House of Leights

by Jaymin Eve

  Snuggling in closer to him, I snaked one arm around his back, mostly for comfort, and a little for warmth, because I was absolutely freezing. “You’re my best friend,” I told him. “My family. It’s my job to protect you as well. The truth is, they wanted me. There was no point in you dying, too.”

  He made a sound, part devastation and part anger, and it had my heart clenching painfully. “We’re a team, Maiz. You and me. If there is no you, then what the hell is the point of me?”

  Everyone expected that Brad and I would get together one day, that we couldn’t be this close without romantic feelings coming into it, but they were all wrong. We were family: brother and sister, best friends, a team. But there was never, and would never, be anything romantic. Even if I’d wanted that from him – which I definitely did not, I’d seen him through every single disgusting stage of his life – I would never risk what we had.

  “You’re my people,” he said to me.

  “The one I’d call to help me hide a dead body,” I finished, sucking some deep breaths, the freezing air chilling my mouth and throat. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tried to leave you behind.”

  “Damn right,” he exclaimed, hugging me tightly. He wore only a shirt, but he at least had pants on so his butt wasn’t freezing. Still, if we didn’t get out of the cold soon, both of us were going to be in trouble.

  Thankfully, we were in the Mall now. I’d never been here at night, and as darkness closed in around us, I realized how super creepy it was. There were a few people around, but not many. I’d never seen White House security out this far in the daytime. I was half expecting at night there would be some, but so far it looked clear.

  “The Lincoln Memorial, right?” Brad murmured close to my ear.

  I twisted my head to see him better, shooting a smile in his direction. “How did you figure that out?”

  He shrugged. “I know you and your family pretty well by now, Maya. You mentioned the trip to the memorial multiple times. I saw the way your eyes lit up when you talked about that time with your dad.”

  I nodded. “It’s our special spot. He’s a little obsessed with history … especially the presidents. He used to take me here all the time when we were kids, tell me that I needed to learn and love our history.”

  “It’s kind of spooky here at night.” Brad shook his shoulders like he was preparing for battle. “Feels like we’re about to star in a thriller movie.”

  My fists clenched tightly. “I really hope not.”

  We fell silent, moving in the shadows – which there were a lot of – creeping our way closer to the monument. My father would be around the outside somewhere I expected. Even though the memorial was open 24/7, he would not wait in an obvious place.

  I wondered where my mom was. I really couldn’t picture her slinking in the darkness like this. She was very proper and formal ninety percent of the time, so she was probably holed up somewhere. Hopefully in a safe house.

  Brad grabbed my icy hand and I almost moaned at the warm relief his palm provided. His other hand went across my mouth then, silencing me as he yanked me behind a large bush. I had no idea what he was doing, until a small group of men strolled past our spot. None of them looked in our direction, and when they were gone we hurried off again. I picked up the pace, paying better attention this time.

  No one crossed our path again before we reached the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Staying in shadow as much as possible, we crept up the first flight of stairs, darting in toward some nearby bushes. When no one jumped out and there was no obvious sign of any other people around, we moved toward the next flight. The lights shining in and around the memorial were almost scary after so much darkness. I liked being hidden away in the shadows.

  Brad leaned his head right down near my ear. “Someone is in the bushes over there,” he breathed.

  I followed his line of sight, and it took me a few moments, but I finally made out the shape of a person. I really didn’t want to go over there, especially since I would have to expose myself in the light to get there, but there was no other choice. No way would I find my dad if both of us continued to hide in the shadows.

  Taking a deep breath, my hand still firmly held in Brad’s, I pulled him along as I moved toward the man-shaped shadow. My heart was pounding so hard I almost couldn’t breathe over the clenching of my chest and stomach. When I hit the light, I expected my father would step out of his hiding place, but the shadow didn’t move.

  “Something isn’t right,” I whispered, pulling Brad to a stop.

  From this angle I could see that the human shadow was just part of the tree and building, which was nothing to be alarmed about, and yet the feeling that something was “wrong” still wouldn’t leave me. Maybe my nerves were frayed and I had reached the end of my ability to handle this cloak and dagger routine.

  “Let’s keep moving.” Brad tugged on my hand, reminding me we were standing very exposed out in the open.

  Trying to breathe through my fear, I allowed him to pull me off to the side. Once the darkness wrapped around me again, some of my panic eased and I was able to think. Where would he be waiting? There had to be a specific spot that he thought I’d know. Where did we go last time we were here?

  I was trying to remember, but either the situation was too tense for deep thought, or I’d forgotten whatever small detail my dad thought I’d know. The last time we’d just sat on the steps and talked for ages about all the history here.

  “Didn’t you get lost in this building as a child?” Brad asked, leaning back against the wall. “Your dad tells that story all the time. He loves it. Where did he find you?”

  I straightened. “Yes.” I nodded. “That’s his favorite story because he found me sleeping at the feet of the statue. I crawled over the barrier and was kind of hidden out of sight. Do you think he might be waiting for us there?”

  Brad darted his head left and right, looking around. “Coast looks clear. Let’s check inside.”

