by C. L. Stone
“No,” I squealed, giggling and pushing his gun away, reaching for mine.
Nathan let go of his gun, holding it in one hand while with his free hand, he snatched up my gun and chucked it a few feet away and out of my reach. “Say it,” he grumbled at me, a playful growl emanating from him.
“No,” I wailed again, now trying to twist my body around, gripping at the ground to claw my way out from under him. He sank his full weight onto my body, pinning me to the ground. A free hand found my face, and he squeezed my cheeks until I made a fish face.
“Sang,” he said, “you’ve got to learn how to admit when you’re outgunned. Now say it.”
“No!” My squeaking mumbled through fish lips. I pushed his gun way, poking him in the ribs, trying to tickle my way out.
He laughed, patting my hands away as if he were swatting away flies. “Doesn’t work on me, sweetheart.”
“Luke!” I cried out.
“Kinda busy,” Luke called back, running past my head. Gabriel jumped over me on his heels. Luke was out in the open, crossing the large front yard and made a U-turn back around, running for a tree in the far corner almost in the neighbor’s yard, to hide behind.
“Say mercy and I’ll let you up,” Nathan said to me. He hooked fingers into the hem of my shirt, lifting slightly to expose my belly. He aimed the end of the gun there. “Do it.”
“Don’t you dare,” I called out. I had one more plan left, and it was dirty. “Don’t or I’ll do it.”
Nathan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What?”
“Let me go or I’ll do it.”
Nathan smirked at me, curiosity in his eyes. He pulled the trigger. A stream of ice water caught me square in the stomach.
I wriggled under him, trying to block the spray against my bare skin. “You asked for it,” I said. “Silas!” I squealed out through my laughing.
“You did not,” Nathan said, his hand shot out to cover my mouth, his head jerking up to scan the perimeter.
It was too late. Silas was on the warpath, barreling down after us, aiming right for Nathan. Nathan scrambled to get off of me, aiming his gun at Silas’s broad chest and firing. It didn’t deter him as Silas caught Nathan in a full frontal tackle. Nathan was on his back on the ground. Silas sat on his hips, capturing his wrists and pinning those to the ground with his knees.
I scrambled to get my gun, stepping up behind Silas, my stomach to his back, as I aimed over his shoulder at Nathan’s face.
“Fucking shit,” Nathan said breathlessly. “She even cheats at water guns.”
“Yup,” Silas called out proudly. “Get him, aggele mou.”
I pumped my gun and sprayed down Nathan with a long stream, starting from his stomach and ending at his face.
Nathan laughed, stretching to try to pull his arms out from under Silas.
“Thank you, Silas,” I said to him, touching lightly at the back of his neck.
“Oy, Trouble!”
It was the only warning I got before Gabriel shot across the yard, aiming his water gun at me. Luke was running behind him, firing, but his gun was out of water.
I laughed, running away from Silas as he was letting Nathan up off the ground.
“Meanie!” I called after Gabriel as I dashed across the yard, heading toward the driveway, thinking I might be able to cut through the basketball game. Maybe I could use Kota as a shield. Gabriel wouldn’t dare shoot Kota.
I turned around as a gray BMW pulled into the driveway, parking in the middle of it to give room to those playing basketball. A thrill swept over me. Victor had left early to go to do some work for the Academy. I’d thought he was going to be gone all day but was glad that he was back early.
His car also gave me perfect cover.
I ran right for the car, the plan formulating in my mind. Gabriel hollered after me, but I was flying ahead of him. I had a clean head start.
From a deep instinct telling me that I could, I ran for the front of the car. I jumped, pushing my body up to vault myself over the front. My butt heated against the hood as I slid across. I landed like a cat on my feet on the other side. I crouched, pressing my back against the wheel as I pumped the pink water gun.
The Terminator couldn’t have done it any better.
The car door opened, followed by footsteps coming around the car. I waited only a moment. Not that I would squirt Victor too much. Just a small spritz to welcome him back.
I caught the shadow coming around the edge of the car, I turned, propping myself up a little as I aimed at a red tie and fired.
And I fell back on my butt, when my gaze met with cool, steel-gray eyes.
