“Are these supposed to be a decoy?” I ask Nolan that afternoon, when he gets back from whatever mysterious place he was. I doubt he will tell me where he was, so I don’t even ask.
“This is a safe house,” he tells me. “Not just for you, but lots of people. Whoever needs it. The fake pictures are here in case the place is ever found out. It will look like a family lives here.”
“If you want it to look like these people live here, you really got to remodel,” I say. “If a seventeen year old girl can figure it out, I’m pretty sure a trained bad guy or whatever can figure it out.”
“A trained bad guy,” Nolan repeats, then laughs. “I bet with the proper training, you would be completely amazing.”
“Like you?” I ask.
“Exactly,” he says.
“And you are what exactly…”
“None of your business right now,” he says.
“Why am I here? At a safe house?” I ask.
“Waiting on the next move,” Nolan answers.
“You’ve got to give me something more,” I say.
“Fine,” he says, and walks over to his bag, pulling out a silver laptop. He opens it up, clicks something, then turns it around so I can see it. There is a picture of me on the laptop, but it was when I was younger. Much younger. Probably about four years old.
“That’s me.”
“This is the last picture you ever took,” Nolan says. “Well, up until Brett took your picture a few days ago.”
“So,” I say.
“Me and my team were paid to find you,” he tells me. “We were paid a lot of money, actually. We weren’t going to take you just yet, but your life was in danger.”
“By my stepbrother? He’s nothing,” I say.
Nolan grabs my wrist and turns it over. There are bruises in the shape of Andrew’s hands on my wrist.
“This isn’t nothing,” Nolan says, letting go of my wrist. “But your stepbrother wasn’t who I was talking about.”
“Somebody wanted to hurt me?” I ask, letting his words settle over me.
He nods.
“Why?”
“That’s a good question,” he says. “I don’t know exactly who you are yet, but I plan on figuring it out.”
“You don’t know who I am?” I ask.
“I think there is more to you than we know,” Nolan says.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know,” he says, then puts a hand on my back, leading me towards the door. “You are hanging out with Brett and Gage tonight. The rest of us have work to do if we’re going to figure this out.”
“But I thought I was going to get answers,” I protest.
“You have all the answers that you’re getting for now,” Nolan says. “I am not going to give you anymore details until I know more. The information I have doesn’t all make sense.”
“Who paid you to find me?” I ask.
“I’m not sure. Our boss just told us to find you,” he says, but I’m not sure I believe him. “You’re harder to find than we thought you’d be. When he told us we were finding a teenage girl, I told him no at first. It’s too easy for us. But now I see there is a lot more to it.”
“I’m glad you guys came. I like all of you. I’ve never had friends before, and it’s cool to have six new friends.”
“All the guys like you,” Nolan says.
I don’t know why.
We walk into the living room, where all the guys are. Everybody, besides Brett, Gage, and I, leave. He pulls out a box of Twinkies.
“What do you wanna do tonight?” Brett asks.
How mad would you be?
Gage, Brett, and I are watching a movie. Well, I’m watching. They’re mostly looking at their phones. I am not sure why they even wanted to watch a movie since they’re just texting. They’re just as bad as the kids at school.
“Who are you guys texting?” I ask, a little bored of the movie. I’ve never been allowed to watch movies before at home. That’s all Andrew ever wanted to do, and I don’t see why. It’s boring. I’d much rather read a book.
“Nolan,” Gage answers.
“Same,” Brett says.
“I’m bored,” I say.
They both look at me. “You don’t like Jason Borne?”
“Who?” I ask.
“The movie,” Brett says.
“Oh. Um… it’s kind of boring,” I say. “I mean, the story is interesting. I’d like to read it in a book. I feel like they’re leaving a lot of details out of the movie.”
“Can I keep her?” Gage asks.
“I think you’ll have to fight everybody else for that,” Brett says. “Besides, you know this assignment won’t last that long.”
“You guys will just disappear?” I ask.
“Not completely,” Gage says. “We’ll keep in touch.”
“When we can,” Brett says.
“We’re busy a lot,” Gage says.
I frown.
“Maybe we can just take her with us,” Brett says.
Gage laughs. “I think her charm is working on you now.”
“What charm?” I ask.
“Let’s play a game,” Gage says, completely ignoring my question. “What games do you like?”
“Never played a game before,” I answer.
Brett and Gage look at each other, and I know the look. I’ve seen it a lot since meeting these guys.
Poor girl.
She’s had a hard life.
I didn’t realize just how bad it was until I met them.
“I have a question,” I say, wanting them to stop feeling sorry for me. I don’t feel sorry for me. Things just are the way they are. I don’t know why I’ve had such a crappy life, but it’s made me who I am. I like who I am.
“We’ll try to answer,” Gage says.
“If we can,” Brett says, giving Gage a look. “Meaning I should answer, because you have a big mouth.”
“Whatever,” Gage says. “She deserves to know.”
“It’s not up to you to decide,” Brett says, then looks at me. “What’s your question?”