  He took off and I was right on his heels, past the pillars and into the white hall. There were low lights scattered around, and no sign of any other people. I moved without pause toward the huge statue

  Disappointment hit me hard when there was no sign of my father. He was too large to hide like I had, and I fought against the pressure in my throat threatening to burst free. If I started to cry now, I would not stop for a week. I was a loud, ugly crier, which was definitely not the way for us to stay under the radar. I needed to keep it together. At least for now.

  “He’s not here,” I said, my voice thick.

  Brad stepped around the side of the barrier, looking all the way to the back of the statue. Everything was very white in here, so I paused when a splash of red caught my eye. For a second I thought it was blood, and I almost died right then, freaking out that my father had been here and was hurt.

  But as I stepped closer, straining against the barrier, I realized it was a piece of paper. Right at the base of the statue.

  4

  Leaning out, I scraped the edge of the red paper with my fingertips, pulling it back toward me. As I straightened, note in hand, Brad made his way to my side. “What did you find?” he asked, eyes locked on the note in my hand.

  I quickly opened the folded sheet and we silently read it together.

  13 steps toward the sun. 13 steps toward the east. A broken shoelace will not hurt. A gilded cage of the sea.

  Brad’s brow furrowed, but I let out a low chuckle. “Tell me you know what the hell that means…” he said, frustrated.

  I nodded. “This is a poem I made up when I was seven. It was a class project. They gave us a list of five words and we had to use them in a poem. Mine made no sense at all, but my mom laughed and said it was perfect. She put it on the fridge.” My hand tightened in the paper. “Then one day, it was gone. Dad told me he took it to his work and put it up on the wall as a reminder of everything he had at home. A reminder of his funny, smart, and silly daughter.”

  Don�
��t cry, damn it.

  “What does it mean, though?” Brad said, and I swallowed my emotions down.

  “I don’t know.” I cleared my throat. “I guess that he was here, and that … his work is here somewhere. Maybe he wants me to go to his work…”

  Only I had no idea where it was.

  “Maiz,” Brad said, urgency in his tone. I flipped my head up and looked at him. He was pointing toward another red flash. I hadn’t seen it in my haste to read the first letter.

  He reached out, scooping it up and handing it to me. I opened it and held the letter so we could both read it.

  Hansel and Gretel.

  Brad growled. “I still don’t know what he’s trying to tell us.”

  I blinked a few times, a thought coming to me. “What if he’s telling us to follow the breadcrumbs? Hansel and Gretel style.” I reread the first note, looking for clues. “There’s no sun right now, so it has to be the east thing. But where is the starting point?” A direction was no good if we didn’t have a starting point. “Which way is east in general?” My sense of direction was terrible. I couldn’t read a map. During orientation at school I’d gotten my entire team so lost they had to bring in trackers to find us.

  Brad turned in a circle once, stopping and pointing. “I think that way.” We started to walk, counting the steps. We were still in the memorial at thirteen and my confusion was growing. Why couldn’t my dad just make this easy on me? I was tired, stressed, scared, freezing. I didn’t have time for riddles.

  “Found it,” Brad said, startling me from my moment of feeling sorry for myself. The note had been wedged into a small space just across from us.

  Opening it, I read the next cryptic clue.

  A president’s job is never fun. Eighty-seven steps down and you’re almost done.

  Well, that was at least a little clearer.

  Brad and I wasted no more time. We rushed out of the building and took the steps all the way down to the reflecting pool. It was barely visible in the dark, and I took care not to overstep into the water. On the last step there was another red note:

  Take a left and then a right. Find a bush that looks like spike.

  “Spike, your old dog?” Brad asked.

  I nodded. “Has to be.”

  We hurried left first, and then when we reached the end of the water, turned right. There were no signs of any people around, but I was worried that our strange behavior might draw the attention of security. Sooner or later, someone was going to investigate.

  As we moved, I kept an eye out for something that might look like a dog.

  “There?” Brad asked, sounding unsure.

  He was pointing at a plant, huge and bushy, and almost completely hidden in the darkness. But there were a few pinpoints of light behind it that sort of gave it a canine shape.

  “I hope so,” I said breathlessly as we changed directions and went further into the shadows.

  Our steps slowed as we got closer, and I was holding my breath, silently hoping that this was the last stop. I couldn’t handle the suspense any longer. As we crept around the edge of the bush, a shadow straightened from where it had been crouched.

  “Dad!” I exclaimed, managing to keep my voice low even though my tone was excited and relieved.

  I threw myself at him and he wrapped his arms around me.

  “Where’s Mom?” I asked as I pulled back.

  He pressed a finger to my lips, before his eyes darted up to Brad. They exchanged a look and my best friend nodded, not saying a word. Holding my hand tightly, Dad led us through the Mall, always looking over his shoulder. He was acting paranoid – but I hadn’t forgotten my very recent kidnap attempt, so I understood.

  We continued ducking in and out of buildings, moving randomly, before we left the Mall and crossed into a street. I knew we were heading away from the White House, but other than that I’d never have been able to retrace our steps.

