Revenge Read Online Free PDF Page B

focus and listen to what they had to say.
    â€˜Look in your letterbox,’ the distorted voice ordered. ‘Take what you find and give it to his mother. Tell her he gave it to you—it should keep her quiet for a while. Do as I say and I will show your friend to you.’
    â€˜Why? What’s in there?’ Winter cried. ‘Is Cal OK?’
    â€˜Breathe a word of this to the authorities and something very bad will happen to your friend,’ the sinister voice continued.
    â€˜Where is Cal? What have you done to him?’
    â€˜Once you’ve made the delivery, go straight to the clock tower. There, you’ll be given further instructions. Do it now!’
    The call ended.
    I was stunned by the words. Frozen. Winter grabbed her coat, her bag and her boots and ran for the door. ‘Come on!’ she shouted, glaring back at me.

    Mrs Ormond burst into tears as she read Cal’s letter—the letter that we knew had been delivered to Winter’s house by some unknown abductor.
    â€˜But he seemed so happy,’ she cried. ‘ Everything was going so well. The attention has been tough, I know, but I thought he was coping.’
    Winter handed Mrs Ormond a box of tissues. Mrs O had come so far since her dark days with Rafe and his mind-altering potions, but right now she looked almost as frail as she had last year. I held Gabbi tightly as she, too, cried into a tissue.
    â€˜I’ve been trying so hard to make it up to him,’ continued Mrs Ormond. She dropped her head into her hands. ‘But how could he ever forgive me for not believing him last year?’
    â€˜This has nothing to do with you,’ Winter offered, ‘ or Gab. I swear. It’s just …’ Winter stopped and wrapped her arms around Mrs Ormond’s slumped shoulders. ‘It’s just that the press still follow him everywhere he goes … and he just needs some time out. He’ll be back before we know it, I swear.’
    Gab pulled away from me, leaving behind a big damp spot on my T-shirt. ‘But where is he?’ she asked. ‘Who’s looking after him?’
    I could barely speak. I looked at Winter. Thethreat made by the kidnapper was all I could think of. Cal was in mortal danger, forced to write a fake note. I scratched my head and sighed.
    Solving complex equations and tampering with technology to get me out of the trickiest of situations was easy, but when it came to making up stories about the whereabouts of my best friend … my mind was drawing a blank.
    Luckily, Winter was a better liar. ‘You both remember hearing about Melba Snipe, right?’ she said, trying to make her voice sound calm. ‘That sweet old lady who helped Cal when he was on the run? Well, he’s camped up at her place for a while. No big deal. But you can’t tell this to anyone , OK? He’s trying to get out of the spotlight.’
    â€˜But can’t we go and see him?’ cried Gabbi. ‘At night, even?’
    I frowned and shook my head.
    â€˜I can’t believe this is happening again,’ Gab added.
    â€˜It’s not happening again ,’ I said. ‘This is different . We just need to give him some space.’
    Winter fiddled with her earrings—two pairs of silver swallows, joined in flight. The four of us looked to the floor, despairing for different reasons. But one thing remained the same. Cal was gone.

    People pointed and muttered as Winter and I passed them on the street. Usually I didn’t mind the attention so much—these days everyone at school treated me like a rock god, and as if I’d complain about that.
    But today was different. We had no idea who had taken Cal, or why.
    â€˜Boges!’ a voice called out. I gulped as I turned and found Madeleine Baker running up to me.
    Winter stopped a few metres ahead of me and watched, impatiently, hands on her hips.
    Maddy and I had been hanging out with each other a lot lately, but