The Academy--The Bird and the Beetle

by C. L. Stone

  Personally, he doubted if even the Academy could have held her back. He saw that determination in her eyes. She was going to hunt Coaltar down to the ends of the earth if it meant she could spare someone’s life. She didn’t even know the village Coaltar was headed to was abandoned except for the very worst of outlaws that had taken over, determined to overthrow one of the major cartels in Mexico. But he was glad they did it. There was no telling if an innocent woman or child may have drunk that water from the well, and poisoned themselves. Even if they’d just gotten sick, something like the JH-14 could have killed a little kid. Marc may have never known for sure. Schrödinger's cat.

  But now, he didn’t have to wonder. Kayli found a way to stop it. Despite her tough outer shell, she was all heart.

  Axel shook his head. “We need to come to terms with this, guys. She’s seen a lot of what we do. She’s a lot like us.”

  “I don’t know,” Kevin said. “Why not send one of the girl teams to make friends?”

  “You know how picky they are,” Axel said. “And we’re her first contact.”

  “Are we looking to bring her into the Academy?” Brandon asked.

  “I don’t know,” Axel said. “She expressed interest. She has some potential.”

  “But we don’t know if she’ll fit in,” Kevin said. “Right now, she’d never pass registration, let alone the extensive testing. She’s too wild and angry.”

  “Right,” Axel said. “And there’s a chance she’s simply not interested. But at the same time, she’s a useful tool.”

  “Is that what we’ll think of her as?” Corey asked. “Something useful to use?”

  “Aren’t we?” Axel replied. “We work together because we offer different talents. Maybe some of you don’t want to hear it, but she jumped in and worked with us pretty well. I haven’t seen someone blend in with our group as quickly since Marc.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Kevin said. “You’re talking like you want her to join with us. I mean our group.”

  “I wouldn’t have a problem with it,” Marc said.

  Kevin slapped a palm against his forehead. “That’s ridiculous. We can’t have a girl on the team.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s against Academy rules.”

  “Not it isn’t,” Corey said. Marc had to hide his smile at Corey knowing policy. The Academy had very few actual rules to follow. Everything else was just strong suggestion.

  “Okay, it isn’t a rule,” Kevin said. He held out his hand. “But they don’t want us to work like that. I mean, let’s assume she’s a good match and she joins our team. What am I going to tell Mindy when one day she spots me out with her on a job? How am I supposed to explain that?”

  “We’ll work it out,” Marc said.

  “No.” Kevin stabbed his finger at his thigh as if trying to make a point. “This is exactly why a single bird doesn’t join a team like this. I’ll admit, she has talent. I don’t mind adopting her for her own protection. I’d even let Corey help get her brother into college, but I have to draw the line somewhere.”

  Axel sat back on his hands, and sighed. “You’re probably right.”

  Corey perked up. “Well, if she joins a girl team, she’ll still be around, right?”

  Marc shrugged. “How often do you see girls on other teams? I don’t think I’ve worked with one in the past year. They’re so short in supply, so they get asked on assignments all the time.”

  “Which is why the Academy would be interested when they find out she’s as talented as we know she is,” Axel said.

  “But we’d be her contact,” Brandon said. “We’d be her initial adopted team.”

  “And we’ve fucked with her a lot,” Raven said, grumbling. He tightened his arms around his chest, sitting back and glaring at the floor. “Once she met up with the other teams, she’d probably find a bird team she liked better.”

  The team grew quiet. It was true. Now that the initial threat around her was gone, she was free to pursue whatever road she wished. If she did express interest in the Academy, if the Academy investigated closer and decided they want to put her into a test team, more than likely she’d pick one of the girl teams. Wouldn’t she? The Academy would encourage it, and she’d be so busy that they’d never see her. With everything the Academy provided and did, it would probably win her over and she’d do anything for them. Just like they’d do anything for the Academy.

  “Then again,” Axel said. “She may not care to do it at all. She might go for college, or a normal job.”

  “Do you really believe she’d go for any type of normal job?” Marc asked, eyeballing him.

