has an offer you can’t refuse... Bakermat/Baeckens Books is currently looking for a publisher, who wishes to publish the Team Mortis series in the English language. Team Mortis is ‘True detective’ meets ‘James Bond’, for Young Adults... It is packed with action, mystery, broken hearts and a terrifying nemesis... We’re having trouble selling the series, because of the length of the book and the lack of a good English translation.
THE OFFER:
We’re willing to give awaythe rights for book 1: the Romeo and Juliette mystery, without any royalties or fee for 5 years. In return, the publisher has to provide us with a very good English translation + 40 sample copies. CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION?
klaas@baeckensbooks.be
Team Mortis – 1 – The Romeo & Juliet Mystery Bjorn Van den Eynde Translation: Sarah King & Roel Coesemans
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It was the day Erika died. What if … a 16-year-old girl has to give up her whole life, everyone and everything she has known, in order to chase the mysterious murderer of the love of her life …
TEAM MORTIS – 1 – The Romeo & Juliet Mystery The world of Erika Storm falls apart when she finds out that her Italian boyfriend Marco has a secret past and witnesses him being shot dead. Caught by the police, Erika is facing a long sentence, as she is found in possession of drugs and an illegal firearm. Fortunately, former MI6 agent Brian Bailey comes to her rescue. He can save her from the police, if she promises to join Team Mortis, a European network of youthful secret agents. But this means making a huge sacrifice. On paper Erika has to die and lose her name and identity forever. Together with the other members of Team Mortis, Nielsen, Felix and Andreas, Erika is sent to investigate the ‘Romeo & Juliet case’ in the picturesque Italian city of Verona. Erika infiltrates Enrico Moretti’s dance academy where she unravels the mystery of the relation between her lost love Marco and the disappearance of two top-class dancers. However, soon the brand-new recruit herself becomes the target of an unknown and unpredictable enemy …
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Team Mortis. An adventure in the heart of Europe. TEAM MORTIS – 2 – The Gang of Venus For more than a century persistent rumours have been circulating in Paris about the Gang of Venus. Legend has it that this gang consists of a bunch of beautiful teenage girls who seduce, drug, rob and sometimes even kill innocent boys. Their signature: the Venus symbol pierced through by a dagger. There has never been any real proof that this lethal gang of girls has actually existed until the renowned archeologist Edvard Pedersen suddenly disappears in Norway along with his wife and two daughters. At the place of their disappearance the police finds only one clue: the Venus symbol pierced through by a dagger. When Nielsen appears to be personally involved, Erika sets out for Paris, accompanied by Felix and Andreas. Her mission: to infiltrate a gang of girls that has never existed. TEAM MORTIS – 3 – The Game of Death Two teenagers are killed in an underground labyrinth in Budapest, Hungary, after being forced to play the ‘Game of Death’. A series of explosions transformed the labyrinth as well as Hungary’s famous Heroes’ Square aboveground into a raging sea of fire. But, the victims Yaryna Zornow and Henrique Aguilar were no ordinary teenagers. They belonged to Team Mortis. While Brian Bailey had hoped this was just an isolated incident, soon afterwards the inventor of the ‘Game of Death’ reappears on the scene. This time he challenges two other Team Mortis members. One of them is a 16-year-old redhead with bright blue eyes, Erika Storm. Her mission: to travel to Dlhá Ves in Slovakia and play the ‘Game of Death’. Dozens of innocent lives are at stake. Erika has no other choice than to run the gauntlet in this dangerous game. What are the intentions of their adversary? His word is law … under penalty of death. Team Mortis – 1 – The Romeo & Juliet Mystery
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TEAM MORTIS – 4 – The Black Sun London is burning when American Actress Quinn Pillsbury is killed in a bizarre accident. On the wrist on her left arm is a burning mark. The mark of the black sun. Nielsen and Felix get the task to go to England and to infiltrate the school and the film crew Quinn was part of. The Black sun file has one very strange thing to it: on the beginning of each season, the internet is flooded with photo’s of mass suicides. All victims have the same strange burning mark on their wrist. Nielsen and Felix have to make the link between between the suicides and the accident. And time is ticking away, summer is almost over...
TEAM MORTIS – 5 – Christal Children Team Mortis is sent to Croatia for what seems a very boring security assignment. Erica is not happy at all to take the girl Nelle Weilding from one place to another... They can send her a taxi, don’t they? But the mission gets out of control completely when a persistent group want to kidnap Nelle. They seem to be after all kids named Weilding. Some of them have been found dead, with their guts out... The team needs to flee and when they find out thet something is hiding in Nelle’s belly, they want to find out what’s going on, before they all get killed!
