followed close behind.
Amber shot them a questioning glance, but they shrugged back at her, obviously as much in the dark as she was.
Alex and Hex joined Amber in the first car. Li and Paulo got into the second.
'Strap yourselves in,' said the driver as he swung into the seat. 'We've got no time to waste.'
His colleague spoke into his radio. 'JN Five en route. Request backup. Over.'
The driver stopped the car at the hotel gates and checked the road. It was clear. He punched a switch on the dashboard and the siren began to wail. With one last look in each direction he floored the accelerator. The V8 engine answered. The tyres spun for a moment on the loose dust of the road, then bit. The car pulled out and roared up the carriageway.
They were fast approaching a lorry. It pulled aside for them to pass and they left it behind in a flash.
Amber, Hex and Alex turned and looked through the rear window. The other police car was close behind, nipping around the truck and swinging back into the right lane. Even traffic coming the other way was pulling to the side to get out of their way. The police drivers used the full width of the road whenever there was a corner, veering back and forth across the central white line.
Alex sneaked a look at the speedometer. It said 225 k.p.h. They passed another truck. It seemed to be crawling. Alex wanted to talk to the others to see if they knew what was going on, but conversation was impossible over the roar of the engine, the noise of the road and the wail of the siren. He glanced at his friends. Amber's eyes were dancing like points of light in her dark face. 'Lovin' this!' she mouthed with a huge grin.
Hex was staring ahead, his expression glazed and blissful, as though he was listening to a favourite piece of music very, very loud.
In the distance, Alpha Force could now see blue police lights throwing strobes into the sky. A sign for a roundabout came up. The cars slowed and slalomed through without missing a beat. Police motorcycles were positioned at the roundabout exits, blocking them off so that the cars could cruise through smoothly. Then the two Commodores were off up the straight coast road again, the 5.7 litre engines taking them effortlessly back up to top speed.
When they reached the encampment in the rainforest, they found it surrounded by a police cordon. It was early evening and the sky above the trees was blood-red. Floodlights made the area at the roadside as bright as midday, but under the trees the green gloom was turning to purple dusk. Police cars and an ambulance were parked across the road. Blue and white police tape extended into the undergrowth. Officers were picking their way in, using the tape as a guide.
Alpha Force climbed out. Beyond the police cars they could see the location trucks standing in a line. To the ticking and chirruping of the jungle creatures was added an new voice - the tinny crackle of police radios. The five friends looked at each other in astonishment. What could have happened to turn the TV shoot into a crime scene?
Another policeman ducked under the tape. 'Here they are, chief,' said one of the drivers.
The police officer looked at him. 'What took you so long?' Then, before the driver could answer, he addressed the five youngsters. 'Would you come this way, please?'
He led them to one of the location trucks and knocked once.
A voice from inside called out, 'Yes?'
'The witnesses are here, Sergeant Powell.'
Alex, Li, Hex, Amber and Paulo all looked at each other, the same thought going through their heads. Witnesses?
'Send them in.'
Alex went up the tiny steps first and entered the truck. The others followed, along with the police officer. The entire truck had obviously been converted for use as a dressing room, perhaps for the notoriously demanding Jonny Cale. There was a table in the middle, still bearing traces of make-up, which looked as if it had been pulled away from the mirror along the far wall. Now a plan of the camp was
Amber shot them a questioning glance, but they shrugged back at her, obviously as much in the dark as she was.
Alex and Hex joined Amber in the first car. Li and Paulo got into the second.
'Strap yourselves in,' said the driver as he swung into the seat. 'We've got no time to waste.'
His colleague spoke into his radio. 'JN Five en route. Request backup. Over.'
The driver stopped the car at the hotel gates and checked the road. It was clear. He punched a switch on the dashboard and the siren began to wail. With one last look in each direction he floored the accelerator. The V8 engine answered. The tyres spun for a moment on the loose dust of the road, then bit. The car pulled out and roared up the carriageway.
They were fast approaching a lorry. It pulled aside for them to pass and they left it behind in a flash.
Amber, Hex and Alex turned and looked through the rear window. The other police car was close behind, nipping around the truck and swinging back into the right lane. Even traffic coming the other way was pulling to the side to get out of their way. The police drivers used the full width of the road whenever there was a corner, veering back and forth across the central white line.
Alex sneaked a look at the speedometer. It said 225 k.p.h. They passed another truck. It seemed to be crawling. Alex wanted to talk to the others to see if they knew what was going on, but conversation was impossible over the roar of the engine, the noise of the road and the wail of the siren. He glanced at his friends. Amber's eyes were dancing like points of light in her dark face. 'Lovin' this!' she mouthed with a huge grin.
Hex was staring ahead, his expression glazed and blissful, as though he was listening to a favourite piece of music very, very loud.
In the distance, Alpha Force could now see blue police lights throwing strobes into the sky. A sign for a roundabout came up. The cars slowed and slalomed through without missing a beat. Police motorcycles were positioned at the roundabout exits, blocking them off so that the cars could cruise through smoothly. Then the two Commodores were off up the straight coast road again, the 5.7 litre engines taking them effortlessly back up to top speed.
When they reached the encampment in the rainforest, they found it surrounded by a police cordon. It was early evening and the sky above the trees was blood-red. Floodlights made the area at the roadside as bright as midday, but under the trees the green gloom was turning to purple dusk. Police cars and an ambulance were parked across the road. Blue and white police tape extended into the undergrowth. Officers were picking their way in, using the tape as a guide.
Alpha Force climbed out. Beyond the police cars they could see the location trucks standing in a line. To the ticking and chirruping of the jungle creatures was added an new voice - the tinny crackle of police radios. The five friends looked at each other in astonishment. What could have happened to turn the TV shoot into a crime scene?
Another policeman ducked under the tape. 'Here they are, chief,' said one of the drivers.
The police officer looked at him. 'What took you so long?' Then, before the driver could answer, he addressed the five youngsters. 'Would you come this way, please?'
He led them to one of the location trucks and knocked once.
A voice from inside called out, 'Yes?'
'The witnesses are here, Sergeant Powell.'
Alex, Li, Hex, Amber and Paulo all looked at each other, the same thought going through their heads. Witnesses?
'Send them in.'
Alex went up the tiny steps first and entered the truck. The others followed, along with the police officer. The entire truck had obviously been converted for use as a dressing room, perhaps for the notoriously demanding Jonny Cale. There was a table in the middle, still bearing traces of make-up, which looked as if it had been pulled away from the mirror along the far wall. Now a plan of the camp was
Similar Books