  Axel shrugged. “She could surprise us. I don’t think she would, but she’d be the one to do it just to throw me for a loop.”

  Raven huffed. “I don’t think she’s the normal type. More like crazy with a side order of insane.”

  “She is a lot of fun, though,” Corey said.

  Marc grinned. He had to agree with that. “We’ll have to find her work where she’ll be happy. Maybe that’ll be the answer. Something crazy on her level. She’ll stay in town. Maybe we’ll work together outside the Academy. Who knows?”

  Kevin nodded. “I could live with that. Look guys, I don’t want to cut you off from a new friend. She’s certainly got the spark. She’s got a whole lot of talent. I just don’t want you all setting your heart on her joining the team when it’s likely not possible, or is never going to happen.”

  Marc sighed and then sank down beside Axel. “Too many what ifs,” he said.

  Axel rocked his head back. “But she will come back.”

  “We should adopt her,” Corey said. He perked up with that goofy smile that made Marc chuckle every time. “Her and Wil. Let’s adopt her and then we’ll get her a cool job. Like a bounty hunter. Or private investigator. She’d like that.”

  Kevin shrugged. “Sure. We can do that.”

  “Make it a closed adoption,” Raven said.

  “That may cost us a few favors,” Axel said.

  “We found her first,” Raven said. “We’d be team lead. We could monitor if anyone is interested and warn them about her craziness. They may back off.”

  “You don’t want to hurt her potential Academy career,” Kevin warned.

  “Let’s take it one step at a time,” Axel said. “Let’s adopt her, and go for the closed adoption. We can spare a few favors for her. I’d like to monitor her progress anyway. Chances are, we’ll urge her into a challenging career and we can still work with her if we want. I think private investigation may be right up her alley. Or forensic science.”

  “Once she learns to follow the law,” Kevin said.

  Axel shrugged. “Or bend it once in a while.”

  The boys continued their discussion for a bit, and Marc fell quiet. He didn’t have a problem guiding Kayli into what sounded like a great career. Although he wondered if Kayli could settle into anything like that. Even as a private investigator or bounty hunter, and with the full support of an Academy backing, she was a pretty wild girl. Marc thought if she ever discovered the true and full meaning of the Academy, she’d probably want in.

  But even that was uncertain. And at the thought of Kayli entering the Academy, he wasn’t so sure he’d want her working for a girl team so he wouldn’t see her. Other Academy guys would show interest in her, too. Some who may have the opportunity to treat her better than they’d been able to. Kidnapping her and practically holding her captive hadn’t been the best sort of introduction.

  But his lips burned with the memory of her kiss from before she’d left. It had the underlying promise that she’d be back, and when she did, she’d be coming back for him. At least that’s what he hoped. He’d never felt so out of himself before with a girl. Before he’d met Kayli, he’d wanted to take a break from dating, especially with the recent disaster with the crazy girl who hurt herself for attention. He didn’t want to deal with another crazy girl like that.

  But Kayli
was a different kind of crazy. Those emerald green eyes. That dark hair that contrasted with her fair skin and made her eyes nearly glow in sunlight.

  He felt a zap at his butt and the buzz of vibration before the ringing started.

  It was an emergency signal. Kayli.

  He launched himself up off the coffee table, and started heading away to answer it down the hall.

  Ideas floated through his mind. She walked into that hotel room and changed her mind. Maybe she took one look at that drunk father and realized quickly she didn’t have anything to stay for. Maybe she told Wil to pack a bag. Maybe she was calling to let him know they were going to another hotel room together. He’d tell them to come back. They’d keep them here until they could figure out another solution. And he knew he’d do whatever possible, cook her a hundred different breakfasts, and even put on his best manners. He’d do what Axel taught him. He’d try to convince her to stay this time.

  But even as he thought all this, something nagged the back of his mind. This was Kayli. If she was anything like him, she wouldn’t have called so soon. Something was wrong.

  He sensed the others quieting as he answered. They’d known him too long. They knew something was up.

