Authors: Chanel Cleeton
This time I take better precautions, in part to atone for my earlier sloppiness. I change my path several times, following the most indirect route to the church. I don’t take anyone for granted. Every person on the street is analyzed and discarded. I should have noticed Luke.
When I finally enter the church, all of my senses are honed on my surroundings. The elderly woman in the corner praying could be a covert operative. The man lighting a candle in one of the chapels could be an Academy asset. I analyze each member of the church, using all the skills they gave me. When I’m finally satisfied I make my way toward the confessional, my head ducked. Between the scarf wrapped around my neck and the wig, it’s difficult to get a clear shot of my face.
I enter the confessional booth and skip the pleasantries the moment the screen cover lifts.
“I need help.”
Father Murphy makes no sign he recognizes me, but we both know he does.
“With what?”
“My little sister. She needs to be somewhere safe for a while. Can you provide that for her?”
“There’s a shelter in Bayswater. They offer refuge to battered women and children. It’s not going to be a permanent fix for her—especially since she’s a minor. At some point, they’ll have to involve the appropriate agencies.”
By then, I will have already gotten Grace out of there. It isn’t a perfect solution, but it’s all I have.
“How do I get her there?”
“I can’t disclose their location, but if you bring her here I promise to take her myself.”
I haven’t randomly decided to start visiting Father Murphy. I studied him for months before attending my first confession; I’ve seen nothing that makes me think he is anything other than who he seems to be. He is kind to the elderly and children; he helps out at food banks and works with the homeless. His homilies are measured and inspiring. If I have to trust someone with Grace, Father Murphy seems like the safest bet.
“Thank you.”
“What about you?”
“I’ve got it covered.”
###
Going into the Academy tonight changes everything. I’m about to cross a line there’s no turning back from and it’s time to settle accounts.
I wait until darkness falls to head over to Arnoff’s school. I haven’t had much time to prep a plan, but my best play is to look like I belong.
I’m wearing my “Mandy” outfit again, this time pairing the purple sweater with a black skirt that hugs my legs. I’m pretty sure I look ridiculous, but it’ll get the job done.
I find a group loitering in front of the school, smoking and talking about the evening of clubbing they have planned. There’s a guard posted inside the building, but no one at the entrance to the school. Besides, I hardly look threatening.
I walk up to the group and get a smoke from one of the guys, flashing him my best smile. Ten minutes later, I’m in the building and on Arnoff’s floor.
I walk up to his door, scanning the hallway. It’s empty, his bodyguards nowhere in sight. I pull out my lock pick kit from my bag, kneeling so I’m eye level with the opening. Luke taught me how to pick my first lock when I was twelve.
In under a minute, I’ve opened the door and am strolling into Arnoff’s room. It’s empty, the lights off. Now I wait.
Thirty minutes later, the door slides open and Arnoff walks in, flipping on the light switch. His eyes widen at the sight of me sitting on his bed.
“Hello.” He closes the door behind him and grins. “I’m not complaining or anything, but do we know each other?” He walks closer to me, his voice low and seductive. “Because if we don’t, we definitely should change that.”
I rise from the bed. “Where are your guards?”
A glimmer of confusion flashes across his face. “They’re taking a break. They don’t follow me around the school.”
This guy is way too relaxed.
“You aren’t safe. Someone has put a hit on your life. You need to keep your guards close to you at all times. Don’t trust anyone. Not even girls that show up in your bed.”
When I don’t do the Arnoff job, they’ll just send someone else. I don’t know if he’s guilty or innocent, but after Luke’s story I can’t take the risk of deciding that myself. I don’t want another man’s blood on my hands when he could be innocent of the charges they’ve levied against him. It’s not about saving this boy; it’s about standing up and refusing to be a pawn on their board. If I’m going to play their game then I’m going to be a fucking queen.
He blinks at me. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“No.”
“Who are you?”
