3 The Spy Who Totally Had a Crush on Me

by Michael P. Spradlin

I left Rinteau in the do jang. He didn’ t fuss about it too much, but had a very satisfied smilirk on his face, and he was enjoying the moment a little too much, seeing as how we hadn’ t even kissed.

  I told him I was leaving, and he waved me off without saying a word. I shot out of the do jang searching for Alex. Of course, he could be anywhere and I couldn’ t find him in any of the usual places. The computer lab, the rec room, the cafeteria were all no Alex zones.

  Taking a chance on getting caught by one of the resident faculty, I busted down the boys hall to Alex and Brent’ s room, but neither of them were there. Brent was usually in the electronics lab this time of night, but when I found him there, he told me he hadn’ t seen Alex since Tae Kwon Do class.

  What to do. He might be with Pilar, but I thought not. In fact both of us were likely to avoid the whole Pilar discussion in this entire drama. Maybe Alex had feelings for me, maybe he didn’ t, but he clearly felt something for Pilar. I didn’ t see him running to her to tell her that he was upset to see me almost kissing another boy. If you’ re a guy, it’ s not a good idea to let your maybe girlfriend know it upsets you when another girl is almost kissing another guy. It leads to questions. So I didn’ t think he was with her. And I certainly wasn’ t going to mention anything about it to Pilar. Nope. Alex and I were going to work this out and talk about it like civilized adults. If I could find him.

  He was in the weight room. I should have thought of that. Whenever Alex is upset his natural instinct is to work out even more. The weight room is just off the main gymnasium in the lower level of the school. He was on the bench press, I wouldn’ t guess how much weight was on the bar, but it looked like he was trying to single-handily lift Montana. I meant the state, not the famous ex-football player or pop singer.

  “ Don’ t you know it isn’ t safe to lift weights alone,” I said.

  Alex didn’ t say anything. He set himself, then pushed up, lifted the bar off the bench and brought it down to his chest. Muscles bulging, he raised the bar and the weights shot upward then back again. He was through eight repetitions in a matter of seconds.

  The weight slammed down on the bench and he stood up. He didn’ t look at me or say anything. He grabbed two more five-pound weights from the rack and added them to the barbell.

  “ Aren’ t you going to talk to me?” I asked.

  “ Wasn’ t planning on it,” he said.

  “ Alex, don’ t be this way,” I said.

  “ What way? What way Rachel? The way that says what the heck are you thinking? The way that says why are you so determined to get close to some guy you don’ t even know? The way that says everybody else knows that something about Rinteau doesn’ t add up, but you? Is that the ‘ way’ you’ re talking about?” He made the little air quote signs again. He knows how much I hate it when people make air quotes.

  “ Listen. First of all who I chose to spend my time with is my business, not yours. Second of all, you’ re the only one that has a problem with Rinteau, everybody else...”

  Alex cut me off.

  “ Everybody else thinks he’ s wrong Rachel. They just don’ t want to say it to you. Everybody. Me, Brent, Pilar, they all agree something is wrong about the guy, but you just choose not to see it. Heck, I’ m half convinced Mr. Kim knows. ”

  Okay. This was news. I didn’ t realize Pilar and Brent had reservations about Michael. I mean at the least I thought they might be neutral. Or just staying out of another Alex and Rachel debate. Maybe he was making it up.

  “ You’ re making that up,” I said. “ If they had reservations about Rinteau they would have told me.”

  “ I am not making it up. We’ ve all talked about it. They just haven’ t said anything because they’ re afraid of hurting your feelings and Pilar can tell you’ re all gooey over the guy. They keep quiet because they don’ t want to listen to you prattle on about his “ good qualities” for forty-five minutes every time his name comes up. But they all agree he’ s wrong. Well I’ m not afraid of hurting your feelings. It’ s for your own good.”

  He lay back down on the bench and pushed the barbell up and off the rack, starting his reps again. His face was red, whether from anger at me, or the strain of lifting, I couldn’ t tell. Probably both.

  “ Look just because you don’ t like the guy, you don’ t have to pretend the others don’ t either,” I said.

  Alex rolled his eyes and slammed the barbell back onto the bench. He stood up stepping right up in my business. So close, so real, I backed up a step. I hated giving ground, but the man was angry.