I dropped my gun to catch myself with my hands before I fell back too far on the ground. The gun clattered to the ground.
Mr. Blackbourne finished stepping around the corner of the car, a brown eyebrow shooting up over the rim of his glasses. The dark suit coat he wore was open, revealing the white shirt, probably Armani or Gucci. A wet splotch of water spread across his chest, center mass. “You should know who you’re aiming at before you fire, Miss Sorenson,” he said, as calm as if he were explaining a math problem to me.
My heart raced. I just iced down the only person I knew who, with just a look, could send me to my knees.
“S... sorry,” I said, not feeling so confident now.
Mr. Blackbourne stretched out a hand to me, which surprised me enough to make me hesitate. He’d never done that before. I lifted mine, dropping it in his. His smooth, perfect fingers wrapped around mine as he assisted me to standing. When I was on my feet, I was inches away from him.
“Remind me to have you trained in gunmanship,” he said. The tight corners of his mouth moving up a millimeter.
I released the breath I felt I’d been holding that whole time. I didn’t think I wanted to make him angry.
From behind him, the other members of the Academy collected: Silas, Luke, North, Nathan, Kota and Gabriel. North held the basketball to his hip. The others stood by, waiting. Derrick had fallen back, standing under the goal, his arms crossed over his chest.
Mr. Blackbourne’s eyes remained on me as he spoke. “I came over because I tried to reach certain members of my team by phone. Apparently, they’re all... distracted.” The millimeter smile disappeared as he turned toward the guys. “And I can see why.”
“Sorry,” Kota said. He flicked the sweat from his brow. “I didn’t realize...”
The others murmured similar apologizes.
“We don’t have time for that,” Mr. Blackbourne said, turning toward his car. “Kota, Luke, Nathan, in the car with me. North, Silas, Gabriel, follow. We’ve got work to do.”
“What about Sang?” Gabriel asked, dropping his water gun to the ground. Playtime was over.
“She doesn’t work for me. Let’s go,” Mr. Blackbourne moved around the car again, heading toward the driver’s seat. Was this Mr. Blackbourne’s car that looked identical to Victor’s? Or was he driving Victor’s car? Where was Victor? And why were they all leaving now?
I bit back the questions. I knew better. Academy business was secret. I wasn’t a part of it.
Kota, Luke and Nathan found their shoes and shirts quickly and raced toward the car. Mr. Blackbourne pulled the car out of the drive as soon as the doors closed and was down the road again.
I collected the dropped water guns and headed toward the garage. Silas and Gabriel were collecting their phones they had left on the ground. North was shuffling a shirt the right way to drop it over his head. “Derrick, do me a favor?”
Derrick had collected the basketball and was taking random shots alone at the goal. “What?”
“Stay with Sang? Until one of us can get back?”
“I’m fine,” I said. I thought I was. My mother wasn’t there with any more crazy punishments for me. My father wasn’t there. There was no one left to do any harm.
“Humor me, Sang Baby.” North eyeballed Derrick. “Please?”
“I guess so. Whatever,” Derr
ick said, shrugging and looking at me.
North frowned but nodded. He waved to me as he stalked off, following Gabriel and Silas to North’s black Jeep that he had parked at Kota’s house. They rushed over to it, getting in. The Jeep started up and disappeared down the road, too.
T he A cademy
Forgiveness and Permission
Year One
Book Four
Coming October 2013 from
Arcato Publishing
ABOUT C. L. STONE
Certification
Marvelour of Wonder
Active Participant of Scary Situations
Official Member of F.A.M.E.
Experience
Spent an extraordinary number of years with absolutely no control over the capping of imagination, fun, and curiosity. Willingly takes part in impossible problems only to come up with the most ludicrous solution. Due to unfortunate circumstances, will no longer experience feeling on a small spot on my left calf.
Skills
Secret Keeper | Occasion Riser | Barefoot Walker Strange Acceptance | Magic Maker | Restless Reckless | Gravity Defiant | Fairy Tale Reader | Story Maker-Upper | Amusingly Baffled | Comprehensive Curiousness | Usually Unbelievable
