Knight Moves

by Julie Moffett

  “Well, if she were to disappear, Saturday would be the day for it to happen.”

  There was a long pause. “Define disappear.”

  Now was the time to judge the commitment of the group. He took the rock from between his fingers and skipped it across the water. The stone bounced five times before finally sinking. “That depends on the Avenger. Regardless, this ends soon…one way or the other.”

  “Better sooner than later, in my opinion.”

  Isaac nodded. “Agreed.”

  “How’s the other part of the plan going?”

  “Exactly as planned. The terrorists abandoned their plan and disappeared, along with Sinclair’s authenticity.”

  “You tipped off the terrorists?”

  He could hear the unease in Sampson’s voice, which irritated him. Was he the only one in the entire agency to have long-term vision? “Yes, but by doing so, I actually saved lives. Whatever they were planning, it isn’t going to happen now. Then, once we get our hands on the back door, we’ll take them down our way. No harm, no foul.”

  Sampson didn’t say anything, but he reluctantly nodded his head. Isaac took careful note. Sampson was squeamish, and he didn’t like it. That wouldn’t work well with what he had planned for the NSA. At some point Sampson would have to be reassigned or shuffled out.

  “I’ve got a meeting with the director tomorrow to argue against moving forward with Sinclair,” he said. “If all goes well, we’ll move on to the next stage. If I run into trouble, we always have the girl to fall back on. Report back to the core that all is proceeding as planned.”

  “I will,” Sampson said. “We’ll all be glad when this is settled.”

  “Yes, we will. Change this significant never happens without risk. Risk that is expertly handled by forward-thinking and intelligent men. We’ll manage it. We’ve managed it for sixteen years, and now our fruit is ripening. It’s ours to take.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  ANGEL SINCLAIR

  Another week passed at the trials, and somehow I wasn’t kicked out. In fact, no one had been released from the program, and no one had quit. We just continued with our studies, endured the weird psychological testing and questioning, and kept up with the grueling physical testing in preparation for the next trial on Friday. None of us had any clue what it would be, but my best guess was that it would have to do with our physical capabilities. It was the one big area where we’d not been tested yet. It was also the area I was the weakest.

  I started spending every day after dinner at the gym. Running was difficult, and my endurance sucked. To say I was pathetic at weights would be an understatement. Rope climbing, push-ups, or anything requiring physical flexibility would be certain to sink me.

  But I didn’t want to go home, so I pressed on.

  Wally and Frankie came with me to the gym most nights, but on Thursday night, the night before the next trial, I went alone. Frankie was helping Hala run through her lines for her acting homework, and Wally was working on a paper for English lit.

  When I got to the gym, Jax was in the pool swimming, and Kira was on the elliptical machine. I watched Jax swim for a few minutes, judging his skill, before heading to the weights to warm up.

  After about twenty minutes, Jax joined me. He’d changed from his swimsuit into shorts, but wore a cutoff white muscle shirt. His dark hair was still damp. I was careful to keep my eyes averted as he picked up some light weights and started his reps next to me.

  “Aren’t you going to use the bench?” I finally asked after a few minutes. I wished we didn’t have the mirror in front of us, because it put him front and center in my line of vision, no matter how hard I tried not to look at him.

  “Nope,” he said. “I rarely lift heavy weights. I start with a small amount of weight and do hundreds of reps. That builds long, lean muscles, not large, bulky ones. I’m in it for the strength, not the physique.”

  His physique looked just fine to me. Not that I had noticed. Much.

  My face started to get hot, because talking about a guy’s body was not a typical area of conversation for me, so I abruptly changed the subject. “Jax, why are you afraid of the water?”

  “What?” He stopped lifting. “Why would you ask that? I was just swimming laps.”

  “I know. I’ve seen you swimming several times. But you always swim on a side lane. If those lanes are taken, you don’t swim at all. You wait for a side lane to open. You also have this habit of touching the side wall every six to seven strokes. Except it’s not really a habit—it’s methodical. Every seventh stroke.”