  “ You think I’ m making it up? Well you couldn’ t be more wrong. You know why? It’ s because I don’ t care enough about it to make it up. What I care about are my friends, Mr. Kim and this school. Rinteau and your little whatever you got going on, is way down on the list. And I’ m telling you, ever since LA we’ re even more convinced that he’ s not legit. Why did he show up when you were stuck on the cable? That wasn’ t his position!”

  “ He just came to help,” I said. You see? He’ s very helpful. That’ s a good quality in a person.

  “ That wasn’ t his job. He was to stay at his post and watch for bad guys. He left to go where he wasn’ t needed and you almost got caught,” he said.

  “ He’ s just inexperienced; it was his first time...” I said. Inexperience can be kind of cute.

  Alex cut me off. Again.

  “ Don’ t give me that. You and Pilar could have handled it just fine. But have you stopped to ask yourself why the mechanism broke anyway? You’ d rehearsed that drill a hundred times and Brent had checked and rechecked that equipment obsessively before you went live. But right at a critical moment it breaks down?” he asked.

  “ Things happen,” I said. I had to admit even to myself, I was starting to sound lame.

  “ Yeah well Brent has looked at the cable motor about a dozen times ever since we returned. And he can’ t find any reason for it to have malfunctioned. So you need to ask yourself. What’ s the common denominator here?”

  Alex picked up a towel he’ d brought with him and wiped his face. I think he was waiting for me to say something but I didn’ t know what to say. I thought he was wrong, but he was impossible to convince of anything when he was in a mood like this. Rinteau wasn’ t a bad guy. I was sure of it.

  “ Alex...” I said.

  “ Just save it Rachel. Talk to Pilar. She’ ll explain.”

  Then he left me alone in the room.

  Just me and the other dumbbells.

  Chapter 20--Unless I’ m Wrong, And I’ m Never Wrong.

  I didn’ t know what to do. I left the gym, wandering back to my room. Alex and apparently Brent and Pilar, my so-called friends, had concluded I was all-wrong about the new kid. Just like when I’ d first arrived here, I felt alone and isolated. No one was on my side. It was me against the world again.

  Pilar would be in her room studying. By now, I’ m sure Alex had filled her in on everything. Might as well go and face the music, I thought. I was positive Pilar would be non-judgmental in her support of me. In her incredibly smart, knowing way of hers that says, “ Geez are you an idiot or something?” Of course Alex is right. Duh.

  It occurred to me maybe one of Mrs. Clausen’ s Oatmeal Butterscotch cookies would cheer me up, so I thought I’ d run by the cafeteria on the way to my room. Mrs. Clausen always put snacks out in the evening for kids taking a study break, and frequently she included some of her delicious cookies on a tray in the cafeteria next to the juice and milk machines. Got to love our Mrs. Clausen.

  I found the cookies in the cafeteria and took one off the plate and wolfed it down right there. All this angst had made me hungry. Then I took two more with me for later. I certainly needed to keep up my strength.

  Leaving the cafeteria, I was about to turn down the main hall, when movement at the end of the hallway caught my eye. Another second and I would have missed it completely. It was Michael Rinteau. He was headed for the gym.

 
Instinct demanded I follow him. Of course instinct also demands a lot of stuff and it mostly gets me in trouble. It’ s hard when you have such demanding instincts. There was something about the way he was moving though, it was furtive, like he didn’ t want anyone to see him. And it made me suspicious. I’ m sure it was innocent, but still, I decided to see what he was up to.

  Retracing my steps, I discovered Rinteau had already entered the gymnasium by the time I made it to the main doors. The lights were out and I heard a door all the way across the gym click shut. He was headed to the practice fields behind the school. What the heck?

  I trotted over and cracked open the door. It was dark outside now and I didn’ t see Rinteau. Stepping outside, and the door clicked shut behind me. There he was, moving quickly across the fields toward the fence. There were a couple of mercury lights outside of the school and I could see him carrying an academy duffle bag.

  I don’ t know why I didn’ t call out to him. He was moving faster now, and heading toward the fence at the rear of the Academy grounds. I followed along thankful I’ d put my shoes on when I left the do jang in search of Alex. It was still winter, but the weather had gotten warmer and there was no snow on the ground. My do bak was thick enough to keep me warm for a while at least.

