by C. L. Stone
After growing increasingly uncomfortable, Victor said, “I’ve had Mr. Blackbourne check it over several times. I feel it is fully accurate. The formulas I’ve used should have done the math appropriately. I can show you what’s in the actual financial reports… We should have plenty to buy a property.”
“I do believe you,” Mr. Buble used a finger to scroll through the spreadsheet further down the page. “However I don’t see where pulling out of any of these investments would be a wise idea right now. Several of them have just been placed. You’d lose money overall to withdraw them now.”
“But we’ll need the money if we need to secure a big enough house.”
“We may not need a house,” he said. “It could be an apartment.”
Victor hadn’t considered that. Something like where Silas lived?
However, he was having a hard enough time picturing the four of them living together in an apartment. Maybe since he hadn’t ever lived in such a small space, he didn’t know what it would be like. Silas often mentioned his brother and father together in their apartment felt they were on top of each other, and how he could hear other people in the other apartments next door.
Mr. Buble continued, “It’s true we will need money, but we don’t necessarily need this money, your personal funds, to cover your entire team and their needs. Your team should be capable of carrying their own weight.”
“I don’t mind,” he said. “I have plenty.”
“You’ve been providing quite enough,” Mr. Buble said. “I understand you’re very generous, and that’s a compliment to you, but we shouldn’t allow anyone to get used to it.”
“They aren’t taking advantage of me,” Victor said.
Mr. Buble put down the tablet and the glow on his glasses disappeared. His eyes widened just slightly to show some surprise. “If there was any hint that Academy members were taking advantage of anyone, they wouldn’t be considered for admission. No, I don’t believe they are taking advantage, but… imagine even just five years from now and someone like Mr. Coleman has to get a regular job to help provide for himself, a wife, and a young child perhaps. He’d be at a disadvantage of years without work and lacking the skills to learn how to budget and grow in a career. If everyone can provide a little something now, it won’t be long before you’re all able to make choices about where you live and where you work, instead of letting life make the choice for you.”
Was he right? Maybe he’d done the same, taking from his family and not working at all. They were all still young, so their careers hadn’t really started yet.
Victor wasn’t sure he’d given it full thought. Maybe it was the assumption he’d inherit, and the need to focus on a career instead of investments and portfolios wasn’t a top priority. “Maybe I need a job as well,” Victor said.
“Housing first,” he said. “Let’s not settle into the Griffin house for too long to wait for income. That could be weeks of sourcing a job, waiting for enough to come in to secure proper housing. And as you are young, it could take much longer to sort out.” He motioned to the screen again. “While your team might be out of favors, for the most part, you do have quite a bit in reserve on the financial side.”
“We’ve been trying not to use it,” Victor said.
“I believe it’s because you didn’t need to use it. You have had your parents’ money, and also what was earned at part-time jobs for everybody else, or parents to rely on, or Mr. Blackbourne or Dr. Green’s income. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t ever need to use it. Right now might be a good time to practice its usage. You have plenty in reserve for any unseen emergencies. No need to worry about going into the negative. Your job at the school is nearly completed which should replenish your funds.”
“We opted for no funds in exchange for favors,” Victor said automatically.
Mr. Buble raised an eyebrow. It was the first time Victor noticed him making a confused expression. “Your team is full of surprises,” he said. “Your group will bypass smaller jobs to go for terribly difficult ones, that are likely to fail, to seek out the greater rewards and do things in one fell swoop.”
“We do smaller jobs if requested,” Victor said. “To tide us over with favors if needed. But yes. We like the big jobs. I think because there are so many of us, and it’s difficult to find jobs that we all can do together. The school was ideal.”
“The risk is still high,” Mr. Buble said. “There’s a chance it won’t work.”
“Which means the favors will be greater when we do get the money back for the school,” he said. “And then we can all graduate.”
Mr. Buble tapped his finger at the screen of the tablet. “Not if you’re spending all your favors just trying to live. You’d be negative thirty once again if it wasn’t for Sang, and facing a council meeting. She starts out with negative ten when she is official, and she has to finish trials first to utilize what little she starts with. That thing yesterday was more for you and a prime opportunity to show her some of how things work.”
The notion suddenly occurred within Victor and his chest tightened. He sat up, tilted his head back in an odd direction, looking at the ceiling as the heavy realization came to him. “And she may not graduate with us.”
Victor couldn’t see Mr. Buble with his head back, but he caught just the slightest bit of movement across the table and lowered his gaze just in time to witness Mr. Buble’s again raised brow and befuddled expression. “Was this planned? That she join you in this for favors?”
How would they get through the next few weeks of Mr. Buble around and not reveal they wanted her on the team with them for good? “She’s so involved, I think I assumed if she got into the Academy, some favors would allocate to her. And she’s been on jobs and helped us without getting favors of her own before she was considered. She’s done the work without getting credit for months now.”
