Alex Armstrong: Awakening (24 page)

He was some fifty yards from the Student Center when the Greyjeans started spilling out of the café and onto the patio. He pulled out his phone and checked last night’s email from President Joyce.

So he wasn’t late, just not invited to the actual meeting. He sort of shrugged to himself and tucked his phone back into his pocket and stepped off the path to make room for the seniors. Most of them smiled and nodded as they passed. A few said hi. Alex still wasn’t friends with any of them, but at least now they were cordial.

He spotted Lachlan. The junior was walking alone, head down, his long blond hair tied in a samurai-style knot. He looked tired. “Lach!” Alex called.

No answer.

“Lachlan. Hey Lachlan!”

“Geez, give it up, Bort. Can’t you tell he’s in the zone?”

“Or making a run for the bathroom,” Alex said. He smiled at Kim. During these last few weeks, she had become his closest friend amongst the Greyjeans. “But something tells me you’re right.”

“I usually am.” Kim set her purse on the ground and retied her hair into a ponytail. When she finished, her purse lifted into the air and the strap stretched and widened and slipped around her right shoulder.

“So, I guess I wasn’t cool enough to get the invite to the real meeting?”

“Something like that,” Kim said. “They mentioned your name a few times, though.”

“What’d they say?”

“You’ll find out.”

“Oh, come on.”

She looked in his backpack. “Are you gonna eat those?”

“They’re all yours,” Alex said, half-twisting so she could reach in and grab the bag of pretzels.

Kim stuffed one in her mouth. When she spoke her voice was muffled. “Remind me again why I hated you so much?”

Alex made a show of checking his watch. “Where do I start?”

Her smile widened. She pulled the water bottle from Alex’s backpack.

“You’re not gonna tell me what they said, are you?”

“Nope. No spoilers from me.” She started for the dorms. “Oh, and thanks for the breakfast!”

“You can keep the water!”

“I know!” she called.

Alex watched her walk down the path. He wondered how things would have changed had he called her number.

****

“Good morning.” Alex sat down and scooted forward, careful not to bump the table. The three of them were the only ones in the room.

“Morning,” Sonnier said. He sat crookedly in the too-small chair. He looked uncomfortable.

“Good morning, Alex,” President Joyce said. “I know you don’t drink coffee, but it would be rude of me not to offer you something to drink. May I get you anything?”

“No thank you. I’m not thirsty.” He watched President Joyce take a sip of coffee, his movement so slow and measured and purposeful that he seemed dedicated to perfecting the motion.

“Alex, did any of the others tell you about the meeting this morning?”

“No sir.”

“Did you ask?”

“Yes sir, I asked Kim. I tried to talk to Lachlan, but he seemed to have a lot on his mind.”

“So you are making some friends,” Sonnier said.

“Yes sir, with some of the juniors.”

President Joyce took another sip of coffee. His glasses fogged. “Alex, we’ve asked Lachlan to lead the next mission.”

“Oh. No wonder he looked nervous.”

President Joyce nodded. “It will be his first time.”

“When is it?” Alex said.

“The second Friday in May.”

Alex glanced at Sonnier but saw no reaction. “Am I still going?”

“Oh, yes,” President Joyce said.

Alex could feel their stares. He looked at his napkin and resisted the urge to tear at its edge.

“You are to shadow Lachlan,” President Joyce said. “At no point do I want you leaving his side. As for the details…” He withdrew a tablet from his briefcase and swiped across the display, bringing up a map with five boxes along the top border. Pictures of Lachlan, Kim, and Alex filled the first three spots. Two other juniors that Alex recognized but couldn’t name filled the last two boxes. “The five of you will be in charge of receiving our next diamond shipment. It will take place here,” he said, zooming in on the map, “at Pier 42 at the Blount Island Ports.” The name sounded familiar to Alex. He started to lean in for a better look, but President Joyce swiped away the map. In its place was a rotating, 3D image of a cargo ship. “Our diamonds will arrive hidden inside of a larger shipment of African timber.”

“Hidden?”

“Several of the logs will be hollowed out.” He saw the look on Alex’s face. “I am quite sure you’ll know which ones. Even so, one of our operatives will be aboard to help you with the loading process.”

