A New Style of Education

by Karen Page

Part 43

What has gone wrong with the Alpha team and will the Beta's be able to help?

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Part 43

My heart sank. The trouble, which everyone in the beta team had hoped would never occur, had. The memory of what to do in a situation like this was ingrained in my head. There was no reason for Stacy to remind us, and she didn't. She expected us to know what was needed. I didn't want to disappoint her.

I made my way into the warm up room and after putting my instrument into its case, looked for someone to entrust my French horn to. I spotted Brian, and since he only had his baton, I decided he was an obvious target.

"Brian, can you please make sure this gets back safely?" I quietly asked.

"Be careful," he said, taking my instrument without any hesitation.

As I made my way to the exit, I spotted Helen giving her bassoon to Jessica, who didn't seem to hesitate in taking it. I wonder how much our friends know or suspect. I didn't go up to Helen, but slipped out of the door, with Helen close behind.

It wasn't until I was outside that I waited for Helen and we walked briskly to the hotel. Running would have drawn unwanted attention to us, but walking briskly was something many locals did to get quickly out of the biting wind. The coach might have been quicker, but the traffic jams in Moscow were often very bad.

In our room, we took out our suitcases, opened the bottom to reveal extra items and started our transformations into two young men. The coats were reversible. When they were one way, they looked like a man's coat, but when pulled inside out they were feminine. We placed our ordinary PDA's in the bottom of our cases and switched on our beta ones.

We were just finishing changing when Jill and Anna came into the room. In hindsight, it would have been easier if we'd shared with Ruth and Michelle, but that would have probably upset Jill and Anna. Actually, they might have liked sharing with Erika.

"What's going on?" Jill blurted out instantly.

"Sorry?"

"I can't find Dad and now you are like this. What's going on?"

Christopher and I exchanged glances. What could we tell Jill? If we told her the truth, it would expose too much. If we told her nothing, it would be like betraying her.

"Jill, I think you should let them get going," Anna suddenly injected, pulling her partner to one side. Then she turned to us, "Sorry, I don't think Jill is thinking straight. Be safe, we will be thinking of you. Oh, and when we meet up with the others, we didn't see anything."

"Thanks," Christopher uttered, as we left to go to Marcus's bedroom.

We were the last to arrive. "Sorry, Jill detained us, worried about Julia."

"Did you say anything?" asked Andy.

"No, Anna understood and is sorting things out with Jill. I think Jill is just very worried."

Marcus took charge, "Yes, but that is something to discuss later. The current situation is that both Alpha teams are stranded in their targets. Complicating things is that the building that the Manor alpha team visited is shielded against satellite communications, which wasn't in any plans. Both sites need a distraction so the alpha teams can get out, but we also need to come up with a plan to get the data out of there, too.

"That building has no windows where the computers are, so they were linking via a van, which does the upload. The uplink signal is being jammed, and we only got a scant report before the PDA signals of both teams were also blocked. Since no previous intelligence showed any electronic jamming equipment, it appears that they were expected . Therefore, whatever we do, we have to be very careful. They are obviously aware of the alpha teams, but we aren't sure if they know about us. Since they know about them, we don't have much time before they are found. Skip, do you have a plan for your team?"

"Yes, we'll go to my room to discuss it in detail. It seems we have the trickier mission."

"If you need us after we've finished, just let us know," offered Marcus.

"Good luck," we all whispered to each other, as The Manor Beta team disappeared to plan and conduct their mission.

Marcus continued, "Our primary mission is to get our alpha team out without getting ourselves caught in the process. The easiest thing would be to cut the power to the building. Without the lights, there should be confusion and the alpha team may be able to slip out unnoticed."

"There is a big risk with that," I said, biting my bottom lip. "They will probably have emergency lights. How about we physically distract the guards with a 'break in' at the other side of the building? While they are dealing with us, the alpha team can get out."

"How do we let the alpha team know that the coast is clear?" queried Andy

"We also kill the lights as per Marcus's plan. The lack of power should be enough of a clue. If the new electronic interference isn't on the backup power, we should be able to get a message to them."

"Sounds like a great amendment to the plan," agreed Marcus.

"The manhole cover two streets away will give me access to the main feed," added Felix. "It won't be a clean break, and will affect several buildings nearby. It will also probably take them several hours to repair."

"Good, we wouldn't want a quick repair. It would be awful if the power came on just as they were sneaking out. Just make sure that once the circuit is broken you get out of the area quickly and quietly, preferably back here as Fran."

There was a brief knock on the door and Mr Hobson came in. He quickly looked around and said, "Marcus, you can't seriously be taking David and Christopher with you?"

