“Really? You’d think I’d feel warmer if you were right here,” I teased. I genuinely wished he was with me. It helped me from feeling so alone. I also could not let the opportunity to flirt with him pass.
“This is what I get for helping you feel better? Torture? Remind me again of why I can’t get enough of you?” Reid asked sarcastically and picking up my banter with ease.
“With pleasure,” I laughed. Reid made me feel like I was back in my safety zone. The relief was palpable as my confidence found its way back to the forefront of my strengths. “Let’s see. Where should I start? There are almost too many choices…”
“It’s certainly not your lack of self-assurance…” Reid drawled with his voice in a low rumble.
Shannon almost knocked Blair and me over as we walked through the doors to Gramercy the next morning.
“FINALLY! You have got to get up to our locker bank. There is a totally hot new security guy. Everyone is saying he’s a NARK, like on 21 Jump Street, but I heard he’s here because Cheryl Dodd’s dad had a threat on his life. Something to do with a bill he is trying to pass in Congress. Don’t worry; I won’t bore you with those details. Especially since we could care less about why he is here. The point is, he is here and he is like a Greek god touching down on Earth…”
Blair and I could not help but laugh at Shannon’s overwhelming excitement. I stopped laughing as we rounded the corner into our locker bank. Jurgen Hasslehoff was standing near the wall and talking to the head of our school security.
Out of his uniform, he looked younger, but I noticed he wore his air of command regardless of his tight black T-shirt and black jeans.
I didn’t look away in time and he made eye contact. A flicker of recognition went across his face but he resumed his conversation. I was glad he didn’t say anything. I had no explanation for Shannon as to how or why he knew me. I would rather keep the fact that I knew Jurgen under the radar.
I went straight to my locker to find Sean waiting for me.
“Hey, Whitney. Ruth said you had to go to a funeral. Sorry to hear about your family friend,” Sean said with a wan smile of regret. He leaned against the metal locker and I smelled his Polo cologne. It burned the inside of my nose.
“Thanks, Sean. It was unexpected.” I politely nodded my head. I raced the numbers around on my combination lock. I wanted to get out of the locker bank without talking to Jurgen.
“I had gotten you something for your birthday. Nothing big.” Sean shrugged awkwardly as he gave me a small rectangle wrapped in Christmas paper. Oh God, I thought. Please do not let this be a mixed tape—the teenage guy’s love letter equivalent.
“Thanks, Sean. That’s really cool of you to remember my birthday. Especially since it is always during such a hectic time of year,” I said, taking the present. Yep. It felt like a cassette through the battered wrapping paper.
“Hi, thought I’d come walk you to biology. I need to pick something up from the main office.” Reid’s hand was on my shoulder. I noticed he took the opportunity to grab onto Sean as well. Outwardly, it looked like a friendly gesture. I knew better.
I removed Reid’s hand from Sean as I walked between them to see where Ruth was in the swirling crowd of the locker bank.
Ruth smiled at me as she approached. “Hey, welcome back. Happy birthday.” She handed me a card.
“Thanks,” I said. Reid grabbed my hand. He squeezed it hard when he saw Jurgen as we walked out of the locker banks.
“Ruth, did Shannon tell you about the new security guard?” I asked as we walked down the hall.
“Yeah, it’s pretty much all she has been talking about. Did she even remember to tell you happy birthday?” Ruth chuckled as I shook my head no. “She said he was here because Cheryl Dodd’s dad was getting death threats.”
I tried to bring Reid up to speed without thinking about Jurgen in my mind. Truthfully, I didn’t know if my vision of Jurgen would be something I would want Reid to see. There was no denying Jurgen was a great-looking guy. I knew my perception of him would be different than Reid’s reality.
Reid let go of my hand as someone bumped into him. It was Karen Eubanks. I noticed he grabbed her arm to steady her. Without thinking, I gingerly crossed the threshold into Reid’s mind and found he had already closed me off. I had resisted doing that with anyone else and I was annoyed he had anticipated me.