ALL INQUIRIES: KLAAS@BAECKENSBOOKS.BE
Team Mortis – 1 – The Romeo & Juliet Mystery (English translation: Sarah King)
CHAPTER 1
MEMORIES
From the old-fashioned kitchen, Erika was aware of the grandfather clock ticking solemnly in the hallway. Aware, but not really hearing, as it was such a familiar sound for her. She did not realise, that each tick brought her one second closer to the event that was to turn her life upside down brutally. Each tick was a second of her normal life slipping away forever. Erika had no idea that fate was bearing down on her like an express train out of control. She had no idea of the fragility of her sixteen-year-old life. Sixty minutes, that was all she had left. Sixty minutes. Just 3,600 seconds. Tick, another second gone. Tock, and another. And she knew nothing about it. Around her, life went on as normal. It was a beautiful summer evening and the old farmhouse enjoyed a peculiar peace and quiet all of its own. The sun was low on the horizon and coloured the surrounding Limburg heathland a deep, glowing red. As far as you could see there was nothing but the dusty, sandy soil, slender dry trees and blood-red heather. Erika smiled at the old lady sitting at the oak table, and placed a bowl of hot tomato soup before her. For a moment her heart leapt as the old lady looked her straight in the eye. ‘Please Granny; say my name,’ she thought, ‘somewhere inside you must remember who I am.’ It was years since Granny Marie had called her sixteen-year-old granddaughter by her own name. Just five letters: E.R.I.K.A. It didn’t seem like much to remember. But Granny’s mind was lost in a fog of confusion, and she seemed to live in a world of her own. She patted Erika’s cheek softly and chuckled. ‘Ah, Femke, my sweet, beautiful Femke.’ Erika tried to hide her disappointment. She did understand that Granny could not help her confusion. She knew how much she looked like her mother, Femke. With her pointed chin, mid-length reddish-brown hair and particularly the deep sea-blue eyes that she shared with both her mother and grandmother, it was easy to understand how the confusion arose. Team Mortis – 1 – The Romeo & Juliet Mystery
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As Erika helped her grandmother eat, Marie began to speak, as if continuing a conversation playing in her head. ‘We can go swimming down at the canal later on if you like. Simon can come too’, she said with a wink. Despite her sadness, Erika forced herself to smile, and tried to distract Granny’s thoughts. ‘Come on and eat your soup before it gets cold.’ Granny pushed the spoon away and reached out to stroke Erika’s hand. ‘I know you are in love with him, Femke. A mother sees such things. And that Simon is a good boy.’ Erika could not speak. Although she could hear the wind outside blowing against the walls of the farmhouse, the silence in the kitchen seemed alive. She could almost feel distant, lost memories crowding in, and shivered a little. She could almost believe that Simon and Femke were just about to walk in, on their way to go swimming in the canal, holding hands and giggling. Erika shook her head firmly, pushing those thoughts from her head. Her parents had died ten years ago. Simon and Femke would never walk through that kitchen door again. Erika cleared the table and settled Granny Marie into her armchair. She then set to untangling the wires of the star-shaped Christmas lights that festooned the walls. They looked so cheerful against the dusty, faded wallpaper that Erika hadn’t had the heart to take them down, even though it was well into spring. ‘Are you comfortable Granny?’ she asked. Granny nodded, then pointed to a large picture that hung above the fireplace. Femke and Simon beamed out at them from the photograph: Simon with his neatly trimmed hair, and Femke with her curls, both looking smart in their police uniforms. It was an unusual picture, as Erika’s parents hadn’t usually worn their uniforms when they were working. They had been undercover agents. ‘Yes, that’s Femke and Simon’, said Erika, as if her grandmother had asked a question. Granny smiled, and Erika’s heart broke a little. Her grandmother was so happy here in her remote little farmhouse. She took comfort from her surroundings – the arid heathland outside and the familiar photographs and furniture inside. Looking after Marie could be hard, but Erika knew she could never put her grandmother into a care home. With Granny comfortable in her armchair, Erika could think about herself for a while, and her thoughts turned immediately to the party being thrown by the Chiro Youth Group that evening. She hugged herself and began to dance lightly across the red fired tiles. Anyone who knew Erika would have been surprised to see her so excited. She normally preferred peace and quiet to loud throbbing music, and had no time for the usual social chitchat about
