Playing With Fire

by C. J. Hill

Jesse smirked at the man. “Sorry to disappoint you. Your gunman was probably one of the first people who ran out the door.”

  The bodyguard let Jesse go and gazed around the restaurant at the remaining customers, who were only now timidly emerging from under tables.

  Jesse picked up his phone from the floor and used his extra strength to quietly crush the screen. Then he held the phone up, showing it to the bodyguard. “You broke my phone when you threw it on the floor.” He pretended to push a button. “It doesn’t work now, and I have to call my mom and ask her to excuse me for being late.”

  Outside the windows, police cars pulled up, lights swirling.

  “Sorry, kid. Use your friend’s.” The bodyguard still had his gun drawn, but even he realized the danger was over. Senator Ethington had stood up and was wiping off his suit.

  Jesse shook his head. “JP’s parents took his phone away—a grounding thing. Can I use yours?”

  The bodyguard reluctantly reached into his pocket, pulled out a phone, and handed it to Jesse. “Be quick. I’ve got to talk to the police.”

  Jesse didn’t need to think of a way to create a distraction so the bodyguard wouldn’t watch him slip the chip into his phone. The man was busy scanning the restaurant. He was also talking on his mic to the police, updating them on the situation.

  After a couple of moments, Jesse handed the bodyguard back his phone. “Thanks. And no hard feelings about my phone. I know you were only doing your job.”

  Kody strolled over, and Jesse gave him a slight nod, signaling that it was time to go. They walked toward the door, going out with other customers who’d realized that the action was over and it was safe to leave.

  They headed down the sidewalk toward their pickup point. Jesse hit the button on his watch to let Dr. B know they were on their way.

  Kody checked behind them to make sure no one was paying attention, then muttered, “Okay, I admit it. That boondoggle was completely my fault.”

  “Yeah. When dishes explode, that’s a sign you put too much oomph into the shock.”

  “All of that fuss and bother, and you didn’t even get to touch Ethington’s phone.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Jesse said, finally allowing himself to smile over his success. “I put the chip into the bodyguard’s phone. He’ll go into Ethington’s house today—probably do a thorough sweep of the whole place before he lets the senator go inside.”

  Kody laughed and shook his head. “Well then, looks like that cat got skinned anyway.”

  “Hey, kid,” a man on the sidewalk behind them called, “wait up.”

  Jesse froze, recognizing the bald bodyguard’s voice. Had the man figured out that they weren’t who they’d said they were? Or worse, had he found the chip in his phone?

  Jesse could grab Kody, fly away, and escape, but that option came with problems of its own. Better to see what the guy wanted before resorting to anything drastic.

  He turned, adrenaline making his hands twitch. “Yeah?”

  The bodyguard strode down the sidewalk toward them, his expression unreadable beyond its usual sternness.

  Kody glanced over, looking for direction. Jesse stayed put, tried to look unconcerned, and waited for the man. “You need something else from us?”

  The bodyguard held out a campaign picture of Senator Ethington. “For your mom, kid. When I told the senator why you were in the restaurant, he signed it for you.”

  Jesse took the picture and let out a relieved breath. They hadn’t been found out. “Thanks. Tell Senator Ethington that I appreciate it.”

  The bodyguard nodded. “Sorry about the pat down. It’s just part of the job.” He turned and marched back toward the restaurant.

  Jesse started toward the pickup point again, feeling the tension drain from him.

  After they were out of earshot, Kody said, “There’s a name for those times when you think you got caught putting a chip on a guy’s phone—a close call.”

  It was a bad pun, but Jesse laughed anyway.

  * * *

  Ten minutes later, Dr. B pulled into the parking lot where Jesse and Kody were waiting. The two climbed into the car, and Dr. B headed back into traffic. “How did it go?”

  “Great,” Jesse said, clicking on his seatbelt. “St. Jude, the patron saint of cell phone thieves, totally came through for us.”

  Theo didn’t speak, didn’t spare them a glance. He was typing and deleting with equal vigor. Apparently he still had some bugs to work out of his program.