  “You were watching me?” His voice had risen slightly, his cheeks flushed.

  “Well, yeah. I watch everyone. I just happen to be really observant.”

  He started lifting weights again, although a bit faster than he had before. His brow was drawn together in a frown. “I’m not afraid of the water. End of discussion.”

  “Okay. I’m sorry if I upset you. I was just wondering.”

  He lifted for a few more minutes and then left without saying another word. Apparently I’d hit a nerve, but why he’d be so upset about his swimming habits, I had no idea. Reminding myself to never try to initiate casual conversation again, especially with a cute guy, I finished my repetitions and headed back to the room for a shower.

  Hala and Frankie were already in their pajamas and finished with their homework, because they were chatting. Kira was in bed reading a textbook, her back to the room, ignoring us as always. I hopped into the shower and also came out ready for bed. Kira had put aside her book and was trying to sleep; Hala was in bed, and Frankie lay on her back wearing a gel eye mask. I turned off the light and climbed into my bunk.

  I couldn’t sleep. Again. After an hour of tossing and turning, I sat up in my bed and hugged my knees, sighing.

  Frankie must have heard me, because she whispered up to me, “Angel, are you okay?”

  “I’m sorry if I’m keeping you up,” I whispered back.

  “You’re not. I can’t sleep, either. Are you worried about the trial tomorrow?”

  I considered the question. I felt good coming off last week’s trial. I hadn’t been booted yet, so in terms of anxiety, I wasn’t as stressed out as I had been before. There was a lot going through my mind, including the conversation with Jax, but it was a cumulation of everything.

  “I’m okay,” I lied. “How about you?”

  “I’m fine. We’ll do as well as we can, you know.”

  I lay back and slid my elbow behind my neck, resting my head on it. “I know. It just amazes me how nothing ever fazes you.”

  “Well, there’s no sense in worrying about what hasn’t happened,” she said. “But you’re so logical, you already know that, right?” I could hear the smile in her voice.

  “Knowing and accepting that are two different things. But you’re right. Again.”

  “Of course I’m right. Again. Good night, Angel. Don’t worry. You’ll be awesome tomorrow.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Good night, Frankie. So will you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  ANGEL SINCLAIR

  “For today’s trial, we’ll be grading you on physical fitness, mental toughness, and mobility, as well as evaluating your problem-solving skills,” Mr. Donovan told us as we sat in Room 101 as part of the briefing before the trial. We were dressed in our usual camouflage outfits, but today we’d been told to bring sunglasses. We’d also been instructed to put on sunblock, which was a strong indicator we’d be outside for the trial.

  “The trial will be an obstacle course of sorts. Some are straightforward physical obstacles; others require teamwork and puzzle solving. There will be instructions for what you should do at each obstacle.”

  What little breakfast I’d eaten churned in my stomach, ready to come back up. I’d known a physical test of some kind would be coming, but I’d been in denial it would be an entire trial. I’d never pass something like this. I was about to get a giant boot out of
the compound.

  “The fastest person to finish gets a bonus,” Mr. Donovan explained. “However, everyone fails if even one of you doesn’t finish in the time allotted, which is exactly two hours. Everyone must complete every challenge. No exceptions. Plan your strategy accordingly.”

  Well, that totally threw a wrench into things. I considered the implications. If I had to finish for all of us to win, it meant, I would probably get assistance of some kind. That was reassuring, at least to a point.

  “One more item,” Mr. Donovan said. “You, as a group, get one question, and one question only. One of you may ask it during the obstacle course, but everyone must agree on the question and who will ask it. I will observe you at each obstacle but will not interfere or speak unless it is in response to your one question.”

  “Are there any other rules?” I asked.

  He smiled at me. “None, Ms. Sinclair. So, everyone, please follow me to the grassy area in back of the compound, where the obstacle course has been set up. The clock starts in five minutes.”

