Vortex

by Julie Cross

  “Okay,” I said quietly.

  “You and Stewart … that’s just none of my business. I won’t mention it again.”

  “Great.”

  “So, did you and Stewart really—”

  I put a hand over her mouth. “You just said it wasn’t any of your business. You’re such a hypocrite.”

  She barely cracked a smile and then moved so fast. She had my arm twisted behind my back in half a second. “I take name-calling very seriously. You better say something nice to make up for it.”

  Kendrick tugged harder on my arm and I faked a moan. “I think you dislocated my shoulder … seriously, let go!”

  She released me immediately. “Just don’t move it—”

  “Sucker,” I said, then I took off and jumped over the back of the couch before she could make another move. I landed on the other side and turned around, the protection of furniture between us. “Now, let’s see you try that again.”

  She grinned at me. “There’s only one way out of here.”

  Both of us were dancing back and forth, waiting for the other one to make a move, when Michael walked in the door, taking in the odd situation.

  “Um … hey. What’s going on?”

  Kendrick kept her eyes on me. “Just settling an argument about which flu vaccine has been the least effective.”

  “Okay … I will definitely be staying out of this one.” He walked behind her and she turned around to kiss him.

  I quickly jumped back over the couch and had my hand on the doorknob in no time. “See ya later, Lily.”

  “Damn,” she muttered as I shut the door behind me.

  CHAPTER TEN

  JUNE 16, 2009, 7:30 A.M.

  Senator Healy gave me the final mission instructions today: be a guest at the party and nothing more. Kendrick is also playing the guest role, since she is currently enrolled as a med student and has even interned for some of the doctors that will be attending.

  I have a confession to make. Late last night, in a desperate sleepless moment, I took a train to Jersey and walked by Adam’s house. I didn’t see him or anything and all the lights were out, but his car was unlocked. I got in, sat in the driver’s seat, looked through his CD collection, and then when I uncovered Jeff Buckley’s album, Grace, I found myself stuffing it in my pocket and taking off. It’s Adam’s favorite. I knew that. And I couldn’t put my finger on why I needed to have it, but it was triggering a memory that wasn’t yet concrete. Or maybe I just needed to leave my mark in this Adam’s life.

  JUNE 16, 2009, 7:49 P.M.

  Kendrick and I walked into the ballroom at the Plaza Hotel in our formal attire, a tux for me and a pink dress for her, but we both had concealed weapons, earpieces, anti-time-travel injections, and cell phones. So, yeah, tonight wasn’t exactly the relax-and-have-fun kind of experience.

  Both of us were getting anxious because our lives had suddenly turned so boring and uneventful. Not that we wanted danger every waking moment, but the lack of threat seemed to make the anxiety build. It’s coming, and in a big way. That was what it seemed like to me anyway.

  “There’s the honorable man of the night,” Kendrick said, nodding toward the long table where Senator Healy sat with several of the invited international political figures. “So, who do you want to put your money on? The Chinese ambassador is pretty important. I doubt anyone’s trying to take out the Lithuanian dude.”

  I pulled a chair out for Kendrick and scanned the long table. “My money is on the host.”

  “That would be a big splash, wouldn’t it?” she said with a smile.

  Several of the members of the important table were looking in our direction, speaking to others seated next to them in their native language. I put my arm around the back of Kendrick’s chair and leaned in close to her ear to whisper, “So, do you think you can read lips and translate into English at the same time?”

  She smiled but kept her head forward. “I’ll start with the right end and you start with the left.”

  “Russian, my favorite,” I said. I watched the middle-aged man fiddling with his bow tie and grumbling to the woman next him. All I had to do was watch closely and then replay it back over and over until I could translate. “The Russian dude said he hates that they keep putting ice in his drink. It tastes like water and he’ll never get drunk.”

  Kendrick laughed with her eyes on the Frenchwoman. “She’s just telling the Italian man about her children. Nothing too useful.”

