Stratagem

by Christina Hagmann

  “Grab her. She’s going to fall.” Brody stepped forward, and everything went dark.

  chapter 3

  When I awoke, I was tied tightly to a chair with rope around my waist and my ankles. My wrists burned from the silver handcuffs that remained on them. The boys also remembered to tighten the handcuffs once the silver forced me to shift back to my own form. I kept my eyes closed and my head limp, pretending to be asleep.

  In my mind, I quickly went over the information that I had gathered about my captors. The boy that was in the trunk with me was named Brody. I also collected the names of the blond, Aaron, and the driver, Dan. The shift had been a bad idea, but if they hadn’t known, I could have caught them off guard. Aaron seemed like the leader. He was the one who had told Dan about my ability to shift. They also knew that I couldn’t shift when in contact with silver.

  I remembered Aaron saying something about his dad not lying. I wondered what he meant by that. So, his father knew about mimics? Maybe his father knew about the Agency. But what did these boys want with me? Did they know about my mission?

  “So, what is she? What do we call her?” Dan asked.

  “Well, there are many names. Skinwalker. Mimic. All Native American lore.”

  “That shit is real? Does that mean werewolves and vampires are real too?” I heard a sigh. “Dude, Aaron, I didn’t believe until I saw it with my own eyes.” I squinted my eye open so I could see them. None of them were looking my way.

  “Like I said, my dad wouldn’t lie. Neither would Smith, well, at least not about this,” Aaron said. I could see his eyebrows were creased. “I wonder how many like her are out there?” He had no wonder in his voice. It was angry. Accusatory.

  Then Brody spoke. “I wonder how many out there are being used like her.” I opened my eyes to see his brows drawn together in a frown. His words took me by surprise.

  “Brody, you have to stop thinking of her as a victim.” Aaron was shaking his head at Brody. “She’s not a victim. She chose this. And she’s a monster.” I clenched my jaw, fighting back anger. His words proved that he didn’t know much about me.

  “Aaron, you have to stop thinking of her as the bad guy. There are bigger fish to fry here. You don’t know what her story is. You don’t know what they’re holding against her.”

  “Ah, guys,” Dan interrupted. “I think she’s awake.” Suddenly, all three boys stared at me. Dan stepped forward. “Welcome,” he said, smiling. Aaron shoved Dan away.

  I scanned the room. There was a gas lamp and a fire in the fireplace, probably no electricity. The room had high ceilings with exposed beams. There was a kitchen with the bare minimum furnishings and a small, round kitchen table with three chairs tucked underneath. I was currently tied to the fourth chair. There was also a living room area, and situated around the fireplace were two ratty loveseats and an overstuffed recliner with a floral pattern on it. The windows were covered in plastic, probably to keep what little warmth there was inside.

  My teeth began chattering. My sweater hung down off one shoulder after being stretched out when I shifted into Brody’s form, and my leggings were hardly enough to keep me warm on a cold fall day. My hair hung limply around my face, and I tried to toss it back.

  As Aaron whispered something to Dan, Brody approached and bent down to look me in the eyes. “Are you okay? Do you need something to drink? To eat?” I tried to clench my jaw, be strong, but I couldn’t stop the chattering of my teeth. Brody watched me until Aaron pulled him back by the elbow.

  “What are you doing?” Aaron whispered fiercely, but it wasn’t quiet enough for me not to hear.

  “I’m making sure she’s comfortable,” Brody answered matter-of-factly.

  “That’s not our job.” Aaron motioned between the both of them. Dan watched the back and forth. The boys seemed to forget about me, so I repositioned myself in the chair.

  “Aaron, she’s a person. I’m not going to let her sit here starving and freezing.”

  “Not until she tells us something.” Aaron turned to me. His eyes were cold, and his mouth was set in a line. He straightened up and then asked a question I wasn’t expecting. “What did you want with Mr. Gray?”

  I turned away, not wanting to give anything away. These boys did their homework. Even at the Agency, my mission was a secret, but these boys knew my mission had to do with Mr. Gray. Well, I was sitting outside his house.