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the latest phones, TV shows or the latest teen-idol. If asked, ‘Oh, didn’t Justin look so hot at the MTV awards,’ Erika would have struggled to respond. But tonight was different. For tonight Erika had put out her favourite dress – blue with white polka dots, and her nicest ballet flats – white with a blue ribbon. Tonight she wanted to look her best, for tonight Erika had a date. Marco Salvi was an Italian boy with high cheekbones and dark brown hair who she had met at a friend’s party the previous month. Every time she thought of Marco, Erika’s felt her face flush and her heart lurch as if she were on a roller coaster. She had only gone to the party under protest, dragged there by her friends, and hadn’t even been thinking about boys. She had stood with various groups of friends, trying to feign interest in the conversations around her, while all the time wondering how soon she could get her bike and go home. By the time the discussion had turned to the best reality TV show, she had reached her limit. But before she had taken more than a few steps, she saw Marco, and as their eyes met, something like an electric shock passed through her body. It was an easy decision to stay a little longer, and soon they were deep in conversation. Erika was very grateful that she had travelled to Italy many times with her parents, so was able to speak Italian with Marco pretty fluently. Lounging on cushions in a hidden corner of the wooden porch, Erika and Marco chatted for hours about travelling, adventure and their favourite places like South Africa, Peru and the wilds of the North. As the conversation came to a pause, Erika realised she could no longer hear the noise of the party, and on checking her watch discovered it was 3.30 in the morning. They had talked all night. Erika’s friends had long gone, and she and Marco hurriedly said goodnight and headed home themselves. Erika day-dreamed about Marco for days after the party, marvelling at how well their names sounded together, and whether Salvi-Storm or Storm-Salvi made the best surname. She had never felt so happy and so alive. Now Erika contemplated herself in the cracked bathroom mirror and couldn’t help but smile. Three weeks ago, at the railway station, Marco had kissed her for the first time. Marco had spotted Erika by the bike stands, and as he walked over he could see she was angry about something, and had obviously been crying. Erika was mortified when she saw Marco. Bad enough that someone had stolen the stupid key to her stupid bike lock, but now Marco would see her red-faced and crying. Marco hadn’t seemed to mind her crying. In fact he seemed to find her rather attractive, damp cheeks and all. He reached out to comfort her, and suddenly they were kissing, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
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Erika touched a fingertip to her lips. She was sure she could still feel Marco’s kiss. It had been the most intense and exciting moment of her young life. Since then she and Marco had spent as much time together as they could, although he had been back in Italy for the past two weeks, and Erika had missed him enormously. The loneliness she felt at his absence made her all the more certain that she was in love for the first time. She turned her head from side to side and frowned into the mirror. She wanted to look her best tonight, but her hair looked a bit greasy. Glancing at her watch she saw she had twenty minutes before Marco came to call for her. She had time to take a shower and wash her hair. She grimaced as she looked towards the bathtub. She slipped out of her clothes and stepped tentatively into the bath. As her foot touched the cold enamel she began to shiver, and hugged herself again, this time rubbing her arms to keep them warm. She squeezed her eyes shut and began to murmur softly to herself. ‘20 minutes before I need to be ready. Plenty of time. And then I’ll see Marco.’ Gathering all her courage, she reached one hand towards the iron tap, murmuring all the time. ‘Just 20 minutes and you’ll be done, all clean. Nothing to worry about. Just keep calm. It’s only water, it can’t hurt you.’ As she gripped the tap she felt as if all her senses were heightened. She could smell the sharp tang of limescale around the rim of the bath. She could hear the slight squeak of the tap as she began to turn it. It sounded like a scream. The first few drops began to fall from the showerhead above, landing on her face, and dripping down to her neck. Her knees began to shake. ‘Nothing to worry about, just a few moments more,’ she crooned, ‘nothing to be scared of.’ She turned the tap more sharply, and the quickly running water soon plastered her hair to her head. Almost at once her eyes began to blur and her head began to spin. She could barely see in front of her, and her stomach began to churn. The water roared in her ears, and she couldn’t tell if she was standing or falling. She couldn’t give up. She wanted to look beautiful tonight: she wanted Marco to see her looking beautiful. ‘Don’t be such a baby,’ she whispered fiercely to herself, ‘get over it.’ But the water kept coming, the water kept thundering by her and over her so she couldn’t see, couldn’t think… Frantically she twisted the tap and the water stopped. Shaking, Erika pushed her wet hair from her face. Her heart was beating wildly and she was gasping for air, dragging in ragged breaths that hurt her chest. Tears coursed down her cheeks, mixing with the water from the shower. She rubbed them from her eyes angrily, trembling now with frustration more than fear. Team Mortis – 1 – The Romeo & Juliet Mystery
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Nobody knew Erika was afraid of water. It was such a stupid, everyday thing to be scared of. No one could ever know. No one would understand. Everyone would laugh at her. They would think she was a freak. Marco would laugh at her. Marco would think she was stupid and crazy. He wouldn’t want a crazy girlfriend, so he would dump her. She couldn’t bear the thought. Aquaphobia. It was a side of herself that Erika hid away from everybody. Even those closest to her did not know who she really was.