Alex nodded.

“After securing the diamonds, the five of you will drive to the airport and fly back to Durham. Our shuttles will be waiting to take you back to campus.” He turned off the tablet and returned it to his briefcase. “Do you have any questions?”

“I’ve got one,” Sonnier said. His voice was extra gruff this morning. “You keep saying five this, five that. What am I, chopped liver?”

“You’re going?” Alex tried but couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice. He felt better knowing an adult would be on the mission.

“Yes, of course I’m going. We don’t trust you knuckleheads to do this on your own.”

“Professor Sonnier’s role is purely supervisory,” President Joyce said.

“Supervisory…‌that’s a fancy way of saying I have nothing to do, and that I’m going to be
bored
.”

President Joyce looked at him and shook his head. “You’ll never change, will you?”

Sonnier took a deep breath and stretched back in his little chair. It creaked. “Negative.”

President Joyce smiled. “So, Alex, do
you
have any questions?”

It took him a second to remember what he wanted to ask. “Blount Island…‌where is that?”

“Less than an hour from your house,” President Joyce said.

Alex’s eyes widened. “I
knew
that sounded familiar. I think I’ve seen the place!”

“I’m sure you have,” President Joyce said. “And to answer your next question: Yes, you will be allowed to visit your father. After the diamonds are secured on the plane, a shuttle will drive you home. I’ve arranged for you to fly back to campus Sunday evening.”

Alex didn’t know what to say and so he just grinned. He couldn’t wait to see his dad.

“We thought you’d like that,” Sonnier said.

Alex finally found his voice. “So what should I do now?”

“I would suggest getting in touch with Lachlan as soon as possible,” President Joyce said. “I want you right there with him throughout the planning stages. Pay attention to how he talks to his team. How he gives everyone a specific role. It’s not the most glamorous process, but it’s a necessary process—and you need to learn it. Because by this time next year,
you
will be leading missions.”

24 - Good Luck

24

Good Luck

Nate walked forward until he was just a few feet from the rim. He looked up and spun the ball between his hands.

“Don’t even think about it, Broccoli,” Patrick said.

Nate looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Oh, I’m thinking.”

“Don’t do it.”

“Oh, I’m doing it.” Nate dribbled the ball once, twice, then he jumped and twisted in the air and slammed the ball through the hoop in a behind-the-back dunk. He hung there grinning at his friends.

Patrick waved his hands with feigned excitement. “Ooookay, we’re all impressed. Now come down from there and do your real shot.”

Nate dropped to the hardwood floor. “That was my real shot.” The ball stopped rolling and flew into Nate’s hands. He handed it to Patrick. “Your turn.”

“Dude, you can’t dunk in a game of HORSE!” Patrick said. He turned to Alex. “I mean, seriously, have you ever heard of a guy dunking in HORSE?”

Alex shrugged.

“And besides, isn’t this supposed to be about TK?”

“So use TK,” Nate said. “How do you think Startsman dunks when he’s out here?”

“You know I can’t do that,” Patrick said.

“Well, then I guess that means that you’ve got an E,” Nate said. He took the ball from Patrick’s hands and offered it to Alex. “You want this, or are you gonna give up, too?”

“Jesus, Broccoli, you wake up on the wrong side of bed this morning?” Patrick said.

“Just trying to give Alex some competition.”

Alex smiled and grabbed the basketball. He knew he couldn’t boost himself up like Startsman, but he had an idea. He stood under the rim and let go of the ball so that it hovered at his chest. He started cracking his knuckles.

“I hope you’ve got something up your sleeve,” Patrick said, “cause those little strings dangling from your shorts don’t inspire a lot of confidence.”

The basketball floated toward the rim. When it passed his face, Alex raised his arms above his head and interlaced his fingers directly in its path. The basketball lifted him off his feet.

“You look like my dog holding on to his toy!” Patrick said.

Alex stopped his ascent when his chin crested the rim. He hung there briefly and then scissored his legs a few times, twisting himself into position. After a quick look over his shoulder, he let go of the ball and it dropped through the basket. He wanted to hang there like Nate and make a show of it, but the sudden lack of support caught him off guard and he tumbled out of the air and tripped over his feet and went sprawling face-first across the floor. The three of them started laughing.