  “Kayli?” he asked into the phone.

  “He’s gone,” her voice quivered on the line like she was trying to hold herself together.

  “Who’s gone? What are you talking about?”

  “Wil. He’s gone. He left the morning I did. The day that old man caught me and you ... I mean since that day. He hasn’t been back.”

  “What do you mean?” Marc asked, his brain flew to find an answer for her, to help her. He had to be around. He must be with a friend or maybe stepped out at the wrong time. She was just on edge because of the past couple of days. “He had to have been there. Axel asked around.”

  “He’s not been back,” she said. “There’s... I don’t know how to explain it but I know. He’s missing.”

  “Could he be with a friend? Could he have...”

  “I don’t think so. I don’t ... I...“ Her voice broke, and he was sure he heard her sob. “I don’t...”

  His spine stiffened. “Where are you now?”

  “I’m at the hotel.”

  “Stay there,” he said. “Just stay where you are. You hear me? Hang on a second.” He glanced at his friends and then he went back to say to her, “I’m going to pass the phone to Corey. I’m on the way but he’s going to get some information from you about Wil. We’re on it, okay? Just hang on until we get there.”

  At this, everyone stood up at once. Corey turned to Marc expectantly, his hands out. Marc tossed the phone to him and Corey took over, heading out the door, talking to Kayli and asking pertinent questions.

  “What’s going on?” Brandon asked. His fists clenched and knocking impatiently against his thighs. Raven mimicked him, the same determined look.

  “Wil’s missing,” Marc said. He dashed for his bedroom, grabbing a pair of boots, and then tossed them aside for a pair of sandals since those would be quicker. He grabbed for his keys and another phone. “We need to go. Brandon, come with me. Raven, you should...”

  “I’ll head toward the school district,” Axel said. “If he’s checked in there, I’ll see if I can’t find any of his classmates that might know where he’s at. Brandon, come with me and we’ll scope out the neighborhood and ask around. Raven, you should go with Marc and help Kayli. She may try to panic and run all over the place. Keep her calm. Bring her back here if you have to.”

  Kevin looked like he was going to say something and stopped. He plucked out his own phone from his pocket and answered it. “Hi, baby,” he said. “Hang on, it’s not a good... What? Oh. Yeah, uh...” He grimaced. “Hang on.” He covered the phone with his hand. “Guys, it’s Mindy.”

  “We’re a bit busy,” Axel said.

  “She’s ... look, I have to go.”

  Marc reeled back a step. “Kevin, her brother is missing.”

  “Yeah, I know, but,” he said, looking conflicted. “She needs me right now.”

  Marc wanted to punch him but he didn’t have the time. He knew it was panic talking and he tried to calm himself. This wasn’t Kevin’s fault and it wasn’t Mindy’s. The Academy had warned them that as they grew older and got girlfriends, sometimes they needed to plan accordingly. Family first, and Mindy was part of Kevin’s family now. He had to respect that. “Okay.”

  “If you need me,” Kevin said, looking pained by this. “Really, I mean I’ll come if you need me. I don’t know how else I could help you guys.”

  “No,” Axel said. “We’ve got it covered.” He clapped a hand on Kevin’s shoulder and held it firmly. “You’ve been away for a while. Go to Mindy. We’ve got this.”

  Kevin didn’t look too happy about the decision. “Call me with updates?”

  Marc nodded, but didn’t say anything.

  “We’ll call you,” Axel said, confirming.

  Kevin sighed. Marc turned from him, heading out the door, with Raven, Brandon and Axel in tow. Kevin lingered back in the apartment, talking to Mindy and assuring her he’d be there soon.

  Marc waited until the elevator doors were closed and he was alone with Raven, Brandon and Axel. “I can’t believe he’d do this now.

  “Let’s not think like that,” Axel said. “After all, we didn’t even ask what was wrong with Mindy, or ask if there was something we could do to help.”

  Marc frowned. He was right.

  “Probably nothing we could do,” Brandon said. “She’s getting more clingy. She’s asking more questions.”