I kept walking as Karen used her opportunity to detain Reid and talk to him. Something was going on there. I had to ask him about it again. I knew that could be a blind spot and I was not interested in being played.
My defenses sprang up as I walked through the halls. The thought that I was just a job assignment to Reid didn’t make sense to me. I would know if he was faking his attraction to me and there was nothing fake about it. But I had to be objective enough to realize that his attraction to me didn’t necessarily make it impossible for him to be attracted to someone else. That conclusion was painful and the thought of Reid and Karen made me feel physically ill.
I ducked into my class. The bell rang and I had fifty minutes to get myself together and try to pay attention to what I had missed the past two days.
Five minutes into class, an office runner knocked at the door and gave a note to the teacher. She called my name and gave me an irritated look that I was missing more of her class. The note said Whitney Forbes, Main Office. I grabbed the pass and walked out the door.
Reid was waiting for me on the stairs. He looked unsettled. His eyes looked behind me as if he was watching for someone else. Was this about Karen? Why did she keep popping into my mind? She was the last person I wanted to see there.
“Look, I need to talk to you,” he said in a low voice. He seemed so agitated. Was he about to tell me something happened with him and Karen before I found out from someone else? My stomach dropped at the thought. The fairytale was over and I was about to wake up in rags next to a pumpkin. This was high school and I couldn’t shield myself from the rumors, hookups, breakups, and mess-ups.
“I should have told you this before, but I didn’t see the point. I know how you hate not knowing stuff ahead of time but I really need you to believe me…” Reid reached out to hold onto my arm. I didn’t want him to know how completely devastated I was going to feel when he told me the bad news that he was still dating Karen; or worse, that they had gotten together behind my back. I made a small defensive block with my arm to knock his hand away. My protective instincts kicked into overdrive as my fight or flight response made its own decisions. Reid looked frustrated.
“Nice to see a female asset not easily manipulated by the charms of Reid Wallace. What a refreshing change of pace. Maybe the top brass did make the right choice.” Jurgen’s voice carried down the stairs to the landing where we were standing. He descended toward us. Reid’s jaw set like stone and the pulse in his neck raced. “What’s the matter, Reid? Not used to losing control of your asset? I guess this would be a first for you. Usually they are eating out of the palm of your hand.”
I realized Jurgen was trying to provoke Reid and upset me further. I didn’t want Jurgen to make my decisions for me and, as a Shaolin crane fighter, Reid would never start a fight. He would only end it. I had to put my own emotions aside and intervene.
“Jurgen, what brings you here? Hunger for knowledge?” I joked. I morphed into my most charming self. I had to separate Reid and Jurgen before Jurgen could incite Reid further. Jurgen had no idea that Reid ending the fight meant Jurgen going to the hospital. I had no doubt Reid was a lethal fighter.
“No, I would have thought Wallace would have found a way to have talked to you sooner. That is your job, right, Wallace? Whitney’s too valuable for you to trifle with, but wait—I guess that’s why they sent me here. A remote viewer said there’s a credible threat on your life for today. He couldn’t extract the details, just that you are in significant danger. Sort of annoying that these remote viewers like to spout off warnings without any of the relevant details,” Jurgen said, hi
s eyes on me.
I noticed he used the military term for psychic, remote viewer, so this must have been someone currently employed by the defense or intelligence community. My brain jumped. If Sunrise had remote viewers tracking me that meant Noir could easily be doing the same thing. My dad said to use my intuition to know who to trust, that there would be traps. I suddenly felt more than just two people were listening to this conversation and I had to entertain that as a real possibility. If that was the case, this was an opportunity to exploit.
“I don’t know why my life would be in danger. Can a CIA director issue an execution order because an old flame chose to protect an innocent little kid rather than pursue an insane idea she came up with after reading a science fiction book? I mean, do I look that threatening to you, Jurgen?” I flirted. I knew my appeal and had no problem using it when necessary. He smiled as if I made a joke. Between Reid and Jurgen, I was tiny in comparison. Men looked at me as harmless and Jurgen was no exception.