  I crossed through the circle of the mercury lights and the field plunged into darkness. It was a clear night with a quarter moon and between that and the stars when my eyes adjusted, I could see Rinteau far across the field nearly to the fence surrounding the school property.

  He walked directly to the fence and tossed the duffle bag over it. I paused for a minute thinking he might turn around and come back, therefore spotting me, but he didn’ t. Instead he backed up a few steps, took a running start and jumped into the fence, climbing up and over it in an instant. It looked like he knew what he was doing when it came to chain link fence climbing.

  I watched him pick up the duffle and walk into the woods. When I could no longer see him, I ran quickly to the fence and climbed it in the same spot. A moment of déjà vu washed over me. On my first night at Blackthorn, I tried to escape. It was a long complicated process, made notable by the fact that I was in terrible shape, had a hard time getting over the fence, got horribly lost in what are perhaps the world’ s scariest woods and fell asleep by a big rock until Mr. Kim found me the next morning. It wasn’ t exactly my best hour.

  Now it’ s different. I know there is a gate further down the fence, but I was afraid I’ d lose Rinteau if I hustled all the way down to it and then back. So I took a running start at the fence and this time the outcome was much different. I hit the fence with my right leg, pushed off and grasped the top with both hands. I pulled myself up and over and dropped to the other side. Nice. Not too noisy either.

  Time for the scary part. The woods behind Blackthorn are dense and dark. The trees look like they come straight from the set of a horror movie and the branches are long and low to the ground. I don’ t like woods. There is not much in the way of woods where I come from. We Beverly Hillsians are not given to natural pursuits unless it involves wearing L.L. Bean blue jeans while maneuvering our Range Rovers through the drive through at Starbucks. Yet here I am again.

  I paused for minute to get my bearings. Then I heard movement through the underbrush ahead. It had to be Rinteau. He didn’ t know he was being followed so he’ s wasn’ t really trying to move quietly. I still can’ t figure out what he’ s doing here, but I get a gnawing feeling in my gut and everywhere else you can be gnawed. Everything Alex has said all along comes roaring back to me. I try to tell myself that, like me, maybe he is just running away. Maybe he’ s decided that Blackthorn isn’ t the place for him after all and he’ s just bugging out. That’ s it.

  I kept following the sound of his steps through the woods, trying to stay focused and moving quietly. If he does stop suddenly to listen, I don’ t want him to hear me crashing through the woods after him. He’ s headed in more or less a straight line and I know from experience now if he stays on this course, he’ ll end up on the road running behind Blackthorn.

  On we move like predator and prey. I haven’ t spotted him but I can hear him clearly in the woods ahead. He’ s determined to get somewhere, I’ ll give him that. Several minutes go by and then up ahead, I heard a soft thud followed by a rattling sound. It takes me a moment to place it, and I realize he’ s climbing another fence bordering the property.

  Less than a minute later, I’ m at the fence myself. And I can see Rinteau down below at the roadside, waiting with the duffle bag in hand. I moved slowly and quietly along the fence until I’ m behind a nearby tree. My white do bak sticks out in the darkness and I don’ t want him to see me. I also don’ t want to confront him. I just want to know what he’ s up to.

  I didn’ t have to wait long for my answer. A few minutes later a black van drives up and pulls off to the side of the road. The back door opens and Simon Blankenship steps out. Even in the dim light I can tell it’ s him. He’ s dressed all in black and is wearing the gold medallion of Mithras around his neck. He takes the duffle from Rinteau and they both climb into the van and drive off before I can open my mouth.

  I feel light headed and numb. My pulse begins to race.

  Alex was right. I know what was in the duffle bag. Simon pulled a double switch on us. He didn’ t need to be at the party after all.

  Rinteau had stolen the Firehorn right out from under our noses.

  Chapter— 21 I Still Don’ t Know What An Anagram Is Exactly, But You Couldn’ t Have Figured It Out Sooner?

  Feeling like I might faint, I rushed back through the woods. Mithras has the Firehorn. That’ s not good. But he doesn’ t know we know he has it and that’ s not good for him. I think. Nevertheless, I’ m steamed and mad at myself and even angry at Alex for not convincing me that Rinteau was playing for the other side. Of course, Alex did try to tell me that, but who can be rational at a time like this. Mithras has the Firehorn for crying out loud!