  “They’re in love,” Axel said. “She’s naturally curious about where he spends all his time. And when he’s gone overnight on assignment, it’s going to keep getting harder. We don’t have parents, or school work, for the Academy to hide behind any more. Now that he’s telling her he’s working at the Academy full time, she’s going to look for some consistency. We all knew it would happen someday. Kevin wanted her in the dark as much as possible so she wouldn’t worry, and this is the price you pay for it. We can’t all date Academy girls. We’re lucky if we get a girl that can know about the Academy at all.”

  “Kayli knows,” Marc said quietly, staring at the corner of the elevator. It was moving too slow for his liking. Every moment was a stall until he could get to her.

  The others didn’t respond. They didn’t have to. Suddenly Marc sensed it from them. They liked her too. Kevin was wrong. She fit with them. Marc’s guts told him that. He’d tried to deny it for years when he first ran into the group, but he never got rid of that feeling of how easily he fit in with his friends now, and the bond they now shared thanks to the Academy. Kayli had slipped into their group and fell in so naturally, it was like himself all over again.

  No, Kevin was wrong.

  Kayli belonged with them.

  Bonus - Liar!

  Turn the page for a sneak peek at Liar, the next book in The Scarab Beetle Series

  The Academy

  The Scarab Beetle Series

  Liar

  ♠

  Book Two

  ♠

  Written by C. L. Stone

  Published by

  Arcato Publishing

  MISSING

  Wil was missing.

  The hotel room was silent. I sat on one of the beds, glaring down at my father, Jack, who was passed out on the opposite one.

  The prostitute he had brought home had left after awkward apologies and a good luck wish at finding my brother.

  "Kayli," Corey said to me through the cell phone I held to my ear. I could imagine him at the computer in the apartment, typing away. Hovering over the keyboard, his sun-kissed hair messed up in the same way I’d seen it earlier that day. “Are you sure he’s not with a friend?”

  I hesitated. A few days ago, I got mixed up in a group of Academy boys who needed my help. In return, I was promised a lot of things, including assistance in helping Wil with getting into a college
in a hurry and getting out of the godforsaken dump of a hotel we currently lived in. When I got back, Wil’s clothes, school books, most of his things were gone. I’d been so worried about getting back to him and letting him know where I was while I was temporarily missing, and the whole time he hadn’t been home. I wanted to believe Corey and think maybe he was at a friend’s house.

  But I knew that wasn’t true. I could feel it. Like a piece of me was missing that couldn’t be replaced until I found him. He was gone. Someone may as well have chopped off my hand. “I know,” I said as coolly as I could, remembering this wasn’t Corey’s fault. “I’m telling you, he’s been missing for,” I counted off on my fingers, “what is it? Three days? Four? Ever since Marc first picked me up.”

  “The school record shows he’s been to class all last week.”

  I sucked in a heavy breath and held it, sitting up on the bed. I stared hard at the silent television, as if that held answers that my brain wasn’t able to put together in my panicked state. “He has?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “He’s been going every day. He’s probably spending the night at a friend’s house.”

  I stood up, and stumbled forward a step as I wasn’t sure what direction to start pacing first, and Marc’s clunky boots on my feet were hard to navigate. I glanced at the two notes sitting unfolded on top of the kitchenette counter next to an uneaten doughnut. All had been left for Wil and none had been picked up, so I knew he hadn’t been by. He’d never spent the night at someone else’s house before. “I should ... I don’t know. What am I doing standing here?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer. I was waiting because I didn’t know what to do next. I didn’t have a car so I couldn’t run off to find Wil, even if I wanted to. I didn’t know where to start now. I needed another pair of eyes. I needed Academy boys.

  There was a hard pounding knock at the door; I felt the vibrations resonating through the floor. “Kayli!” Raven shouted.

  I ran for the door. “Raven’s here,” I told Corey.

  “Let me hang up on you and check in with Axel. He was heading out to the school district so he could check out any classmates who might have seen Wil. Don’t worry. We’ll find him.” He said goodbye and hung up.