  “Practicing your international spy skills, I see,” Senator Healy’s voice came from behind us.

  Kendrick and I both turned quickly.

  He chuckled again. “Just kidding. Jackson, please introduce me to this lovely young woman you’ve brought.” He turned to Kendrick and rested a hand on her back. He was testing our ability to remain undercover. “I’ve known Jackson’s father for years. He’s been very agreeable when it comes to FDA policy. His company donated over a hundred grand to this event.”

  “Oh … well, that’s very generous,” Kendrick said.

  “Yes, he’s a great man. I’m disappointed he couldn’t make it tonight.” His eyes froze on mine, waiting.

  I cleared my throat. “Oh, right … Senator Healy, this is Lily Kendrick.”

  “Perhaps you two would like to meet some of our guests of honor?” he asked with a grin.

  We both stood up and I could practically hear Kendrick running through the names and basic info on all the international crew in her head.

  Senator Healy grabbed the back of my jacket, holding me back and letting Kendrick walk ahead. “I thought we agreed you would spend time with Agent Stewart,” he hissed into my ear.

  Was I supposed to invite her? He told Kendrick to come as a guest. We both thought that meant to come with me.

  “I have, sir,” I said quietly. “I didn’t realize you meant tonight.”

  He let out an exasperated sigh and then said, “I guess that leaves plan B.”

  Plan B?

  When we reached the table, the senator leaned close to me and said, “Feel free to show off a little, greet them in their native language.”

  I had no idea why he suggested that when I was being presented as the son of a CEO, a native of New York City. Not some CIA agent who could process foreign language better than most geniuses. Kendrick and I made our way down the table, and I did as the senator instructed and baffled the translators. When I reached the Russian man at the far end, I only shook his hand for a second and said hello in Russian. I didn’t remember any of the words that followed because my eyes froze on another girl in a pink dress, clear across the ballroom.

  “Oh, God, this can’t be happening,” I muttered.

  Kendrick said a quick good-bye to the Russian man and steered me away from the table. “What can’t be happening?”

  I couldn’t answer her. All I could do was stare at Holly, who was standing next to that Brian guy across the room. I had never been more disappointed to see her than I was right now. And it had nothing to do with Brian, the jock strap. It couldn’t be a coincidence that she was here and so was I. This was another attack. Thomas’s work, maybe? He must have found out about her.

  “Something bad is going to happen tonight,” I mumbled to Kendrick. “Trust me.”

  I could feel her eyes fixated on my face, then they traveled across the room. I watched her face break into a grin. “Oh … so you saw my surprise?”

  “What?”

  She nudged me in the shoulder. “Quit staring! I saw how you looked at that girl the other day. Why do you think I offered to hook up her date with that orthopedic surgeon?”

  “What?” I said again. I had just been standing there imagining all the buildings Thomas could toss Holly from right here in New York, and Kendrick was telling me this was some kind of elaborate blind date, with Holly’s new boyfriend? “Why are they here?”

  She pointed to a short bald man standing next to Brian. “That’s the doctor who’s going to heal that kid’s injury so
he goes back to California and scores a bunch of touchdowns. I did rotations with him last year. He’s amazing. And this place is full of doctors, if you haven’t noticed. It is a fund-raiser for cancer research.”

  “So that automatically means every physician in the area will be here?” I asked, not feeling in the least bit guilty about drilling her with a full-force CIA interrogation. “We didn’t get our assignments to be party guests until after you made friends with Mr. Football God.”

  “I was just trying to make a connection and maybe get him across the country again.” She gave me a sheepish grin. “I decided to hack into the senator’s email and get a copy of the guest list. I saw my favorite orthopedic surgeon on the list and sent him an email suggesting he invite his newest patient, who I assumed would bring the blond girl you’re drooling over.”

  I let out the biggest breath of relief. “That’s seriously true? Promise you’re not lying?”