“What about school?” I ask.
“School?” Gage asks.
“Yeah. Aren’t they going to miss me at school?” I ask. “I mean, I’m skipping.”
“Oh. I took care of that,” Brett says. “According to your high school, Karlie Anderson never came there. It was quite easy. You didn’t have much of a record. Sander said you were a good girl.”
“My teachers will notice,” I say.
“Sander took care of that,” Gage says.
“How?” I ask.
“As far as your teachers know, you got accepted into an exclusive college prep school,” Gage says.
“Oh,” I say. “But what about school? I haven’t graduated. And I need my transcripts if I’m going to finish. I mean, I have to graduate high school. I might want to go to college.”
“Karlie, I promise you will get to finish high school,” Brett says. “And I promise that if you want to go to college, I will make it happen. Any college you want to go to.”
“I need a job so I can afford college,” I say. “My mom would never let me get a job, and if I would’ve gotten one, they would’ve just taken all my money anyway.”
They probably would have made me get a job if they weren’t so afraid of me talking to somebody. I’m starting to understand that a little more. If I would’ve talked to people, I would’ve realized that being starved and locked in a room or closet isn’t normal. Not that I thought it was completely normal. But it was my normal. Now my normal is being in a safe house with six guys babysitting me. Apparently they were paid to find me. I’m not even sure where the house it. Or who the guys are.
“Don’t worry about affording college now,” Gage says. “A lot can change between now and then.”
True.
Look where I was a week ago—getting ready for my senior year, trying to survive in my crazy family. Now, I am here. Who knows where I wi
ll be in another seven days. It’s a lot of change for such a short time.
“Am I going to get answers?” I ask.
“Yes,” Brett says.
“When?” I ask.
“That depends on circumstances,” he answers. “But I promise you, you will get answers soon.”
“I have one question that I really want to know,” I say.
“What’s that?” Gage asks.
“Am I still in Florida?”
“Yeah,” Brett answers. “Just a little farther south than you’re used to.”
“Where?” I ask.
“Just south of Miami,” he says, still being vague.
“How did I sleep that long in the car?” I ask. “I wasn’t even tired when we got in car and I was asleep before we even got out of my hometown.”
Gage smiles, but it’s a tense smile. Like he’s about to give me some bad news and he doesn’t know how I will take it. “How mad would you be if you knew that Nolan gave you a sedative?”
“Gage, he is going to kill you,” Brett says. “You weren’t supposed to tell her.”
“Nolan gave me a sedative?” I repeat, but it sounds more like a question than a statement.
I trust Nolan. I trust all the guys. And if what they’re saying is true, it means that I shouldn’t trust them.
“You can’t know where the safe house is,” Brett tells me, as if he can read my thoughts. “He gave you a sedative for your safety, and also for the safety of everybody who will be at the safe house in the future. You might be mad, but I promise you that you are safe with us.”
Why do I believe him?
No.
This is crazy.
I stand up from the couch. “I think I am going to go to bed now.”
And not sleep. Because I’m confused and scared and I have no clue what’s going on. I hate being in the dark, especially when it’s something that has to do with me.
“Karlie,” Gage says.
I turn to look at him out of reflex. “Please don’t be mad. I know you feel like you can trust us, and you should follow your instincts. You have good instincts.”
I nod, but can’t speak. Not yet. I just need time to think.
But Gage is right. Even knowing what they’ve done, I still trust them. I’m not sure if that makes me intuitive or just plain ignorant.
Friday, August 18
Only Asian people can be ninjas.
I wake up with the strangest feeling.
And then I open my eyes and see a shadow. I jump up, accidentally rolling off the side of my bed. I squeal loudly as I hit the floor with a loud thunk.
“Ouch,” I say.
“Are you okay?” a voice asks.
Nolan.
It’s Nolan.
“Fine,” I answer, not getting off the floor just yet. “Do you always watch people when they are sleeping?”
“I wasn’t watching you,” he says. “And I’m guessing that you’re still mad at me?”
“For what? Drugging me and dragging me half way across the state or for keeping huge secrets from me?” I ask.
“Yep,” he says, nodding. “Definitely angry.”
He holds out a hand to help me up, but I ignore the hand and push myself up, using my bed.
“Wow. You’re even cute when you’re mad,” he says.
I roll my eyes. “Flattery will not help you.”
“I’m sorry, Karlie,” Nolan says. “I’m really sorry. Everything that I did and everything that I am doing is for your protection.”
“I realize that,” I say.
“You do?” he asks.
I nod.
“Then why are you mad?”
“I trust you,” I tell him. “Which might be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done, but I do. But I’m mad at you, because you have the answer to all my questions, but you won’t tell me anything. Do you realize how frustrating that is?”
“Get dressed,” he says.
“With what?” I ask. “The only clothes I have are the ones I came in and the pajamas Gage got me.”
He holds up a bag that I didn’t realize he was holding.
“Do I get to go somewhere?” I ask.
“Yes,” he answers.
“Like outside of the house?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
He puts the bag on my bed. “Karlie, get dressed.”
