by C. L. Stone
Do they even know what the Academy is? How new were these new people?
Mr. Duncan spread out his hands and smiled. “That’s what you’re all here to learn about, although it’s a lot to go over. You will be free to ask any questions you like.” When the dour guy started to open his mouth, Mr. Duncan cut him off with a hand wave. “Hang on to your questions for now until after we’re done here. We want to get to know you individually and have a discussion.”
“If you all would get in a line,” Dr. Roberts said, stepping forward. “We want to know your name, where you are from. You might have met one of us before, but we’d like to introduce you all formally now.”
That’s it? Like a rollcall? Registration or something? It was an uncomfortable place to me, especially in the middle where everyone still on the benches was watching. I wasn’t usually intimidated by things like this, but this was a lot to take in.
The others shuffled into a line but Dr. Roberts stopped the younger girl who had sat with us. He pulled her by the elbow, and then tried to shake her hand. “Hello there, familiar face.”
She didn’t say anything and looked worried.
Dr. Roberts ducked his head to catch her eye and kept a firm hold of her. “I have some more of those candies if you’d like one.”
What the hell was he doing? She nodded at the mention of the candy though.
Dr. Roberts handed her a foil-wrapped strawberry cream candy he’d pulled from his pocket. She opened it and stuffed it into her mouth. Maybe she was hungry. I moved away a bit to get in line with the others but kept an eye on them.
Dr. Roberts glanced at the line again and then winked at her. “Sorry,” he said. “Looks like you’re last to get in line. But don’t fret; last is not least here.”
He walked toward the line, seeming to size up the others. He approached me, and without a word, he dragged me by the elbow from my spot, toward the middle, and drew me back to the rear of the line, putting me last with the girl he’d given the candy to. Then I remembered he had candy and took one out of his pocket before he could walk away.
He didn’t seem surprised by this move.
I was surprised to see the strawberry candy. It was the type I’d seen him buy downtown in Charleston. I knew where he’d gotten it.
I opened it and put it in my mouth. So he wanted me and this other girl last in line. Didn’t bother to sweettalk me, just put me where he wanted me to be.
The question was why were we last?
I was finished with the candy before we moved very far.
“This is so stupid,” I said in a low voice. I clenched my hands, digging them deep into my pockets. “Why not just tell us? Why separate us out?” I wasn’t sure who I was talking to, but waiting like this, it bothered me. The more time passed, the more irritated I got.
It was a waste of time.
I should be heading back to Charleston right now.
People talked to the kids in line, one at a time. As they finished, they left, joining one of the groups still sitting in the benches. Slowly, the benches emptied as groups left.
Teams?
Were those their teams? I tried to pay attention as the line got shorter. Boys went with boys. Girls went with girls.
Some didn’t go to a team and instead were directed to sit on the bench closest to the stage area, waiting. They didn’t sit close together, although some of them talked. Maybe they didn’t know anyone.
Lake was among them, sitting alone. From the distance, he looked more feminine, or maybe because his hair was hanging down? If it wasn’t for the others using male pronouns, I would have asked him for his preference.
Lake turned his attention, and I followed his gaze. Axel was waving to him and then gave him a thumbs up.
Lake did a short wave but stayed where he was.
I hoped Lake took me up on my offer and, if he didn’t feel fit in, would come find me. But if Axel was encouraging him to be here…he knew his cousin and the Academy better than I did. Maybe he belonged here?
There were ten adults with Dr. Roberts making up his circle. They were all middle-aged and older. I hadn’t noticed anyone else older, which made me think they were in charge. But still, there were more than a few of them.
The questions just piled up.
They would have the person at the front of the line step forward, then they’d surround the person to talk to him or her privately.
When I was next, I kept my hands in my pockets. Dr. Roberts stood beside me in the circle. “I believe I’ve told a few of you about Miss Kayli Winchester. She’s a very special recruit.”
“I’m not a recruit, yet,” I said. “I want answers. That’s all. No promises.” I took my hands out of my pockets, but my fists were still clenched. Damn right I wanted answers. I didn’t want to give too much away to the kids that were still here, like the girl still behind me. Maybe they weren’t telling them what happened for a reason.
But what was I supposed to do? I wasn’t here for this, to join up when I didn’t know the details yet.
“We never hold anyone against their will,” Dr. Roberts said. He then turned toward the group, introducing Mrs. Rose, the older woman, and then the others, but there were quite a few of them.
“And you’re a local, like me, aren’t you?” Mr. Duncan asked, standing with his hands tucked behind his back. “Born and raised in Charleston?”
“I’m sure that’s what my file says about me,” I said. “I know you’ve read it.” Did they not know how much I knew? I didn’t know what they wanted me to say to all this. It seemed so crazy.
Mr. Duncan bowed his head and pressed his lips together. A middle-aged woman with fine wrinkles around her eyes looked me dead on. “I have,” she said. “You’re welcome to peruse mine if you’d like.”
