by Sonja Stone
He checked the clock on her nightstand. I need to get moving. He let himself out and locked the door.
Jack glanced at his sweaty palm as he hurried down the hall. He kept his hand open and flat, cautiously preserving the message. I’ll go to the library, crack the code and then report to Dean Wolfe. He nodded as he imagined the Dean’s response. Jack forced himself to focus on the positive. Nadia might’ve outplayed him on the operative field, but she would not win an emotional battle.
He rushed across the lawn and through the revolving doors of the library. His eyes surveyed the room as he approached the reference desk. This time of day, the building was deserted. The librarian sat typing at her station. The clicking of the plastic keys interrupted the dull drone of the heating unit.
She smiled as he approached. “Jack, why aren’t you in class?” Her fingers continued tapping across the keyboard.
“Good morning, Dr. Wilson. You look very nice today.” He leaned against her desk. “I’m working on a special project. I need to use the cipher computer.”
Her smile widened. “Your flattery is transparent, but I’ll help you anyway.”
The cipher computer, locked in a small room behind the language lab, wasn’t available for general use—otherwise, students would never learn to crack a code. But Jack was in a hurry and didn’t have time for games. He followed Dr. Wilson down a narrow corridor of closed doors. She jiggled the key in the lock and opened the room. “Close it up when you’re done.”
Jack waited for her to leave before entering the numeric code. The screen flickered as one letter popped up after another. T-A-W-S-I-T-U-O-C . . . He waited. S-Y-O-B-G-N . . . Finally, the last three letters in the sequence appeared. Jack grabbed a piece of scrap paper from the stack beside the monitor and jotted down the results.
TAWSIT UOCSY OBGNIHC.
He stared at the letters. Sit is the only word I see. Maybe it’s every other letter.
TWI UCY BNH, no, no. AST OS OGIC . . . nothing. Maybe it’s backwards.
CHINGBO YSCOU TISWAT. SWAT jumped out immediately. A SWAT team? Then BOY. Boys, cout, swat . . . Ah, boy scout. Boy scout is. Ching boy scout is wat. Suddenly he saw it—the sentence wasn’t in order. It wrapped around.
Boy scout is watching.
Jack’s heart raced. He struggled to catch his breath.
Someone warned her. She knows I’m watching.
A new surge of panic gripped him as he realized what he’d done.
And I just stole a ticket stub from her room.
52
NADIA
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28
Monday morning was brutal. After the four-day weekend, each professor tried to cram three days’ worth of material into one hour. Nadia furiously scribbled her class notes. After first period her hand already felt as though it would snap.
She and Libby stopped by their room before lunch. Libby talked nonstop about her holiday and how wonderful it had been to see her family. Her mother made the best meal and she and her brother played touch football with all the neighborhood kids and blah, blah, blah, perfect American Thanksgiving.
“Gimme one second,” Libby said as she stepped into the bathroom, prattling on through the closed door. Nadia rolled her eyes, thoroughly annoyed with her roommate’s sunny disposition. Knock it off. It’s not her fault your family can’t afford two plane tickets.
Nadia glanced toward the photographs hanging by the door, but her eyes stopped on Libby’s dresser. The boxes were askew; the backside of each wasn’t perfectly lined up with the wall.
“What happened?” Nadia asked, as Libby came out of the bathroom.
“Well, if you must know, I peed.”
Nadia laughed. “Not that, that!” She pointed to the dresser.
“Did you borrow something?” Libby asked.
“No way. I know better than to mess with your system.”
“Are you sure? Because I don’t mind if you did.”
“I promise it wasn’t me.”
Libby turned toward Nadia, her face pale. “Someone’s been in our room.”
“Why would someone come into our room?”
“I don’t know, but I guarantee I didn’t leave it like this, and you didn’t touch it, right?” Nadia shook her head. “Check your things.” Libby rushed to her desk and pulled open the top drawer. Just as quickly, she pushed it shut. She examined the boxes lining the dresser, then her dresser drawers.