“You’re so bossy, but I think you’re forgetting, you’re not my boss. Nor will you ever be,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “You might can boss the other guys around, but you can’t boss me around.”
“Fine,” he says, walking towards the door. “Stay here all day.”
“Wait! Give me, like, ten minutes!”
He doesn’t turn around, but I swear I can hear the smirk in his voice. “That’s what I thought.”
I stick my tongue out at him, knowing he can’t see.
He turns around and I pull my tongue in my mouth quickly.
“Also, I might someday be your boss. So you might want to be nice to me,” Nolan says.
“You think I could be a ninja?” I ask.
“If anybody could be a ninja, it’s you.”
“But don’t tell Gage, cause he thinks only Asian people can be ninjas,” I say.
“Gage might have been raised in Japan, but he’s very westernized,” he says. “Don’t let him fool you into think he’s a ninja.”
“Thanks for the tip,” I say.
“Now get ready, because Sander is waiting for you.”
“Yes, sir,” I say, lifting a hand up and saluting him.
He just shakes his head and walks out the door.
Well, me staying mad at him didn’t last long.
Being kidnapped is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
When we leave the house, Sander blindfolds me.
BLINDFOLDS. ME.
And then he threatens that if I take off the blindfold, he will have to give me a sedative. Which he has in a needle. A needle that he showed me. And it looks big. And scary. I hate needles. So I’m not even a little bit tempted to peak out from my blindfold.
“I hear gravel,” I say.
“Stop listening,” Sander says.
“How can I stop listening? I have ears. You should’ve give me earplugs,” I say.
“You’re annoyingly smart,” he says.
“Sander, it’s gravel. I’m pretty sure even an idiot could figure out we’re not driving on pavement,” I say, not bothering to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. It’s easy to be sarcastic with Sander, because he is a sarcastic guy.
“You’re adorable when you get angry with me,” Sander says.
“Adorable?” I ask. Nolan said something similar. “Toddlers are adorable. No seventeen year old girl wants to be called adorable.”
“What do seventeen year old girls want to be called?” he asks.
“I don’t know,” I answer. “I’m not normal. But you probably have lots of experience with teenage females. You tell me.”
He laughs. “Is that your not so subtle way of asking me about my ex-girlfriends?”
“Nope,” I answer. “But now that you’ve brought it up, I’m curious. What kind of girl have you convinced to date the great Sander?”
The car slows down to a stop and I hear a blinker. A few seconds later, we turn right onto a road. It’s a very bumpy road, but it’s pavement. In my head, I imagine a small two lane road. Maybe there aren’t even lines on the road. I wonder if I’m right, but not curious enough to look, because NEEDLES.
“The great Sander. I like that,” he says. “And stop trying to figure out where we are. I can tell you’re curious. But I really don’t want to give you a sedative. It would ruin the day that I have planned.”
“Fine,” I say.
“I’ve dated one girl before. When I was in school,” he says. “I’m eighteen now. And I’ve been out of school for two years. I got to graduate early because I was awesome.”
I
snort.
“Seriously,” he says. “Everybody on my team is advanced. They put us together for a reason.”
“Who is they?”
“Nice try,” he says. “But I’m not Gage. You can’t trick me into answering your questions.”
“Fine,” I say. “Tell me about the girl you dated.”
“Well, she was hot. We dated. I liked my job more than I liked her. Apparently girls don’t like to be ignored for days at a time when you’re on a job, so we broke up. The end,” Sander says.
“You ignored her, huh,” I say. “Classic guy move. Let me guess, some other guy came in and gave her attention and stole her away.”
“You’re annoying,” he says.
“That means I’m right.”
“Maybe,” he says. “But I did learn something. And that is that I should never date a girl unless I like her more than my job. Which means I will most likely be single for the rest of my life. And even if I did find a girl I liked more than work, do you think she’d understand all this?”
“You mean blindfolding a teenage girl and threatening her with a huge needle?” I ask. “Or the fact that you kidnapped me?”
“Hey! That was Nolan, Jax and Hunter, not me,” Sander says.
“You knew about it,” I say.
“Actually, I didn’t know it was going to happen that soon,” he says. “And the plan was never to kidnap you. Technically, we didn’t kidnap you. Nolan asked if you wanted to go with them. You said yes.”
I did say yes.
“Do you regret saying yes?” he asks.
“No way,” I answer. “Being kidnapped by you guys is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
That is something I never thought I’d say.
He’s alive.
Today, I have discovered something new about myself. I hate dark chocolate. It’s bitter and I almost threw up from the awful taste. And I am so excited to be able to say that I found something I dislike so passionately.
Also, Sander thinks I’m weird, because all girls are supposed to like dark chocolate.
Instead, I eat milk chocolate. And it’s the best thing ever.
I have no idea where we are. It’s a small town, but I haven’t seen the name of town anywhere. Mostly because Sander blindfolds me before we go somewhere.
Finding Me (The Spy Chronicles Book 1) Page 5
