The French Code Read Online Free Page B

told.’ Tetu drifted into a dark silence.
    â€˜And the message, Commandant Tetu?’ Harrison prompted.
    â€˜Yes, yes.’ Tetu snapped back to attention. ‘We found a message dropped onto Monsieur Marceau’s chair.’ Tetu nodded at Steinberger and a photo of a scribbled note appeared on the screen.
    â€˜What does it say?’ Max asked.
    â€˜ Gardez la fille ,’ Toby spoke out unexpectedly.
    â€˜Which means?’
    â€˜Watch out for the girl.’
    â€˜How do you know that?’ Max asked.
    Toby shrugged. ‘I’ve been studying French. It came in handy for my last mission.’
    â€˜As well as French, Toby has been taking cryptography and cryptanalysis classes in Austria after school,’ Steinberger explained.
    â€˜The study of message secrecy and code breaking,’ Linden said.
    â€˜Yes.’ Steinberger smiled. ‘And he has quite a flair for it. Topped his class in all his exams so far.’
    â€˜Can’t hold back true genius, I guess.’ Toby shrugged. ‘If you stay close, some of it might rub off on you, Max.’
    â€˜Along with your arrogance and over-inflated ego? No thanks!’ Max shot back.
    â€˜And Linden,’ Steinberger continued, ‘hasbeen studying computer analysis and infiltration by correspondence class. And may I say, he took to it like …’
    â€˜If I can finish?’ Tetu sneered the room into an awkward quiet. ‘We believe ze 12-year-old daughter of Monsieur Marceau is ze girl ze message is referring to and zat she may be in terrible danger. Your mission is to mind ze girl and make sure nozing ’appens to ’er.’
    Max’s eyes widened. ‘The Louvre has been broken into, an old man beaten up and dumped in a gutter, a top archaeologist has been kidnapped and … you’re asking us to babysit a kid? We’re top agents who have stopped evil geniuses from making zombies of the world’s kids. 5 We’ve saved Venice and Malta from being destroyed. 6 We’ve rescued …’
    Max was silenced by Tetu’s slow, quiet steps. He stood over her. ‘If you don’t like it, you can go.’ The comment hung in the air like a sharpened guillotine hovering directly above her.
    Harrison spoke up to break the tension. ‘This mission is to remain top secret, Max. If we wereto place adult agents around Veronique, it would attract unwanted attention. Being the same age as her, you can be more discreet.’
    A smug smile slithered across Tetu’s colourless lips.
    Max turned to her boss. ‘Yes, sir.’
    Tetu swaggered in front of the three young agents. ‘Undercover police will be discreetly placed around you, but you are to stay wiz Veronique at all times. No-one is to know zat you are agents. Ze moment you give your cover away, you will be taken off ze case. As far as anyone is to know, you are friends ’oo ’ave come to visit from England.’
    â€˜We’re from Australia,’ Max pointed out.
    â€˜Wherever.’ Tetu waved his hand. ‘Just make zure you do not mess up.’
    â€˜We’ve completed eight missions so far.’ Max held Tetu’s half-smiling stare. ‘We have no intention of messing up.’
    â€˜We shall see.’ One of Tetu’s eyebrows arched into the shape of a question mark. ‘It ’az been arranged zat Monsieur Sleek will fly you to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris in ze Invisible Jet. You will be escorted into a secret entrance and taken through ze arrivals terminal as if you ’ad flown in on a regular plane. You will be met by an undercoverpolice officer posing as your driver and taken directly to Monsieur Marceau’s home. I will be in touch via zis palm computer that Chief ’Arrison ’as kindly given me so we can communicate in a zecure way. Is zat clear?’
    â€˜Zat is clear.’ It was out before Max could stop it.
    A cruel edge circled Tetu’s