Nadia opened her jewelry box. She didn’t have anything worth stealing, except maybe the earrings from Jack. “Thank goodness.” She slipped them on. “I would’ve been devastated if these had been stolen.”
“Nothing seems to be missing,” Libby said. “What do you think happened?”
Nadia thought for a moment about the surveillance equipment she’d seen over the weekend. But why would anyone want to listen to our conversations?
She’d promised Sensei she wouldn’t discuss their lesson, and in any case, she didn’t want Libby to panic. “I don’t know. I’m sure it’s nothing,” she said finally. “Let’s go to lunch.”
They found the guys at their usual table. “Someone was in our room,” Libby said breathlessly, the instant she sat down.
“For real?” asked Damon.
“You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Alan?” Nadia asked, spreading her napkin in her lap.
“Why would I?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time you were in our room.”
“That’s my boy!” Damon laughed. “You were in their room? How did you pull it off and what were you doing?”
Alan glared at Nadia. Obviously he hadn’t told Damon about his awkward confession.
Knowing Alan’s inability to lie, Nadia did it for him. “Dropping off Libby’s wrap after the dance.”
“Hold up. You risked getting expelled over a sweater? What were you thinking?” Damon shook his head. “We need to talk, ’cause I tell you what: if I show up at Nadia’s door in the middle of the night, it’s not gonna be about a sweater.”
Damon took a bite and Alan scowled.
Nadia winced and mouthed, “Sorry.”
“So how do you know someone was in your room?” Damon asked.
“My dresser was out of order,” Libby answered. “As you can imagine, I’m fairly particular about my things. And I don’t mind telling you, I feel violated.”
“What’s the big deal?” Alan asked. “It was probably some girl on your hall.”
“Doing what?” Libby asked.
Alan shrugged. “How should I know?”
Nadia took a few quick bites of her salad, then pushed away from the table. “I need to stop by the dojo. I’ll see you guys in class.”
Nadia found Sensei in the meditation room. She waited in silence until he’d finished.
“You are not in uniform,” Sensei said, before turning to face her.
“Can I talk to you about something?” she asked, her face suddenly hot.
“Of course.”
Nadia hesitated. “I think someone was in our room this morning, uninvited.” She felt foolish saying it out loud.
“Why would you think that?”
“Um,” she hesitated. “Libby’s dresser—”
He nodded. “Enough said.” He studied her face for a moment, his dark eyes unwavering. “What do you need from me?”
“Well, it doesn’t look like anything was taken, so I’m thinking maybe something was left behind,” she said tentatively.
“Ah. You wish to sweep your room,” he replied, not quite a question, not quite a fact.
“I was wondering if you’d lend me a piece of equipment for counter-surveillance. I could bring it right back,” Nadia continued, gaining confidence. He hadn’t laughed at her—that was a good sign.
He paused another moment before answering. “Come with me.”
They walked down the south wing to the covert-ops room. Nadia looked away as he entered his code, even though she’d already seen it, and made a mental note
to look up the definition. She was curious what abunai meant, mostly because she was curious about Sensei.
Inside, he opened the second cabinet. “This is easy to use. Anything within a six foot radius will elicit a signal. The closer you are to the listening device, the faster it beeps.” He flipped the switch and the machine beeped. He shut it off and opened the first cabinet, full of surveillance equipment.
“I must have left something on the other day.” He frowned. Nadia imagined he was not accustomed to mistakes. He flipped the switch and pointed the device at the shelves. The beeping continued.
Sensei set the gadget aside and checked the equipment he’d shown her over the weekend. “I do not see it. I do not understand.” He searched the cabinet once more, then turned to Nadia. Leaning against the wall, he stared at her for a long moment. His eyebrows knitted together. Then, slowly, they relaxed. His mouth opened and he nodded. Sensei put one finger to his lips and motioned her into the hall.