Before Marcus could say anything, I leapt in, "We all volunteered and there is no way you will stop me from tagging along."

"Too right," scowled Christopher.

"But David, we might need you to run computer interference," said Mr Hobson rather lamely. I think he knew he was on a losing battle. It was good to see that he had the safety of his students at heart, but now wasn't the time.

"Are you really telling me that a certain little munchkin didn't notice something amiss and isn't already causing havoc with all the computers in Moscow? If she isn't, then please get her involved. She might be able to help Skip by stopping the jamming. It's a shame they are too far for standard communications and we are reliant on the satellite to speak with them on their PDA's."

Mr Hobson turned pale. I really don't think he'd thought about Matilda. I'm sure I heard him mutter to himself that she would be the death of him.

"The rock," suddenly said Marcus.

"What?" everyone queried.

"The fake rock that Mrs Brown tried to plant at the school. It was a method of turning the short-range frequencies into something that could be picked up much further away. Some of the students might be able to put something together that we can use. It doesn't have to be there for long."

"What about the leak?" Christopher thought aloud.

"We are pretty sure the students are clean," said Mr Hobson. "All the leaks have occurred from our school, so I'll make sure I speak with Mr Moore about using some of the American students. Now, good luck and please be careful." With that, Mr Hobson left. He was still worried about us, but having something to do other than get in our way.

"Okay, let's get going," said Marcus, sounding full of confidence. "Sean, you're Felix's cover. Christopher, you're with Andy and David, you're with me."

Christopher disabled the door alarm, and we slipped through a fire door into the cold winter evening. Nobody from my old school would ever believe that I, David Grant, was in Russia, rescuing a bunch of spies. Heck, even I couldn't believe that I was involved in this. Perhaps I should change my name to Alex Rider.

We were dressed like young Russian manual labourers. Slung over Marcus's, Andy's and Felix's shoulders were three tatty looking rucksacks. In them were the items we might need for our outing. It had snowed a little while we were inside. The ground was bright white, reflecting the streetlights. It was always fun to walk on fresh powdery snow before it became compacted. I looked back, and saw our fresh tracks from the fire escape. I patted Marcus on the shoulder and pointed it out. He gave a sharp nod and tapped something on his PDA.

"Well spotted, there should be a big snowball fight in a few minutes," Marcus responded.

As we got closer to the target, Felix and Sean quietly slipped away. It didn't take long before we were standing by a few trees, outside a rather unremarkable concrete building.

"Access gained," I heard Sean's voice say in my earpiece. It would still be a few minutes before Felix was ready to kill the power.

"Okay, team." Marcus rummaged inside my rucksack and handed each of us what looked like a six centimetre round disk with a rather large handle on it. "These sonic projectors kick a little, so make sure that you brace yourselves before firing."

I moved off with Marcus, leaving Christopher with Andy. At Felix's signal, we would attack opposite ends of the building, splitting up the resources of the small team of night guards. I just hope they hadn't put on too many extras since they expected the alpha team. I wondered if they knew about us.

"Off in thirty." Felix's voice rang in our ears.

I braced myself against the wall of the building next to it, aimed at my target, and fired my sonic projector. The sound of splintering glass filled the air, soon accompanied by an ear piercing alarm. Ten seconds before power off. It wasn't long before we saw the shadows of running guards and we withdrew further into the shadow of the neighbouring building.

Three.

Two.

One.

The lights went out, not just in the target building, but also in the surrounding buildings. The alarm stopped and we were enveloped with silence. I thought it was quiet, but our ears soon picked up the constant background sound of Moscow's traffic. I hoped Felix had been able to cover up his work, so it took them longer to find the break.

"Alpha One, do you read us," quietly spoke Marcus.

"Thanks for the diversion. We are out of here, see you back at Snooze Station."

Snooze Station? That must have been the lamest codename I'd ever heard. Well, I suppose I hadn't heard many. The person who came up with that as a code name for the hotel needs to go back to school. There was no more conversation with the alpha team over our encrypted channel; it might be used to triangulate our position.

"Do we go back to Snooze Station too?" I asked Marcus.

"Not yet. First, we need to meet our other halves and then decide."

We quietly made our way back through the park to where Christopher and Andy were hiding amongst the trees. As we approached, we heard Andy suddenly yell "DUCK!"

Duck? Quack? I didn't have time for any other strange thoughts as Marcus grabbed me and pulled me to the snow covered ground. Two gunshots broke the silence. I quickly glanced up to make sure that Christopher was okay. He was standing there next to Andy. Both were holding pistols.