  She smirked at me. “Do you know how much planning I put into this? This was the only way. It’s not like you can just keep showing up in random places that she happens to be. Way too creepy. But med students … mixing with this crowd, and she’s not even on the guest list, he is.”

  “Oh, so I’m a med student now?”

  Kendrick shrugged. “Just say we had a class together … Organic Chemistry. She did see us in the NYU Bookstore, so…”

  I ran my fingers through my hair and wasn’t surprised to discover that my hands were shaking. When would I ever stop worrying about Holly’s life being threatened? “I need to sit down.”

  I headed toward our table and Kendrick followed close behind me. “Aren’t you going to go talk to her?”

  “No, thanks.” I dropped into the seat. My legs were shaking too much to stand any longer. I was so relieved that I didn’t even have a chance to be upset about seeing Holly again. With another guy.

  “Come on, Jackson,” Kendrick whined. “I’m trying to fix you up with someone so you don’t have to continue the random hookups with Stewart.”

  “That was one time,” I reminded her. And we didn’t even make it past second base. But for some reason, I hadn’t exactly corrected what I knew Kendrick had assumed. Maybe because the outcome wasn’t any different. I didn’t feel heroic or like a classy guy for not going through with it with Stewart, I just felt alone. Either way. Because I didn’t even have anyone to hurt if I had slept with Stewart, and that was the worst feeling of all.

  And this was exactly why it sucked to love someone.

  Kendrick sat down next to me and smiled. “Well, in case you’re wondering … her name is Holly and she has no criminal record, not even a speeding ticket.”

  “She already has a date,” I said, trying to close the door on this hookup that was not going to happen.

  She grinned this devious grin and stood up. “Fine. You can sit here and be pathetic and lonely while I go mingle, maybe snag a dance partner or two.”

  “Have fun.” I rested my head in my hands and was thankful the lights were turned down and music started playing. All the spotlights were pointed at the dance floor, leaving me in a dark shadow. Exactly where I needed to be at the moment.

  I only had a couple minutes of peace and quiet before I felt the two bodies slide in on either side of me. “Stewart, Mason, how’s it going?”

  I took a second to glance right and then left. Mason was dressed as a parking attendant and Stewart had a tray of crab cakes in front of her and wore a waitress uniform. She slipped an earpiece in my ear, the one that didn’t already have one.

  “We put a bug on Dr. Melvin,” she whispered. “I’ve tried to talk to him about my recent issue and he’s acting really weird about it. I think he knows something.”

  I nodded and carefully scanned the room, looking for the old doctor. He must have just arrived, because I would have noticed him earlier.

  “We’re headed out back, by the Dumpsters,” Mason whispered. “We’re not supposed to be in the ballroom. Freeman’s letting us check for explosives later, though.”

  They both dissolved into the crowd, leaving me alone again. I was too busy scanning the room and mentally recording notes to notice the main fund-raising events for tonight had begun. Not until the announcer started calling off table numbers for the $50,000 dance.

  If I had been noticing normal stuff, rather than watching for potential Eyewall agents and death threats to the international diplomats, then I might have predicted Kendrick’s cheesy attempt to join me and the one person I needed more than anything to avoid tonight.

  I had to squint when a spotlight landed on my table and then another on Holly’s table as they announced her name. Kendrick slid in behind me and laughed this almost evil cackle. “Try and get out of this one, Jackson.”

  I groaned and hid my face. The two old ladies at our table squealed and clapped when they figured out it was my name that got picked in the drawing. I did glance in Brian and Holly’s direction when they announced her name. Her eyes were wide and I knew for a fact that this wasn’t the sort of attention she usually welcomed.

  “Now our two single winners need to come up to the front and have a dance. Just one little tango, and fifty thousand dollars gets donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation on behalf of Target stores.”

