The Devil's Breath Read Online Free PDF Page B

hugged Max and kissed his forehead, which Max managed to bear without too much squirming. He gave his new friend a hug—he felt a bit more grown-up now—and there was a nod of acknowledgment and respect from Farentino.
    Max pushed his way through the bustling terminal, trying not to look too obvious as he scanned the crowd for anyone who stuck out. The people who had followed him earlier didn’t seem to be anywhere in sight. Luckily, the large number of passengers made it easy to pretend thathe was simply deciding where to go—which was partly true. He checked his watch. Time was getting tight now. The Air Canada desk was in Zone D. He joined the business-class queue for Toronto. There were only a couple of people in front of him and as he waited he glanced around again—and his heart suddenly thudded and an invisible fist walloped him in the chest as he saw Mr. Peterson, his geography teacher from school. He could barely hide his shock.
    Max tried to settle his breathing, but there was another feeling now, a physical pain which he knew was fear. Mr. Peterson was on his cell phone and half turned his back as Max saw him. Max kept his head, not giving in to the impulse to stare at him; instead, he let his gaze sweep across the crowd in case Peterson used his peripheral vision to watch him. Peterson. He liked him. He was a great teacher. And there he was, part of the conspiracy to track Max down and kill him.
    The check-in clerk called Max forward, which snapped his mind back into gear. Max handed his passport and boarding pass across the desk, but the crawling in his stomach wouldn’t go away. Mr. Peterson had been at the school for only a few months. He would have known Max’s daily schedule and he was probably the one who searched his room. Who was paying Peterson to betray him? Max didn’t have time to think about it. “Oh, this is an economy ticket.” The check-in clerk smiled.
    Max knew that, of course. He was gambling that, if he played ignorant, the cheerful-looking woman would check him in anyway. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know.” He grimaced. “I’ve never been on a big plane before,” he lied.
    She quickly tapped her fingers on the computer keyboard. “Oh, that’s all right. I’ll check you in here. I bet you’re really excited.”
    Max nodded enthusiastically.
    “Any luggage?” she asked as she gazed at the screen.
    “No, just my backpack.”
    She asked him a few security questions and then packaged his passport and boarding pass together. “I’ve given you a window seat. Enjoy the flight.” She pointed down the hall. “Security and departure’s down there. Have a really nice time in Canada, Mr. Lawrence.”
    Max thanked her and turned away. Peterson was still there, but he’d moved a bit further down the concourse. He must have been satisfied that Max was on his way to Pearson Airport, Toronto, to stay with his new guardian, Jack Ellerman, because he snapped his cell shut and turned on his heel, his job done. Max felt a sense of relief, but he still had to get on that plane for South Africa without being spotted. There might be others in the terminal looking for him.
    The Toronto plane left at 21.30. The Virgin check-in desk for Johannesburg was in the A Zone, and that plane left at 20.05 and they were already boarding. Max had to get to the gate in time, and if he didn’t do it in the next fifteen minutes his whole plan would be ruined. He quickened his pace, dodging through the crowd, and then he saw another boy about his age. He too wore cargo pants, a sweat top, trainers and a lightweight fleece. His hair was a bit longer than Max’s and his shoulders weren’t as broad—Max had done a lot of white-water canoeing in the swirling watersof the River Dart and that had built up his arms and back muscles—and although Max had never seen this boy before, the orange-colored fleece identified him.
    The other boy’s eyes were looking at the crowd ahead of him and then they locked