Again the librarian walked by, this time seeming to purposefully not look at Victor until the very last minute. Why did Mitch keep coming back here? He’d walk past them into a door nearby. However, it wasn’t long before he left and walked back to the front. Empty arms. He didn’t really seem to be doing… anything.
Mr. Buble didn’t look up at him but lifted the tablet to return it to Victor. “We should focus on the most immediate needs for now. The rest we can get to. Priority organization is key.”
That sounded like something Mr. Blackbourne would say. “So we’re using our funding. And we’re renting or buying?” Victor asked. “How do we start?” It was new to him how to even begin the process.
Mr. Buble motioned for Victor to take the tablet. “I’ve been considering the options. The problem is there’s a large group of you and I imagine the others will want to move in eventually. I’d rather have a spot prepared. The list of needs is high with a group of ten. Many bedrooms. Multiple bathrooms. At least one central kitchen, the size of which could be small. We could also fit single beds into bedrooms together, however, I’ve learned over time it’s usually better to allow everyone to have their own private spaces. Even teams that get along very well can have problems if they don’t have a place to completely call their own.”
Victor was struggling to say something about this when the librarian walked by again. He still didn’t say anything, but he seemed very curious about what they were up to.
The way he purposefully didn’t look at Victor, but then looked at him at the last second before he was out of view bugged him.
After he passed by again, Mr. Buble put the tablet away, giving it to Victor closed. “I’m not sure how much you know about the buying process for a house,” he said.
“Is buying a house what we’re doing? Are we not going to rent some place? Won’t it be more expensive to buy?”
“Renting is still an option,” he said. “However for the circumstances, especially with teenagers living in the same house, we might find things will be much easier to secure housing by buying. While we can look at ma
ny options, I suggest we start with looking at real estate listings. The types of housing available around the city vary greatly. Location is important.”
“What about Academy owned housing?”
“We try to reserve those homes for people with more immediate needs or for people who are adopted rather than members. There is a bit of a shortage right now. We’ve gained some new buildings and neighborhoods but they’re not ready yet, and none of the houses that we have come into ownership of are of a size for a team your size.”
“I didn’t know we could buy a house with the money.”
“If you buy a big enough house for all of you, and then as members start to branch off, maybe with new families, you’ll have a big house to sell at a future time. If you put time and effort into updating, it’ll be money that will later fund the financial side. It’s more an investment instead of losing the money.”
Again Mitch passed by, but before Victor could think of anything, Mr. Buble stood up in a quick motion, approached Mitch, offering an open palm in offering and a curious, unreadable face.
This seemed to put the new librarian in a strange state of offering his palm, while doing a half step to continue what he was doing, caught off guard.
“Thanks for letting us use your available table. We always appreciate the assistance. Students don’t always have the luxury of choosing when they have time for additional tutoring.”
Mitch mumbled a few ums and ahs before finally shaking Mr. Buble’s hand a bit and letting go. “It’s not a problem. I’m glad when young boys take an interest in learning.” He slid his eyes to Victor.
A creepy sensation bolted up Victor’s spine. He resisted the urge to tremble visibly and alert anyone to how he was feeling. Something about Mitch unnerved him.
“Sorry, you look really familiar,” Mitch said. “I was just reading about some kid who had some birthday party downtown. You look just like him.”
Victor swallowed to avoid groaning. Newspaper coverage must have gone crazy after he behaved the way he did. If he had to apologize to anyone, it’d be to the guests for putting up with him. It wasn’t their fault.
Mr. Buble did a small nod of his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t really catch up with the gossip columns. I haven’t heard about it.”
“Oh it wasn’t the gossip column,” Mitch said. “Front page news.” He turned his attention more to Mr. Buble. “You’d think with all that money the kid wouldn’t get drunk and trash the people who went. Heard his parents disowned him after that. Probably deserved it. They probably needed to beat him with a belt early on. Have the kid learn some respect.”
Mr. Buble’s lip twitched just enough and he said, “We’ll never know what really happened.” It wasn’t what he said, but there was something in his tone, something in the way that he stiffened up that seemed to suggest he was done talking.
Mitch blinked a few times and did a short wave. “Have a good day,” he said and walked off.
“Because beating someone with a belt isn’t assault if it’s done to a kid…” Victor murmured, his tone drenching with sarcasm.
“I have a feeling there is a reason he was relocated here,” Mr. Buble said. “I’ll have a word with the library he was transferred from and will ask around.”
No one within the Academy liked to make open assumptions, but Victor was feeling it as well. The comment and the way he seemed too curious about Victor, especially if he thought he knew who Victor was. What if he knew the truth? Would he say something?
“I’ll work with you on it,” Victor said.
There was a short nod from Mr. Buble and he motioned silently to follow him out of the library. They had their own work to do, but if Mr. Buble used this library frequently enough, especially with kids who came from abusive guardians, the last thing needed was a too nosy and opinionated librarian placed here.
If he was willing to gossip, no one was safe.
Victor was about to say something else when his phone vibrated, a message coming in. He checked it.
DEPTHCRAWLER: Found.