  I needed to get back to the school and find Mr. Kim and the others. I raced through the woods, hoping I wouldn’ t get lost and waste any more precious time. Mr. Kim had told us to always wear our special watches but I left mine in my room during Tae Kwon Do and now I cursed my stupidity.

  I ran as fast as I could. Only getting turned around a couple of times, but soon I came upon the fence. My adrenaline was pumping so fast I hit the fence with my foot and was up and over like an Olympic hurdler. I sprinted hard across the athletic fields and through the door at the gymnasium. In a few minutes, breathless and sweating, I raced into my room.

  Pilar was seated at her desk in our study room. She was doodling on a pad of paper, her school books laid open on the desk around her.

  “ There you are,” she said. “ I’ ve got something I need to tell you.”

  “ It’ s going to have to wait, I just followed Rinteau into the woods, he stole the Firehorn from us and I saw him give it to Blankenship.” I could barely breathe and it was all I could do to get the words out. The color drained from Pilar’ s face.

  “ Rachel, that’ s a horrible joke,” she said.

  “ It’ s no joke. It’ s true. Alex tried to tell me and I wouldn’ t listen. I got all caught up in his hotness and let it fool me. God, I’ m an idiot,” I said.

  I was changing as I spoke, throwing on an Academy sweat suit. Pilar didn’ t say anything. Not even a ‘ don’ t be so hard on yourself’ or a ‘ you couldn’ t have known’ to make me feel better. Alex was right. She had believed him and not me. Turns out she was right to think that way.

  “ What are we going to do?” She asked.

  “ We need to get to the Situation Room and figure this out. Blankenship couldn’ t have gotten too far. I suspect he’ ll go to ground somewhere close by until he thinks the heat is off. Probably somewhere in Philly.” I grabbed my watch and hit the “ panic” button that sent everyone a signal to meet in the Situation Room asap.

  “ Let’ s go,” I said.


  Pilar and I sprinted down the hall. Like usual, most of the other students had hunkered down in their rooms to study so the building was quiet and the hallways were mostly empty. No one who saw us paid us any mind and before long we’ d made it to Mr. Kim’ s office and were on our way down the stairs. I have to admit, I was getting a little tired of the stairs. Build an elevator already. But Mr. Kim said that an elevator wasn’ t feasible from an engineering standpoint for some reason. Whatever. He has enough super complicated spy stuff in his cave to launch an exploratory probe into the Milky Way and he can’ t get an elevator built? Jeez.

  A few minutes later Brent and Alex joined us. Mr. Kim had been in the room when we arrived and we’ d filled him in on what happened. He had a look of supreme disappointment on his face. He had taken Rinteau in and given him a home and now he felt betrayed. He wasn’ t the only one.

  Alex surprised me. I was certain he’ d take the opportunity to be a big old I told you so. I know I would have. But he didn’ t say anything. Not even a smirk. Or a smilirk. Not so much as a facial tick. He asked me if I was okay, then asked Mr. Kim what our next move was.

  “ How can we be sure he had the Firehorn?” Pilar asked.

  “ What else would he have? I don’ t think he was taking Mithras a batch of Mrs. Clausen’ s Butterscotch Oatmeal cookies. Although they are delicious. It all makes sense,” I said.

  And it did. So I laid out my theory. It all started at the Devereaux mansion.

  Somehow, Rinteau had managed to sabotage the cable motor which caused me to snag halfway between the door and the pedestal. It wouldn’ t have taken much, just a little chip to one of the gears or an almost severed wire on one of the switches. He would have to have been very smart about it because so far Brent hadn’ t been able to figure it out. It might even have been a case where he was able to restore it to working order after he’ d rigged it, hoping that Brent would never discover what went wrong.

  When Rinteau had shown up at the doorway, he was carrying his duffle. I hadn’ t thought much of it at the time. Maybe he’ d been planning ahead, thinking we’ d have to move fast and he didn’ t want to leave anything behind. When I was hung up on the cable and after the alarm went off, I’ m betting he switched duffle bags as he and Pilar were racing out of the mansion. Maybe when we got to the airport, whatever. It didn’ t really matter so much when; just how and why.