Underground by Chris Morphew Page A

hurry.
    â€˜Where do you think he really is?’ I asked.
    â€˜Nowhere good,’ Jordan sighed. She grabbed back the paper and flipped it over. ‘It gets worse.’
    â€˜Of course it does.’
    Usually, the back page of the Herald was taken up by what passed for Phoenix’s sports section. Round-ups of the few local comps, plus just enough falsified details of the national rugby and cricket and whatever to keep people from getting suspicious. But today, it was dominated by a full-page ad.
    A tall, muscular security officer, immaculately dressed and airbrushed to perfection, stood against a white background, staring determinedly into the distance. Under his feet, a red Co-operative logo was stamped next to three words in sleek, bold lettering: MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
    My stomach plummeted.
    Officer Calvin was recruiting.
    â€˜It could just be making up numbers,’ said Jordan doubtfully. ‘They’ve already lost, what is it now, five officers? Not counting the ones in hospital.’
    â€˜Could be,’ I said, not believing it any more than she did.
    This was what Officer Barnett had been talking about the other night. Something big was coming. And whatever ‘difference’ these guys were about to make, I had a feeling it was only going to make our lives more miserable.

Chapter 9

    T UESDAY , J UNE 30
44 DAYS
    We were leaving.
    I stood at one of the downstairs windows, watching the last of the sunlight melt out of the sky. I couldn’t even remember coming down here. I’d been pacing all afternoon. Wandering the house, trying to walk off some nervous energy.
    At midnight tonight, the surveillance cameras across the street would come online. If we wanted to get out of here, we had to do it before then.
    The plan was to head out into the bush. Try to find somewhere to sleep where we wouldn’t freeze to death. And then see what happened in the morning.
    I left the window and went back to my pacing. It all felt so pointless. There was no mission. No plan. No building to sneak into, or suspect to investigate, or information to track down. It was just survival now. And what good was that if Tabitha was just going to sweep through and –
    â€˜Luke!’ Jordan’s voice came from above me. ‘Get up here!’ She was leaning over the banister, waving frantically.
    â€˜What?’ I said, bolting up the stairs. ‘What’s wrong?’
    She grabbed my arm, pulled me into the bedroom, and just about threw me into the window. ‘Look.’
    From this angle, I could see down into Mum’s front lawn. Three security officers had just walked out through the front gate. They were heading up the street toward the town centre.
    â€˜So?’ I said. ‘They’re changing shifts. It’s what they always do at –’ ‘ No, ’ said Jordan excitedly.
    â€˜No, it’s not! They always change over one at a time, not all at once! Luke – I think they’re going.
    â€™ I watched the guards slip out of my line of sight, and then stared down at my suddenly unguarded front lawn. The miracle that had been handed to us right when we needed it most.
    There was no way it was that simple.
    â€˜Why?’ I asked.
    But it was like she hadn’t heard me. ‘I’m going,’ she said, already halfway to the stairs. ‘Back to my place. If they’ve left your mum, then they’re probably –’
    I raced after her. ‘Jordan, just – just hang on a sec.’
    She turned to look at me, but I knew she wouldn’t wait for long.
    â€˜What if we’re doing exactly what they want us to do?’ I asked.
    â€˜What do you mean? They don’t know we’re watching the house.’
    â€˜Of course they do!’ I said. ‘As if we wouldn’t be!’
    A pained look crossed her face. ‘Luke – What else is there? Our only other plan is running away.’
    She was right. I didn’t like