His spirits lifted. After last night, he was sure it had been a lost cause to keep looking for Volto the way they’d been doing. He sent a quick message in reply.
DEPTHAFFECTION: I can help today. What do you need me to do?
DEPTHCRAWLER: What would be valuable enough he’d risk trying to buy it?
Victor grimaced, unsure. They were supposed to be boring, laying low. However, if they could set up a deal that Volto couldn’t resist and get him to buy, that could allow them to trace where he was.
It might mean sacrificing something he possibly wanted. But what?
Mr. Buble looked at him while Victor was pondering what to do. “What happened?”
“Another… project I’m working on.” He selected his words carefully. “Another of our friends needing a bit of extra help when I get a chance.”
He nodded. “Your docket is filling up. What would you like to do?”
Someone had to distract Mr. Buble and stay with him or he’d likely go and fetch the others, who might still be trying to figure out how to work with him. Being in two places at once… He couldn’t do that. But he could give DepthCrawler something so valuable Volto would never want to pass it up.
“I think I don’t have to go anywhere, but I do have to get some files and send them to this guy,” Victor said. “Give me a minute?”
Mr. Buble nodded and he motioned for Victor to follow him. They treaded back through the library, this time to one of the darkened hallways, completely out of view of Mitch and the other librarians. This hallway was mostly where there were conference rooms that could be borrowed.
Mr. Buble gave Victor plenty of room and stood as a lookout. Victor used his phone, downloading and re-uploading what he thought DepthCrawler could use.
DEPTHAFFECTION: He’s going to want this.
There was a moment’s pause. He was sure DepthCrawler was stunned.
DEPTHCRAWLER: Are you sure?
They needed to offer just the right thing to provoke Volto and give DepthCrawler a chance to set up a drop-off.
Something of value to someone like Volto was information. And this would prove DepthCrawler had information to share.
Victor sent him all the financial records of everything he’d bought since the Academy brought him on, including things in the dark web they’d had to gather for their own purposes.
A taste of it from Victor’s own team would only reveal what Volto already knew, that their team did secret things. And DepthCrawler could suggest he had the hard drives or some of the other items on the list. Those alone would be of great interest.
If Volto took the bait, they’d be a step closer to him.
A trade-off…
Hopefully it was successful.
Zelosamente
(Zealously)
Sang
While Kota was getting ready, Nathan and I lingered in the garage. I couldn’t help looking off toward my old home, a couple of houses down. The idea of moving away left a flutter of fear in my stomach. I wasn’t sure why. Changing things left so many questions for us.
“We should let Kota go alone to Lillian,” Nathan said quietly.
His voice bringing me out of my overthinking had me pause, considering what he meant. “Why?”
He stepped closer, so he was mostly whispering near my cheek. “It’s a good time to go check out his house. His sister isn’t there. His mom’s at work. He’ll be distracted on his way to Lillian. And if we’re moving, we may not get many more chances.”
I was going to ask why again, but I really didn’t have to. I knew why.
Volto’s mask. We never told Kota. Not yet. It made it look bad for his mother, and we wanted further proof.
I couldn’t believe Erica Lee would ever be Volto.
We had to know.
“Shouldn’t someone go with him?” I asked. “Won’t he find it weird if we both say we want to sta
y?”
While we were discussing who should go with him, a blue sedan pulled into the driveway. From the angle we were at, I could only pick out three shadowy silhouettes.
Reinforcements would be good. Nathan and I shared a relieved look. We could send one or two of them.
Luke popped out of the back seat first. His blonde hair was bound in a messy way with a clip. A few locks flew around his face as he moved. While appearing a little tired, he beamed when he saw me. “Also I don’t have that disease going around. North was fibbing,” he said, as if he’d been in mid-conversation and just needed to tell me.
I’d nearly forgotten after the events last night and that morning. “I’m glad you’re better.” I wanted to suggest not eating so much chocolate next time, but I didn’t want to do so when I was sure North had given him lectures at length.
He smiled at me in such a way that his eyes lit up and his shoulders relaxed. He moved until he was standing beside me, and I sensed his hand at my lower back.
Gabriel and Silas trailed behind Luke. Gabriel had his hair similarly pulled back a little in a clip, revealing the shaved part underneath, even if the blond locks that contrasted with the dark russet color had escaped and hung at his face a bit. He wore a dark jacket with orange stripes on the arms. The crystals in his ears had changed, one pink, one orange today. He’d been wearing pink a lot lately.
Silas had a new Red Sox jacket. It’d been a gift from his father for Christmas. It was a little too tight for his broad shoulders but I knew he liked it to try to wear it when he could. The dark circles under his eyes stood out against his Greek complexion and his hair stood up on one side of the back of his head.
“What happened?” Nathan asked. “What was the big security thing last night anyway?”
“It’s what we were up late for,” Silas said, his voice deep but also taking on a groggy grumble. “I had to be sure those reporters didn’t capture Sang’s face, and double-check on who they were. I was worried someone would be Volto.”