  I ignored his question and studied the flames in the fireplace. They must have learned about the mission from Aaron’s father, the same person who told them about mimics. But what would make them want to come and kidnap me? Revenge? Ransom? What were their plans for me? If it was some kind of revenge, then they could have killed me right away. They wanted answers for some reason. But I knew that if I gave them answers, I would be dead, either by their hands or by the Agency.

  Aaron leaned close so I couldn’t ignore him. “I said, what did you want with Mr. Gray?” I clenched my jaw again, trying to make my teeth stop chattering, trying to look braver than I was feeling, but my body started shivering instead. I was sure they could sense my fear.

  Aaron turned to Dan and Brody. He punctuated his words with anger. “We’re not giving her anything until she starts to talk.” He grabbed the ax that rested by the door. My breath caught, and I froze, bringing my shoulders up. I wasn’t able to do anything to protect myself. Though the boys didn’t seem violent, I knew that I couldn’t underestimate what they were capable of, especially Aaron, who seemed to hold a particular hatred towards me.

  Aaron noticed that I was watching. “Oh, don’t worry about this.” He let out a humorless laugh. “This is for firewood. I have something else in mind for you.” With that, he turned towards the door, taking the ax with him, his shoes heavily thumping across the wood floor. As he left, he slammed the door behind him. Dan acknowledged Brody, concern in his eyes.

  Brody went into the room that was off the living area. He came back with a fleece blanket. Dan started, “But Aaron said—” Brody walked by Dan and tucked the blanket around my shoulders and legs. I felt the heavy warmth of his hands through the blanket. I tried to sink back in my seat to get away, but his hands didn’t linger a moment longer than necessary.

  He turned back to Dan. “Watch her. I need to go talk to him.” And with that, Brody was out the door, and I was left alone with Dan. He plopped down on the kitchen table, his feet dangling inches from the floor. I watched him as he watched me. Dan had blue eyes and a t-shirt that said Gearhead Garage, and he had to be about 6’3”. He flicked his hair out of his eyes. He began to swing his feet, and I could see that he was the type of person who got bored easily, and that probably got him into a lot of trouble.

  When Aaron walked out the door, I had gotten a glimpse outside. The cabin wasn’t as remote as I expected because through the trees, I could see another home. We couldn’t have been too far out of the city. Besides, we weren’t in the vehicle that long. I felt queasy, remembering the last time I was in the woods with my father. I was ashamed. I pushed that thought out of my mind.

  Finally, Dan broke the silence. “I hate the smell of this place.” When I didn’t respond, he continued. “See, that’s the thing about Brody. He has this sense of right like no other. The dude reminds me of Clark Kent. He’s a good balance for my cousin, who loses his temper easily.”

  I knew then that Dan was their weak spot. He wasn’t as focused as the other two. It made sense that he was cousins with Aaron, seeing as they resembled each other. He seemed like a good-time guy, not a businessman. Not as angry as Aaron. My mind flicked through tactics to use on him. At the Agency, I studied for situations in which I had to think on my feet, read body language, and react. I was trained in observation, but it wasn’t my actual strength. My strength was shifting and doing what I was told.

  “Dan,” I said quietly. “You have to let me go.” I tried to muster tears. Acting wasn’t my strength either, but I thought I sounded convincing.

  Dan jumped off the t
able, surprised I spoke to him and even more surprised that I called him by his name. “We can’t.” He moved closer, studying me. He clenched his fists open and closed. He was nervous but trying not to show it. “Why were you after Mr. Gray?”

  “I can’t tell you, Dan. People are in danger. You have to let me go. Please.” My eyes welled with tears. As Dan moved closer, his eyebrows raised in sympathy and his mouth twisted with concern.

  “Don’t do that.” Dan put one hand up to his forehead. “Don’t cry. You’re safe for right now.” I squinted my eyes, causing the tears to spill over the edges. “You’re fine,” Dan repeated.

  I let out a gentle sob, my body rocking. I found that real tears were hidden behind the fake tears, and soon, I really was crying. I was scared. I had never been cut out for this business. I was a normal girl who grew up in a normal house, besides the fact that I was a mimic, which I didn’t even learn until I was ten. I was just a teenager. I consciously tried to push away my self-pity. It would do me no good in this situation.

