. They were presented with a web link. Zak clicked it.
A web page came onto the screen. At its centre was a Quicktime window.
Zak clicked ‘play’.
8
THE CRADLE WILL ROCK
At first there was nothing. Just a black screen. Zak felt sick to the pit of his stomach. He’d been relying on this data stick. Calaca had surely pressed it into his hand for a reason. But as the seconds passed, and nothing appeared on the screen, he felt his hope draining away.
Suddenly, however, there was a flicker. A face appeared. Zak’s sickness turned into something else – halfway between fear and anger. It was Cruz Martinez.
Cruz had changed since their last meeting. His face was leaner and his hair longer – almost shoulder length. His eyes were cold and hard.
‘Who’s that?’ Ricky breathed.
‘Cruz,’ Zak said quietly. ‘Shhh . . .’
‘
If you’re watching this, Harry Gold, and everything has gone according to plan, you will have suffered this morning.
’
‘Who’s Harry Gold?’ Ricky asked.
‘Me,’ Zak told him. ‘It’s one of my cover names.’
‘
If everything has happened the way I hope, my most loyal employee is on his way back to me, your handler is dead and your friends Raphael and Gabriella will be under my control.
’ Cruz smiled. ‘
I’d like to say that they are being well looked after, but we both know it would be a lie and I won’t insult your intelligence. By now, I kind of imagine they’re wishing they’d never been born.
’
‘He’s a real charmer, isn’t he?’ Ricky said.
Zak stared hard at the screen. Awful images of what Raf and Gabs were undergoing spun through his mind.
‘
I imagine your employers think you were involved in the jail break. So, you will be watching this by yourself. Be assured that as soon as you have finished watching this video, the link will no longer work. There will be no benefit in delivering it to your employers to prove your innocence.
’
Another smile. Cruz seemed very pleased with himself.
‘
I thought we might play a little game, Harry.
’
‘Why do I get the feeling,’ Ricky cut in, ‘that he isn’t thinking Buckaroo?’
‘
I’m taking your friends to a secret location. If you fail to locate them by midnight on
el Día de Reyes,
I’ll kill them, just like that witch Gabriella killed my father.
’ His eyes narrowed unpleasantly. ‘
The feast for the King of Kings. A day to bring me a special gift –
yourself.
If you do find them, but it appears that you have had – how can I put this – adult supervision, I’ll also kill them. But if you turn up alone, I’ll spare their lives.
’ Cruz leaned further in towards the camera. ‘
I’m not making any promises about
your
life, though, Harry.
’ He leaned back again. ‘
I am taking them to a place between yesterday and tomorrow. From time to time I might upload some footage of your friends, just to keep you focused.
’ A third unpleasant smile. ‘
I hope you’ve got a strong stomach. My next message might be a bit of a video nasty.
’
Cruz lowered his head, and the video ended.
Zak’s mouth
The laptop was set up at a table in the bedroom. Zak sat in front of it, but didn’t yet plug in the USB stick. Instead, he disconnected the laptop from the wireless network.
‘What are you doing?’ Ricky asked.
‘If the Agency’s watching you, they’ll be monitoring your internet traffic,’ Zak said. He pulled another mobile phone from his pocket and tethered it wirelessly to the laptop.
‘How do you know they’re not monitoring your mobiles?’ Ricky asked.
‘They’re not mine,’ Zak said. ‘I stole them from some passers-by.’ He gave Ricky a sidelong glance. ‘You’re not the only one who can pick pockets, you know.’
Once the new internet connection was up and running, Zak plugged in the USB stick. Watching the screen, Ricky saw that it contained a single document. Zak opened it up. They were presented with a web link. Zak clicked it.
A web page came onto the screen. At its centre was a Quicktime window.
Zak clicked ‘play’.
8
THE CRADLE WILL ROCK
At first there was nothing. Just a black screen. Zak felt sick to the pit of his stomach. He’d been relying on this data stick. Calaca had surely pressed it into his hand for a reason. But as the seconds passed, and nothing appeared on the screen, he felt his hope draining away.
Suddenly, however, there was a flicker. A face appeared. Zak’s sickness turned into something else – halfway between fear and anger. It was Cruz Martinez.
Cruz had changed since their last meeting. His face was leaner and his hair longer – almost shoulder length. His eyes were cold and hard.
‘Who’s that?’ Ricky breathed.
‘Cruz,’ Zak said quietly. ‘Shhh . . .’
‘
If you’re watching this, Harry Gold, and everything has gone according to plan, you will have suffered this morning.
’
‘Who’s Harry Gold?’ Ricky asked.
‘Me,’ Zak told him. ‘It’s one of my cover names.’
‘
If everything has happened the way I hope, my most loyal employee is on his way back to me, your handler is dead and your friends Raphael and Gabriella will be under my control.
’ Cruz smiled. ‘
I’d like to say that they are being well looked after, but we both know it would be a lie and I won’t insult your intelligence. By now, I kind of imagine they’re wishing they’d never been born.
’
‘He’s a real charmer, isn’t he?’ Ricky said.
Zak stared hard at the screen. Awful images of what Raf and Gabs were undergoing spun through his mind.
‘
I imagine your employers think you were involved in the jail break. So, you will be watching this by yourself. Be assured that as soon as you have finished watching this video, the link will no longer work. There will be no benefit in delivering it to your employers to prove your innocence.
’
Another smile. Cruz seemed very pleased with himself.
‘
I thought we might play a little game, Harry.
’
‘Why do I get the feeling,’ Ricky cut in, ‘that he isn’t thinking Buckaroo?’
‘
I’m taking your friends to a secret location. If you fail to locate them by midnight on
el Día de Reyes,
I’ll kill them, just like that witch Gabriella killed my father.
’ His eyes narrowed unpleasantly. ‘
The feast for the King of Kings. A day to bring me a special gift –
yourself.
If you do find them, but it appears that you have had – how can I put this – adult supervision, I’ll also kill them. But if you turn up alone, I’ll spare their lives.
’ Cruz leaned further in towards the camera. ‘
I’m not making any promises about
your
life, though, Harry.
’ He leaned back again. ‘
I am taking them to a place between yesterday and tomorrow. From time to time I might upload some footage of your friends, just to keep you focused.
’ A third unpleasant smile. ‘
I hope you’ve got a strong stomach. My next message might be a bit of a video nasty.
’
Cruz lowered his head, and the video ended.
Zak’s mouth
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