Free The Final Curtain by Deborah Abela

Heat-Sensitive Glasses. The world before her became tinged with green, but when she held her hand in front of her it was a bright red blur, just as Quimby said.
    She pulled her palm computer from her pocket, opened the map and a compass appeared beside it. It was clearly marked out with her starting point and destination. She needed to head north. After looking around for any movement or signs of life, she stepped out of the clearing and into the forest. Treading over the leafy floor, she stopped and smiled. She lifted her foot and placed it down again on the crunchy, dry leaf bed. There was barely a sound. ‘Good one, Quimby,’ she whispered.
    She gave a start when she felt her palm computer vibrate in her hand. ‘Stop being so jumpy,’ she warned herself.
    â€˜Max.’ A beaming Steinberger stared at her from the corner of her screen. ‘You’ve arrived A-okay?’
    â€˜Almost in one piece.’ Max rubbed her aching backside again.
    â€˜Have you found the map and compass okay?’
    â€˜Yep, I’ve got it open now and I’m heading into the forest.’ Max continued walking silently forward in her Counter-Gravity Boots.
    â€˜So all you need to do now is reach the flag without being tagged by a laser. Any questions?’
    â€˜Is there any way we can have Toby transferred to Siberia?’
    â€˜Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, Max.’
    â€˜Who’s being funny?’ she mumbled.
    â€˜Just remember,’ Steinberger said, ‘stealth is the key, so don’t do anything that’s going to attract attention.’
    â€˜I’ll be as quiet as … Aaah!’
    â€˜Max, are you okay?’
    â€˜Aaah!
    She flung her arms around wildly, caught in the sticky strands of a spider’s web. Just above her, a plump golden spider oscillated wildly.
    â€˜I’m being attacked by a giant spider.’
    â€˜What kind?’
    Max jumped backwards and held the computer’s in-built camera towards the bulbous arachnid, while still trying to extricate herself from its web.
    â€˜It’s only an Orb Web Spider. Perfectly harmless. Unless you’re an aphid or some garden pest, and lucky for you you’re not.’
    Max calmed down. Slightly. ‘Sorry, I’m not very good with spiders.’
    â€˜You’ll be fine from now on. Better be off. The others should have landed by now. Good luck!’
    Steinberger’s face disappeared from the screen.
    Max stepped away from the spider and took a deep breath. ‘Try and do this with a little less screaming.’
    With the palm computer in her hand, she began her task. She navigated her way under low-hanging branches, over fallen logs and down into damp, marshy ditches, all the while looking out for any movement or noise that might be enemy agents.
    She was about to climb out of another ditch when she heard the snap of a twig. She crouched low. Her boots dampened every sound as she crept under cover of a nearby bush. Seconds later she heard a rustle of branches. She slipped her computer into her pocket and pulled her laser gun from its holster, holding it before her, surveying the forest above.
    Then she saw it. Through the huddle and twist of trees. A red human-shaped blur moved slowlytowards her. She crouched even further into the bush, hardly breathing, and trained the gun on their every move.
    The enemy agent approached the ditch and stopped on the edge, no more than a few metres above Max. She held her gun firm, her finger on the trigger, and waited until she had a clear view. Then she struck.
    A brief alarm sounded and the agent dropped to the ground.
    Max allowed herself a slight grin before carefully backing out of the bush.
    She followed the direction of her compass north, making quick progress towards the middle of her planned route, her eyes and ears alert to any movement or sound. She came upon a narrow stream. The gushing water made it difficult to hear if anyone was following her. She