  My real fear was not these guys. These guys seemed normal, whatever their motives were. Though Aaron was intense. I was afraid that he would snap. There was some raw emotion, something about me that gnawed at him until he couldn’t stop from swatting at it.

  What I was really worried about was the Agency and what they would do to me when they got me back, or worse yet, what they would do to me as a result of my failure in the Gray Mission. It would be easier if they took me back. They would put me back in my little room, tucked away from the world. They would initiate Plan B, whatever that was. But if they didn’t get me back and they knew that I was still out here, there was no doubt in my mind that they would do a clean sweep. A kill order. I knew too much to be left alive, even though in the scheme of things, I didn’t know all that much.

  My tears were wearing out. The early tears left cold streaks on my face. I turned, trying to wipe them off on my shoulder, but I couldn’t quite reach.

  Dan moved closer. “No, really. Don’t.” He turned away, his eyes scanning the room for something, maybe a tissue, and when he couldn’t find what he was looking for, he reached out his hand to wipe the tears away. I turned so that he couldn’t touch me, but as I turned, I faced the door just in time to see Aaron enter with Brody behind him. They both froze, staring at us. Brody’s mouth hung open like he was confused, but Aaron’s face turned red as he stared at Dan, who was too stupid to put his outstretched arm down.

  Aaron took a step forward. He spit his words at Dan. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Dan put his hand behind his back, embarrassed. “Nothing.” He smiled crookedly, a smile that probably worked on most people, especially women.

  Aaron moved right in front of him. “Why are you talking to her? I told you that wasn’t your job.”

  Dan shrugged and cast his eyes downward. I wouldn’t be surprised if he kicked at an imaginary pebble. “I was trying to get information, and she’s easy to talk to.”

  “That’s because she’s tied up, you moron.” Aaron turned to Brody. “I told you she was dangerous.” He turned back to Dan. “Do not talk to her. She is going to try to manipulate you to get what she wants. That’s what they do. That is what they are trained to do.” I was surprised to hear Aaron say that. And though that was what I was supposed to do, I wasn’t very good at it, but I knew that there were other mimics who were.

  Dan’s ears turned red. “Aaron, don’t talk to me like I’m a child. I’m here, aren’t I?” He straightened up, now standing about an inch taller than Aaron.

  “You aren’t ready for this, Dan.” Again, I was surprised, but this time I was surprised that Aaron would talk about Dan that way in front of me and paint him as the weak link. Maybe Aaron wasn’t as smart as he seemed.

  “He wasn’t doing anything wrong,” I whispered. I couldn’t help it. I knew it would get me in trouble, and I knew my speaking up could make me appear vulnerable, but I hated seeing someone picked on.

  All three of the guys turned to me, stunned I had spoken. Only Aaron came at me. He was across the room in seconds. He grabbed the armrests on my chair and yanked the chair forward, the wooden legs slamming on the floor with a thump. I flinched.

  He spoke with a quiet intensity that set off an alarm in my head. “Why, if Mr. Gray is so important, wasn’t there more security detail?” His hot breath hit my face.

  I kept eye contact with him, not wanting to show any signs of weakness. I was startled by his question. He was traveling in the wrong direction if he thought that Gray was the important one, if he thought that they would plant a large security detail around such a secret assignment. My eyes were still damp with the tears I conjured for Dan. I wanted to wipe them away so I didn’t look fragile or exposed.

  Aaron reached out and grabbed my neck. I tried to recoil as he squeezed, but there was nowhere to go. He leaned in close to my face. Behind him, Brody and Dan turned away, unable to watch this sudden brutality. He spit as he talked, and his squeeze was unyielding. I tried to shake his hand off, but I couldn’t. I tried to keep my cool, to keep steady, but my brain was reacting to my body’s distress at not getting enough oxygen.

  I gasped, unable to suck in all the air I needed, again, trying to shake him off, but his hand was immovable. Finally, with what little breath I had stored, I spoke quickly. “Mr. Gray was not important.”

  Aaron let go as soon as I spoke, but I could still feel a phantom hand on my neck, squeezing. I took large gasps of air. As he reached in his pocket, I looked past him to see Dan watching me and Brody trying not to make eye contact with me.