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CHAPTER 2
THE SHADOW
She had only thirty minutes left. No more. At a quarter to ten on the dot the doorbell rang. Erika smiled. It was just like Marco to be so punctual. She could set her watch by his timing. Erika smoothed her barely-dry hair behind her ears and clipped it into place with a couple of hairgrips. Turning her head from side to side to check how she looked, she sighed. She had planned to use her straighteners, but had run out of time. Ah well, at least she looked clean and presentable. Her hair fell naturally straight, framing her sharp features, bare of any makeup except a dash of lipstick, and she looked good. Her bright blue eyes sparkling, she nodded at herself in the mirror and turned towards the door. As she put her hand on the door handle she froze. For two weeks Marco had been in Italy, and now here he was, waiting on the other side of the door. Had he missed her? Was he as impatient as she to be reunited? Swinging the door wide to greet him, Erika felt her smile falter, suddenly overcome with shyness and insecurity. ‘Ehi, ciao’, she began, wiping her now damp palms down the sides of her blue dress. A glance up at Marco made her feel better. He looked good, in jeans and a white T-shirt, but best of all was the look in his eyes that told her he was just as glad to see her. ‘Wow! Che bel vestito che hai!’ Marco complimented her dress. He reached out and stroked her neck, pulling her towards him. She hugged him tightly, only letting go when she worried he might think she was being a bit clingy. Marco was grinning broadly, enjoying her obvious affection. ‘Hai voglia di ballare?’ he asked. Erika frowned. Ballare. Was that dancing? Marco didn’t seem the dancing type. She searched for the right words. ‘Ballare? Non mi sembri il tipo cui piace ballare.’ ‘Hey, don’t judge a book by its cover! I love dancing. I’ve been doing ballet for eleven years – top grade stuff.’ ‘You? Ballet? Really?’ ‘Yeah, I know a lot of people think it’s something easy just for girls, but it’s very athletic and really tough.’
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Erika looked hard at Marco. His mouth was curling upwards at the corners as if he were about to grin again. Did Marco know how much she loved ballet? That dancing was one of her biggest passions? Was he teasing her? She poked him in the stomach. ‘Are you winding me up?’ she asked. Marco shook his head. ‘No. But ... if you don’t believe me ...’ He grabbed her hands and led her to the wooden bench that rested against the front of the farmhouse. ‘Now stay there’, he ordered. Marco strode into the middle of the front garden, activating the outside light which bathed him, and the bare heathland behind him, in a soft glow. The heavy scent of the heather only added to the atmosphere. ‘Watch this.’ Marco took a deep breath and launched into a series of complex ballet steps. His arms and feet moved gracefully yet powerfully and Erika was entranced by the boy before her. He had talent, lots of talent. Perfect footwork, and muscles firmly under control. Erika watched Marco’s face, marvelling at his concentration and poise. Marco took a couple more steps, then turned to Erika, relaxing his body and walking towards her. She couldn’t help but clap her hands in delight. ‘So, believe me now?’ he asked. ‘Impressed?’ ‘Mmm, well,’ Erika teased, ‘your tombée pas de bourrée and grand-jeté were nice. But that pirouette towards the end could have been a bit tighter.’ Marco’s mouth fell open – his girl knew about ballet! He pulled Erika off the bench towards him. ‘Ouch,’ he said, ‘you’re a tough critic.’ ‘Maybe I’m not that easily impressed.’ ‘Well how about this – I’ve danced Verdi’s Aida. And the lead in Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet’.’ Marco scored a hit with that last one. Romeo & Juliet was technically one of the most difficult ballets that Erika knew. Beautiful, powerful and romantic – Erika’s favourite. She had once had the chance to be part of the ensemble in a performance as one of the backing dancers. But a lead in such an incredible piece seemed impossible, even with her talent. She had spent hours alone in the rehearsal room trying to master the many beautiful but difficult steps of Juliet. ‘OK Romeo, you win’, she smiled. ‘Prokofiev is still a bit out of my reach.’ ‘Rehearse a few more years and you can be my Juliet.’ * Fifteen minutes left. Nine hundred seconds. Marco’s blue Honda whizzed over the desolate Limburg country roads. The old mine lift frames towered over the vast nature reserve like metal giants, sombre night guards. The Team Mortis – 1 – The Romeo & Juliet Mystery
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fresh evening air swirled in through a crack in the car window. Marco put a disk in the CD player and classical music wafted through the car. A few heavy bass notes and then: Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet. Erika poked her tongue out at Marco. Brat! ‘Pure coincidence’, Marco joked, then held up his hands in brief surrender before turning his gaze back to the road. Erika watched the landscape slip past, but her eyes kept returning to Marco’s profile. He had truly stunned her with his talent for ballet. She knew he had travelled a lot, knew he had seen a lot of the world, but to think he was that good at dancing. She suddenly realised how little she knew about this boy she loved. He was Italian, sure, but was he part of one of the old Italian mining families that had moved to South Limburg years ago? And who had he been visiting in Italy these past two weeks? ‘Would you like to come over to my house one evening? Maybe watch some TV or something?’ The words were out of her mouth before she realised. She had never asked anyone back to the farmhouse, where the ever-present memories of her parents made everything painful. ‘Great’, said Marco. ‘I’d like to meet your mom and dad.’ Erika was at loss for words. Should she tell Marco that her parents were dead? That would surely kill the romantic moment. But she had to say something. She could feel tears welling up inside her. How would she put it? ‘Hey Marco, there’s something I need to tell you. My parents are both dead.’ That seemed a bit blunt. Perhaps soften it a little. ‘I need to tell you something, but I don’t want you to feel awkward. The thing is,… my father and mother are no longer around.’ She gazed uncomfortably at the narrow white rims of her fingernails, staring at them as if they held the key to her problem. Marco saw she was agitated, and was concerned. ‘Is something wrong?’ Erika giggled nervously, feeling her cheeks redden. He must know she was hiding something. ‘It’s not that important ... I mean ... don’t worry.’ ‘I can’t help worrying,’ replied Marco, ‘there’s obviously something bothering you.’ Erika saw the concern in his eyes, but couldn’t hold his gaze. ‘Maybe there is something that you should know about my parents.’ Silence. Marco tried to break the ice with a joke. ‘Are they nightmare in-laws?’ ‘No, I wish they were...’ The idea of presenting Marco to Simon and Femke made her smile. She could imagine exactly how warmly mom would react to Marco and the stupid jokes that dad would make. Erika stared dreamily outside, determined to cherish this moment before returning to reality.
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Two bright lights blazed through the trees, came around the corner and, in the middle of the road, sped towards them. A horn sounded. Marco was startled out of his reverie and hit the brakes, pulling sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding the oncoming car. ‘Mannaggia! Cretino!’ Marco swore. The whole incident had happened so quickly that Erika hadn’t had a chance to scream. She looked over her shoulder as if looking for confirmation that they had not hit the other car. ‘You ok?’ Marco asked. ‘Yeah,’ she replied, ‘but where the hell did he come from?’ The sound of screeching tyres drew their attention. The black Chrysler SUV skidded to a halt about a hundred metres behind them, sideways across the desolate country road. The driver must have lost control of the steering wheel. ‘What’s he doing?’ Marco asked. ‘He’s just sitting there’, replied Erika, but just as she spoke the car began to turn in their direction, rather than heading the way the car had originally been going. Marco pulled away, back onto the road. ‘I think he’s following us’, stammered Erika. Marco gripped the steering wheel intently, and began to pick up speed. Almost at once the SUV revved harshly, and halved the distance between them. ‘What is his problem?’ cried Marco, his voice almost cracking with tension. ‘Just let him overtake us, Marco. Slow down’, Erika begged. But Marco had no chance to reduce his speed, even if he had wanted to. The headlights of the SUV suddenly filled his mirror, blinding both teenagers. There was a deafening thump as the SUV pounded into the back bumper of Marco’s Honda. Frantically Marco stepped on the accelerator. Their speed crept up to 100 kilometres an hour with the SUV keeping pace behind them. ‘I don’t think he wants to overtake’, said Erika. ‘Why is he doing this?’ The dark trees flashed past, and Erika watched the speedometer nervously. She wished they could slow down, but her terror of the car behind was far greater than her fear of crashing. Again the SUV smashed into the back of their car. The back wheels lost their grip on the road and for about ten metres Marco’s car careered across the road, out of control. Marco rapidly switched down gears and managed to get the car back on track, adrenaline coursing through his body. ‘That guy is trying to run us off the road!’ A road sign flashed past, indicating a side road barely 300 metres ahead of them. Marco pushed up the speed as far as he dared. In the side-mirror Erika saw the SUV reappear, heading towards their left back wheel. She knew what he was planning. At high speed, if the SUV bumped them there, the car would spin wildly out of control, possibly even overturning. ‘Hold on tight!’ called Marco. Team Mortis – 1 – The Romeo & Juliet Mystery
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‘What? Why?’ Just as the SUV hit them, Marco stood on his brakes. The SUV missed its target, smashing into the driver’s side of the Honda instead. Marco pulled sharply on the handbrake, and with the tyres screeching in complaint he managed to manoeuvre the Honda onto the muddy side road. ‘Thanks for the warning!’ shouted Erika. ‘What are you, a stuntman as well as a ballet dancer?’ After they had passed the bridge over the Zuid-Willems canal, Marco swung right, eventually coming to a standstill on the barren heath. The last smash had jammed Marco’s door, so he pushed Erika out of the passenger door, sliding out of the car after her. ‘Quick, let’s go before they get here!’ Ballet flats and a flappy little dress wasn’t the ideal outfit for making a quick getaway, Erika thought to herself, running for her life towards the woods some metres back from the road. She risked a glance over her shoulder and was horrified to see the headlights of the SUV come into sight at the edge of the heathland. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and every breath caught in her throat. She felt as if she were choking. Suddenly they were at the trees, and Marco pulled her further into their shadowy shelter, hugging her for comfort. The black SUV came to a halt on the dirt road a little way down from the Honda. Over the sound of the softly humming engine Erika heard the car door slam. An athletic bald-headed man in his thirties walked past the front of the SUV towards the Honda, carrying a machine gun. This certainly didn’t seem like a normal case of road rage. Both teenagers squinted across the distance at the bald-headed man, but it was impossible to see his face clearly through the play of bright light and shadows. ‘What does he want from us?’ whispered Erika. Suddenly a sharp crack sounded from the trees further down the road – probably a deer spooked by the unexpected noises. The man with the machine gun looked up in alarm, and ran to the SUV. Erika could hear the murmur of voices. Abruptly he jumped into the car and drove towards the source of the sound. ‘Thank you deer’, Erika mouthed silently. As soon as the car moved away, Marco began to crawl through the trees towards the Honda. ‘I’ll be right back’, he whispered. ‘What are you going to do?’ ‘Get some stuff from the car.’ ‘What stuff?’ ‘Important stuff.’ ‘Have you gone mad?’ said Erika, grabbing his arm, ‘What if they come back?’ ‘I only need half a minute…’ Team Mortis – 1 – The Romeo & Juliet Mystery
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‘I don’t think he brought that gun along just for fun,’ hissed Erika, ‘If he sees you he’ll shoot you!’ Marco shook his arm free and crawled swiftly to the Honda. He opened the door, then froze as the interior light came on, glaringly noticeable in the darkness. Erika held her breath. She could still hear the SUV’s engine, and see its taillights through the trees. But there was no other sound. No one had spotted the Honda’s light. Erika let out a shaky breath, and silently willed Marco to hurry up. She watched Marco reach into the glove box, and pull something out. At first Erika didn’t recognise the object in his hands, and when she did, her head began to spin. Marco had a gun!? Marco closed the door, then, gun in hand, crept around to the car boot, popping it confidently. Almost at once the indicator lights began flashing, and the shrill sound of the car alarm shattered the silence. Marco’s dilemma was evident. Should he race back to the woods, or stay put? Erika had no time to help him, as the SUV came roaring towards the Honda. Marco had run out of time. He crouched down behind his car, holding his gun lightly. He turned towards the trees where Erika was hiding, and gestured with his hands for her to go, to leave him. Erika shook her head desperately, although she had no idea if Marco could even see her. She could not abandon him. The SUV came to a halt by the front of the Honda. The bald-headed man got out, machine-gun at the ready. Erika watched as Marco slid onto his stomach and wriggled under the car without making a sound. The bald-headed man circled the car, checking there was no one inside. Then he went to the boot. ‘All clear’, he called out. A second man got out of the SUV. He wore a dark hat and long dark coat, which made him almost blend in with the shadows. He pulled his hat down further over his face, so all that could be seen under the brim was a faint smudge of pale skin. He certainly wasn’t keen to draw any attention to his appearance. Shadow Man joined the bald-headed man at the boot, and opened it. They looked at each other and Erika heard them laugh, obviously pleased at what they had found inside. Shadow Man reached in and took something silver out of the boot. Three thin cables plaited together to form a perfect circle. Under the car Marco cursed to himself for not having time to retrieve the precious object before the men had arrived. ‘Surely they haven’t followed me just for that?’ he thought. Shadow Man tried to slide the bracelet over his hand, but it was too small for him. Now smiling broadly he shrugged, and tucked it into his pocket. ‘Well, we know this was our man. Now we need to find him.’ The bald-headed man pulled a plastic bag from the boot. ‘Do we take this stuff too?’ ‘What do you think? Take it and let’s go. And torch the car.’ As he prepared to follow Shadow Man’s order, the bald-headed man lowered his machine gun. This was just the chance Marco had been waiting for. He edged out from Team Mortis – 1 – The Romeo & Juliet Mystery
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under the car, and with two well-placed shots struck the bald-headed man in the leg and shoulder. Erika heard the shots go off like thunderbolts, and cringed back against the tree. She had never seen a man shot before, and could not believe it was Marco who had done it! The bald-headed man screamed and slumped to the ground, dropping the machine gun as he fell. Erika had to turn her head as she saw the blood pouring from his wounds. Shadow Man reached for his gun in the pocket of his long coat, but Marco was quicker. He strode towards Shadow Man, gun aimed firmly at his head. ‘Hands up!’ he commanded. Nothing stirred. The bald-headed man lay moaning on the ground, but Shadow Man did not move a muscle. Marco strained his gun hand towards the man before him. ‘Hands up, you bastard’, he said, stressing every word. Almost agonisingly slowly, Shadow Man raised his arms above his head, at the same time taking a subtle step towards Marco. ‘Who are you?’ Marco shouted. ‘Tell me who you are – now, or I‘ll shoot you.’ Erika could hardly bear the tension. Would Marco really shoot Shadow Man? He seemed indecisive; not knowing who had been chasing him made him uncertain. And still Shadow Man moved closer. Marco took a step back, towards the woods where Erika was hiding. Erika could see how Marco’s hand was trembling. Again he shouted at Shadow Man. ‘Tell me who you are!!’ But his voice was hoarse, and Shadow Man again ignored him, moving closer once more. With the next step backwards, Marco’s foot caught on a branch lying on the ground, and losing his balance, he fell backwards onto the heath. His gun fell with him, and almost instantly Shadow Man pulled his own gun, aiming it coolly at Marco. Marco made a grab for his gun, but Shadow Man simply raised his gun higher. ‘I would leave it where it is, if I were you, Marco’, he said softly. Erika stared at Shadow Man in surprise. He knew Marco’s name? What was this all about? ‘You weren’t man enough to kill me’, the man sneered at Marco. ‘Don’t think I will make the same mistake.’ He kicked Marco’s weapon further out of reach, and cocked the gun. Tears flowed down Erika’s cheeks. How could she just stand here and watch Marco die? She had to do something. She was just beginning to push her way slowly through the trees, when a memory of her father came unbidden to her mind. A memory of him teaching her some self-defence moves when she was very young. ‘If someone is trying to hurt you, aim for the temple.’ ‘I have nothing more to say to you, bastard’, said Marco, teeth gritted. ‘Why so coarse?’ laughed Shadow Man. ‘Not the most elegant of last words.’
