The Agency

by Ann Knightingale

usage. But I now bring forward two new charges to the court. Those charges being battery and the fact that she is dating one of the family while she lives under this roof."

  Amy and Tim just stare at her not sure exactly what to say.

  "I was shocked too, when I found out the scandal. The one that is supposed to protect us all from harm has made favorites with one of us. As far as we know in the future, we all could be in one of Sunder's labs, all of us but him trapped. Macey could be dead and he would be more focused on getting her body out and burying her to save the rest of us." Maria continues.

  "Honey I am proud of you for coming up with the examples and evidence but we already knew and accepted it. Elaine has too. We aren't a spy family all the time. We can afford a relationship in the house and not worry about it. I mean it’s not like they can do anything. There are security cameras all over the place and everyone else as well. Besides Chest is noble and wouldn't do anything any way. The same with Macey. We're sorry we didn't tell you, but it was actually my idea for the two of them to get together." Amy states with authority.

  Maria's jaw drops," You knew it all along?" Amy and Tim nod their heads, “Fine. But there is still the complaint of battery. Just a couple of hours ago I was beaten to the ground by Macey for doing nothing but talking to her."

  I stand up and object," I was walking away. If you hadn't reached up and grabbed me by the hair I wouldn't have put you on the ground. I didn't beat you. I just laid you on the found and leaned on you and talked reason that's it." Once I'd said my peace I sat back down and folded me legs beside me. Maria looked to Tim and Amy, they both looked thoughtful.

  It was Tim that spoke this time," Maria your right, she shouldn't have put you on the ground," Maria grinned thinking she had won but her face fell as soon as Tim continued," But you started first. As you know we have a saying around here ' Don't dish out what you can't take back' and 'Pick your battles wisely because you can't win them all' so in light of all of this. Macey I sentence you to two weeks of dish duty." One again Maria's face lit up, but Tim wasn't done yet," Maria for being the aggressor in this matter your sentence you to 20 laundry days. You will be helping Amy pick up laundry baskets and handing them back out again. There will be no good behavior slip outs for either of you."

  Maria looked shocked, I didn't honestly care one way or another that this turned out with me being punished as well. I actually liked the idea of how Tim and Amy ran their house of misfits. Benjamin comes running in and throws himself at Chest. He balls up his tiny fist and pretends to sock him in the nose. Chest covers his nose and pretends to be hurt.

  “Ah Benj now I have to call on Amy to fix him." I add playing pretend as well. Benjamin laughs as Amy comes over and pretends to take a look at Chest's 'broken' nose. The whole room lights up to a family scene and the playing begins. The main focal point of the game being Benjamin attacking Chest and Amy fixing him. Everyone seems to be happy except for Maria, she puts her hands in her pockets and walks outside. I should have left it alone but didn't.

  I get up and follow her, completely expecting to apologize and make one more failed attempt to make peace with her. She walks around the back of the house and starts to head to the back of the compound. She passes the infirmary where Amy, Tim, and Chest brought me after I fell off of the cliff. I wonder where she's going since that is the last building on the compound except for Sunder's last lab failure. I still don't understand how he got in to the compound any way. Since a tall brick wall stands between the compound and the outside world.

  She walks forward and stands outside the opening to the lab and stared inside. She kicked some of the gravel and muttered to herself. Just seeing her that way caused me to think that she might not have been out to get me. Maybe she didn't hate just me. The lab door opened and Maria looked up, not necessarily in surprise but more in relief. I move back and hide behind one of the boulders that stand nearby. Sunder walks up to Maria and puts a hand on her back. I'm surprised when she doesn't flinch away.

  I can hear Maria's voice but can't tell what she's saying, she is too far away and whispering. I see Sunder answering her in a soft voice as if reassuring her of something. Like when you tell someone 'it's going to be okay' when they are really upset. I continue to watch closely and try to figure out what's happening. Maria steps closer to Sunder and he wraps his arm around her shoulders. If I didn't know better I'd say that the two of them were friends and have been for a long time.