Was this a trick? “I...yes,” I said, assuming I’d be calling her bluff. “I’d like to read it.”
“I’ll bring it over sometime,” the woman said, smiling.
Silence followed. They weren’t going to say anything? “Well? Was that it?”
“Sure,” Dr. Roberts said. “Unless you had questions for us.”
“Tons,” she said. I didn’t want to get sent with anyone else, so that was my first priority. “But most importantly, I want to stay with my current group. I understand that’s possible.” I wasn’t going to get timid about this sort of thing. Axel said to say to stay with them. I was going to go with that strategy. Just say it.
There was a pause as some of the members of the circle looked at each other. Some might not know what we’d been through.
Dr. Roberts broke the long silence. “Sometimes it’s better to get to know other teams. You can learn more by simply getting to know...”
He’s got to be kidding. They were considering breaking us up? “No, thank you,” I said quickly. I motioned back to Axel and the others. “I’ll ask other people, but if I’m free to get straight answers from my team now, they’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” Did they know more than they were allowed to tell me before now?
And not that it all mattered. Couldn’t this all wait until after I found my brother?
“As you wish,” Mr. Duncan said, looking at me steadily. “We hope you find what you’re looking for.”
I turned to leave, but Dr. Roberts followed me. He leaned in, saying, “I hope you’ll remember, nothing you see or hear while with us here should pass your lips once you leave. Not even to Blake Coaltar.”
“He can be trusted,” I said.
“That’s yet to be determined,” he said. “But I’m not asking for myself. I’m begging you, for the safety of these kids here. You cannot comprehend the potential for tragedy if the wrong people get wind of this.”
He was protecting them from Alice. “Then maybe my team should explain it to me. From the outside, it looks like a cult that just happens to blend in with the rest of society, so no one notices.”
He swallowed thickly and pulled me close, speaking to me in low tones. “Just kno
w that’s not what this is. You should stay, you know. Learn about it. You’ll understand. You could do well here. Thrive.”
I wasn’t sure I could.
But I did understand why they’d been so fearful to let us do what we needed to do before. All these kids—there was more to protect than I ever imagined.
Which meant only one thing.
We had to go back. We had to end this. And it could only be us. They were safe here together. This was our opportunity. Make sure this Academy was never discovered. I had to find my brother. I had to make sure he knew they weren’t evil. He’d asked questions. He knew about them. He led Alice to believe they might have Mr. Murdock. “Is there any news?” I asked Dr. Roberts. “What’s going on back in town? Do you know anything?”
He sighed and then turned me toward him. “Listen… I didn’t want to be the one to tell you…but the baby was born too early. It’s in critical care.”
“Natalie’s baby?”
He nodded gravely. “It’ll be okay, but Natalie herself, she’s sick.”
“Was it Alice?”
“We don’t know. But her husband has it, too. And if Blake…if things get any worse, Blake might go after Alice himself, despite us probably being unimportant to her now.”
He might need to be talked down. He’d go after her alone if needed. “And my brother?”
He shook his head.
“Any other news?”
“Your father is in good hands. The lawyer, he’s made sure he’s in the clear.”
“But we can’t go back.”
He pressed his lips together like he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell me.
“Out with it,” I said.
“He’s dead.”
I waited for him to continue, and when he didn’t, I spoke. “What? Who?”
“The older Mr. Murdock. His body was found in the river. The coroner said he’s been gone for weeks.”
I puzzled over it. “But…”
He grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me. “I don’t think Alice knows yet, and it might be the only advantage we have right now. The information has been sworn to secrecy.” He paused, swallowed thickly and loudly, making his Adam’s apple bob visibly and then released me. “Without Mr. Murdock, the money is as good as gone. If she can’t access it alone, she just doesn’t know it yet. But now she’s got a cartel after her for murdering their people, not to mention the police. They’re moving in to find her in revenge, but…it’s likely without the money, she won’t be able to get far. They’ll find her and it’ll be over. We just need to wait.”
I shoved my fingers through my hair, combing back strands out of my face. “Are they sure it’s him? That it’s Mr. Murdock?”
“Yes, and they don’t know why they were able to find the body now and not sooner. The river is used frequently by boaters. I think he was moved.” He stopped and looked out toward Axel and the others. “I can’t stop you,” he said. “But I wish you’d stay here. With us. We can make this right. We just wait it out and it’ll be over.”
I wasn’t sure how they could stand by. Looking at Axel, at the grim look on his face, it was like I could read his mind.
He wasn’t going to rest until we found my brother, got him away from Alice. “I can’t leave Wil. And Blake, I have to make sure…”
He nodded. “I have to get back but…I wish you’d change your mind. I’d do anything to help…”
“Then let me go.”
He shook his head and walked away. “I don’t think I could ever stop you.”
