They both turned their faces to me, puzzled.
“Just because I'm not homosexual doesn't mean I can't support you. I'll help you in any way I can.”
Before they could reply, April raised her hand and said, “Um … I know I'm running a little behind here, but … I'm in too, you guys.” She caught herself. “I mean, I'm not, like, into you guys, I'm just saying …” Her face turned a deep crimson. “Oh boy …”
Bree and Penny laughed. So did I. “Thanks,” said Penny. April nodded, grateful that her lips had finally stopped moving.
Bree looked around at all of us. “What a messed-up school year it's been so far, hasn't it?”
I rolled my eyes. “And we've got a long way to go, don't we?”
Penny looked at Bree, then at me. “You think we'll make it through?”
I nodded. “As long as the four of us are friends, that's all that matters.”
Yeah. That IS all that matters.
Chapter 44
~ DAY 60 (Wed.) ~
MARK
This isn't my bedroom ceiling. Where am I again?
I opened my eyes all the way, scanning the room for something familiar. I saw a dresser, a desk, and a chair. No other furniture. Even the walls were bare.
Oh, yeah. Right. My room. My temporary room. I'll be so glad to be out of this house, which is officially the most boringest place on Earth.
I'd been stuck in this house for almost three weeks. We couldn't leave, Nathan and I, and even if we could, there was no place to go anyway. Our safe-house was miles away from our nearest neighbor, and from what we'd been told, only our security detail and a few key people in the government even knew of its location.
We were all given new clothes to wear, and our basic needs, such as food and entertainment, were taken care of. It felt good to wear normal clothes again, and both Nathan and I were allowed to change our hair back to the black color that it was before this all started. I had to use almost a gallon of shampoo to get all the residual gel out of my hair. Being a spiky-haired badass was fun for a while, but having to glop that slimy gel into my scalp every morning had become a pain in the butt. Too high-maintenance for me. I don't know how Baz does it.
Baz. Dammit. I miss him already.
I showered, got dressed and went into the kitchen, where Pop and Nathan were just sitting down to breakfast. As I munched on my lightly-buttered, slightly-burned toast, I looked Pop over, just as I had done every morning since the trial began. He wasn't smiling, as usual, but he looked a lot better. The stress of the last few months had been lifted from his shoulders.
It was over.
I wasn't in the courtroom when it happened, but according to the newscasts, Pop had sat calmly in the witness chair over a period of three days, telling the jury and the world what Lynch had done: his illegal activities, his threats against our family, and the tragic details of my mom's death. Lynch's lawyers had done their best to make Pop look bad, but they'd failed. And Pop had matched every mean glare Lynch threw his way with a look that exuded dignity and quiet calm. Lynch had beaten others, ground them into submission, but not Pop.
The verdict came down last week: guilty on all counts. The man who murdered my mother was going away forever. When we heard the news, the three of us hugged each other for what felt like hours. Pop, brave, strong Pop, cried his eyes out, and so did we. We couldn't hold the tears back. Pop had kept his promise to us, and to Mom. As hard as it was for me to admit it sometimes, he was my hero.
But now came the hardest part: leaving again.
I'd begged Pop, and every agent that had come into our house over the last three weeks, to let me call Kelsey, just to let her know I was okay, but they refused. I felt so heartbroken, and I could tell Nathan felt the same way. He'd gotten as close to Sean and Sophie as I had to Baz and Kelsey, and the thought of never seeing them again, never even speaking to them again, hurt almost as much as losing Mom. In only a few weeks, we'd gotten as close to them as we had to anyone in our previous life.
We all knew what came next. We'd be taken to a new location, given new names, a new job for Pop, a new school for me and Nathan. We wouldn't live like millionaires, but we'd be given everything we needed to have a decent life. But we'd also be monitored: there was still a chance someone from Lynch's organization, or one of his business associates, might come after us for revenge. For this reason, it had been hammered into our heads that we could not, under any circumstances, contact anyone from our former lives, no matter how much we wanted to. To do so would put our lives, perhaps our friends' lives, in danger, and we couldn't risk that, for any reason. As painful as it was, both Nathan and I understood that.