“I don’t know what sort of ability everyone keeps talking about. I am a good field hockey player but who is threatened by that? Well, as you said, what do I need to worry about now that you are here? I have to get back to my class. Can you walk me there?”
It was all too easy to lure Jurgen away from Reid. I didn’t even think I had done a good job of it but Jurgen gloated as he extended his arm in an “after you” gesture. It was obvious he enjoyed rubbing my attention in Reid’s face. I didn’t have such a big head that I thought it was about me—it was about out-competing Reid. Even still, I couldn’t look at Reid. I didn’t want to face any of his emotions. None of them would be good.
Shaolin trained panthers avoided conflict but they did so in a way least expected. I hoped Reid might remember this was not personal; this was training. I was protecting both of us by my actions and not intentionally trying to hurt him.
As Jurgen and I descended down the flight of stairs, Jurgen asked if Reid had told me about his last asset. He made sure to ask me loudly so it was within Reid’s hearing. Jurgen couldn’t contain his delight when I pleasantly answered that no, I didn’t know about his prior job. Jurgen was too pleased to fill in the romantic details of Reid’s previous assignment. I never thought I would be so glad to get into biology class in my life.
I reviewed my mounting problems as I completed a mind-numbingly dull worksheet. The threat on my life certainly ranked number one on my list but the unspoken threat had really been there all along. Now it seemed more people were paying attention to Carson Noir’s hatred of me. That could only be a good thing and probably part of the reason behind Dr. West’s idea to expose me. Jurgen was part of that package and he would be an extra hassle to manage until Reid and I got rid of the vial.
Like it or not, Reid and I still had a job to do. Maybe it would be better to get it over with sooner so Reid could move on to his next asset. I wondered if I could request a replacement guardian. Jurgen’s plan was working, I told myself, as I got angrier and angrier that I had not figured this out sooner. Of course it was to Reid’s advantage to get as close as he could to me. That was what he did with every asset and it worked for him. I wanted to break my pencil in half, I was so furious. Instead, I calmly packed up my books and changed classes.
Reid was waiting for me and he grabbed onto my arm as I tried to storm past him. Fine, I thought. You want to know what I am thinking? I put an image of an exploding volcano in the front of my mind before I sealed him off.
“I know you are angry. I’m going to explain everything, but the threat is real. Don’t leave the building without telling me.” Reid held onto me by the shoulders so I would have to look at him. “Listen to me, Whitney. You have to tell me where you are going to be today. You know there are blind spots.”
“I know there are blind spots. I’m looking at one,” I hissed back at him as the crowds of people moved past. “Don’t worry, I’m only going to hockey practice. Then I am going home. Alone. To do a mountain of homework. I’ll try not to get killed in the process. I’m sure that wouldn’t look good on your record.”
“I’m meeting you after practice. We are going to discuss this further,” Reid commanded. He should have known better than to order me around like that. My kindling temper ignited.
“Like hell,” I answered. I grabbed his arm that was on my shoulder and twisted it quickly up and behind him as I walked away. I know that didn’t feel good, but he would live and it was a fraction of the damage I felt like inflicting.
I ran myself ragged at practice. Every ounce of frustration with my life I channeled onto the field. Here, I had a problem I knew I could successfully manage: get the ball and put it in the net. The only obstacles were ones I could physically see, and anticipating the players bolstered my confidence. This was my escape. This was where I cleared all the static out of my head and I could let my instincts run free.
Reid’s car was waiting with the top down next to Eileen’s Jeep. I knew I had to talk to him but I wanted to set the terms. I was riding with Eileen. If he wanted to talk to me, then he could meet me at my house. That was my plan until I saw he was already a step ahead of me.
He was acting like nothing had happened. He held up a Gatorade for me as I approached. My throat felt like I was swallowing sandpaper. Did he learn this trick from Dr. West? Pink Floyd’s “Learning to Fly” was blasting from his speakers.
