Free Code Red by H. I. Larry Page B

sharp.’
    â€˜I’ll be there,’ said Zac. At least I get to miss out on two days of school, he thought.
    There was an awkward silence. Agent Big Boss stared down at him.
    â€˜Is there something else, Agent Rock Star?’
    â€˜Yes,’ said Zac, pulling the holo-projector from his pocket. ‘I found this inside the BIG agent’s jet.’
    For a second, Agent Big Boss’s eyes went wide, but he quickly recovered.

    â€˜I’d like you to give that to me, Power.’
    â€˜But sir,’ Zac began, ‘this is –’
    â€˜I know exactly what it is,’ Agent Big Boss interrupted. ‘Please hand it to me.’
    â€˜Sir, I was hoping Leon could have a look at it.’
    â€˜No,’ said Agent Big Boss.
    â€˜But –’
    â€˜No, Rock Star. You’ve got more than enough to worry about. Please give it to me.’
    Zac dropped the holo-projector into Agent Big Boss’s outstretched hand.
    â€˜But someone’s going to look at it, right?’ Zac said.
    Agent Big Boss held up a hand to silence Zac. ‘Agent Rock Star,’ he said very slowly, ‘I am ordering you to forget that you ever saw this holo-projector. As far as you are concerned, it never existed. Is that clear?’
    â€˜Sir!’ Zac said, a little too loudly. ‘You can’t – ’
    â€˜I am the head of this spy agency, Rock Star!’ Agent Big Boss boomed. ‘Do not tell me what I can’t do! One more outburst like that and I’ll pull you off this mission altogether! Is that what you want?’
    Zac glared up at Agent Big Boss. ‘No, sir.’
    â€˜Good,’ said Big Boss. ‘Now, go home and get some rest. I’ll see you back here this afternoon. I hope by then you will have remembered how to behave like a GIB agent.’

CHAPTER
THREE
    Zac Power stormed up the path to his house. How dare Agent Big Boss treat me like that? I’m his best agent!
    Leon flung open the door.‘The computer chip!’ he shouted at Zac. ‘I know what it’s for! Quick, where’s the holo-projector?’
    â€˜Big Boss took it,’ said Zac bitterly.
    â€˜Well, let’s get it back!’ said Leon.
    â€˜We can’t.’
    Zac walked inside and slammed the door behind him. He stomped into the lounge room and threw himself down onto the couch. He was furious.
    â€˜But Zac,’ said Leon, ‘the chip you gave me unlocks that holo-projector!’
    â€˜Great,’ said Zac sarcastically. ‘Too bad that Big Boss told me to forget about it.’
    Leon stared at him. ‘Why?’
    â€˜He wouldn’t say,’ Zac grumbled. ‘And he got really angry when I started asking questions.’
    Leon gaped. ‘But Grandpa was GIB’s best agent! Surely Big Boss wants to find him almost as much as we do.’ Then his eyes went wide. ‘Unless…no, that’s impossible. There’s no way…’ ‘Leon!’ Zac said, annoyed.
    Leon took a deep breath. ‘Unless the reason GIB aren’t investigating the holo-projector is because they already know where Grandpa is.’
    â€˜But Grandpa’s been missing for years!’ Zac protested.
    â€˜What if he hasn’t been missing?’ said Leon. ‘What if GIB knew where Grandpa was all along, but they just didn’t want us to know?’
    â€˜That’s crazy,’ said Zac, shaking his head.
    â€˜Why else wouldn’t Big Boss want you to have the holo-projector?’ Leon argued.
    Zac fell silent. Leon had a point.
    Then suddenly, Zac had a brainwave. ‘The agent who was kidnapped from the Black Jungle!’ he shouted, jumping up from the couch.
    â€˜Huh?’ said Leon.
    â€˜I didn’t rescue all the GIB agents from the jungle,’ Zac explained. ‘One of them was kidnapped. I told Agent Big Boss, but he didn’t seem to care.’
    â€˜You think that agent was Grandpa ?’ said Leon,