We didn't have many belongings, just a few suitcases full of clothes, which we packed into the trunk of the government car that came to pick us up early in the morning. I left behind the black hoodie and the rock T-shirts, although I did keep the one featuring The Ramones that Gillian had graciously bought for me, as a memento of my two minutes of singing fame. I also kept the denim jacket, knowing it would remind me of Kelsey, since I'd gotten it just for her.
We made the long drive back to downtown Phoenix, where we eventually pulled into the underground parking garage of a large government building. We were escorted into a private room with no windows, where Pop had to fill out some final paperwork.
I was glad to see that Gillian would be the one to escort us to the airport: she was the only agent assigned to us that actually took the time to get to know Nathan and me, and I appreciated that. She hadn't treated us as just another assignment. I knew that I'd miss her, even though I didn't know her that well.
At about ten-thirty in the morning, Pop finished his paperwork. A senior agent came into the room and told us that we were scheduled to leave town by private plane in four hours. We'd be given details about our new home, our new school, and our new lives once we left Phoenix airspace. All we had to do was wait.
A few minutes later, however, there was another knock on the door, and a large man wearing a “visitor” badge was shown in. He had beefy arms and a thick mustache, and I recognized him immediately. Kelsey's father.
At first I thought I was seeing things. “Mr. Callahan?” I asked in amazement.
He nodded at me in greeting, and walked over to Pop, who stood up. “Mr. Campbell?” he asked, reaching his hand out.
“Detective Callahan,” Pop said, shaking his hand firmly. “It's good to finally meet you in person.”
“You too,” he said. “I heard you were leaving today, and I just wanted to pay my respects before you left.”
Pop nodded. “Thank you, Detective.”
Mr. Callahan smiled. “Please, Mr. Campbell, call me Marty.”
“Only if you call me Jeff,” Pop replied, laughing. “I'm going to be Jeff for,” he looked at the clock on the wall, “a few more hours, anyway.”
Mr. Callahan laughed, a deep hearty laugh, but it quickly tapered off. Almost immediately afterward, his face became serious again. “I want you to know, Jeff … that the entire department is grateful to you.”
“Thanks, Marty,” Pop said. “You did a lot more to get Lynch put away than I did.”
“That's my job. But you … you had every reason to quit, and you didn't. That took incredible courage.”
Pop stepped forward, a haggard smile on his face. “We do what we have to … for our families.”
Mr. Callahan looked at me and Nathan, and then back at Pop. “I know you guys are about to leave, but there's actually another reason I'm here. I've already cleared it with Justice, but I need your permission as well.”
“What is it?” Pop asked.
He reached over and put his arm around Pop's shoulder. “Let's talk outside.”
Chapter 45
~ DAY 60 (Wed.) ~
KELSEY
I slapped the alarm clock in frustration. 6:30 AM. I could tell before I even opened my eyes that my hair was a total train-wreck. I turned on the lamp, casting a glance at the bedroom door. Still closed. My lif
e had quieted down so much, even Bruno hadn't bothered to administer his usual pre-alarm wake-up call.
After getting dressed, I made my way to the kitchen. All I found on the table was today's newspaper and a handwritten note. I read the note first:
K-Bear,
Got called into work early. Sorry I didn't have time to make you breakfast. Promise I'll make it up to you later today.
Chin up, sweetheart.
Love, Dad
Dad had also placed the newspaper so I would see the headline at the bottom of Page One: “LYNCH SENTENCED TO 68 YEARS IN PRISON.”
I sighed with relief. It was finally over. Over the last week and a half, I watched every news report, read every article I could find about the trial. In order to avoid extradition, Ramiro Sosa agreed to serve a twenty-year sentence at an undisclosed federal lockup in exchange for his testimony against Lynch and a host of other bad people he'd worked for over the last ten years. Thanks to his and Jeff Campbell's testimony, Lynch wouldn't be breathing free air ever again. This thought made the Diamondbacks' losing to the Orioles in the World Series last week a lot less heartbreaking.
