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fuss.’
    Steinberger’s enthusiasm deflated like a day-old balloon. ‘Oh. Sure. Roger that. No fuss. I’ll let the others know.’ He took out his palm computer and began sending a message. ‘We’ll be so low-key you won’t even notice we’re here.’
    Max wasn’t sure about the low-key bit, but as long as everyone got on with being normal, her return to the Force would be just fine.
    He finished his message and gazed at Max as if she was a long-lost relative he hadn’t seen for years. He sniffed and took out a handkerchief.
    â€˜Sorry. It’s a little overwhelming. May I at least give you a hug?’ He held out his arms.
    Max scowled. ‘Ah, sure.’
    Steinberger leant in and hugged her with a sniff that echoed in her ear. Max gave Linden a ‘save me’ look, but he simply bit into a chewy fruit bar he’d taken from his pocket and enjoyed seeing her squirm.
    Until she started to turn a slight shade of blue, then he thought he should step in.
    â€˜Don’t I get one?’
    Steinberger let go of Max. ‘Of course.’ He wiped his eyes on his hanky and gave Linden a hug – one not so nearly sniffle-filled.
    â€˜It was just so emotional when you decided to leave, Max, and now that you’re here, everything feels right again. In fact, when you left, I wondered how we would ever …’
    Steinberger was interrupted by the sound of one of the doors of the VART slowly opening.
    â€˜Ah,’ Steinberger pulled himself together. ‘They’re here.’
    â€˜Who’s here?’ Max asked.
    â€˜You’ll see.’ He tucked his hanky into his pocket.
    Max looked up into the empty space of the VART’s high roof, waiting for the entrance of a Spyforce vehicle. She heard the faint sound of an engine coming in for a landing, but could see nothing. It couldn’t have been the Invisible Jet, they’d need the double doors for that, but in only a few more seconds, she found out what it was.
    â€˜Sleek!’
    Max saw the outline of Spyforce’s chief engineer and vehicle expert hovering a few metres above them. He was flying the Sleek Machine, a cross between a hovercraft and a motorbike. It flew at an oscillation speed that made it and its passengers invisible, so they could only be seen on take-off and just before landing.
    But there was someone else.
    â€˜Toby?’ Max watched as Toby became visible in the sidecar next to Sleek.
    â€˜Looks like it’s the old team back together again,’ Linden said through the final chews of his fruit bar.
    Toby lifted off his goggles. ‘That is definitely my vehicle of choice.’
    An eager Steinberger led Max and Linden over to the landing platform.
    â€˜Welcome back to Spyforce, Agent Toby Jennings. I believe we now have the perfect team for our mission in Venice.’
    Toby climbed out of the sidecar and accepted Steinberger’s handshake. He then stood before Max. ‘I knew Linden would convince you to come back.’
    Max folded her arms across her chest. ‘Linden didn’t convince me of anything.’
    â€˜Oh, then it must be the attraction of being with me again.’ Toby swept back his hair in an exaggerated Hollywood flick. ‘I can understand that.’
    â€˜Is it just me or has your head grown bigger since I last saw you?’ Max asked.
    â€˜I think it’s my general tall and good-looking stature.’
    â€˜Are you sure it’s not your very inflated opinion of yourself?’
    Toby smiled. ‘Oh, I’m sure.’
    It was good to be with Max again. When Toby had first met her at school, he thought she was a grumpy loner who didn’t do much more than looksurly and read books, but now he knew her as one of the most intelligent and exciting people he’d ever met. Only he’d never tell her that.
    â€˜Austria not missing you too much?’
    Toby had recently moved there to live with his