Authors: Sara Schoen
I arrived at the location earlier than planned because it had been easier to get out of the loft than I thought. Camden left for his date with Danielle, which I hadn’t known about until this morning. He told me while on his way out the door, and said he would be back in time to make it to the compound before we had to meet Miguel. I wasn’t pleased Danielle was still willing to see him, but right now I wasn’t going to complain since it allowed me to slip out of the building before the guard Miguel sent to watch me arrived.
I had been able to leave the building casually for the first time in months, and made it to the meeting place without having him tail me, or see me at all. It would appear as if I never left until I showed up from my run, and the guard would have to scramble for a report. Arriving early also meant I would have more time with Demon to ask him a few questions, and not just about Night Stripe. I had a few other inquiries to make. Most regarded Night Stripe, because she wouldn’t have any idea who I was and that made me nervous. Her friends, Camo and Spit Fire, had both seen my face, and they knew me. They were keeping her in the dark, just like me, and I wanted to know why.
I wanted to know if I could convince them otherwise.
Then I wanted to know the plan. I had been involved with the cartel too long to just step aside now. I wanted to be a part of it, even if it was dangerous. They wouldn’t take kindly to realizing who I was, and discovering just how far I had climbed in their ranks. It would spell disaster for the cartel. The other bases would fall shortly after, and hopefully the members would disperse knowing that I would come after them.
They were already fearful of me. Many of them avoided me, and realizing I wasn’t on their side anymore would send most of them running for cover. I just wanted to be certain they wouldn’t start over.
“Renegade,” a voice called, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned toward the voice just as a tall figure stepped out behind a set of trees. His dark blond hair gave him away once he stepped into the sunlight that had penetrated through the leaves of the trees around us.
Whip Lash stepped forward in his usual outfit, jeans and a shirt with a whip hanging from his side. He reminded me of Indiana Jones in a way, mostly due to the whip, but also in the stern and somewhat annoyed tone he had. He was quick to reprimand, tell you exactly what you did wrong, and then order you out on another mission so he wouldn’t have to look at you. Though he had a habit of showing up just when you needed him.
His hands clutched the whip as he came closer to me, as if ready for a fight. I never understood why he chose a whip as a weapon. Indiana Jones even had trouble with it when it came to a fight. The weapon I had chosen was the Thompson Machine gun, which I had waiting for me at the compound. At least that made sense as a weapon—point and shoot. A whip seemed too impractical. Though I never wanted to be on the wrong side and figure out just how he survived with one for so long.
“Whip Lash,” I replied, glancing around him for Demon. When he didn’t emerge from behind the trees, I knew something was going on. “Where’s Demon? Camo said I would be meeting him.”
“He’s not coming today. He’s busy working with Night Stripe before she gets sent in. A little bit of last minute training, I guess you could say.” He scoffed and shook his head as he spoke. “But if you ask me, he’s too worried about letting her come, so he’s busy trying to prepare her for it even though she’s more than ready for the mission. He just wants to ease his conscience before we lose contact with her.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him curiously. Demon rarely took that much interest in a recruit. Why was this one different? “Does he have a thing for her?” I asked curiously, remembering how protective he was of her the last time he spoke of her. He either had a romantic interest in her, or they were related somehow. That was the only thing that made sense in my mind, because typically he sent them on missions and didn’t think twice about it. This girl was
something
to him.
“No, just protective,” Whip Lash said before he hesitated, as if trying to determine if he should tell me the rest. He eventually gave in, explaining why there was a special interest in her. “We practically raised her to become part of the agency, and then one day take on these same missions. We trained her for years without her realizing it, brought her to CIRA to have her become an official agent, and now we’re sending her into the world to destroy everything. I feel like a parent.” He laughed. “That’s how it feels at least. She’s got a habit of messing things up if she isn’t focused, and while I am worried, I’m just not as attached to her as Demon is. He was her friend for years, the only one there for her after her
incident
.” He paused, making sure he didn’t give away too much. I didn’t fail to miss when he changed the topic from her incident back to him and Demon. “He’s her support, and I’m her discipline. She needs both him and me to stay balanced, which makes me the bad guy when I break up their fun.”