  Then Aaron pulled out a small electronic device and the keys to the handcuffs. He pushed the device into my face. On the screen, which was smaller than a phone, was an image of a file folder that Aaron clicked open. I couldn’t read the words because Aaron shoved it so close to my face. “This is Gregory Gray’s file. He is a security officer at a small firm. He is single. Middle-aged. Healthy. What did you want with him? He is unremarkable and inconsequential. Why would the Agency send a mimic in?”

  “It was a short position,” I answered. I breathed slowly, keeping my heart rate low. I would only tell enough to keep them satisfied for the moment. Only enough to keep his hands off me until I came up with another plan.

  Aaron’s face deepened a shade of red. “My intel is legit. People lost lives for my intel, so quit lying to me and tell me the truth. Who is Mr. Gray? What was the end game, you little freak?”

  His words stung. I decided I really disliked Aaron. Of course, the choking didn’t help, and the name-calling didn’t either, but also, I wasn’t fond of the way he had treated Dan, which was curious because I didn’t even know Dan. Aaron was an asshole.

  I set my jaw to keep my cool and lifted my chin at him, holding my head high. My neck burned. I would not give him any more information and tightened my mouth shut. I had a moment of weakness before, but now that I knew who this guy was, what kind of guy he was, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

  Aaron raised his eyebrows at my defiance. He stepped closer, but then Brody spoke up. “Aaron, I think we need to take a little break.”

  “Oh, I’m just getting started.” He glared at me. Brody reached over and touched Aaron’s shoulder. That broke Aaron’s gaze. He motioned at Aaron and shook his head. It was the kind of nonverbal communication that seemed to reference a previous conversation, possibly the talk that they had outside. Brody considered me. “I’ll watch her. You guys go lie down.” I glared back. I was relieved that Brody stepped in, but I didn’t want to show that.

  Dan began to speak. “But what about—” Brody shook his head.

  Aaron slid the device and keys back into his pocket. “Come on,” he said to Dan. Dan seemed to have forgotten how Aaron had talked to him only moments ago, and he followed Aaron into the bedroom. I followed them with my eyes, and as they opened the door, I could see shapes in the room that looked like bunk beds. When they shut the door, Brody was still staring
down at me.

  He crossed his arms. “That was a pretty neat trick you did, shifting into me.” I didn’t respond. He motioned towards the bedroom door, and then back at me. “But you shouldn’t mess with Aaron. And leave Dan alone too. Dan might be a nice guy, but he can handle himself. Don’t push him.” Brody took a few steps away and then turned back. “You should try to get some rest as well. We’re in for a long day.” It looked like there was one more thing that he wanted to add, but he didn’t. He turned away and walked over to a ratty loveseat and plopped down with his back turned to me. He didn’t look back.

  I waited to see if he would say more, but he didn’t. I didn’t trust him. He seemed too nice. There had to be something behind that, some kind of act. Good cop, bad cop. But Dan didn’t fit it. He seemed to be along for the ride. Brody and Aaron were the two I had to watch out for, and Aaron was a live wire. And though he worried me, there were bigger things I should be afraid of, like the Agency.

  After a couple of minutes, I quietly tried to lift my legs from the chair, but they were tied down tightly with each foot sternly anchored around a chair leg. My waist and arms up to my elbows were taped around the chair back, and so were my shoulders. My wrists were still cuffed together, and the silver burned a deep red ring into my flesh. I had gotten a glimpse of the red before Brody covered my hands with the blanket. I tried to rub my wrists together under the blanket to ease the itch when I hit something in my inner pocket. I had completely forgotten about it. My phone.

  chapter 4

  Brody was turned away from me, his head resting on the back of the loveseat. I was surprised he wasn’t watching me. He seemed a little too trusting. I could only hope.

  I didn’t have much time. Under the blanket, I pushed the flap of my jacket back and gently pulled out the cell phone while trying not to move the blanket too much. When I had it in my hands, I tucked it between my legs, trying to remember the buttons, feeling them and counting them to find the number that I needed. My life depended on it.