  Kendrick pinched my arm until I stood up. Then fingers wrapped around my other arm and Senator Healy appeared on my other side. He had this fake politician’s grin on his face as he waved to the roomful of people, and it suddenly occurred to me that CIA agents would make very good politicians. Lots of practice lying to people.

  “What’s the matter with you?” he said through his teeth. “Quit standing there like an idiot.”

  Yeah, he was totally not my favorite person right now. I shook my arm from his grip.

  “While you’re in the middle of the dance floor, I want you to tell me what the Chinese ambassador and his friend are discussing, understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” I grumbled. I could feel him stiffen with anger beside me, and then he strolled up to the announcer and stood in his spot to make the next drawing of table and seat numbers. I had no choice but to keep moving forward. No hiding out now.

  As I walked to the dance floor, surrounded by the smiling, clapping roomful of clueless people, I noticed the receiver on my sleeve had been switched off.

  Senator Healy.

  How did he do that right under my nose? Because I was too distracted by Holly. But seriously, the guy was getting creepier by the minute. And more suspicious. He reminded me a lot of Chief Marshall.

  Holly looked completely humiliated when she stood next to me in the center of the glass dance floor.

  “How did we get picked for this?” she whispered.

  Lily Kendrick, my idiot partner. “Random drawing.”

  “This would be much easier if we weren’t the only ones dancing,” she said with a nervous laugh.

  Nope. Wouldn’t change a thing. I forced a smile and held out my hand for her. “It’s for a good cause, right?”

  Her arms went around me tentatively, and then she laughed again once the music started. “I guess they really con you into it, don’t they? Either dance with a stranger or some kid doesn’t get their dying wish to go to SeaWorld.”

  “Exactly. Only a complete asshole would say no.” I laughed with her and tried to act cool … or at least halfway normal. But without even thinking about it, I pulled her closer and tightened my fingers around her hand. “So, have you seen any other Jackson Meyers lately?” I asked.

  She glanced up at me and smiled. “Nope, but I know why you looked familiar … the other day.”

  Now, that sent my heart racing, and I had to slow it down right away because she was pressed up against my chest. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Your picture’s up in the boardroom at the Ninety-second Street Y.” She grinned sheepishly. “On behalf of your family’s very large donation to the after-school programs.”

  I sighed with relief. It wasn’t some weird flash of 007 Ho
lly’s memories like Stewart and Melvin had. “Yeah, I’ve spent a lot of time there.”

  “I interviewed for a job as camp counselor,” she said. “Went to training for a couple weeks…”

  “You mean you don’t work there?” I pulled myself together, letting out a slow careful breath. Obviously I’d changed my life, so Holly’s could have been altered as well. “I mean … how did that work out for you?”

  “It sounded great, but an opportunity came up for me to start classes this summer, so…”

  “Oh … right.” All the agent training in the world couldn’t keep me from slipping out of cover tonight.

  Being officially (and mutually) in love with someone for a few days hardly makes me an expert on the subject, but I knew one thing for sure. Standing here with Holly, I felt the complete opposite of empty.

  I brushed my fingers over her cheek, feeling the heat as pink crept up from her neck. Just one more inch closer and I could touch my nose to the top of her hair. My eyes immediately closed and I inhaled deeply. I would have paid a hundred times the donation to feel this good forever. Even with my eyes shut tight, I knew my fingers could find their way to the tiny mole on her lower back and if I touched the bare skin on her right side, I’d run into the light pink, smooth-as-silk scar. There wasn’t an inch of Holly that didn’t feel familiar to me, etched into my memory. I just never realized how much I’d enjoy knowing this stuff and how much I hated the idea of someone else knowing.

  I felt myself leaning farther forward. She was staring at me now, eyes locked with mine, and I forgot what I was doing. Forgot she didn’t know me. Forgot everything. My mouth moved closer to hers, my fingers glided up and down her back. My chin tilted downward a little bit more and my heart pounded with anticipation, this perfect rhythm that lurched me forward until only a thin sheet of air separated my mouth from hers.