“What is he so worried about if you both trained her, and you know she’s ready for it?”
Whip Lash let out a chuckle accompanied by a mischievous smile, as if he knew something I didn’t. Which wouldn’t surprise me since they were always very careful on what they let slip around me. “She’s going to be hitting the ground running, in more ways than one, and he’s worried about how she’ll react after she ditched her prior mission.” I raised my eyebrow, hoping to get him to explain further, but he declined. “The less you know about her and her previous mission, the better. You can get to know her after the mission, but until then keep your distance. We don’t want to attract unnecessary attention to her.”
“What does that mean?”
Again, Whip Lash chuckled. “You’ll see what I mean when she gets here.” He fell silent after that, letting me know I wasn’t going to get anything else from him on the topic. We remained silent for a while, until I changed the discussion and he felt comfortable answering again.
“How soon is she coming?” I asked. I needed her here. I needed her to save my sister from this life. I had been thinking it over more and more, about how she knew my sister, how Camo thought they were in love. I knew the signs when it came to Camden, and it was only a matter of time before Danielle wouldn’t have a way out.
“She can be here right now if you need her to be,” he replied, eyeing me curiously. “I just didn’t think you’d want her around after how Demon said you reacted to the change in plans. I know you don’t like the idea of a rookie coming in, especially one you aren’t sure you can trust,” he said, reading my thoughts over the last few weeks.
“Yeah, there’s been a change of plans in the cartel too. There’s a lot going on with the agent you’ve sent in. Camo is catching a lot of attention, and if we don’t move the final game plan forward, then I’m worried we’ve lost altogether.” I let the words sink in for Whip Lash. His features were deadpan; nothing ever seemed to alarm him. So when he didn’t reply I told him what I wanted. “Send her in now.”
“I will get word to Demon. Be sure you’re ready for this. She’s going to have a rough entry, but then she’s going to get right to work once she can. We’re hoping it won’t take too long after we send her in. She has a proclivity for causing enough of a commotion to make her plans work. I hope you can read her as easily as you do others. That’s the only form of communication you’ll get from her.”
“What do you mean? I thought she wasn’t going to know who I was.”
“She won’t, and you can’t tell Night Stripe that you’re in the agency, because it would put you both in danger.” He paused to make sure that I understood. When I nodded, he continued, “She’s very easy to read if you pay attention. Her emotions and thoughts are etched into her features. You should have no problem, unless Rum actually taught her to control it. Maybe Fire Fox should have taught her that. Better to have that on her mind than him telling her he’s an old friend of hers before a mission.”
I fought the urge to ask who Rum and Fire Fox were. It wasn’t important at this time to learn the names of other agents I may never meet. I could figure it out later, and then maybe find out why Whip Lash had such a disdain for Fire Fox. If I had to guess, it had to do with something Fire Fox told Night Stripe before her first mission, and now Whip Lash blamed him for Night Stripe vanishing into the chaos, but that was just a guess.
“I won’t tell her who I am. I won’t get in her way either,” I replied, realizing the importance of working with them on this. I always considered it better to act first, then ask forgiveness later.
“Good. Now there’s one more thing before I go. It’s going to be a tough mission for you both,” Whip Lash warned, regaining my attention at the dark tone his voice took. “We’ve made it very difficult for Night Stripe to figure out who you are. Camo and Spit Fire haven’t seen her in weeks, and while they are still working on this mission, they won’t see her again until it’s over. Night Stripe doesn’t know they’ve met you, or where they are. As far as she knows, they are gone, and that’s how we are going to keep it. She’s been busy working on her cover, which must remain intact for this to work. Don’t blow her cover, and don’t get caught.”
“What if she is found out?”
Whip Lash hesitated for a moment before he turned his cool grey eyes back to me. “It’s your job to protect her. She’s valuable to CIRA, just like all of our agents, but she has a skill set we require. She’s vital for future missions and training, and that means she needs to be kept alive no matter what, even if the choice comes down to her or your sister. That’s a direct order, so don’t forget it.” He turned around and raced off without another word. Leaving me to wonder what I would do if it did come down to a choice between saving her or saving Danielle.