Penny had returned to school this past Monday. There was still a scar on her forehead, but she displayed it proudly to our classmates, who were suddenly treating her like a bigger badass than they'd ever treated me. I smiled at the thought. The comic-geeks in our school were already doodling pictures of her in their notebooks, clad in full ninja, samurai or superhero gear.
It was great to have her back at our table in the cafeteria again, and on the bleachers during recess. Bree looked stronger than I'd ever seen her. Penny had helped her deal with the trauma of her encounter with Sosa, which was wonderful to see. She and Bree had finally started opening up to each other, and they seemed to be well on their way toward building the kind of relationship they were both hoping for. The four of us agreed, however, to keep their sexual orientation a secret. Society might be more enlightened and tolerant than it was several decades ago, but middle school was not the right place to be that different. I totally understood that. I did, however, urge both of them to talk to Renee whenever they got the chance, and they said they would.
Every day in Algebra class, I kept turning around, hoping against hope that Mark would somehow be sitting there, in the back row, smiling at me. But all I saw was his empty desk, a constant reminder of how empty my life felt without him. April and Bree tried to cheer me up, but a broken heart isn't something that's easily mended. Even Sophie's magical hugs seemed to have lost some of their mojo, and it made me even sadder when I remembered that she had lost as close a friend in Nathan as I had in Mark.
As I stared out the bus window on the way to school, all I could think about was Mark. It didn't seem possible that we'd known each other for only six weeks. It felt like a lifetime. He'd gotten such a raw deal, because of circumstances that were beyond his control. He'd gone through so much, and now he was somewhere else, probably with a new identity, a new school, and new friends.
Wherever you are, Mark, I hope you find happiness.
I sighed. Wonder if I'll ever be happy again …
* * *
“Guys, you will never believe who asked me out this morning!” said April excitedly about two seconds after she set her lunch-tray down.
Bree, Penny and I looked up. Here we go again.
“Eric?” asked Bree.
“Kyle?” asked Penny.
April beamed. “No … Sebastian.”
Penny and Bree sported the largest grins I'd ever seen. I grinned right along with them. Finally, April had found a decent guy.
“April,” said Penny, “that's awesome!”
“Way to go!” said Bree.
“Congrats,” I said, giving her a playful punch in the arm.
“So … where is he taking you?” Penny asked.
April sighed. “Actually … I told him I'd have to think about it.”
All three of our jaws dropped. After a few awkward moments, Bree finally broke the silence. “Are you nuts?”
This was clearly not the response April was expecting. “What are you talking about?”
“Come on, April!” said Bree. “It's Sebastian! Even I'd go out with the guy!”
“Yeah, me too,” said Penny, giggling. Bree smiled back.
“Seriously, April, you are nuts,” I added.
April stared at us in shock. “Okay, who are you people and what have you done with my three best friends?”
I stared back at her. “What do you mean?”
“No lectures, no words of warning, no 'Not again, April'?”
“Well … it's Sebastian!” I said, smiling.
After a few moments, April's face finally relaxed. “I didn't say 'no,' did I? I'll let him stew for a few days … he'll ask again.”
Bree nodded, smiling. “Well, what do you know? She can be taught!”
April picked up a potato chip from her tray and threw it at her. Bree deftly caught it and popped it into her mouth. “Seriously, good job, April.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “He's seen you face down, puking into a toilet, I'd say there's nowhere for your relationship to go but up.”
“I know,” she replied, blushing. “Turns out he's pretty sensitive after all. And he's got that awesome accent …” She got a dreamy look in her eyes. “I'm telling you guys, I think …”
“… he could be THE ONE!” the rest of us said in unison, cracking up laughing. April looked perturbed for a moment, and then started laughing as well.
“Are your parents okay with you dating again?” I asked after we settled down.