  “Those police sirens I heard earlier,” Dr. B said, “those didn’t have anything to do with you, did they?”

  “They were looking for a gunman,” Kody said with a grin. “Fortunately, neither of us was packing heat today.”

  “Everything went fine.” Jesse leaned his head back against the headrest, glad to be done with this part of the mission. “Just don’t check YouTube for a while.”

  Dr. B glanced at them in the rearview mirror. “Why?”

  Jesse lifted his head and cleared his throat. “Well, we might have made Senator Ethington look skittish.”

  “The guy’s a wuss,” Kody said, and nudged Jesse. “You should call Tori and tell her we ruined her dad’s opponent’s career. It’ll get you major boyfriend points.”

  “I’m sure we didn’t ruin his career,” Jesse said.

  Kody snorted. “Jesse still believes in the senator. Which is nice, because he got the man’s autograph. It says, ‘To Sebastian’s mom, Best wishes.’”

  Jesse nodded sadly. “It’s almost a really cool present for my mother.”

  Kody undid the buttons near his collar. “Hey, if you get caught breaking into the guy’s house tonight, maybe he can give you one with your real name.”

  Chapter 21

  When Tori came home from school on Monday, Brindy still hadn’t been found. Tori walked along their property, checking the fence for any sign the dog might have dug under it. She found no holes, no broken places of the fence, nothing that explained Brindy’s disappearance.

  Overdrake could have easily flown over the fence and stolen her.

  Tori dismissed the idea. Overdrake certainly had more important things to do than abduct pets. There had to be another logical explanation. She just hadn’t thought of it yet.

  She went inside, did homework, ate dinner, helped her mother update the invitation list for an upcoming campaign dinner, then did more homework. It was after eleven o’ clock when she finally went upstairs to her room—far too late, considering that she had to get up at six-thirty for school.

  Her nerves were on edge, but she chalked it up to Brindy’s disappearance getting to her.

  It wasn’t until Tori flipped her bedroom switch and the light refused to come on that she realized what her subconscious had been trying to tell her: Something was wrong.

  She stood in the doorway, hand on the switch, and didn’t bother trying to convince herself that her chandelier had blown a fuse. She could feel another presence in the room. Someone was here, waiting for her. Overdrake must have sent someone. Or perhaps he’d come himself.

  She didn’t scream. Noise would bring her family rushing in, and none of them were armed. Overdrake’s quarrel was with her. She would leave her family out of this.

  She leaped sideways away from the door and crouched in the darkness.

  The other person remained silent. No tell-tale footsteps gave away his location. And yet the tingling at the base of her neck told her the intruder was coming closer.

  She opened her eyes wider, straining to see an outline in the shadows. Nothing. All the shapes in the room were dark and shrouded.

  Dr. B always told her to rely on her Slayer senses. She pushed away her fear and listened to her instincts.

  He was close, but not close enough yet.

  Wait.

  Wait.

  She wasn’t sure what she felt exactly—a shift in the air, the body temperature of someone coming nearer, or perhaps a smell too faint to fully register in her brain. W
hatever the cause, she knew when the person came within striking distance.

  She leapt forward, plowing into him, her anger channeled into action. He didn’t fall, only glided backward, wrapping his arms around her. He was airborne and taking her with him.

  And then she knew who it was. She recognized the feel of his worn jacket and the scent of his shampoo. Jesse. She smacked him in the chest. “What are you doing here? You scared me to death.”

  “Sorry.” He set her carefully back on the floor and let her go. “But I had to make a point.” He flipped on a flashlight, illuminating a puddle of light. His brown eyes stared solemnly back at her. “If I can get into your bedroom, so can Overdrake. You aren’t safe here.” He walked to her desk and turned on the lamp.

  She watched him, hands on her hips, still breathing hard. “I can’t believe you snuck into my room. I could have killed you.”