Camden had gone out with Danielle again, but this time she had been the one to call him and ask for the date. It shocked us both, and he went home early for the first time in months to get ready. I felt strange seeing him so excited, and it would have made me happy to know he was ecstatic to see my sister if he wasn’t just using her.
He talked about how great it would be after the charade ended, but I don’t think he realized it would never be fully over. His father stressed keeping business and pleasure separate. It didn’t matter what he said, but Miguel swore Camden’s mother never figured out the truth. It was hard to believe that someone could be married to the leader of a cartel and not know. Between the late hours, the various meetings, and lies they had to tell to keep up the image, it amazed me it hadn’t shattered around them already. It would soon.
Camden raced out of the loft after he changed into clothes he said Danielle preferred, and picked up a present he had gotten for her off the counter. I could tell he had a plan I hadn’t been informed of yet, and knowing him, I wouldn’t be until he felt I needed to know. Either way, he left me sitting at home alone, waiting and hoping for someone to knock on the window again.
Whip Lash had given me a lot to think about after our meeting a few days ago. Not only about what would happen if it came time to choose between Danielle and Night Stripe, but what would happen to the mission itself. He hadn’t spoken much about it, avoiding saying anything other than how Night Stripe would come in. Both Demon and Whip Lash had stated she would hit the ground running. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but judging from their reactions it wouldn’t be pretty. Demon had cringed, but laughed it off as payback for her vanishing after her last mission, while Whip Lash just chuckled.
I hoped whatever happened wouldn’t severely injure her, otherwise she’d be of no use for the mission. I also wondered what last minute training Demon had taken her through. Did they intend to help her enter the mission, or were they training her for a skill that would aid her during the mission? Whip Lash said she’d been working on her cover, that she’d been separated from her teammates, and that she wouldn’t know my identity, but still emphasized the difficulty of the mission. It only seemed difficult because we wouldn’t be able to communicate, but Whip Lash claimed she was easy to read. A detail escaped me, but what?
They’d sent two rookies, one known to be unpredictable, and the other patient enough to wait in the shadows. Why would they bring in two rookies? Why would they risk sending someone in who had disappeared after her last mission? She was spontaneous, lacked a team mentality, and reckless. While I planned out every detail, worked with who I was assigned with, and remained cautious throughout the mission. We were exact opposites, and that could mean the worst. Unless the whole plan had been based off her recklessness. Then again, who better to relate to Danielle than someone more her age and full of life? That could be why Whip Lash had said I shouldn’t worry. He figured Night Stripe’s reaction was a one-time thing, that she wouldn’t do it again. Well, more like he hoped it wouldn’t happen again, and just wanted to see how this mission played out. That risked the mission on a whim, a dangerous move, bringing false hope that she would be able to connect to Danielle.
I knew Danielle well, and she rarely made friends easily. Nothing about her friendships was fast or close. She had very few close friends, and the ones she did have stayed with her through everything. She wouldn’t let Night Stripe in unless something bonded them together, and I had a feeling it had something to do with how she planned to enter the mission.
Knowing what little I did, I had a feeling she was planning something reckless. Demon had kept everything a secret because of how I might react, and it was due to Night Stripe. If it wasn’t, they wouldn’t have told me the stories of why they trusted her and knew she could do this. They would have told me exactly what they’d planned. To be recruited and trained by her team leader that early, she would have shown a remarkable talent, or been exactly what they needed. They clearly didn’t see the recklessness, or ignored it.
Demon had mentioned she’d been sent in to replace someone lost on the previous mission to Sandtown. I guessed he’d been talking about Hess, who’d entered to steal information, which made it clear Night Stripe was a thief as well. Demon told me about her once before—a remarkable talent. Hess died trying to stop the cartel, which left Night Stripe without a trainer. I couldn’t help but wonder who was training the new agent—Rum or Fire Fox? What could Night Stripe learn from someone not in her field?