  Maybe I don't know better. Maybe the last fight between the two was just a show. Could it be that the last time I was kidnapped by Sunder been just a fake? Was I simply one of their props? I knew that I should tell Amy or Tim but what proof did I have? I surely didn't want to have to go through with the whole lawyer and court bit again. But yet I knew that letting her do this would be a mistake that I would eventually regret. I want to get closer to the scene but there is no other vegetation or rock out cropping that would hide me enough so I wasn't caught.

  Then again maybe that is exactly why Maria is doing this. So I could catch her and falsely accuse me again of something that did happen but twisted to make it seem worse than it already was. But then again what if that isn't the case? What if this isn't some ploy? What if this really is a secret meeting between Maria and Sunder? I don't want to know what would happen to Amy, Tim, or Elaine if something bad happened. What about Benjamin? I don't think I could see him hurt, the same with Chest.

  I know I especially wouldn't be able to handle it if I knew it was all my fault for not telling them. I'd rather be punished for them thinking I was lying and have something happen and them at least having a fighting chance then not tell them and having someone get badly hurt over it. I wait trying to find an opening where I can escape without a problem. But as long as Sunder has his eyes looking in this general direction then I can't move.

  After a while Sunder removes his arm and Maria nods her head in understanding I guess, and starts to walk away and back towards the house and my boulder. I look at Sunder trying to tell if he will turn around and head back in to the lab so I can simply turn around the boulder and stay hidden from Maria but that isn't the case. Sunder just stands there and watches Maria as she walks away from him.

  I know that I'm in trouble. But then again I could always get lucky and not have her notice me as she goes by. The only thing though is that in her training I know that she is supposed to be ever vigilant to all of the things around her and anything that can be posed as a threat should be watched extra carefully. The only thing I can hope for is that she is so lost and confused at the moment she passes me there is no chance that she can focus and that Sunder doesn't see me following her.

  She is just about ready to catch me when I tense up in my defensive stance when I see Sunder walk back in to his cave and the secret door shut. I quickly and quietly walk around the boulder to where my back is exposed to the lab entrance. Maria calmly walks by as if she hadn't just had a secret meeting with the enemy of the whole family.

  I try not to breathe knowing that a simple huff of air could alert Maria that I have followed her. I can't believe she hasn't found me yet. I wait until she is a simple little shape in distance before I get out from behind the boulder and slowly follow her back to the house. But instead of going straight in to the house I go out to Chest's and my shed and get on my motorcycle. I take it to the side of the house and run water from the hose to a bucket. I didn’t want to just hose the bike down so I take a sponge with no soap and start to run plain water down the side of the motorcycle.

  I am about to add soap to the bucket when Tim comes out of the house and says," Oh there you are Macey. We were wondering where you were." I look up at him acting startled as soon as he begins to speak,” I have a question, I guess it doesn't absolutely need answered but it would be great to know when your birthday is. So you know, so we can make you feel more comfortable and feel like part of the family." I can tell he is nervous about asking me. Normally he and Chest are the
strong not too sensitive people in the house.

  "Tomorrow actually. I was born on June seventh." I answer trying to hide a small laugh, Tim looks uncomfortable as he normally is when it comes to showing emotion. Normally he doesn't show very much emotion unless it’s toward Amy.

  "You'll be what eighteen?" He asks trying to have a conversation without it becoming too awkward and obviously thinking that it wasn't going to well. I simply nod my head.

  "I'm sorry Tim but I really need to get back to this. I don't want water droplet marks on the paint from where the water dries." I say trying to release him from his need to hold a conversation that he doesn't seem to impressed with having. Tim nods and heads back in to the house. I think about how nice he was to me when I first came here and how I was able to help him fix their van.

  I finish wiping the water off of my bike and wheel it back in to the shed. I walk in to the house and see Chest sitting on the couch watching cartoons with Benjamin. I walk up and sit next to him and cuddle against him. Chest rests his chin on my head and breathes in the scent of my hair. Anyone else would have thought this was weird but I find it cute. Amy walks in to the