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Erika counted silently. One. She had to do something. Two. Shadow Man lifted his gun. Three! Erika burst out of the trees so swiftly that she was almost on top of Shadow Man before he realised. He barely had time to turn around before she threw herself at him, beating his head with her clasped hands. He fell to the ground, groaned once and then lay silent. ‘Have you gone mad?’ cried Marco, rising to his feet and staring at Erika in amazement. ‘Should I have left you to die, then?’ retorted Erika. The look on her face made Marco giggle, surprising both of them. ‘You’ve got some guts’, he said. Shadow Man lay between them. Marco wanted to take the bracelet back, but didn’t want to put Erika in any more danger. Grabbing her wrist he started to run, pulling her along with him. ‘Let’s get out of here.’ As they reached the trees, Erika risked a glance behind. Shadow Man was rising groggily to his feet, his head bowed. Erika caught a glimpse of a large birthmark on his neck, looking almost as if the skin had been burnt. The man spun around, but he was too late. The two teenagers had disappeared into the trees. Branches scraped their faces as they ran. Erika was so tired her breath was painful in her throat and her head was spinning. She couldn’t go on any longer. Just as she thought she was about to pass out, Marco stopped abruptly. He had a new plan. ‘We must split up.’ ‘No, I want to stay with you’, Erika said. ‘Listen, you run to the village and get help. I’ll carry on towards the party and keep that guy busy.’ Erika started to argue, but he stopped her. ‘You have to go for help. It’s the only way we’ll be safe’, he said. ‘Now go.’ Giving her one fierce, but all too brief, kiss, Marco pushed her in the direction of the village. He watched her stumble away for a few moments, then set off in the opposite direction. The sandy earth of the heath clung to her shoes, making them feel like lead, but Erika kept going. Her heart leapt when she saw the familiar sight of the Zuid-Willems canal. Cautiously she approached the bridge that spanned the canal. There wasn’t a car in sight, just darkness stretching away in both directions. She wiped the sweat from her face, swept her hair behind her ears and stepped out onto the bridge. Trying desperately to
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ignore the water flowing just beneath her feet, she inched her way across. To be this close to so much water made her feel light-headed, but still she pressed on. Suddenly a shot rang out. Erika stopped and looked around her. Was someone here? Was someone shooting at her? Seeing no one nearby, Erika looked over the bridge railing, and peered downstream. There was a jetty a few hundred metres away, and Erika could just make out two silhouettes moving on it. As she watched, one of the figures fell, and was kicked by the other. Her eyes becoming accustomed to the light, Erika recoiled – it was Marco on the floor, with Shadow Man looming over him! The dark canal and its water forgotten, Erika raced along the bridge, trying to reach the jetty. She saw Shadow Man raise his gun once more, aiming it at Marco who had risen and was standing at the very edge of the jetty. ‘No!’ screamed Erika. A dull pop echoed over the canal. Marco fell backwards into the water with a splash. Shadow Man ran back to the riverbank, where the SUV was waiting. Erika heard the engine start. As she came closer to the car Shadow Man paused to look at her. Did he recognise her? He stared for a moment, then leapt into the car, and all Erika could do was watch as it disappeared into the night. Now only the sound of the swirling water broke the eerie silence. Erika rushed to the jetty and leaned out over the edge. ‘Marco? Marco!?’ She looked again and saw a hand break the surface, about two meters from the jetty, just too far for her to reach. ‘Marco, I’m here, take my hand!’ she shouted. But Marco was growing weaker, and disappeared under the water again. Erika leapt to her feet, and began calling for help. She turned to look around and was startled to see a green VW Karmann Ghia idling in almost the exact spot she had been standing just a short while before. A man with binoculars was watching her intently. ‘Hey, come here, please, help!’ Erika called, waving her arms above her head, but the man did not move. Why didn’t he do anything? He must have seen her, even if he could not hear her. ‘Come, please, help’, Erika sobbed, but the man remained motionless, silently watching. He was giving Erika the creeps. Seeing no help was coming, Erika gathered her courage and knelt down at the edge of the jetty. Taking a deep breath she plunged her arm into the canal, reaching out into the dark water, trying to find Marco. The feel of the water lapping around her arm made Erika begin to panic. Her breaths came in short bursts as she started to hyperventilate, and her sight grew dim. Erika shook her head and tried to slow her breathing. She would not pass out. She had to help Marco.