I didn’t believe in honor among thieves. I hoped Demon and Whip Lash were making the right choices because if she got caught, everything would fall to pieces. Then four years would have been wasted, my sister could end up hurt, and then I would have to protect Night Stripe over my family. Whip Lash had emphasized she was the only one they had left at the agency, so she had to be kept alive, but why did he automatically assume I would have to choose between her and my sister? Something about his assumption made me worry. He
knew
the choice would come.
They kept me in the dark, and now they were keeping Night Stripe in the dark as well, maybe even from the start. Did she know what she was getting into or was she in for a surprise? Is that why she ran away after her first mission? Was the stress too much, or had something happened? I wish I knew, because if my gut was right, and this mission failed, I may never get the chance to ask her why Demon thought I would be proud of her.
I had a guess, but it couldn’t be true. Night Stripe couldn’t have killed Ash Crest and lived to tell about it. She would have needed a reason to go after him. I had seen his file in Miguel’s office, and I knew we used Ash as a hit man when needed, but would the cartel have gone after her, or was she like me? Targeted.
I didn’t have time to entertain the thought because Camden barged into the loft, forcing me from the debate going on in my head. The door slammed shut behind him before he spoke. “Marco, I don’t know how you did it, but I can’t thank you enough for finding that photo of Jackson for me.”
I turned around in my seat to glance in his direction. He wore a smile that took up most of his face, and showed a grin that reminded me of one I would give my mom when I did something I wasn’t supposed to. It typically led to me getting caught, and grounded.
It made me wonder what Camden had done.
“Why is that?”
“Everything with Danielle is going perfectly,” he said. “We went on a date and didn’t talk about her brother once, just us. I could really see this whole thing working out.”
“Even though it’s all based on a lie, and her brother is probably dead? You know you’re going to have to tell her eventually. She isn’t going to take the news well, as you’ve already guessed,” I said, rising to meet him face to face.
“I didn’t say it would work out perfectly,” Camden retorted. “I don’t expect it to, but I’m going to have to move things along. My father will be talking to us sometime in the next few days to discuss the transfer of power. I haven’t told him about Danielle yet, but if I need to buy myself some more time, I will.”
Telling Miguel would put a nail in the coffin for sure. He would do anything to make sure his son kept this relationship working, even if it meant pulling André in on the case to fake a death certificate. I needed to know I would be able to talk to her after this mission. I just had to buy myself more time, and more time for this other agent to actually show up. If she didn’t show up soon, I couldn’t be sure she’d be able to stop the cartel without hurting my sister.
“Sounds great,” I said. “Just don’t rush anything. Didn’t you tell me she was still pretty torn up about it? You don’t want to rush. That’s how I ruined some of my past relationships.”
Camden laughed. I rarely talked about my past, mostly because it would clash with the man I was impersonating. I knew Marco’s life front and back, but nothing could be better than the one I had experienced myself, mistakes and all.
“You’re right. It’s still too soon to propose to her, but if I’m right, she should be calling me tomorrow to ask if she can stay here for a few days. I’m hoping that will speed things up with us. Maybe get it right where I need it to be so I can propose to her.”
“What makes you think she’s going to call to stay here? She has friends. Why would she come here?” I asked curiously, hoping he wouldn’t do anything to her friends. Whether it involved bribing or persuasion by blackmail, Camden didn’t care, as long as he got his way. “There’s no way she would come here,” I added.
He flashed a mischievous smile. “I have my ways.”
He stepped away, something about having to clean out the other room for her, which we used as storage and a workroom. He seemed confident. Now I really wanted to know what he had done, but he wasn’t talking. I would have to wait.
“You do have your ways, Camden. That’s what I’m afraid of,” I muttered to myself, looking out the window. I wondered if any of the other agents were somewhere nearby, and if I had seen Night Stripe already in passing. I wanted to know if Camden had tricked Night Stripe into thinking he’d fallen in love with Danielle as he had done with Camo. He’d always had a way with people. “I’m afraid of what you do to get your way,” I mumbled to myself. “And this time is no different.”