“It doesn’t matter, but you need to take this seriously. It’s not a joke. Or a game. There are people who want to weaken your father’s power and they’re willing to kill you to do it.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Consider it a favor.” I walk past him, moving toward the door, my mind already on the next part of the evening and the impossible task we have ahead of us.
“Wait a second. You can’t just drop a bomb like that and then leave.” He makes a move toward me.
I really wanted to do this the easy way, but I can’t risk him making a scene or yelling for help. In a blink of an eye, I have him on his knees.
“What the hell?”
He’s bigger than I am, but I have training and the element of surprise working in my favor. Using my body weight, I hold him down as I grab the black cord from my bag with my free hand. He struggles while I use the cord to tie his arms to the desk leg.
He opens his mouth to yell—
I grab a shirt from the pile of laundry at the foot of his bed, stuffing it into his mouth. He fights me every step of the way as I tie the ends of the fabric behind his head in a makeshift gag.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to do this, but you didn’t exactly leave me much choice.”
His arms strain against the cords.
“You said your guards would be back soon. It’s not like you’re going to be here all that long. Just don’t fight it; you’ll be fine.”
His gaze is murderous. I doubt he realizes I’ve likely just saved his life.
I glance down at my watch. Time to go.
I open the door to Arnoff’s room and before I can step into the hall, my body collides with something solid.
Shit.
###
Motherfucker.
I should have realized Luke would show up.
“Is Arnoff alive?” he asks.
I glare at him. “Yes. Are you here to kill him?”
Luke almost looks offended. “No. Are you?”
“I came to save him.”
“Me too.” His gaze is speculative. “They’ll know you turned on them.”
“Does it really matter? I think they’ll figure it out when they realize we’ve searched the school.”
Luke’s lips twitch. “You don’t have a lot of confidence in my abilities, do you?”
“Come on. You know just as well as I do that the deck is stacked against us on this one. Even if you don’t want to admit it.”
A thump sounds on the other side of the door. I grimace. “I have to get out of here.”
“What did you do to him?”
I shrug. “Tied him to the desk and gagged him with his T-shirt.”
Luke shakes his head.
“Would you have played it differently?”
He looks like he’s struggling not to laugh. “Nope. Sounds like a great plan. I just feel bad for Arnoff. It had to be a blow to his self-esteem.”
“Because I’m a girl?”
“No. It has less to do with you being a girl, and more the fact that no guy likes to look like an arse in front of a girl he thinks is hot.”
What the fuck?
Luke leans in and sniffs. I flush. I forgot about the stupid perfume I put on, but of course he noticed it.
His eyes gleam when he pulls back.
“I don’t have time for this,” I snap. “I need to go take care of something. And you don’t want to get caught here when his guards come back.”
Luke moves aside, letting me walk past him. I don’t bother waiting for him to join me. When I’m halfway down the hall, I hear him call out—
“Nice skirt.”
Ass.
###
The giant knot in my chest tightens. “It’s a surprise.”
Grace grins. “Do you think anyone will notice we’re gone?”
“Not if we’re lucky.” I don’t take my eyes off my surroundings, my body shielding Grace from the street. Darkness is beginning to fall and the crowd has thickened considerably.
“Are we almost there?”
“Just up ahead.”
My heart pounds as we walk the remaining distance. I stop in front of the heavy metal doors, ducking out of sight of the street.
“Why are we here?”
This is the part I’ve been dreading. Ever since the night we came to the Academy, I promised I would take care of Grace and watch over her. Will she think I’m abandoning her now?
I put my arms around her, giving her a swift hug. “I need you to trust me. Something has come up at the Academy. I don’t think we’re safe anymore. I need you to stay here until I come for you.”
“Why?” Her voice trembles slightly.
Should I tell her the truth and risk scaring her? Should I have told her about my suspicions all along, even though I have no clue what’s going on? It’s moments like these when I never know if I’m making the right decision. The last thing I want to do is screw this up, but at the same time, I don’t know what to do. I’m not her parent, have no idea how to be her parent. I want to keep her safe. Beyond that, I just don’t know anymore.