He followed her out and closed the metal door behind them. He tried the device again. The beeping resumed. He swept her feet, up her legs and torso, down her arms, then her head. The machine made a continuous noise, like the sound of a flat-line on a heart monitor. Sensei turned it off and noiselessly removed her earrings. He made a gesture, indicating she should wait, and jogged up the hall with her jewelry. Seconds later he returned and checked her again. Silence.
“Have you always had those earrings?”
She shook her head. “They were a gift from Jack Felkin.”
He nodded. “Nadia-san, is there a chance your boyfriend might be spying on you?” he asked gently.
“No way. I mean, he’s not even really my boyfriend. We’ve only gone out a couple of times.” Why would he even suggest that? “And the earrings were in my room this morning. Anyone could have bugged them, right?” Quietly she asked, “You know him, what do you think?”
“I would be surprised. Jack is a promising student, a hard worker. But a clever hawk hides his talons. Perhaps he planted a listening device as your suitor, not as a spy.”
“Why would he? I mean, I’m sure he’s much more secure in this relationship than I am. Anyway, why would he need to break into my room to bug them? He could’ve done it when he gave them to me, and someone was definitely in our room.”
A thought flickered, a quick warning. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Jack does ask about the earrings a lot. But that’s because they mean something to him, right?
She continued, her conviction weakened. “Jack wouldn’t violate my trust. I don’t think. He certainly wouldn’t risk getting expelled just to find out if I like him.” If he was caught in her room, he’d be out, no questions asked. And his loyalty to the Academy was unquestionable. He could be the poster boy for Desert Mountain.
“It does seem unlikely he would jeopardize his position at the Academy.” He handed her the device. “Take this with you. If this is a professional job there will be more. Bring it back when you are confident your environment is secure. You are comfortable sweeping the room?”
She nodded.
“No one must know you have this. I showed you the covert-ops room under special circumstances. I trust you will respect the confidential nature of our lesson.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Nadia-san, there is something else I must tell you.” His gaze remained steady. “The director of the CIA received reliable intelligence that a trainee had been recruited as a double agent before he—or she—arrived on campus. Director Vincent also suspects the student is not working alone. He requested I keep watch for unusual activity. I am quite certain we have at least one double, and I am not the only person looking for him.”
“Wait a minute. Are you saying someone thinks it’s me?” she asked. “Someone bugged my room because they think I’m the double?”
“This I do not know,” he answered quietly.
“But that’s crazy. Why would I be a suspect?”
“I am afraid I cannot answer that question, either.”
Nadia paused. Alan’s intel about the double was accurate. What if . . . “Sensei, do you know anything about Drew? Is it true she was murdered?”
“It seems possible. I will give you a stun gun to keep in your room.”
“Why do I need a stun gun?” Her voice was erratic. “Do you think I’m in danger?”
“For peace of mind,” he said. “If I thought you were in danger I would give you a tranquilizer gun. Though it would be of little help to you.”
His joke barely registered as she asked, “You don’t think it’s me, do you?”
“If I believed you were guilty, I would not give you a weapon. I trust you as you trust me. You have never given me reason to doubt your allegiance, and in fact have proven your dedication to me and your studies time and again. I am confident in your loyalties.” Sensei paused for a moment. “Nadia-san, you must always be ready to defend yourself. This is why I insisted we continue individual instruction. So when the time comes, you can protect yourself and those around you. When I was half your age, I lost my father. Had I known what you know now, he would likely still be alive.”
Shock registered on her face before she could stop it. “Hashimoto Sensei, I—”
“Wait in the lobby; I will return your earrings.” His curt nod indicated the conversation was over.
In the front room, Nadia slumped onto a floor cushion and leaned against the wall. Somewhere in the dojo a radio blared, then silence.
