“Does this Marshal Wieng have nukes?” Rich asked. “Could that be what Ralph meant?”
“The Chinese used to have a couple of strategic missile bases in the province,” Ardman said, “but nowhere near the areas where the rebels are active. The bases are still there, but the missiles were withdrawn and decommissioned back in the eighties.”
“I guess we just have to hope that Ralph pulls through,” said Chance.
“He’s a rogue,” Ardman said thoughtfully. “But you know I do actually quite like the man.”
“Me too,” Rich agreed. “Even if he did plant a bomb on me.”
“He helped us in Krejikistan,” said Jade. “And he was being threatened by the Mafia last time we met, so he didn’t have much choice.”
They sat in silence for a while. Then Ardman said: “Oh, they found the car, by the way. Abandoned and torched. Not much hope we’ll learn anything there.” He stood up. “I’d better be getting back to the office. The doctors here know to call me immediately if there’s any change and I’ll let you know at once. But I expect you’ll be in Washington before anything happens.”
“It’ll give us something to tell the President,” Rich joked.
Rich, Jade and their father had been invited to a special reception at the White House. It was a way for the President to thank them for saving his life after some trouble in the Middle East a few weeks previously. Rich had hoped for a medal, but since the whole incident was being kept secret, a White House reception was the next best thing.
“We should be getting back too,” said Chance to the twins.
“There’s a little shop here,” said Jade. “I think I’ll take Ralph some flowers before we go.”
“He won’t see them,” Rich told her.
“He will when he wakes up. And he might smell them.”
“I’ll walk you back to your car,” Chance told Ardman. “Meet me at the main entrance,” he said to Rich and Jade.
“I’ll come with you,” Rich told his dad.
“You’ll go with Jade.”
“Oh right—you’re doing secret talk. No kids allowed, I get it.”
Chance smiled. “Don’t let your sister spend too much on the flowers.”
It seemed miles back to Ralph’s private room. Jade and Rich had been allowed only a minute in there before. Just long enough to see that Ralph appeared to be sleeping peacefully. But the constant bleep of a heart monitor and the drips and wires attached to Ralph suggested otherwise.
The plain-clothes police officer sitting outside the door had smiled sympathetically at them when they left. But now his chair was empty.
“I thought he was supposed to be on guard all the time?” said Rich.
Jade had opted for an arrangement that came in its own vase, and had to peer round the enormous bouquet to see what he meant.
“Maybe he’s checking on Ralph.”
There was a small, round window set high in the door. Rich looked through, and saw that there was someone in the room. A female doctor or nurse in her white coat was checking the monitoring equipment.
“He’s not in there.”
The flowers brushed against Rich’s cheek as Jade joined him at the window.
“He’s just nipped off to the loo or to get a coffee or something while the doctor’s here.”
Jade didn’t bother to knock. She just opened the door and walked in.
Rich was right behind her. Jade looked round for somewhere to put down the vase of flowers, but Rich was facing the doctor as she turned. He had barely registered her black hair before, but as she turned he saw the slight bulge under the back of her coat where the long plait hung down. And he saw the mismatched eyes that stared at him in anger—one green and one blue.
Without thinking, Rich grabbed the vase from Jade, and hurled it across the room.
The vase struck the woman on the chest. She staggered back, knocking into the heart monitor. The vase shattered on the floor and the flowers were strewn across the bed.
Colonel Shu advanced towards them, holding a scalpel. Jade and Rich backed away. Rich’s foot caught on something lying behind him. He looked down quickly to see what it was and saw the plain-clothes police guard—unconscious.
Colonel Shu turned away, just long enough to slice through the tubes and wires keeping Ralph alive. Then she advanced on the twins again.
Rich stepped over the policeman and edged round the far side of the bed. Ralph’s breathing was already becoming ragged and laboured. Without taking his eyes off Colonel Shu, Rich lunged for the emergency pull-cord at the head of the bed.
In the distance, a buzzer sounded.
Shu gave a grunt of anger and ran for the door. She swiped the scalpel at Jade as she passed, but Jade easily avoided it—and as she stepped back, Jade kicked out. Her foot connected with Shu’s wrist and the scalpel spun away, clattering to the floor.
With another shout of anger, Shu turned and ran.
“Get help,” Jade yelled at Rich. “Tell them what happened.”
“Where are you going?”
“After her.”
Rich opened his mouth to protest, but Jade was gone.
Then a hand seized Rich’s arm.
Jade was in time to see Colonel Shu disappear round the corner at the end of the corridor, her white coat billowing behind her as she ran. Jade set off in pursuit.
Round the corner, the corridor continued past several wards and store rooms. A white coat lay discarded on the floor, but Jade could see the woman’s distinctive black pigtail swinging behind her as she ran. There were signs hanging from the ceiling. Colonel Shu was heading for X-Ray, A&E, and the Main Exit.
There was a man mopping the floor. Colonel Shu didn’t even slow down; she shoved the man aside and kept running. The mop bucket went flying, spilling grey water across the floor.
“Sorry,” said Jade to the man, as she ran past without helping him up. Her feet were skidding on the slippery wet floor. She slid, and almost fell, but managed to keep going. As soon as she was sure of her balance, she pulled her mobile out of her pocket.
It was switched off. She’d done that when she came into the hospital. It seemed to take forever to turn back on again. As soon as she’d entered her PIN and the handset unlocked, the phone rang.
“Dad?”
“Rich told me,” her father’s voice said at once. “Where’s Shu headed?”
“Trying to get out through Accident and Emergency.”
“I’m on it.” The phone went dead.
“Yeah,” said Jade, stuffing it back in her pocket. “So am I.”
There were double doors made of heavy plastic hanging across the end of the corridor. They swung shut behind Shu, their weight almost knocking Jade over as she pushed through.
Shu was already on the other side of the Accident and Emergency waiting area. An elderly woman on crutches was coming through the door. She lurched to one side, somehow remaining upright,