“Come on, Whit. Fly home with me,” Reid joked. I wondered if this was a peace offering. That he did know what I was doing with Jurgen—I was keeping a crane fighter from making an unwise choice. His cleverness at reaching me was irresistible. Besides, if I didn’t ride with him now, I risked looking as evil as Carson Noir to the rest of my hockey team. It was a foregone conclusion and well played on his part. Even Blair assumed I would ride with him. She told me she would call me later. Reid had me.
I got into the car with Reid and buckled my seat belt. I took the cold Gatorade and undid the orange lid. I took a drink. I felt myself sink into the seat as I relaxed for the first time all day. It made me sad to think I was now recognizing the moments I felt safe rather than the other way around. I also noted that Reid was with me, and perhaps that had something to do with it.
Reid seemed to know I didn’t feel like talking. I drank the Gatorade and watched the river ripple by. Before I knew it, we were in front of my house.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said. I undid my seat belt and Reid turned the car off. I had held a shred of hope that he might not come in and we could talk about this later. No such luck. At least no one was home.
I walked into the kitchen and set the empty Gatorade down on the counter. I saw spots in front of my eyes like the faint hints of a head rush. I felt for the counter to steady myself. I cursed inwardly as Reid came up behind me. He was making it extremely difficult to stay furious with him when he touched me.
“You know we can’t talk in school any more? They have too many people watching you,” Reid said from behind me. I really wanted to rest my head back against his chest but everything Jurgen told me today recommended against it. I stayed rigidly upright as if I was being held against my will.
“Look, let me cut to the chase. I was trying to tell you before Jurgen did. There have been other girls before you, Whitney. That’s true and I can’t take it back. But the point is, I don’t want anyone else after you. And that’s what really matters—you are all that really matters.”
I couldn’t have figured a better way out for Reid. It was perfectly crafted. I couldn’t be jealous of Reid’s past. That’s what made feeling bad about it harder. It was that he blindsided me by not telling me ahead of time and it was a pattern he kept repeating. I couldn’t make decisions without all the information and I couldn’t be in a relationship without total trust.
“There’s no going back for me now, I’m afraid. Any normal girl would kill me from boredom. Besides, the fact is that you hold my heart in your hands. I know you don’t completely trust me. But maybe you will once you see I completel
y trust you.”
Reid pulled me back into him and wrapped his arms around me. My knees wobbled and I felt like I was breaking into pieces.
“What about Karen Eubanks? What is going on with you two?” I asked, preparing for the worst.
“Karen Eubanks? What about her? Nothing is going on between us. She bumped into me on accident today. Otherwise, I hardly ever even see her at school. Speaking of school, did you cut lunch today?” he asked. His hand was on my arm. I couldn’t even remember what I had done for lunch. I was too distracted. “Did you even eat lunch today? You are starving. Get a snack and then let’s finish this conversation. I’m not going home until this is settled.”
I felt a bit lighter at the thought of food. I grabbed a cookie from the basket from my field hockey team. I brought the basket over to the table where Reid sat down and set it in front of him.
I took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie and sat at the table next to him. Reid pulled the basket closer to read the label to check for peanuts. As he grabbed the handle, he looked like it had shocked him. I took another bite.
“Whitney, no. Don’t eat it,” Reid said. I saw the panic flash across his face. It was too late. I had already eaten some of the cookie.
I stopped being able to hear what he was saying as blood whirled through my ears. This was different from one of my head rushes. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was fighting for air. I was choking. The cookie. It must have had macadamia nuts in it. My throat was closing. Reid dropped the basket on the table and left. That was the last thing I saw before I went into shock.
Chapter Twenty One: The Heart of a Crane
The sheets were scratchy and someone had tucked me in tight. Make that strapped me in tight, I amended as I tried to move my legs. Where was I? A hospital? Hopefully not a psychiatric one, I thought through the groggy fog that accompanied sedation. The past couple of days had been crazy.
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