~ A ~
Earlier
Axel walked through the crowd of people after arriving at the campgrounds. The woods and fresh air was a great change, and normally he’d be happy about this.
They were out. All of them. In a space where Alice, that cartel or anyone else couldn’t come within a mile of without the entirety of the Academy there to assist.
If only he could keep them all there. Safe.
Days of searching the city had proved fruitless.
There was only one thing he cared about finding now.
Wil.
He was gone, and Axel knew this was going to be the key to getting her to stay out of trouble, the one thing that would send her back into Charleston. If she went, his team went. He didn’t blame them, but now it put everyone in danger. More than ever…
If he’d been easier to find, Axel would have dragged him here, even if kicking and screaming the whole way. Unfortunately, there’d been no trace of him. Wherever he was, he was good at hiding, whether with Alice or not.
The flow of people from where he’d parked to the campground’s central meeting pit had him questioning if perhaps he’d missed her. He’d heard they were on the way. He turned toward the direction they were supposed to be going. Maybe he’d go see if they’d sat down yet.
A text message came in, vibrating in his pocket. He checked his phone.
Dr. Roberts: Still no word about Wil, and school is out for the holidays so it isn’t like he’ll show up there. This isn’t going to end well. She’s no obligation to us. I can try to convince her to stay but she never listens. Will you try?
Alex Toma: I don’t think I can stop her. Not for this.
Dr. Roberts: I know. But talk her into staying. You know when I tell her about old Mr. Murdock being dead, there’s going to be no holding her back…except maybe you.
Axel almost put his phone away. His gut instinct was to somehow put her in the hospital again, keeping her under Academy security until he could sort it all out. It had been his first mistake. Letting her out, urging them to release her before they found Alice…
But this might be the only step to allow her to finally let go. He sent another message.
Axel Toma: I don’t want to.
It was going against everything the Academy did. Lay low, let authorities sort things out when they got involved. Now the FBI was in town, special teams hired to find Alice after the murder was uncovered. It was hard enough to get Kayli off of the list of people to question.
He knew.
Once they had a meal, changed clothes, regrouped…they’d go back. He’d be lucky to get her to sleep before going back.
They’d have gone for Blake, but he would be easy to locate. Wil, he wasn’t just missing, he was roped in with Alice.
He couldn’t ask Kayli to go. She’d go alone just to drag him out of danger. He knew it. If they didn’t go back with her, she was as good as dead. But that wasn’t why she needed to go.
A message came back.
Dr. Roberts: I don’t think we can help if you choose to go. I can’t ask anyone to do it. Not this time.
He put his phone away, sure that there wasn’t anything else to add to the conversation.
If they didn’t catch her brother, he might get caught up with this FBI investigation, possibly sent in as an accessory to whatever crimes Alice had been committing.
He was only hoping that Wil hadn’t crossed those lines and had just been wrapped up in lies Alice was feeding him.
But…Wil had stolen Blake’s cell phone. He’d betrayed Blake. Brought Alice down upon them all.
The question remained, and he hated to tell her, that Wil could have betrayed her, betrayed them all…could have been part of things from the start. He’d been hard to track down for months. Somehow, amid everything, Alice had gotten to him, maybe into his head.
It was the hardest thing to believe, that your own family could betray you and to learn to let go.
Before they got back to the city, he had to decide, should he let Kayli find him?
Maybe it was better for the FBI to do so.
Would she ever forgive him if he led the FBI straight to Wil, even if he was too far gone?
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BOOKS BY C. L. STONE
The Academy Ghost Bird Series:
Introductions
First Days
Friends vs. Family
Forgiveness and Permission
Drop of Doubt
Push and Shove
House of Korba
The Other Side of Envy
The Healing Power of Sugar
First Kiss
Black and Green
Love’s Cruel Redemption
Unsung Requiem (Coming Soon)
The Academy Scarab Beetle Series
Thief
Liar
Fake
Accessory
Hoax
Tempest
Gone (Coming Soon)
Charleston’s Leading Ladies
Evelyn
Celeste (previously published as Smoking Gun)
Rainee
Other C. L. Stone Books:
Favored (Kindle Unlimited Exclusive)
Melody
Girl in the Bearskin (Once Upon a Harem)
Evelyn
Charleston's Leading Ladies
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Book One
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Written by C. L. Stone
Published by
Arcato Publishing
PROLOGUE
Revenge planning took up a lot of hours. I’d barely slept.
Inside Tissu Deux, Gretta’s currently closed fashion boutique, five of us sat on plush white couches. Near us was a low wooden stage that Gretta often used as part of her designing process, modeling high-end and celebrity clients. Today, we’d pulled the couches together and faced each other. Behind us were mannequins on pedestals, each displaying outfits different from each other, from ball gowns to casual beach wear. The stage’s lights were on, the brightness diminished by the overhead lights way above us in the high ceiling.
