Skyfire Read online

  For Ava and Clare

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Dedication

  Title Page

  Prologue

  1. Zander Demeter: DARE Awards Ceremony

  2. One month later … Yasmin: Yasmin’s House

  3. Andy & Dylan: Los Angeles Airport

  4. Yasmin: Adib Family Shop

  5. Andy & Dylan: Griffith Observatory

  6. Yasmin: Adib Family Shop

  7. Andy & Dylan: Hollywood Forever Cemetery

  8. Yasmin: Adib Family Shop

  9. Andy & Dylan: Hollywood Forever Cemetery

  10. Zander: St Theodore’s Primary School

  11. Andy & Dylan: Andy’s House

  12. JJ: RoboWorld Theme Park

  13. Yasmin: Yasmin’s House

  14. The Signmaker

  15. Isabel & Mila: La Calera Lookout

  16. Yasmin: Yasmin’s House

  17. Isabel & Mila: Magdalena’s Cafe

  18. Yasmin: Yasmin’s House

  19. The Signmaker

  20. Yasmin: Cairo Streets

  21. Andy & Dylan: Andy’s House

  22. Yasmin: Cairo Streets

  23. Andy & Dylan: Andy’s House

  24. Yasmin: Cairo Streets

  25. Yasmin: City of the Dead

  26. Andy & Dylan: LAPD Squad Car

  27. Yasmin: City of the Dead

  28. Andy & Dylan: LAPD Headquarters

  29. Yasmin: Ramses Railway Station

  30. Andy & Dylan: LAPD Headquarters

  31. Yasmin: Ramses Railway Station

  32. Andy & Dylan: LAPD Headquarters

  33. Yasmin: Ramses Railway Station

  34. Andy & Dylan: LAPD Headquarters

  35. Yasmin: Ramses Railway Station

  36. Andy & Dylan: LAPD Headquarters

  37. Yasmin: Cairo–Alexandria Express Train

  38. The Signmaker

  39. Yasmin: Cairo–Alexandria Express Train

  Copyright

  The girl knew she was going to die. Her heart thumped. Mouth dry, throat tight, she could barely breathe. She looked at the madman with the gun, who’d trapped her, on top of a train hurtling through the night. There was no way she could get out of this alive. The next few seconds could go one of two ways. He would shoot her or she’d jump. Either way, it would be the same result. She’d be dead.

  The girl didn’t want to die, but she knew pleading for her life would be useless. The mad gleam in her pursuer’s eyes told her that begging wouldn’t change his mind.

  The man moved closer, along the roof of the carriage. He walked casually, as if he wasn’t scared of being in such a precarious position. His sneer said he was enjoying this, said he was savouring her last terrified moments.

  Buffeted by the wind, arms seesawing for balance, the girl backed away as the train swayed along the tracks.

  ‘There’s nowhere to go,’ he yelled, following, his pistol aimed right at her heart. ‘You know that, don’t you?’

  The girl glanced behind her. Her stomach dropped and her heart hammered harder. The heels of her sneakers were wobbling over the edge of the deadly gap between the train carriages. Another inch or bump and she’d fall, get sucked beneath the train, be thrown under dozens of steel wheels. Somehow that seemed an even worse fate than being shot or jumping to her death.

  The train lurched. The girl screamed and staggered, fearing the worst—arms flailing, fighting for balance. She tipped, fell forwards and landed hard on her knees, grabbing hold of the pipes that ran along the edge of the carriage roof so she didn’t slide off. In that brief moment, the girl felt a flash of hope. Maybe the train’s sudden movement had surprised her pursuer, sent him toppling from the train. But when she looked up, the man still stood steady as a statue before her.

  ‘On your feet!’ He waved her up with the gun barrel. ‘Now!’

  The girl got up swaying, trying to be brave even as she stared at the certain death promised by the look on his horrible face.

  ‘Things didn’t have to be this way,’ he shouted, shaking his head in mock regret as the train howled past a deserted railway station. ‘You could have lived!’

  The girl flinched. This was it. Her heart felt like it was going to burst. She looked around desperately, as though an escape portal might magically appear. Who was she kidding?

  The moonlit landscape flashed by. The train was going so fast and she knew if she jumped it would take the authorities, or anyone, ages to find her—once they even realised she was missing. But she had no choice. She took a deep breath and tried to tell herself it was like diving into a cold swimming pool. Once she leaped, it would be too late to turn back. Everything would be over in a second.

