Free The Set Up by Sophie McKenzie Page B

forced myself to remember what he’d said: Whatever happens, go along with it. Everything’ll be okay.
    Ed looked like he was about to be sick. ‘This isn’t right,’ he said. ‘We weren’t taking drugs. Oh, God, please don’t tell my parents.’
    I bit my lip.
    ‘Don’t worry, Ed, dear.’ The woman smiled. ‘Nothing’s going to happen to you or Nico or Ketty, providing you do what I tell you now.’
    Ed stared at her. ‘How do you know our names?’ he said.
    ‘Oh, I know a lot more about you than that, Ed.’ The woman smiled again. ‘In fact, there’s something inside you both that was named after me.’ She glanced at me. ‘I’m Geri Paterson.’
    ‘Sorry, but I don’t think I have anything called Geri Paterson inside me,’ I murmured.
    A flicker of amusement crossed the woman’s face. Like she was acknowledging the fact that we both knew the drugs thing with Ketty was a fraud but we weren’t going to let on to Ed.
    I decided I didn’t like her.
    It’s a pleasure to meet you.’ Geri Paterson smiled.
    Ed shook his head, clearly completely baffled. ‘I don’t understand,’ he said. ‘What d’you want ? What have you done with Ketty?’
    ‘First things first.’ Geri smoothed down her sleek blonde bob. ‘I think you’ll both understand when you hear my code name.’
    ‘Your what?’ Ed frowned.
    I just raised my eyebrows, determined not to let her see that I was almost as confused as Ed. ‘So what’s your code name, then?’
    Geri’s smile deepened.
    ‘Medusa.’

 

    ‘Medusa?’ I frowned. ‘As in the Medusa gene?’
    ‘Named after me, dear.’ The faintest flicker of smugness crossed Geri’s face. ‘Not by its creator, William Fox, but by the people who paid for it.’
    I stared at her. ‘I thought Jack Linden raised the money.’
    ‘Jack was the go-between.’ Geri rolled her eyes. ‘But the money came from us.’
    ‘And who are you?’ That was Ed. He still looked completely traumatised.
    ‘Yeah,’ I added. ‘What’s with the whole code name thing?’
    ‘That doesn’t matter.’ Geri batted the question away with her elegantly manicured hand. ‘We were hoping that Jack could bring you in without us having to force the issue but I understand, Edward, that you are in denial about the worth of your abilities.’
    Ed stared at her, open-mouthed.
    ‘What have you done with Ketty?’ I said.
    ‘Ketty is being held in the front office until you’ve both done what I’m about to ask of you. I wish it wasn’t necessary to have planted those drugs on her, but I’m afraid you , Ed, made that the only option when you refused to co-operate with Nico and Jack.’
    ‘What?’ Ed said, his mouth still gaping.
    ‘‘So, do you work for Jack Linden?’ I clenched my fists.
    ‘No.’ Geri sniffed. ‘Jack Linden works for me. His mission was simply to find you. I was the one who insisted he brought you and Edward here.’
    ‘Jack Linden’s here too?’ Ed sounded close to tears.
    ‘What do you want us to do?’ I asked.
    ‘Put simply, dear,’ Geri said, ‘we want a demonstration of your abilities in action. At this stage, all I’m looking for is proof that Medusa works – that the gene synthesis made a quantifiable difference to your development. Jack tells me he’s seen you in action, Nico, and that you’ve experienced Edward’s abilities, but . . .’ she paused . . . ‘I hope you understand I prefer the evidence of my own eyes.’
    ‘But why here ?’ I gritted my teeth.
    Geri looked surprised. ‘That was for your benefit, Nico. Jack insisted you should be rewarded for your efforts and I felt that having you beat the house by gambling would incentivise you and be a satisfying outcome for us.’ She laughed – a surprisingly light, tinkly laugh.
    ‘You want us to gamble ?’ Ed said, aghast. ‘At a card game?’
    ‘Not exactly.’ Geri turned from him to take us both in. Her manner became more brisk. ‘When we go into the casino room next door I want the