  He smiled at the accusation. “Only if you practiced a lot more.” He picked up three light bulbs from her night stand, and his tone turned mildly berating. “You didn’t even know someone was hiding in the room until the light didn’t work. An intruder could have shot you before that. You’ve got to be more aware of your surroundings.” He took the bulbs and flew up to her chandelier. “And how come you’re walking around without a single weapon to protect yourself?”

  “I came to change into my pajamas. I don’t generally carry guns or knives for that.” She was glad he’d come when she was fully dressed instead of wearing something embarrassing—her blue fuzzy pajamas came to mind. “Does Dr. B know you’re here? Did he authorize this?” She knew the answer even as she asked the question. At camp, Dr. B orchestrated all sorts of surprise attacks on the Slayers. He and the staff had come after them with paintballs so many times, Tori accidentally-on-purpose ripped his paintball gun in half.

  “He’s down the street with Theo.” As Jesse replaced the bulbs, the room grew bright, revealing books that were spread across her desk and her unmade bed.

  Tori sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Well, you can report that your attack was a success and make me run extra laps next practice—assuming I make it. After last Saturday’s jaunt, my parents want to approve all of my activities in advance.” She dropped her hand from her hair and pointed a finger at him. “And if you show up at my house again, it had better be to bring me flowers. Because the next person who tries a surprise attack in my bedroom is going to get a lamp lodged in his forehead.”

  “Next time I’ll definitely bring flowers.”

  She wasn’t appeased. She walked closer to the chandelier and looked up at Jesse. “Are you wired? If you are, I have a few things to say to Dr. B.”

  “Not wired.” Jesse landed beside her, close enough to smell his shampoo again. “And good news: Dr. B has a solution to take care of your safety problem.” He put a hand on her arm, then let his fingers trail downward. The gesture was half-affection, half-apology. “You’re not going to like it, but I think tonight proves it’s necessary.”

  She cocked an eyebrow and waited for the explanation.

  “Theo sent a threatening letter to your dad’s office, along with some pictures of your family taken through your kitchen windows.” Jesse’s hand went back up her arm in a soothing motion. “I don’t want to say anything bad about Theo—he’s the best tech guy there is—but he knows how to conjure a pretty convincing creepy stalker. Anyway, I put a pipe bomb on your back porch. When I return to Dr. B, I’ll call you to make sure your family is away from the area, and then Theo will detonate it. Hopefully a minor explosion will convince your parents that you need to move to a safer location until the election is over.”

  “You’re going to blow up my house? That’s your way of keeping me safe?”

  He weaved his fingers into hers and gave her hand a squeeze. “Just a small part of the house—the patio and kitchen door. It might also throw some debris in the pool.” He gave her a half-smile. “And by the way, you have an awesome pool. When the fighting is over, you should have the Slayers over for a party.”

  “It’s a date,” she said. “And, sadly, this is the only time I’ll say those words for the next week.”

  “You’re grounded?”

  She nodded.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I’m a lousy boyfriend. First I get you grounded, and then I use explosives on your house.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, resigned. She hated the thought of being forced to move, but at the same time, she understood the necessity. As long as Overdrake knew where her family lived, they were all in danger. “I suppose this might be the best solution.”

  “We’ll all sleep better knowing you’re safe.” He gave her hand another squeeze. “Especially me, because Dr. B won’t feel the need to send me on anymore late night surprise attacks.”

  “Dr. B never has appreciated the importance of a good night’s sleep.”

  Jesse gazed around her room. She had a canopy bed, but not the frilly sort of princess bed girls had when they were eight. It was a queen size, ornately carved dark cherry wood nineteenth century reproduction. Pretty much everything in their house looked like it had once belonged to Pemberley. Oil paintings hung on the wall. Tori hadn’t chosen any of them. Her mother liked buying artwork and needed wall space to hang it all on. The Hafen and Lambourne pieces matched the cranberry and gold in her bedspread.

  “Somehow I always expected your room to be pink,” Jesse said.

  “Eight years ago, you would have been right.”