“Lamest…‌dunk…‌ever!” Patrick said.

“But still a dunk!” Alex said.

Nate had to wipe his eyes. “That look on your face when you started floating up…‌you looked like Mary Poppins!”

Patrick started laughing again. “
Poppins
!” he said. “That’s gonna stick!”

Alex pushed himself to his feet. “Can’t you guys at least give me some props? I mean, come on, I flew!”

“Yeah, but that landing though,” Nate said, shaking his head. “You should get a letter just for looking so…” Nate paused.

“White,” Patrick said. “The word you’re looking for is
white
.”

“I was about to say clumsy, but yeah, that works, too.”

“So there you have it: no props for Poppins,” Patrick said.

Alex was no longer listening. He stared at his phone.

“Lachlan?” Nate said.

Alex nodded as he typed a response.

Patrick and Nate exchanged a look. They knew Alex and Lachlan had been meeting every day, prepping for the mission. “Well, what’s he want?” Patrick said.

“Nothing.” Alex slid the phone back in his pocket. “Just confirming that I’ll be ready to go tomorrow morning.”

“What the hell? Does he think you’re gonna forget?” Patrick said.

Alex laughed. “No, he’s just extremely…‌thorough.”

“More like anal,” Patrick said.

“That’s not a bad thing,” Nate said, handing Alex the ball. “Just means he cares. My dad’s the same way with his employees. He stays on them about everything.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ve definitely learned a few things.” Alex turned and stared at the goal on the opposite side of the court. Then he leaned back and looked at something on the ceiling. He turned to Nate. “Okay. From right here. Ball has to bounce off the far backboard and onto the front of the rim. And it’s gotta hang there to a count of three. After that, you have to make it fly straight up to the ceiling.
Then,
you’ve gotta make it roll all the way back until it reaches that seam right there,” he said, pointing. “Once it hits the seam, let it drop and guide it through the hoop so it hits nothing but net.”

“Good Lord,” Patrick said. “You lost me at okay.”

The ball whistled out of his hands and raced across the room. The shot was over in a matter of seconds.

“Geez, when are you guys gonna teach me to…”

Nate duplicated the shot before Patrick could finish his thought. He caught the ball as it fell through the net and smiled at Alex.

“You’re getting too good,” Alex said.

Patrick could only stand there and shake his head. “And it’s not just Broccoli; you’ve got Eva trained up just as much. I look like a turd compared to you guys.”

“What are you talking about, man? You’ve gotten way better.”

“Yeah, but I still suck. I’m gonna have to study my ass off to pass my Simtest.”

“You’ll do fine,” Alex said. He meant it, too. Patrick had improved a lot this semester.

“I hope you’re right. I need to ace it so I can stay in the same classes as you guys,” Patrick said. “Believe it or not, I actually
like
hanging out with yall.”

There was a brief silence and then Nate reached his lanky arm around Patrick’s shoulders. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Patrick tried to hide his smirk as he deadpanned: “Nate, I was talking about Alex and Eva.”

Nate didn’t say a word, just stood there with his arm around Patrick as he ripped a fart that went echoing off the walls.

Patrick caught a whiff of it and screwed up his face. “Ugh!” He tried to squirm away but Nate held tight. “God, I can
taste
the broccoli!” A few more seconds of torture and then he let go and Patrick bolted out of the gym. Nate and Alex chased after him. Only when they were clear of the stench did they start walking. The three friends laughed all the way to the dorm.

****

They sat on their favorite bench in their favorite spot on campus. Every so often, one of them would give the other’s hand a little extra squeeze.

“Something’s running loose on the farm,” Eva said.

Alex squinted at the red barn and saw a few animals. He couldn’t tell what they were at this distance. Maybe chickens. Or dogs. “Before I leave Pal Tech for good, I want to meet those people,” he said.

“I’m coming with you. I need to know if they have a pie cooling in the window; everything else is right on point.”

Alex smiled and put his arm around Eva’s shoulder and she leaned into him. Every now and then, a breeze would stir the air and a few strands of her blonde hair would tickle his nose.

“I can feel your jaw clenching,” Eva said. “You’re thinking about something.”