The Code

Chapter Two

I stood behind the table, along with everyone else from the bus. Max was in front, pacing and huffing. I recognised all of the people, except one. She looked of an Asian origin. I was standing next to Nathan and Siva, with Samantha next to Nathan, typing on the keyboard on the table.

“You called us here five minutes ago, Max. We came and you’ve just been pacing. Tell us what’s wrong; or we’re all going to leave,” Nathan said. Max stopped pacing and looked around at each of us.

“Alexis, it’s your first day, and I’m sorry about this, but I’m going to need you today,” he said and smiled apologetically at me.

“Don’t worry. What is it?” I asked.

“A case of diamonds has been stolen from a group of men on the London Underground. All of these men were in identical grey suits, each with a black face mask and holding a silver briefcase. Nobody knew which case the diamonds were in; and there were so many men that it would be impossible to tell. Someone managed to find out, and took that suitcase. They left every other one, but the poor guy with the diamonds had his hand cut off. The other six that he was with are dead, but their hands are fine. Why’d the robber cut his hand off? Because he was handcuffed to the case; they all were. We need to find out who took the diamonds though,” Max explained. “Nathan, Kaneswaran Flesch and Alexis, get yourselves ready; we’re going down there.”

“What about me?” The Asian woman asked.

“Lucia, you just get us there. You don’t need to go into battle again,” Max replied.

“Good,” Lucia replied. She started tapping on her phone; then looked up at me. “Who’s the new girl?” She asked Max. He looked over at me as well. I smiled.

“That’s Alexis. She was found in a van, hacking our system,” Max replied. Lucia nodded. I turned away and looked at Siva. He smiled; then walked over to me.

“Come on, we need to get sorted. Flesch and I will show you what to do,” he said. We went out of the room; then Siva stopped and turned around so he was facing the door. “Nathan, Flesch, are you coming?” He called. Nathan looked up and followed Samantha out of the room.

We made our way up a set of spiral stairs, to the second level. Siva and Samantha went off to the lab, and Nathan went to his room. He gestured for me to follow, so I did. We went past the questioning room, and to the end of the corridor where there were two doors. One on the right: one on the left. We went through the one on the left and came into an office. The walls were brown; the floor was brown; there was a large oak desk in the centre with a chair on either side; a cabinet opposite the door, and another door behind the desk. Nathan went through that door, so I stayed in the office and looked around. I went over to the cabinet and saw a few pictures. There were four small ones, and one large one in the middle. I pictured the large one up. It had a picture of five men and two girls. I spotted Max, Siva and Nathan; then there was a man I didn’t recognise. He had his arms wrapped round a pretty blonde, in a long black dress. I looked at Max and he was holding the hand of a gorgeous brunette in a short red dress. I finally looked across the picture to the man standing next to Siva. I almost dropped the picture when I realised who it was. There was a cough behind me. I quickly put the picture down and turned to see Nathan smiling at me from the doorway.

“Recognise anyone in the pictures?” He asked. I looked back at them and he came over.

“Yeah, Max, Siva and...” I started, “and-” I spluttered.

“And Jay,” he finished. “He used to be our best friend; before he went mad.”

I looked down. “Who’s the other boy?” I asked. “And the girls,”