  The minute we arrived at the first obstacle, the clock started. Bo quickly assembled us. It was clear we’d have to work together to help those of us who were physically challenged, myself included, if we were to finish the course as a group.

  The October air had a cool tinge to it, but the sun was warm on our head and shoulders. Autumn colors of gold, red, and orange burst from the trees around us. The grassy area had been transformed into an obstacle course as far as the eye could see. Monkey bars, nets, mud pits, the whole thing. Mr. Donovan stood under a tree, his arms crossed against his chest, watching us without expression. My stomach twisted with anxiety, wondering how I would finish this course.

  If I failed, everyone failed.

  “Okay, everyone, let’s talk about how to do this.”

  I glanced over at Wally. He was holding his stomach, his face deathly pale. I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. The White Knights were the weak link in this operation, and we could easily take everyone down with us. Somehow, this possibility didn’t occur to Frankie, or if it did, she didn’t seem bothered by it. She chatted animatedly with Mike, appearing not to have a care in the world.

  How did she do that?

  While everyone was circling around Bo, I studied the first obstacle. It seemed straightforward, not that I thought I had any chance of completing it. Monkey bars over a mud pit.

  “Walk in the park, baby,” Mike said, following my gaze. “They don’t call me Mike the Monkey for nothing.”

  “They call you the Mike the Monkey?” I asked.

  Mike’s cheeks got red. “Well, they did in elementary school. I’ve always been good at jumping, climbing, swinging, the monkey bars—you know, that kind of stuff.” He made a chattering sound like a monkey, and I laughed, easing my anxiety slightly.

  Seeing we were all assembled and listening, Bo got started. “My suggestion for this trial is we stick together. We help each other finish, and at the end, we vote which one of us gets to cross first. We all have to help each other or we won’t make it. Agreed?”

  We all nodded our heads, so he turned to Mike. “I heard you tell Angel you could cross. You go first. Kira, can you make it across?”

  She shielded her eyes and looked at the bars. “Sure. Shouldn’t be a problem for me.”

  “Good. You follow Mike.”

  “I can do it, too,” Hala said. “I’ll go after Kira.”

  “Wally?” Bo looked hopefully at him.

  Wally sighed. “The odds that I can cross that without falling into the mud pit are a million to one.”

  “I can’t do it, either.” Frankie lifted her hands. “Not without help.”

  Bo glanced my way with the unspoken question.

  I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Bo. I don’t think I can make it without slipping off.”

  “Why would they give us a task like this when they know several of us can’t do it?” Frankie wondered aloud.

  “Problem solving,” Jax offered. “Strategic planning. Time management. Take your pick.”

  Bo blew out a breath. I noticed he hadn’t asked Jax if he could manage it. Guess that meant he could. “Okay, Wally, Frankie, and Angel, if you can’t make it on your own, Jax and I are going to have to help you. We’ll have to partially support your weight, and as Jax and I are the largest, we’ll take turns helping you over. Mike, get going and the rest of you follow.”

  Mike scrambled to the bars, jumped up, and started across, his legs swinging. When he got about halfway, Kira started. A minute later, Hala followed her. They made it look easy as they hopped off and waited for us.

  Bo dipped his head toward Wally. “All right, you’re first. Let’s go.”

  “Me?” Wally said, his face paling further. “What about girls first?”

  “Get your butt over there,” Bo said. “Let’s go.”

  “Wait.” Wally looked panicked. “How exactly are we going to do this?”

  “We’ll go across together.” Bo said, motioning for Wally to come with him to the ladder on the monkey bars. He reached up and grabbed onto the first bar. “Get on my back.”

  “You’re going to carry me?” Wally said incredulously. “That can’t be safe.”

  “I’m going to partially carry you,” Bo clarified. “You need to help me by holding on to the bars and carrying some of your own weight. Got it?”

  “Not really,” Wally started backing up.

  “Get on his back, Wally,” Frankie said. “You’ll be fine.”

  “I really think we should discuss this further.”