“Because I need to know that you’ll be safe. And if you stay at the Academy, they can use you against me. Think of this as a mission. I need you to stay out of sight for a little bit. I promise, I’ll come for you. I’ll send messages to you to let you know I’m okay.”
“Using our code?”
“Yep. I promise.” I pull back, studying her face, attempting to memorize every inch of it.
Tears well in her eyes. I try to tell myself that she’ll be okay, that she’ll be safe here, that this isn’t the last time we’ll ever see each other. I try to be strong for her.
“Be safe, Grace. Trust no one. The man who is going to take you to the safe house is Father Murphy. He won’t hurt you, but don’t tell him anything about the Academy or about our lives. Don’t tell anyone.”
She nods. She knows the rules as well as I do.
My voice cracks. “I love you, Grace.”
Her voice sounds so small. “I love you, too.”
For a moment, I think Grace is going to cry. Instead, she turns toward the church doors.
Hidden in the shadows, I spy Father Murphy walking to greet her. I linger there, watching over my sister. When they’re no longer visible, I turn and walk away, feeling like I’ve left my entire world behind me.
Luke is dressed for combat—black military style trousers, tight black T-shirt—which is pretty appropriate given our mission. We meet in the shadows next to the main administration building, just as the clock tower chimes midnight.
“Ready?” he asks by way of a greeting.
I nod, the movement jerky. I’m ready and I’m not. Part of me wants to see this as just another mission and part of me is nervous as hell. I let Luke take the lead, following him along the building wall. I’ve already analyzed the entry and exit points, developing my own strategy for escaping if—when—we are caught.
The night is eerily quiet. The Academy has plenty of security, but here Luke and I have the advantage. We’ve both done our homework. It remains unspoken that there are six guards spread out at random points around the campus. The Academy worries more about keeping outsiders out; they aren’t as prepared for what’s happening inside the school. Security is by no means lax, but it isn’t insurmountable.
Luke stops in front of a window, pressing against the wall so our bodies are cloaked in the dark. According to the building blueprint, this window doesn’t lead into the Director’s office; it takes us to a bathroom one floor down.
Luke pulls a glasscutter from one of the pockets of his black trousers.
“The alarm?” I ask.
“The bathroom zone is turned off.”
“How’d you manage that?”
“Did it this afternoon.”
I peer up at the space, doubt filling me. The window is small and high off the ground. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who will have to go in first. Besides, I have my own doubts about how successful Luke will be with his injury still healing.
In the distance, the sound of a bird cawing breaks through the night.
“Shit.” Luke fumbles, and we both watch as the tool slips from his grasp. I lunge, catching it before the metal hits the ground. I move to hand it back to him, and then it hits me. Luke’s nervous. I’ve never seen him nervous before.
“Let me.” I step in front of him, tool in hand, working on cutting a circle in the glass. Luckily, it’s a task that requires precision rather than brute force.
“Have you thought of our cover if security catches us tonight?” I ask, careful to keep my voice low.
“I figured we’d improvise.”
So basically, we’re fucked if we get caught.
A minute later I pull the tool away from the window, my gloved hand resting carefully on the circle of glass, holding it suspended in the air. The school uses several security methods to guard against intrusion. The Director’s floor is the most heavily guarded. The second floor? Not so much. Especially since Luke deactivated the alarm. Still—
I grab the glass, pulling it away from the window, handing it to Luke. He takes it from me without speaking. It’s not a large circle, but it’s big enough—
I put my hand through the hole, curving my wrist to reach the lever to open the window. My fingers graze the metal. My hand trembles. I flip the window lock, and for a few seconds, I hesitate. If Luke didn’t successfully kill the alarm in the room, this will be the moment everything ends. I know how long it will take us to get from here to the exit point and it won’t be fast enough.
