Survival

Now, Amber walked into the middle of the suite and looked around. The place was more like an exclusive hotel than a hospital. The air-conditioning hummed quietly, the floor was thickly carpeted and a scattering of wall lights and table lamps gave off a soft glow.

'Sheesh, Hex!' she said. 'I had to share with Li! How come you get a palace like this all to yourself?'

'He was sicker than you,' replied John Middleton as he emerged from the en-suite bathroom.

'Hello, Uncle.' Amber grinned, lowering herself carefully into the middle of a huge, cream sofa. 'Owww! I have bruises on my bruises.'

Alex moved over to Hex. He was sitting up in a hospital bed with an intravenous drip attached to his arm and a protective wire cage over his injured leg.

'How are you doing?' asked Alex.

'He's a very lucky boy,' said a plump little nurse as she bustled into the room with a tray of glasses and a jug full of iced water. 'We've been pumping fluid and antibiotics into him all night, so he's improved a lot, but it was that first dose which really counted. If you hadn't got those drugs into him back on the island, he wouldn't be here right now.'

The nurse nodded at them all for emphasis, then glanced at her pocket watch and bustled out again.

'I think that means I'll live,' smiled Hex, as the door sighed shut behind the nurse.

'I already told you that,' said Alex.

Li eased down onto the sofa opposite Amber and reached for the water jug. She wasn't really thirsty, but she held the jug between her bandaged hands and filled all five glasses, just to hear the ice cubes clink. 'I can't believe we survived,' she said softly, smiling around the room at the others.

'And if you don't mind,' said John Middleton, sitting down beside Amber, 'I'd like to know how you did it.'

For the next two hours, they talked and John Middleton listened, his face growing more and more incredulous with every passing minute. Hex listened too. There was a lot he had to catch up on.

'You are one incredible bunch of kids,' said Amber's uncle finally when they had reached the end of their story. 'Now, do you have any questions for me?'

'Did anyone hear our SOS?' asked Paulo.

'We did pick up a fragment of an SOS signal,' said Amber's uncle. 'But it was too broken up for us to do anything with it.'

'Still,' said Paulo, settling back with quiet pride and beaming at Hex, 'it worked. Our radio worked.'

'So how did you find us?' asked Alex.

'My housekeeper called me at about four o'clock yesterday afternoon,' replied Amber's uncle. 'Of course, it was early morning in New York. She had been woken by the phone which kept ringing every five minutes. When she listened to the answer-machine, she heard Amber's voice.'

'But I goofed,' said Amber. 'I didn't leave any details.'

'We didn't need them,' said John Middleton. 'We pinpointed the signal coming from the satellite phone aboard the yacht. The Larousse family are fine, by the way. They're in a suite across the corridor there. You can pop in and see them later.'

'So the satellite signal led you to the cove,' said Hex. 'Then what?'

'Of course, when we got there, all we could find were three bodies, lying on the beach. Then we spotted smoke rising from the other side of the island.'

'The signal fire,' said Alex.

'Your signal fire,' agreed Amber's uncle. 'We high-tailed it around the mountain and there you were, attacking armed men with a bunch of bamboo sticks. They caught the pirates, by the way – what was left of them.'

John Middleton smiled at Amber, then reached out and stroked her hair. 'Your mom and dad would have been proud of you,' he said softly.

'Would they?' said Amber quietly, clutching the twist of gold at her neck. 'I don't know what would make them proud. I don't feel as though I know them any more.'

'Ah, yes,' said John Middleton. 'Philippe Larousse told me you might be wanting to know a few things. He told you a bit about the work they were doing, didn't he?'

'Just a bit,' said Amber. 'And now you're going to tell me the rest. Right?'

'That's why they sold the company, Amber. They wanted to start using some of that money to help other people. They wanted to put something back into the world.'

'But aren't there governments to do that? Aren't there charities and human rights organizations?'

'Yes, but sometimes the bigger organizations are helpless. They're all tied down by law and rules and red tape. Your mom and dad, they reckoned they could get past all that.'

'You mean they broke the law?'

'More like slipped past it,' smiled John Middleton. 'As private individuals, they could sneak into places where officials weren't allowed to go. They could take food or medicines in or get video evidence out. You wouldn't believe how much of their covert filming ended up on the international news – and that evidence would force the authorities to take action. Do you see?'

'I guess so,' said Amber.

'I was involved in it too,' said John Middleton. 'But my role was less dangerous. I suppose you could call me their anchor man. Their organizer. I stayed in New York most of the time, but I would arrange visas or money, or make sure they had the equipment they needed.'

'What sort of equipment?' asked Amber.

'All sorts,' said her uncle. 'Covert cameras for undercover work, false identities. Stuff like that.' He sighed. 'I don't do any of that now. They were the heart of it, you see. When they died in that plane crash, that was the end of it for me. It was sabotage, Amber, not an accident like I told you. I'm sorry.'

'Why didn't you tell me the truth?'

'Your mom and dad, they wanted to protect you. That's why they didn't tell you about the work they were doing. It was dangerous work. They didn't want you to be involved in any way.'

'So they let me think they were swanning around the world on a permanent vacation! I wish they'd told me the truth. I could've helped them.'

'Don't be silly, Amber,' said John Middleton. 'What could a fourteen-year-old girl do?'

Amber drew herself up to her full height and glared at her uncle. 'A lot, actually, if you think about it. Nobody pays much attention to kids. I bet I could get into places even Mom and Dad would have had trouble with.'

'Good point,' said John Middleton, looking at Amber. 'But it would be too dangerous, Amber-'

'Hey! I just survived a reef, a komodo dragon, three or four sharks and a whole crew of pirates! What could be more dangerous than that?' Amber sat up straight and gave her uncle a level stare. 'I've decided, Uncle,' she said. 'I want to carry on Mom and Dad's work.'

'What, all on your own?' asked John Middleton. He smiled at Amber indulgently. 'No, you'd be far better off going back to boarding school.'

Amber slumped and her hand crept up to clutch the golden Omega sign around her neck.

'But she wouldn't be on her own,' said Li, stepping up beside Amber. 'I'd work with Amber any day.'

'Me too,' said Paulo, stepping up beside Li.

'I'll go with that,' said Alex, moving to stand on Amber's other side.

'Count me in,' called Hex, from the bed.

Amber beamed at the others as they gathered around her then turned to look at her uncle. 'Well?' she said.

John Middleton gazed at the five of them thoughtfully. 'It's true,' he said. 'I can see situations where a group of kids as brave and resourceful as you could really make a difference-' He stopped abruptly and got to his feet. 'What am I saying?' he protested. 'This is nonsense. Dangerous nonsense. We stop it right here.'

'But, Uncle-'

'I've made your travel arrangements. You'll all be flying home tomorrow to see your families before going back on-board the Phoenix if you wish. You'll soon forget all about this and-'