She pulled at a curl in her ponytail and tried to calm herself. So what if someone thinks I’m the double? What’s the worst that could happen? Her heart pounded against her chest. She’d be questioned, but of course she’d be clean. They’d need evidence. Right? Sensei believed in her; that had to count for something. He’d never shared anything personal before. Was that a sign of respect? A warning?
She remembered what Dr. Cameron said about the Patriot Act. They could legally detain her for as long as they wanted. She hugged her knees and lowered her head. What would happen to my parents? What would the Academy tell them?
Sensei appeared with the stun gun. “I have removed the device. Here are your earrings.”
53
JACK
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29
Tuesday morning, Jack waited on the sidewalk in front of the library. He paced for a while, swore, tried the front door for the third time. The morning brightened and he slipped on his sunglasses. Finally, Dr. Wilson arrived.
“Morning, Jack. You know I don’t open for another half hour?”
“I was hoping I could sneak in a little early.” Jack took her briefcase, freeing her hand to unlock the door.
“The cipher computer again?” she asked as they entered the building.
“No, ma’am, the language lab.”
“Sure, go on in. You know where the lights are, right?”
“Yes, thanks,” Jack answered.
He fired up the computer in case she came to check on him, then removed the American lit book from his bag. He turned on the recorder.
Nadia was talking to her friends; he fast-forwarded the tape. The next conversation was between her and Hashimoto Sensei. Finally.
She was telling him someone had been in her room—but nothing was missing. Good, that means she hasn’t noticed the boarding pass. It also meant Jack could return the ticket before she realized he’d taken it.
Sensei offered her a piece of counter-surveillance equipment. Then shuffling, a beeping sound, and silence. Jack pressed the headphones against his ears, trying to decipher the noises. Without warning, deafening music blasted through the speakers. He yanked the headphones off and turned down the volume. Ears still ringing, he listened again. Nothing but static.
He couldn’t figure out why Sensei would crank music in the dojo. Then it dawned on him. A warm rush spread through his body. He needed the noise to mask the sound while he destroyed my equipment. Jack tried to take a breath. He couldn’t fill his lungs. The lack of ox
ygen left him lightheaded and dizzy.
They found the bug. Nadia and Sensei found the bug.
Jack trudged down the sidewalk to the Dean’s office to update him regarding the holiday break. Now that Nadia knew she’d been bugged and he still had no concrete evidence, he really regretted not asking permission for aggressive surveillance.
Jack stopped in front of Hopi Hall. He rubbed the tip of his loafer against the stairs until scratches appeared on the toe, then looked at the palm leaves bending above his head.
Stop stalling.
He forced himself inside. Down the hall, Wolfe’s door was closed. Jack knocked softly and leaned his ear against the dark wood. “In a minute,” the Dean called.
The glass-covered bookshelves surrounded him like soldiers. His eyes glazed over. He felt sick imagining what Dean Wolfe would say.
After several endless minutes, the door opened. “Have a seat.”
“Was the disc I intercepted helpful?” Jack asked, hoping for a positive start to the conversation.
Dean Wolfe either didn’t hear or chose to ignore the question. He walked around the edge of the room, smoothing the fringe of his Persian rug with his foot. He didn’t look at Jack as he spoke. “Do you have any new information?”
“Yes sir, I do. I have reason to believe Nadia took a trip out of the country over the holiday.”
“Where did she go?” He did not sound particularly interested.
“Vancouver.”
“Vancouver, Canada? Not exactly the Mecca of the underworld.” Dean Wolfe chuckled.
“No, sir. But she specifically told me she didn’t leave campus last weekend.”
The Dean abandoned his task and sat next to Jack. “Lying to your boyfriend about your plans over the holiday isn’t really the kind of evidence I’m looking for.” Dean Wolfe smiled a kind, fatherly smile. “Do you have any other information?”
Jack’s face burned with embarrassment. He thinks I’m reporting that my girlfriend lied to me. Can’t he see this is important?
