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minutes. I don’t want to expose this mission to anyone else in SI-6. This job is strictly under the radar. Your call sign will be Night Hawk. Mine will be Condor. OK?’
    BB wished me luck, shook my hand and left. The worry in his eyes was easy to see. I realised that I was keen to help reunite Sophie and her father. For a moment, I felt a pang of sadness for my own. But I shook it off as I tried to focus on Paddy’s instructions about my new equipment.

DAY 11
80 days to go …
Home
Flood Street, Richmond
7:22 pm
    The next few days I spent getting used to jumping out of a helicopter under the watchful eye of an instructor. When Mum asked me where I’d been, I just said I’d been flying. It wasn’t completely untrue. If she’d known the whole truth, she wouldn’t have been very happy. There are some things mothers are better off not knowing.
    I was relieved when I heard Ryan had finally been in touch with his mum and reassured her he was on Shadow Island and having a good time. I’d be even more relieved when I’d seen him myself to confirm that was really true.
    I marvelled at how persuasive SI-6 must have been about my upcoming absence because no-one seemed to have any problem with me taking off for a ‘special apprenticeship’ at a convenientlyconcocted elite flying school. I really must get these guys to help me out next time I have an assignment due, I decided.
    â€˜When are you going to take me up with you, Cal?’ Gabbi asked, looking up at me with her big eyes as I put some clean dishes away.
    â€˜Soon, Piglet,’ I said, ruffling her hair.
    â€˜Don’t call me that!’ she said, kicking me.
    â€˜Hey, no kicking! How about the way you demolished that tub of ice-cream?’ I joked as Gabbi threw a tea towel at my head.

DAY 16
75 days to go …
Disused Airfield, Finchley
8:13 pm
    My backpack was packed and I was ready to go. Earlier in the afternoon, Winter and Boges had said goodbye.
    â€˜Good luck,’ Winter said, giving me a fierce hug. ‘And while you’re away, we’re going to track down Brittany Philips. We need to know why she was made to leave the Paradise People Resort.
And
why she became so anxious and frightened.’
    That weighed heavily on my mind, and I knew I’d be relieved once Winter and Boges found out what Brittany knew.
    â€˜Later, dude,’ said Boges, giving me a punch in the arm. ‘Don’t go troppo or get all James Bond on us, OK?’ he smirked.
    â€˜You know me, super low-key!’ I joked back.
    Now, I watched as the pilot ran through his pre-flight checks. I was anxious to get going,frustrated by the bad weather which had delayed my departure to the island.
    BB pulled something small out of his pocket. ‘There’s a false bottom to your backpack—it’s waterproofed and secure. Put this inside it,’ he said, handing me a small USB stick. ‘On it is something we’ve developed called the Stealth Hacker. It’s two programs in one—the first hacks into a system and collects information, then the second removes all traces of the hack. I just thought it might come in handy,’ he smiled. ‘I was a Scout a long time ago and “be prepared” is a good motto. The casing is waterproof and shockproof so it’s pretty indestructible.’
    As I slipped it into the secret compartment of my bag, I thought,
Boges would love this
.
Night Flight
10:45 pm
    It felt like we’d hardly spent any time in the air when we began to descend and I prepared myself for the jump from the helicopter.
    The instructor gave me the thumbs up—
go!
    I hesitated for a second, staring down into the vast blackness of the night. Then, wishing myself luck, I tumbled out, dropping like a stone with the rushing air taking my breath away, as my handsgrappled with the controls. As I levelled out, I felt the glider wing fill with wind and arch over me.
    The sound of