  There were lots of fancy buildings around us, the kind with an abundance of character: stone and marble fronts, small detailing etched into their front doors, and lots of metal accents. I’d never been here before, and in the dark I couldn’t tell if they were houses or condos, but either way, there was some serious money here. You couldn’t live this close to the White House without being in the billionaire club.

  A cold breeze hit me, the temperature dropping the closer we got to sunrise. I shivered violently and my father let go of my hand to shuck off his jacket, wrapping it around me. He wore a sweater beneath, blue and striped, so I gratefully accepted his coat. My skin prickled and hurt as the warmth seeped into it, and I realized how close I had come to being seriously frozen.

  We resumed our fast walk again, staying in the shadows. When my dad stopped abruptly, I almost crashed into him. He entered a front yard and led us to a set of stairs that seemed to disappear into darkness. If I didn’t trust my father immensely, there was no way I would step one foot on those creepy concrete stairs. But I knew he would not lead me into danger, so down we went. My eyes adjusted, and as we neared the last step, I saw the door.

  It was black. Simple looking. My dad reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. As he fit it into a keyhole – the only thing on the door – there was a click, and I almost gasped as a panel opened up. It was like a huge peephole with a computer screen on the other side.

  My father leaned forward and there was a flash. I blinked, waiting for my vision to clear. When it did, I saw another flash, but this time I realized what was happening.

  The machine was scanning his eyes. After that it was his palm, then there was a small shelf that slid out and he pressed his fingertip down onto a small pin.

  Shut up! Well, I was definitely forming a complete picture of what “top secret” really meant. When all the identity confirmation was done, he reached for me, pulling me forward and positioning me in front of the screen, which had to tilt down to see me. I got the same treatment as my father, and as soon as my eyes were scanned, all of my details appeared on the screen. My full name, date of birth, address, phone number, and blood type.

  Speaking of blood … I flinched at the prick of the pin, but it really didn’t hurt too much. The anticipation was worse than the reality. Then it was Brad’s turn, and when he was done the door finally slid open.

  Stepping into the warm building, I could have cried with relief. After being cold for so long, the heat felt like a luxury. Dad wasted no time striding forward, along the plain hallway. He led us toward an elevator at the end of the hall. A man was sitting in a chair just in front of the silver doors, wearing a suit and dark glasses.

  “Good morning, Sam,” the guard greeted my father, acting like he was legit right out of a Will Smith movie.

  My dad nodded in return, but no other words were exchanged. The guard didn’t ask what Brad and I were doing here, and it felt slightly awkward as we all waited in silence for the elevator to arrive. How that was going to happen when there was no button on the outside to press was anyone’s guess. I jumped when it dinged, and then the silver doors slid open. As we filed inside, I met Brad’s eye. He pulled his “what the hell is going on here” face, and I returned it with one of my own.

  I had no idea what was going on, outside of the fact that I’d had to run for my life tonight.

  “You can talk.” My father’s somewhat amused voice startled me so much that I almost stumbled into the wall. Only Brad’s arm, which shot out quickly, stopped me.

  “What the freak is going on, Dad?” I asked as I straightened, finally letting my fear and anger loose.

  His expression turned forlorn. The moment I saw that look, the rage coursing through me lessened. I never could stay mad at my parents, no matter how much they hurt me.

  “I’m so sorry that we’ve kept you in the dark for so long,” he said slowly. “I know you won’t believe this, but we were preparing to tell you everything within the next few months – closer to the end of high school. We held off as long as we could, but you’re eighteen no
w, and the responsibility of your world is something you will have to deal with.”

  Say what now? This was about me? My world?

  “What does that mean?” Brad asked with bite to his words, his arm still wrapped around me. He probably sensed I needed the support.

  My dad shot him a measured look. “It means that Maya is not fully aware of her life and destiny. That her mother and I undertake this work here so that we can keep her as protected as possible. And that everything we feared has come to pass.”

  “Protected from what?” I stepped out from under Brad’s arm and closer to my father. I wanted to see his face when he answered. Before he said anything though, there was another ding and the elevator stopped moving.

  The doors opened. On the other side there was another security guard sitting in the same position as the one before. Same suit. Same glasses. Same greeting to my father.

  “Good morning, Sam. They’re waiting for you in conference room one.”

  My dad nodded, and we trailed after him along a short hall to a door. He ushered us through, and as I stepped to the other side, I gasped, far louder than I would have liked. But … seriously. The room was huge and well lit, with what looked like at least thirty desks spread out around it. There were big screens flashing numbers and images, and despite the very early hour, people were everywhere. After so much quiet and dark, this was incredibly disconcerting to step into.

  “Definitely government,” Brad said with a snort. “Always the same décor, no matter what department you work in.”

  Since he occasionally got to visit his parents at work, he’d know better than me.

  “Come on, your mom is waiting.” My dad inclined his head to the right. “She wants to be there when you find out.”

  We ended up in a long glass-walled room. It was set up like a conference room: huge table, at least fifty chairs spread out around it. There were half a dozen people waiting at the far end from us.