I pull the window up, my body poised and ready for flight. I know the number of steps it will take for me to escape; I know how many guards will respond. And despite our preparation, I still don’t like my odds. We’re good, but the only way to stay alive is to assume the Academy’s better.
Silence fills the air as I raise the glass pane. I push up until the window is completely open, the space barely large enough for us to crawl through.
No alarm sounds. Relief floods me.
Luke moves forward, coming behind me. He cups his hands, motioning for me to put my foot on the step he’s created. I follow his lead, holding on to the windowsill, my heel cradled by Luke’s grip. I allow him to boost me up, slipping through the window nearly silently.
Inside the bathroom, I drop down to the ground with a light thud. The room is dark and quiet. I wait for a moment, adjusting to the darkness, listening for a sign that anyone has heard me. Silence. A minute passes before I whisper to Luke.
“All clear.”
He crawls through the window next, slightly louder than me but impressive considering he’s on his own. He lands on his feet with a light bounce. I wince, imagining the pain he must be in, his stomach still bandaged.
“What’s next?”
Luke points toward the bathroom ceiling.
“Seriously?”
“It’s the best way.”
He’s not the one who’s claustrophobic.
“I hate you.”
“So you say.” He points toward the air vent. “Up. It leads straight into the Director’s office.”
Luke shrugs out of his black backpack, opening up zippers and pulling out rappelling cords and a harness. I take the equipment from him, suiting up while he does the same. Our movements are perfectly in sync; we’ve done a version of this before.
Suddenly, I hear voices on the other side of the bathroom door. Followed by heavy footsteps.
The door swings open.
###
A light circles the room—a flashlight.
There’s no need for Luke’s hand over my mouth because I’m pretty sure the breath has been knocked from my body. I’ve never heard of an asset getting caught for breaking and entering, and/or spying, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t going to end pleasantly for either of us.
I wait, my body tense. A thudding sound fills the bathroom. One minute passes. Then two. My mind is filled with images of the vicious torture we’re likely to undergo if we’re caught. I don’t even think about what they’ll do to my sister…
“They’re gone.” Luke releases the hand over my mouth and I step off the toilet seat. “That was close.”
I nod, the words stuck in my throat.
“We should hurry in case they come back for a more thorough check. Sorry, I didn’t know about that round of guards.”
I shake my head. “Neither did I.”
We finish putting our harnesses on, our movements quicker than before. This time when Luke hoists me up I move toward the ceiling, pushing the air vent up and to the side. The space is impossibly narrow.
I discovered my claustrophobia the fun way when I was fourteen. In one of our field classes, they made each of us hide in a box for a few hours. I freaked out after ten minutes in front of an entire class of assets. The only way I ended up being able to make it through the exercise was by counting until time ran out. Luke saw it all.
I wait while Luke sets up the harness and connects it to the ceiling near the vent.
One. Two. Three.
I tug on the line until I’m satisfied it’ll hold, trying not to think of the small space above me.
Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen.
I begin pulling myself up. The guards can do another sweep of the bathroom at any time, and at some point, they’ll notice the hole in the glass. The fact that one guard missed it is just dumb luck; I doubt we’ll get lucky twice.
My head breaks through the airshaft first. I push on the metal around me, pulling the rest of my body through the small space. The very small space.
Thirty. Thirty-one. Thirty-two.
I crawl on my stomach, using my elbows and knees to propel myself forward. I wait for Luke; I can hear him behind me, pulling himself up much as I did. With his injury, I can’t even imagine the pain he must be in.
Fifty. Fifty-one. Fifty-two.
My heart pounds now, the motion in perfect time with the harsh, rapid breaths racking my body. It’s not a full-on panic attack—not yet, at least—but given the length of the airshaft it isn’t a good sign. I owe it to Luke to not freak out now.
“You okay?” he whispers, his arm brushing against my leg.
“Yeah,” I lie through gritted teeth. “You?”
“I’m fine.”
I push back against the panic spreading throughout my body. A memory flickers.
