The Institute

by Kayla Howarth

CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Angry doesn’t even begin to describe how I’m feeling. This would have to be Drew’s idea, and if it wasn’t, it would’ve been Brookfield’s. He knows Drew’s a weak spot for me, and this is just his way of reminding me that he’s the one who has control. Actually, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were both in on it.

  This is unacceptable. I want a different partner. Before I can protest, Drew and I are sent off to get to know our cover story. It is in the file they gave me, so I don’t know why I have to talk with him about it. Drew takes me into another conference room, taking a seat at the end of the table. I sit as far away from him as possible, at the other end.

  “Well, look at that, we’re already practically married,” Drew says. “Unfortunately, it does have here in our file that we’re newlyweds, so we haven’t been married for long enough for you to be that pissed off at me yet.”

  “I just don’t understand why they’d pair me with you, when I’m the only arrest you actually screwed up.” I hope I hit him where it hurts.

  “I’d say it’s probably their way of punishing me for it.”

  So now I’m a punishment? “Fine, whatever, let’s just get on with it, okay?”

  Drew reads from our report. “Okay, so we’re high school sweethearts and in town looking for our relatives. It looks like we won’t be stationed there for long. Our suspects have already fled by the look of it. We’re to ask the locals if they know where they are and follow any leads from that.”

  “And if none of them know? Or don’t want to tell us?” I have a feeling we won’t be in Rockford for very long. If we get no leads, do we just come back here?

  “We’ll investigate, Allira. That’s your job now.”

  “All I’m saying is, if Dad, Shilah, and I had packed up and left, we wouldn’t have told anyone where we were going. Not even Ebbodine had she still been around.”

  He ignores my input. “Our target is a sixteen-year-old female, she’s meant to be your cousin, so we’re looking for our “Aunt and Uncle” Ava and Denny Johns. Target’s name is Licia.”

  “Oh, a young girl, I hope you can try to keep it in your pants this time,” I say with a hint of disdain in my voice.

  “Oh, but honey, you have to remember, we never actually did anything when we were together. You were too prudish,” Drew retorts.

  I get up and leave. I storm down the hall, across the walkway, and back into the main building. As I march my way back up to my room, it’s taking all of my strength not to yell or scream at anyone who gets in my way. Once I get to my room, I slam my door shut, grab a pillow off my bed, and scream into it as loud as I can. I’m too angry for tears.

  There’s a knock at my door, and I’m hoping it’s Drew. I hope he has followed me, because I’m ready to punch him as hard as I physically can.

  It’s not Drew though, it’s Shilah. “You barged right past me, are you okay?” he asks.

  I didn’t even see him in the hallway. “I’m sorry,” I say a little calmer than I’m still feeling. The anger is building in my throat, and I just want to release it, but I don’t know how. “I just got my assignment. Guess who my new partner is? I’ll give you three guesses, but you’re only going to need one.”

  “Really?” he asks. “Why would they pair you with him?”

  “He thinks they did it to punish him. Yes, him!”

  Shilah hugs me and comes inside. “Is there anything you can do?” he asks.

  “I doubt it. Mr. Brookfield has a way of making you think you’re getting what you want when in reality you aren’t, you give him exactly what he wants. If I was to ask him for a new partner, he’d probably end up getting me to agree to actually marrying Drew without me realising it.”

  “Marrying?”

  “Yeah, great cover story they worked up for us. For my ability to work, we have to be touching, so, of course, we should be married. It’s so stupid.”

  “What did Chad say when he found out?”

  “Nothing, because he doesn’t know yet. He leaves tomorrow anyway, and for the millionth time, nothing is happening between us, so he won’t care.”

  “If you say so. When do you leave?”

  “In a week.”

  “Do you think …” He hesitates. “Will you get to see Dad at all?”

  I hang my head. “I was really hoping to, and I’ve been placed in Rockford so it’s not too far, but if I get caught, they’ll throw me back in here, and they said I don’t want to know what they’d do to Dad.”

  Shilah goes quiet while I pour myself a glass of water. Maybe I can wash the anger down.

  “I’m sorry,” Shilah says, “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. I’ve been noticing things lately, those classes, the way we’re treated … they don’t want to help us at all.”

  His saying that washes away any anger I was feeling. I’m glad he’s finally seeing the truth, but I don’t know where to go from here. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

  “Really? I tell you that you’re right for once, and you don’t rub it in my face?” he says with a light smile.

  “Maybe because it’s not something to be boastful about,” I say as I slink down onto my bed.

  “I’m thinking of dropping out of the training program.”