  As if reading her mind, the man snapped his pistol up so its ghastly black muzzle pointed right at her face.

  ‘There’s nowhere to hide this time,’ he shouted. ‘You’re going to die.’

  Zander had dreamed, he had dared, and now his whole world was about to change forever. It was exhilarating. His stomach swirled and turned like a roller-coaster. But he needed to keep himself under control. The other winners would be here soon and it wouldn’t be a good look, letting on just how much all of this meant to him, being in New York as a winner of the DARE competition, waiting in the backstage guest room to receive his award from charismatic trillionaire Felix Scott.

  He had come a long way from the carefree boy he’d been before the sudden loss of his parents. Zander would have gladly traded all of this to have them back. But he hoped in being selected as a DARE Award winner they would have been proud of what he had achieved.

  ‘This is for you both,’ he said under his breath.

  Zander allowed himself a smile. This was also for his grandfather, now seated somewhere in the ballroom of Felix’s Infinity Hotel. The old man could be a rascal, but he’d made life less lonely in their big house back in Athens.

  When Zander checked his tie in the wall mirror, he saw a handsome young man, with amber eyes, chiselled features and hair as dark as midnight falling in ringlets to the collar of his charcoal suit. He nodded approvingly at his reflection. Soon he would be standing not just in front of his grandfather, but also in front of the city’s biggest celebrities and richest citizens to receive the award—all covered by the world’s media. Zander knew in his heart of hearts he deserved this.

  On wobbly legs, a freckle-faced girl wearing a green headscarf and a silky red dress walked into the plush room and caught Zander’s eye. ‘Hello,’ she said. ‘I’m a DARE winner. My name is Yasmin. I do not wear usually high heels.’ She smiled, putting out her arms, pretending to balance.

  ‘Zander. I’m a DARE winner, too. Very good to meet you,’ he said, gesturing at a table laden with platters of gourmet food. ‘I was just thinking this seems too good to be true.’

  ‘As delicious as it all looks, I do not think I can eat,’ said Yasmin, pointing to her stomach. ‘Butterflies.’

  ‘Me, too,’ he said with a grin. ‘It really is—’

  ‘Yo!’

  Yasmin was startled and nearly toppled out of her unfamiliar shoes. Zander turned with a scowl, unhappy to be interrupted, and saw a boy with a riot of sandy hair lope into the lounge. The intruder’s white high-top sneakers hinted that he didn’t feel he belonged in his black suit.

  ‘Wassup?’ he said, blue eyes twinkling. ‘I’m Andy.’

  ‘My name is Yasmin,’ said the girl formally. ‘I am from Egypt. And this is Zander from …?’

  ‘Greece,’ Zander said abruptly, narrowing his eyes at Andy as he folded his arms and drew himself up to his full height. ‘Athens.’

  ‘Cool,’ Andy replied brightly, unfazed by Zander’s manner. ‘I’m from Hell-A, also known as Los Angeles.’ He let out an appreciative w
histle as his eyes travelled across the room’s priceless artwork and expensive furniture. ‘Wow, this crib is totally rad, huh?’

  Zander rolled his eyes at Andy’s Californian way of talking. Amused, Yasmin suppressed a little smile.

  ‘So,’ Zander said, frowning at the American, ‘you won a DARE Award?’

  If Andy caught his tone, he didn’t let on. ‘That’s what they tell me, my man.’

  ‘Um, am I in the right place?’ A dark-skinned boy with short dreadlocks hovered in the doorway. He blinked behind expensive glasses and tugged at the collar of his brown suit jacket.

  ‘You are if you won a DARE Award,’ said Andy. ‘I’m Andy.’

  The new boy smiled at the warm welcome. ‘I’m Dylan.’

  ‘Dude, your accent?’ Andy said. ‘Aussie?’

  Dylan nodded. ‘Well spotted, mate.’

  Andy laughed. ‘I’m from LA. Zeus there is from Greece.’

  ‘Ignore him if you can,’ Zander said, scowling at Andy as he shook hands with Dylan. ‘I’m Zander.’

  ‘Easier said than done,’ Andy said. ‘Anyway, Yasmin here’s from Egypt.’

  ‘Sweet,’ Dylan said, smiling at her. ‘I went there one time with my parents.’