  Her anger over the intrusion had faded, and now it just felt odd to have him standing in her bedroom, holding her hand, here among her personal and private things. It felt intimate and dangerous in a different way. The distance between them was so small, and his hand felt warm in hers, comfortable and inviting.

  She wasn’t sure what to say, and so settled on, “Has Dr. B found jobs for your parents yet?”

  Jesse’s mom and dad were both teachers and wanted to work at the same high school. Dr. B was having a hard time finding a school with two openings.

  “Actually, he did,” Jesse said. “They were just hired at some snooty prep school, and I get free tuition as part of the deal. Starting tomorrow I’ll get to mingle with the rich and full of themselves.”

  “Ah,” she said, in a teasing tone. “Maybe some of the rich kids’ highbrow culture and class will rub off on you.”

  “Right. Their Beamers will probably snub my Prius in the school parking lot.”

  “We might see each other at rival water polo games.”

  “Sure. I was, of course, the captain of the water polo team at my last school.”

  She didn’t ask which school he was going to or whether he’d be living in Virginia, Maryland, or DC. The Slayers weren’t supposed to share personal information. That way, if Overdrake captured any of them, he wouldn’t be able to get details from them. For that reason, Dr. B wouldn’t send Jesse to her school. Still, she liked the idea of a chance meeting.

  A stupid thought, really. Now she would spend the remainder of the school year looking for him at every game.

  Jesse was still holding her hand. She wanted to pull him closer, wanted to wrap her arms around him, and tilt her face up to his. She didn’t do any of it. That would be crossing the line they’d laid out for themselves. After the last dragon attack, they’d agreed to keep their romantic life separate from their Slayer one. During fights, they had to act as captains, and not be distracted by worrying about each other’s safety. The agreement was proof they could do their duties.

  She would stay on the safe side of the line. Tori dropped Jesse’s hand and looked at her window. It was open a crack, but had been locked earlier. She was sure of it.

  She walked over to examine it. The locks were slightly scratched, attesting to having been jimmied open. “How did you disable our alarm?”

  He joined her at the window. “Theo is a tech wizard.”

  “Hmm. He’ll have to show me how to do it so I can sneak out.”

  �
�Only if you’re sneaking out to attend practice.” The corners of Jesse’s lips lifted. “Or to meet me.”

  She inclined her head to the side. “Which would you prefer?”

  “The latter,” he said. “Although since I’m here as a Slayer, that shouldn’t be my answer.” He shook his head. “But somehow it still is.”

  It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one having trouble sticking to her role as captain.

  She gazed down to the yard below. Everything was dark and shadowed; the motion-detector lights hadn’t gone off. “Speaking of sneaking out my window, are any of our security cameras going to show you flying around or swooping down and dropping off a bomb?”

  “I’m up too high for the cameras, and I lowered the bomb to your porch by wire. The footage won’t show who put it there.”

  “Good.”

  He glanced at the window. She could tell he was about to say he had to go. After all, Dr. B and Theo were out there waiting.

  Jesse didn’t speak. He took her hand again, holding it loosely. A goodbye gesture. She tightened her grip. She didn’t like goodbyes.

  His thumb caressed the back of her hand. They weren’t breaking their own rules. Not really. Holding hands could be a sign of friendship, not romance.

  Jesse hesitated, then sighed and leaned closer. His eyes went to her lips. He hesitated again, perhaps waiting to see if she would move away. She didn’t. She just waited, nerves humming.

  He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers in the lightest of kisses. The touch made her shiver all over. Instead of keeping the kiss short, she slipped her arms around his neck, pulled him closer, and kissed him back. Lines, after all, could bend. That was the whole point of circles, and ovals, and rules about romance.

  In the corner of Tori’s mind, she knew that if her parents walked into her room right now, things would not go well. She didn’t care. Carpe diem. She had no defense against hot guys who flew.

  After a few moments, Jesse lifted his head. “This was probably not what Dr. B had in mind when he sent me.”

  True. She took a step away from him. “Good night.”