  “No, don’t do that. I was wrong to try and keep you from doing it. I didn’t realise how much I missed seeing the sun until I got to go outside yesterday, and I don’t want to deny you that. I just wanted you to be aware of what’s really going on around here, and now that you are, you won’t be so quick to agree to everything they offer you, you won’t be so quick to trust their every word.” I find myself recycling the advice Tate gave me. “Be true to yourself, and you’ll do fine.”

  Shilah nods. “So you got to see outside?” he asks, his face lighting up like a child at Christmas time.

  There’s a knock at the door, and I don’t want to answer it. I just stare at it, hoping whoever it is goes away. If it’s Drew, I’m no longer angry enough to punch him even though I’d really love to.

  “It’s Chad,” Shilah tells me. “Do you want me to let him in?”

  I nod, and he gets up to answer the door.

  “Oh, hey,” Chad says. “I can come back later.”

  I stand up. I do actually want to see Chad.

  “No, she wants to see you, she’s just hiding from her husband.” Shilah laughs. “I was just about to leave anyway. Oh hey, if I don’t see you, good luck out there.”

  “Uh, thanks.” Chad runs his hand through his hair and down the back of his neck as he enters the apartment. He’s nervous. Why’s he nervous? That makes me anxious. What’s happened now?

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Allira,” Shilah says as he leaves.

  The door closes behind Shilah, and Chad walks over to me, one eyebrow raised. “Husband?”

  “Don’t even get me started. Why couldn’t I have a pretend mother like you?”

  He gives off a little laugh. “Really, you have to be married? To who?” The look on my face says it all. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” The smile is wiped from his face now too. He looks down at his feet. “That’s so screwed up.” He wraps his arms around me.

  “That’s what I said.”

  Pulling away from the hug, we both sit at the dining table. “So what’s your new mum like? You know, a few months ago she was Drew’s mum, that kind of makes you like brothers.” I smirk.

  “At least I’m not married to him,” he says. I grimace at him which makes him laugh. “She’s going to be the substitute teacher at the school I’ll be attending, yes, attending,” he shudders. “That is, if these targets don’t flee like we expect.”

  I can’t help but laugh. “Really? They’re going to send you, an actual substitute teacher, back to school to as a student?”

  “Yeah, the irony wasn’t lost on me either.”

  “Well, at least you still have your boyish good looks. I’m sure you’ll fit right in.”

  “
Yeah, minus the five o’clock shadow,” he scoffs.

  We’re smiling, but we both go silent. I know we’re both thinking the same thing: this is a sucky situation, and neither of us wants to be in it. And it’s all happened so fast, it’s only just felt like I got in some sort of routine, and now it’s being taken away from me.

  “So you’ve come to say goodbye?” I ask, more seriously now. I don’t want to say goodbye.

  He looks down at his hands. “Something like that.”

  We’re silent some more.

  “So, how do you feel about having to be married, especially to him?” he asks.

  “So thrilled. Isn’t it every girl’s fantasy to be betrayed, assaulted, and then married … all with the same man?” I say sarcastically before letting out a huge sigh. “No, I’m really angry. Of course, I’m angry. I can tell you my pillow got an earful before.”

  He smiles at me, that half-crooked smile I see almost every day. It’s usually right after he has made fun of me.

  “Have you seen Tate?” I ask.

  “Not yet, I will later. I’d ask you to look out for him after I’m gone, but that won’t do any good—you’ll be out in a week.”

  “I’ll tell Shilah to keep him company a few nights a week. Although, I’m pretty sure Tate can handle himself.”

  “You’re right, he can,” he agrees. “I guess I’d better get down there though and tell him what’s going on.” He stands up to leave, so I get up and walk him to the door. “Okay, so this isn’t goodbye. This is, I will see you soon. A few weeks, hopefully,” he says.

  I take in a deep breath and nod. Why does it feel like goodbye?

  We’re standing in the open doorway to my apartment, and I’m scared that if I close that door when he walks out, I’ll never see him again. He embraces me again, and this time, I don’t want to let go. He pulls away, but my hands linger around his waist. He puts his hands up to the sides of my face and brushes a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “You’ll be great out there, I know it.” He leans down and kisses me on the forehead. I want to tell him to really kiss me, to stay with me, to be with me, but that would just complicate things. I’m already having enough trouble saying goodbye as it is.

  Keys rattle a few doors away from us. We both look over to see Drew, trying to open his apartment.

  Chad leans in for one more hug. “I’ll see you soon.” He walks away, down the hall and past Drew who’s still fiddling with his keys. I go to shut my door when I hear Chad say, “Oh, I just banged your wife.” He turns to me and winks, and I burst into laughter.

  Going inside my apartment, I lock the door behind me; I don’t want Drew thinking he can come talk to me.