  ‘You did?’ asked Yasmin brightly. ‘I live right near the—’ She was distracted by the arrival of a girl with pink hair in a blue dress, a silver stud in her nose and chunky silver bracelets clattering at her wrists.

  ‘Welcome, number five!’ Andy said cheerfully as the girl strode confidently into the lounge in her red boots.

  She nodded. ‘Hola, I’m Isabel.’

  As they introduced themselves, another girl slipped in quietly. Her black bob framed a pale face set with startling emerald eyes. White arms folded defensively against her black lace dress, the new arrival averted her gaze to a painting of a dripping clock.

  Isabel smiled at the others. ‘Shy,’ she mouthed, before crossing to stand by the new girl. ‘I love this guy’s paintings,’ she said. ‘I’m Isabel. And you are?’

  ‘Mila,’ the girl answered in a small voice, still staring ahead. ‘Mila Cortez.’

  ‘Cortez?’ Isabel said. ‘¿De dónde eres?’

  Mila looked her way, unfolded her arms and replied softly in Spanish.

  ‘You habla Español or whatever?’ Dylan whispered to the others.

  ‘A little,’ Yasmin said. ‘I learn in my family tourist shop. She is telling Isabel she is living at the Chilean base in Antarctica.’

  ‘The South Pole?’ Andy said, grinning. ‘No wonder she hasn’t got much of a tan.’

  ‘Everyone,’ came a woman’s clipped voice from the other side of the room, ‘your attention please.’

  All eyes turned to the elegant Eurasian woman in the doorway. Each of the DARE Award winners had met Felix Scott’s executive assistant, Miss Chen, when they’d arrived at the Infinity Hotel that afternoon. She was tall and poised in her pinstripe suit, black hair smoothly chic in a perfect bun. Miss Chen’s feline eyes flitted behind SmartGlasses and dipped constantly to her tablet. She gave off an air of being so efficient that she could do three things at once.

  ‘This is Jae-joon from South Korea,’ she said, stepping aside for an Asian boy with artfully arranged hair and a funky Seoul Man T-shirt, worn with his trendy white suit.

  ‘Hello,’ Jae-joon said, offering a little bow. ‘Please, call me JJ.’

  ‘Perfect,’ Miss Chen said, ‘that is all of you. Please, make yourselves comfortable. I will return to escort you to the stage in ten minutes.’

  With that she was gone, closing the door behind her.

  An awkward silence descended.

  Andy cleared his throat. ‘So, first there were the dwarfs and then the magnificent—and now here we are!’

  The others looked at him like he was crazy.

  ‘Get it?’ Andy grinned. ‘The Seven Dwarfs? The Magnificent Seven? Now look out world, because we’re … the DARE Seven!’

  While Zander gave another eye roll, the rest of the group burst out laughing. With the ice broken, they stood around the buffet table, picking at food and chatting about how amazing the Infinity Hotel was and how cool it had been to get new clothes for the award ceremony.

  ‘Do you guys think,’ Andy said around a mouthful of cheese, ‘that we’ll be given, like, actual prizes?’

  ‘What is it you are thinking?’ Isabel asked.

  Andy shrugged. ‘Felix Scott’s the richest man in the world. The sky’s the limit. Use your imagination.’

  As Zander frowned, JJ let out a chuckle. ‘Yup,’ he said, ‘I’ll take a submarine—made of gold!’

  ‘I’ll take any of the artworks in this room,’ Isabel said.

  Dylan raised a hand. ‘Put me down for one of Felix’s new flying cars.’

  ‘Totally,’ Andy agreed. ‘Hey, so what about you, Zan?’

  ‘Zander,’ he corrected, ‘just Zander.’

  ‘OK, just Zander,’ Andy said, teasing, ‘what do you want from Felix?’

  The Greek boy pointed at a wall screen showing footage of how Felix Scott had made Infinity Corporation into the biggest company in the world. ‘Surely the real prize is the opportunity to meet him.’

  Andy rolled his eyes. ‘Way to bring the mood down.’

  But Yasmin frowned. ‘No, Andy, he is right. How many people get to spend time with the “Internet King”?’

  Zander shot her a nod.

  ‘I know he’s amazing and everything,’ said JJ, now peering down through a window, ‘but that doesn’t mean everyone’s a fan. Check it out.’