"Two armed guards were following you," explained Andy as we both hugged our partners. This wasn't really the time for a reunion party. Others would have heard the gunshots and police would be called to investigate. We had to get out of here.

"Beta One Bravo, do you read me?" Marcus said into his lapel microphone.

"Roger, we have the package and are about to extract the team."

"Do you need any assistance?"

"A bigger party would be helpful. A few minutes ago, a larger search team arrived. I reckon we have twenty minutes."

"Okay, party crashers on their way. Stand by for rock-and-roll."

Rock and Roll? I wonder what Marcus meant by that. I think I must read up more on the code words.

"Sorry gang," said Marcus to the three of us. "It looks like we have a bit more fun left this evening."

Fun? Was Marcus serious? I think he could do with his head examining. Actually, a nice chat with Rachel might not be a bad idea. We quickly set off towards the other target.

Andy took me to one side. "If we have to split up later, please make sure that Beta One gets back to Snooze Station safely. Certain medical tasks need to be done several times a day and I know that would get missed if Beta One wasn't reminded."

It made me smile slightly hearing even Andy refer to his partner and lover by code rather than name. We hadn't uttered each other's names since leaving the hotel.

"Don't worry, just make sure you look after mine, and I'll look after yours."

We both had a little smirk about that before rushing to catch up with ones we would watch over and that would watch over us.

"Halt!"

We weren't far from where we planned to cause some disruption. A policeman had got out of his car. "What are you doing in this area?"

"We are just going to the metro station," Marcus said in perfect local Russian. Now I was glad that Jessica and Wendy had been able to teach us what we needed.

"That's okay," he agreed. "We have a Chechen alert, so be careful."

With those kind words, we went towards the metro station under the watchful gaze of the policeman. When we went round the corner, we saw that not only were the police out in force, but there seemed to be some military as well.

"This isn't good," said Christopher, very much understating the situation.

"Noose tightening," said Marcus, on the beta communication system.

"Acknowledged," came Skip's terse reply.

"There's less military activity to the east," came a small girl's voice via the PDA system. "Working on police tracking now."

I looked at the others to see they were also surprised to hear Matilda, though I've never been so glad to hear that voice. It was so nice to know that someone was watching our backs.

"Isn't that building over there one that was marked on our maps as being closed for refurbishment?" asked Andy.

"Yes, plan on hiding there?" I responded, wondering what their plan was.

"It looks like it needs demolishing," outlined Marcus.

Demolishing? Oh great, now that will attract attention. We walked right past one of the military vehicles on the way. I wanted to rush past, but Marcus kept us all at a steady pace. I couldn't believe it when Andy casually stopped to re-tie his shoelace. When Marcus and Andy entered the building, Christopher and I were left to keep a subtle watch.

"I'm a bit nervous about this," I admitted to Christopher. I hoped our quiet chatter made it look like were two locals waiting for friends.

"Yes, I know what you mean. We are two teenagers and it isn't something that a nineteen year old would get involved with, let alone two thirteen year olds. We are both standing here, 2,500 kilometres from home with armed police and soldiers standing in spitting distance, looking for us though thankfully they don't know it. I just hope we both reach our fourteenth birthdays."

"At least you only have a few weeks before your birthday."

"You'll get to yours, too."

"I'm taking over as your electronic ears," a familiar voice interrupted our banter. "Your previous guide is concentrating on the others."

Christopher and I exchanged smiles. It was good to know that Fran was back safely.

"Our satellite will be out of range in twenty minutes. In a few minutes, an update will download and reset your system. You will be out of communication for forty seconds. If the new uplink fails, there is a backup link. See you on the other side."

I tried to think of the satellites we used, and there wouldn't be anything giving coverage, so I wondered what system we would be using. Also, was it legitimate use, or had one of them hijacked it. I turned my back on the soldier's activity, so I could look at my PDA without being noticed. It didn't take long, the PDA went down and when it came back the signal was identified by the name SKYNET.

Skynet? I stifled my laughter.

"We're back," I said, letting Fran know it worked.

Marcus and Andy came out of the building, their rucksack looking significantly less full than when they went in. Marcus must have seen my smile, as he gave me an enquiring look.

I showed both Andy and Marcus my PDA and smiled and nodded. If it wasn't for us being in shooting distance of a heavily armed squad, they would have both been laughing. "I wouldn't just blame that one person. To get that to work would have taken a few additional people."

"Let's get moving, we don't have long," prodded Andy. "We'll see you two later."

My heart sank as I watched Christopher walk away with Andy. Why couldn't I have been with Christopher? Marcus led me in a different direction and my love was soon out of sight. We were also away from the army, which was a good thing.