Fire. Flames. Smoke.
“You’re safe.”
Eighty-one. Eighty-two. Eighty-three.
I focus on the counting, on saying those numbers over and over again in my head. I push the fire out, locking the memory away, commanding my shaky limbs to obey. I crawl through the air vent, visualizing the building blueprint.
Luke doesn’t bother telling me the turns. Instead he follows me, his presence both comforting and nerve-racking at the same time. I rarely work with a partner; most Academy missions are solo. I usually prefer it that way. This time, though, it’s nice to have someone else with me.
This is the biggest mission of my life.
The crawl feels endless but between the counting and my periodic time checks, I realize only five minutes have passed. We turn once. Twice. Until I stop in front of an air vent in front of me.
“Wait.”
I look back at him. Luke pulls out a device from one of his pockets.
“Jammer. For the cameras and alarm.”
I noticed the separate power source leading to the Director’s office when I looked at the blueprints. Her office must be wired to a different system from the rest of the building.
Luke plays with the device, his brow tense. Finally, he exhales. “We’re good to go.”
I pull out a drill, removing the screws from the top of the air vent. I lift the vent, pushing it out of the way. Cool air fills my lungs.
“Ready?”
I nod.
I push my legs through the vent opening. The drop isn’t far, but I still use Luke’s arms to steady me, allowing him to lower me down into the Director’s office. I land on my feet, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. I pivot on my heels, turning to take in my surroundings. Luke hits the ground behind me, the movement nearly silent. The wince on his face doesn’t escape my notice. He’s definitely hurting.
He glances down at his watch. “The guards will come through and check her office in ten minutes.”
I turn on my flashlight and start with the wall of bookshelves opposite the desk while Luke begins with the Director’s computer. I want to search her desk but if my hunch is right, it likely has the most security. If I’m going to inadvertently set off an alarm, I’d rather do it right before we leave.
The bookshelves are floor-to-ceiling tall. I scan the shelves quickly, pulling out a few books and flipping through the pages. Nothing. I move away and glance down at my watch.
Luke hunches over the Director’s computer, his gloved hands typing furiously. “This is going to take some time.”
“We have seven minutes.”
“There’s no way I can get all of this in seven minutes.”
“Get what you can.”
We move silently and quickly, for the most part ignoring each other. I don’t do a lot of searches in my line of work—we have specialists for that, people who can find anything—but I know enough. I can’t leave any trace behind. If they discover what we’ve done, the office will be swept for any fiber or hair; they’ll search for any clue they can use to catch us.
I check my watch again. Five minutes. I begin straightening the items on the bookshelf, making my way over to the desk.
“You almost done?”
Luke grunts, his body hunched over the computer. I forgot how he hates being rushed.
“Five minutes,” I remind him.
He swears. “I can’t break the last code.”
I ignore him, pulling on the handle of the bottom drawer. It doesn’t open. I reach into my jacket pocket, retrieving my lock pick. It’s not the least obvious way to get in, but with less than five minutes left until the guards come through, it’s the only shot I have. Besides, of all the drawers in the Director’s desk, this is the one that interests me the most.
It’s the one she pulled my file from.
“I’m in,” Luke hisses.
So am I. I stuff the tools back into my pockets, staring at the desk safe sitting in the drawer. We were prepared for this. I grab the safe cracker out of the backpack Luke brought with him, my gaze on my watch as I set the device on the safe and let it work its magic.
Ten seconds. Twenty. Thirty.
Sweat drips down my brow; I wipe it away with the back of my hand.
A beep sounds and I stare down at the device. The safe’s open.
My gloved hands remove the safe cracker, lifting the lid, thumbing through the contents. Thank, fuck. There it is—X.
I grab my phone, using the camera to capture images of the pages. I know enough from Grace’s experience working with computers to question Internet security and I can’t help but wonder if the Director prefers to do things old school, keeping her important files safe from hackers, trusting the school’s security over cyberspace.