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Almost without thinking she stood up, kicking off her ballet pumps and pulling her dress over her head. Giving no heed to the fact that she was now in just her underwear, Erika took the deepest breath she could and jumped off the jetty into the canal. At once the water covered her, the cold stabbing like knives. Focussing only on finding Marco, Erika began to move through the water, feeling around in the darkness. But there was nothing. No Marco. Taking another deep breath she put her head under the water, trying to see Marco through the darkness. There was still nothing, and she felt a sudden panic. She had lost her bearings and did not know up from down. She flailed in the water and tried to scream, but now the water was pouring into her mouth. It was all over. This would be her end, lost in the terrible darkness, worse than taking a shower, worse even than her most dreadful nightmares. She should have known that water, her biggest fear, would be her death. While Marco’s lifeless body was sinking to the bottom beneath her, Erika tried one final time to escape the water. She pushed up with one arm and felt something wooden slip past her fingertips. The jetty! It was one of the jetty poles! With one last burst of energy she threw herself forwards, grabbing the pole and pulling herself up onto the old wooden beams. When she was finally out of the water, she could breath again. But her relief at being alive soon turned to sorrow and despair, and tears began to flow down Erika’s cheeks. She sobbed once, jerkily, and then fainted. Marco was dead.
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“European law stipulates that youths (under the age of 21) are prohibited from engaging in covert actions, such as espionage or undercover operations.”
Are you prepared to die? Team Mortis (Team of the Dead) is a top secret European pilot project. As it is prohibited by law to engage youngsters as spies, their pasts and identities are erased and their deaths are staged. Officially they have ceased to exist.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bjorn Van den Eynde is a 29-year-old director, scriptwriter and novelist from Antwerp, Belgium. He is the inventor or (head) screenwriter of several trend-setting TV series and films for kids, teens and young adults, which have made their way to both a national and an international audience: among others, Hotel 13 Series 1 & 2, Galaxy Park Series 1, Amika Series 1, 2 & 3, Ghost Rockers Series 1, 2 & 3, Marsepeinstein Series 3, Rox, Mega Mindy, House Of Anubis. In addition to his work as a TV scriptwriter, Bjorn Van den Eynde has been writing a series of books for teens and young adults – the spy thriller series Team Mortis – and a series of books for kids – the adventure series Carlo Cabana.
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The Romeo & Juliet Mystery
The Gang of Venus
The Game of De
Erika Storm can escape the law with the help of former MI6 agent Brian Bailey by joining Team Mortis, an underground network of young secret agents. But she has to make a huge sacrifice: to die on paper and to cut all ties with her friends and family. Only then she can investigate her boyfriend’s death.
When a renowned archeologist and his wife and daughters disappear, Erika has to infiltrate a gang of girls that has never existed …
Two Team Mortis m killed in the ‘Game two other members play. One of them is
Team Mortis is a European top secret network of teenage spies. Their members: young boys and girls who have given up everything, who have even ceased to officially exist, so they can work underground and undercover. Their goal: to solve suspicious murder cases by infiltrating violent gangs and moving close to unknown murderers.
5 Books published, more mystery to come...
eath
The Black Sun
Christal Children
members are already of Death’ and now are challenged to s Erika Storm …
A famous American actress is killed and has a horrid burn mark on her arm in the shape of the Black Sun. Team Mortis needs to find out what happened, before time runs out …
All girls named Weidling are in grave danger as an obscure group has decided to kill them one at a time. Team Mortis tries to keep one of them safe and at the same time attempts to discover the awful truth.