"He'll be okay. If not, I'll track Beta Two down and kill him for not keeping his nose clean. You seemed a bit worried about others helping to keep us in touch."

"It's more people that know the secret," I sighed.

"I think most suspected."

"Yes, but there is a difference between knowing and suspecting."

"It looks like you will be having a harder time next year, sorry."

"Next year?"

"I won't be around next year, and someone has to be Beta One. I know someone in charge has great hopes for you."

"Aren't I too young? Wouldn't it be best to be the same as the head pupil?"

"It would be, but they aren't up to this excitement. They have all been tested in some ways to see how they would react. It's either you, or Beta Three next year, but you saw how Beta Three differed from you earlier. Damn, my PDA is resetting. Can you get hold of Beta One Bravo and tell him to brace for diversion."

I relayed as instructed and a few seconds later, the sound of an explosion broke through the night. I could hear nothing apart from my ears ringing. It was followed with another explosion; this one seemed larger.

When I'd slightly recovered, I quivered, "Two?"

"The van where Andy tied his shoelace was the first one, the building the second."

"But it might have killed someone," I said horrified.

"Maybe, but the type of explosives we used are designed to give a loud bang, but not have that much destructive power. With a little luck, there will be nothing more than blown out windows in the area. The building might be unsafe, but it shouldn't have collapsed. Let's hope it attracts attention and takes people away from where we don't want them to be."

"I feel sorry for the people back at Snooze Station," I thought aloud. "If they are monitoring radio traffic, it is going to get very busy."

In the distance, we heard some more explosions. I looked at Marcus, who looked surprised too. It sounded too far for it to have been caused by Andy and Christopher.

"It sounds like some of our alpha team had a similar idea," Marcus whispered, after a moment's thought.

"Search team has left and alpha team extracted," said a very relieved Skip.

"What now?" I asked Marcus.

"We go to Snooze Station and relax, hopefully."

"Relax, after this?"

"We also pray that our partners aren't too horny," laughed Marcus. I almost shuddered at that thought.

"In twenty meters there is an alley on your right, take it quickly," Ingrid informed us.

Without a moment's thought, Marcus and I ran for the alley and ducked into its shadows, just before a military truck drove past. Ingrid and others at Snooze Station were our eyes, overseeing our safety. If they told us to do something, we would do it without hesitation.

Ingrid interrupted my thoughts. "Beta One Bravo needs assistance. The area they are has been blocked."

"Who is nearest?" Marcus responded.

"You are, but you can't move for another three minutes, as another truck will drive past."

"I have transport available," Andy announced. "Traffic appears to be lighter than usual. I can be there in three minutes."

My heart sank. I'd been hoping that Christopher would see no more action.

Marcus came and put his arm around me. "You have a go," he confirmed to Andy via his lapel microphone.

My heart sank into my boots. Marcus knew how I felt, and yet he carried on. I thought he was supposed to care. I roughly removed his arm from around me.

"Do you think I like sending Beta Two into an area like that?" Marcus murmured, sounding rather hurt.

"Then why did you?"

"If I hadn't given the go ahead, he would have gone anyway. We can't leave people in trouble."

"But what if it gets more people in trouble," I persisted.

"We would have been told if Snooze Station thought it was too dangerous."

Too dangerous? Heck, we've nearly been caught ourselves a few times and Andy had shot someone, or was it Christopher?

The second military vehicle rumbled slowly past, sounding rather like a badly maintained tractor. I looked at Marcus, who held up his hand signalling we should wait. As we stood impatiently in the shadows it started snowing, not heavily, but a gentle flurry, which speckled our coats with white.

"All clear," our guardian angel eventually informed us.

We trudged through the snow towards the hotel, our eyes constantly looking for trouble, and our ears listening for information on our love ones. We made it back to Snooze Station without issue. Ingrid was waiting by the emergency door and after gently tapping our special knock we were let in.

"What's the news?" Marcus and I both asked her at once.

"Come with me," Ingrid responded. I swallowed, trying to keep my frustration under control. We followed her to Kriss's room and there was small group beavering away. It was all adults. All the other beta's and any other student helpers were now gone.

"Welcome back," Mr Moore greeted us.

"What's their status?" Marcus asked.

"Everyone is back, apart from the four you know about. We know that they got into the square and something happened. There were gunshots heard, and we know the car Andy was driving left the area at high speed. However, we have lost track on where the car is. One of the other teams is actively looking for them."

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* Skynet - This refers to the British military satellite system. This does NOT refer to the terminator films.