  “There will be no more discussion,” Bo said. “If you don’t get on my back, I’ll knock you unconscious and carry you.”

  Wally gulped. He may have been the general in the virtual world, but Bo was in charge here. “Fine.” He held up his hands. “No need to go all Halo 5 on me.”

  Wally walked up to the monkey bars and jumped, catching the first monkey bar inside Bo’s hands. “There. Satisfied?”

  “Not yet. Put your legs around my waist and wait for my command. I’ll tell you when we’re moving to each bar. Ready?”

  Wally’s face was ashen. “Not really, but what choice do I have?”

  “None. Jax, get moving. You’re next.”

  “Yes, sir.” Jax turned to me and Frankie. “Okay, ladies. Who wants to go next?”

  Frankie immediately pointed to me. “She does. I’ll watch her and get important tips on what to do.”

  I was going to protest, but Jax grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the ladder. “Up you go, Red.”

  Bo and Wally were moving slowly across the bars, but they were hanging on. The muscles in Bo’s arms were straining. I couldn’t even imagine how hard it must be for him.

  Jax snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Red, are you paying attention? Grab the first rung and get on my back.”

  I looked up. He was tall enough to reach the bar and still have his feet on the ladder. “I have to climb on your back?”

  Jax studied me from behind his sunglasses. “While it might be a lot more fun if you held on to me from the front, it would be kind of hard to cross the monkey bars like that.”

  My cheeks heated. “Fine.” I was too short to reach the first rung, so I’d have to jump. I bent my knees when Jax suddenly realized my problem. Bracing his back against the pole, he put his hands on my waist, lifting me up so I could grab the first bar.

  “Thanks,” I said. “Short-person problem.”

  “Got it.” He repositioned himself by grabbing the second bar and hanging. “Wrap your legs around my waist and wait for my command to move.”

  I could see the corded muscles in his neck and arms. “I’m scared,” I admitted.

  “Just get on and trust me, okay?”

  “Okay.” I wrapped my legs around his waist and said a prayer that I wouldn’t slip off. My hands were already sweaty from nerves.

  “Reach for the next bar…now,” he said.

  I reache
d for the next bar. We were a little off in terms of timing, but he moved on. My hands stayed nestled between his, but after just a few bars, my arms were shaking from the effort of hanging on, and I wasn’t even holding half my weight.

  He must have felt me shaking. “Take it easy. Red. Just keep your legs tight. I don’t want them in the way. We need to keep moving as one, okay?”

  “Okay.” My face rested slightly against the back of his head.

  “Keep going,” he urged me. “One bar at a time.”

  On and on we went. It seemed never ending, although Kira, Mike, and Hala had crossed in what seemed like seconds. Every bar we moved, the harsher his breathing became. I couldn’t imagine how Bo had fared with Wally. Bo was bigger than Jax, and he had to lift his own body weight in addition to Wally’s, which was heavier than mine.

  At some point, I realized Wally and Bo were already across. They’d made it. If they could do it, so could we.

  Finally, we were at the last rung. We crossed in sync, Jax getting his feet onto the ladder and letting out a sigh of relief. I unfastened my legs from his waist, and he helped me down. Once on solid ground, I collapsed. It wasn’t pretty, but I’d made it. One obstacle down and who knew how many more to go.

  “Good job, Red.”

  I shaded my eyes from the sun as I looked up at Jax. “Thanks. I couldn’t have done it without you.” He flashed a smile and walked away.

  Bo had already gone back across the bars for Frankie, who was waiting on the ladder for him. When he got there, she stopped him.

  “I have an idea,” she said. “Can you give me a boost up to the first bar?”

  Bo obliged and lifted her up. She hung precariously on the rung before starting to swing her legs. To my surprise, she lifted them and hooked them on the next rung. Before I knew it, she’d pulled herself to the top of the monkey bars and started crawling across.

  “I think this way will be faster for me,” she called down to Bo.

  “Woohoo!” I shouted. “Great idea, Frankie.”