“Well, it's been a month since … that night,” she said, waving her hand dismissively, “and I think my parents are about ready to parole me. I just have to report every breath I take for a while.”
“Ouch,” said Penny.
“Speaking of parents,” said Bree, looking over my shoulder, “Kelsey, isn't that your dad over there?”
I turned around, certain that Bree was playing a joke on me, but there Dad was, standing by one of the double-doors near the east end of the cafeteria. He appeared to be scanning the crowd, no doubt looking for me, so I raised my hand and waved. He saw me within moments, and used his arm to beckon me over to him.
I couldn't remember Dad ever coming to JMMS during school hours before. My grades were terrific, as always, and I hadn't gotten into any trouble with any teachers or the principal, so I couldn't imagine what had brought him here.
“This must be important,” I said to my friends. “I'll see you guys later.” They all nodded, and I picked up my backpack and walked over to where he was standing.
“Dad, what are you doing here?” I asked before he could speak.
Dad looked at me, and then around at my classmates, whom I'd just noticed were all staring at us. Putting his arm around me, he said, “I have something to show you. Outside.”
He led me through the double doors, which opened onto the main parking lot. As soon as the doors closed behind us, someone stepped out of the back door of a long black car that was parked nearby. A boy, about my age.
His hair was a different color than before, and didn't contain a single spike, but there was no mistaking the face.
Mark.
“Someone wanted to say goodbye,” Dad said softly. “I called in a favor from the Justice Department, and …”
Best … Dad … EVER! I threw my arms around my dad in a bear-hug. He returned the hug, but pushed me off after a few seconds.
“I'm afraid you don't have much time, Kelsey,” he said solemnly, turning his head to look at Mark, and then back to me. “Go and say goodbye. I'll be … over there.” Then he walked back up the sidewalk, out of earshot.
In the space of a few seconds, the jubilation I felt in my stomach hardened and turned to stone. No. This isn't fair! I'd already let him go, and I was just starting to piece my heart back together. But now, here he is, and I have to go through it all over again.
I don't want
to do this. I CAN'T do this. I don't want to say goodbye. I don't want to look at him. Him and his beautiful face and his adorable smile and his goddamn twinkly eyes.
I wish I'd never turned around in Algebra class. I wish I'd never become friends with him. If I hadn't done that, my heart wouldn't be shredding itself into a million pieces right now. My life would be normal. I'd just be a typical teenage girl muddling her way through middle school and I wouldn't have to freaking go through all this AGAIN!
But if I hadn't, Mark would be in the hands of an international criminal. Maybe even dead. And the good guys wouldn't have won.
Go to him, Kelsey.
Now.
My breath getting shallower by the second, I ran towards him, practically jumping into his arms, my backpack dropping unnoticed onto the ground. With a tearful sob, I wrapped my arms around him, and felt his arms tighten around me. All the days, months, years we should've had together flashed through my mind in an instant, and then they were gone. Dissolved away like a dream upon waking. All we had left was this one miserable, fleeting moment.
When we separated, I could see a tear forming around his eye as well. “I thought you weren't a crier,” is all he could say.
I managed a weak smile. “I lied, okay?”
I took a moment to get a better look at him. Gone were the black clothes; he instead wore a blue, long-sleeved, button-down shirt and tan slacks. His hair was darker, and it was neatly combed back. I also noticed that he had something in his hands.
“So … what do you think?” Mark said, looking down at his clothes.
“You look … different.”
He looked back up at me. “Actually … this is how I normally look. Pretty boring, huh?”
“No,” I said. “It suits you.”
A worried look crossed his face. “How's Penny?”
“She's fine. So's Bree.”
He closed his eyes, exhaling in obvious relief. “Thank God.” When he opened them again, he said, “All I've thought about since that night is how I put you all in danger. You girls risked your lives to save my stupid …” He trailed off, then continued, “Just … tell them how sorry I am, okay?”
Ethan's Secret (James Madison Series Book 2) Page 28