  They all went over to the window. On the autumnal streets beneath the hotel, protestors held up placards and chanted, their voices too faint to make out the words.

  ‘“Infinity wrecks the planet”,’ Dylan read aloud, squinting to read a sign.

  ‘That one says “Infinity steals ideas”,’ added Yasmin.

  ‘These things, are they true?’ Mila asked.

  Zander shrugged. ‘You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.’

  ‘What does this mean, about the omelette?’ Mila asked.

  ‘It means successful people always have a lot of enemies,’ Andy explained. ‘Why, I myself have made quite a few ene—’

  A whoosh cut him off. Everyone spun around as a life-size 3D hologram of the purple-haired, purple-clothed Avarava—the world’s most famous pop star—was streamed live into the room’s HoloSpace from her performance in the ballroom next door.

  ‘Welcome to the DARE Awards!’ her hologram called out. ‘We’re going to have a great night!’

  As Avarava launched into her hit song, Best Behava, the room’s wall screens showed starstruck adults in tuxedos and gowns jumping up from their tables to sing along.

  ‘Do we get to meet her?’ JJ asked excitedly.

  ‘Please tell me we do!’ Isabel added.

  Mila blinked. ‘This singer, she is famous?’

  ‘You have heard of Avarava, right?’ Andy said.

  Mila blushed. ‘The name is familiar, but her songs, no.’

  ‘But you do have music in Antarctica?’ Andy joked.

  ‘I like the classical music,’ Mila replied. ‘Mozart, Beethoven. You have heard of them, yes?’

  Andy laughed. Mila was shy but it looked like she had a sly sense of humour, too. ‘I love those dudes,’ he shot back. ‘Especially their new stuff!’

  Mila grinned that she got the joke and the others smiled—even Zander.

  On the ballroom stage, Avarava finished her song.

  ‘Thank you!’ the pop princess shouted, blowing kisses and taking a bow. ‘Thank you, I love you all!’

  The crowd cheered and cheered.

  ‘Right now,’ Avarava said when the applause died down, ‘I am very pleased to introduce the man who changed my life when he signed me to his record label, Infinity Music, all those years ago. And now he’s about to change the lives of more lucky young people.’

  In the guest lounge, the DARE Award winners trad
ed nervous glances.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ Avarava continued, ‘please welcome the founder of Infinity Corporation and a true twenty-first century visionary, the amazing Felix Scott!’

  Amid thunderous applause, Felix Scott ran onto the stage. In the guest lounge, his hologram kissed Avarava’s cheek before she moved offstage and left him alone in the spotlight. With his blue eyes, mane of white hair and trademark crimson suit, Felix was often said to look like a younger, slimmer and more handsome Santa Claus. But he really was like Santa in that he could make just about any dream come true.

  ‘DARE,’ Felix boomed in his British accent. ‘It stands for my personal motto—”Dream! Act! Realise Everything!” Tonight we’re here to celebrate some very special young people who are already on their way to doing just that!’

  Felix turned to a giant screen where the endless loop of the Infinity logo gleamed.

  INFINITY

  Then letters swirled in a jumble before forming the words of the DARE Awards advertisement. ‘Four months ago, I sent out this message. “Dazzle us with your genius”,’ he read. ‘“Enter the DARE Awards”.’ Felix smiled brightly at the audience. ‘I placed this ad in newspapers and magazines, on websites and social media, all around the world. There was no mention of me or what prizes there might be. I didn’t want entrants telling me what they thought I’d want to hear or what they thought would make them rich. Honest answers about their dreams and ambitions—that’s what I was looking for. But I was also looking for more. I wanted young people who weren’t just dreamers, but doers.’

  Felix paced the stage, seeming to make eye contact with everyone in the ballroom.

  ‘As a child living in poverty,’ he said, ‘I didn’t just dream about a better life—I decided to do what I could to make one for myself. First computer program at age seven. Infinity Search Engine at fourteen. Billionaire by twenty-one. At twenty-eight, I was employing over one million people in a hundred and fifty countries. By the time I was thirty-five, Infinity was the biggest company on Earth, and at forty-two I became the world’s first trillionaire. I only realised this year, when I turned forty-nine, that all the major landmarks in my life have occurred at seven-year intervals. To celebrate, I created the DARE Awards to give seven young dreamers and doers the chance to make a real difference to the world!’