by Sara Schoen
I tossed aside the thought as I pushed myself off the bed. I needed answers, and I wasn’t going to get them sitting around. If I wanted to be sure of Sara’s identity, then I needed to risk contacting her and exposing who I was. I needed to know the plan. I couldn’t keep following someone who played the role of her fake identity so well. Demon and Whip Lash claimed that she would be easy to read, and that I would automatically know her. She let me read what I needed to for her role, but not her true intentions. As for automatically knowing, I couldn’t be certain, but I would fix that.
“You’re leaving too?” a voice said as I touched the doorknob.
I turned to see Danielle sitting on the couch. I had forgotten she was here because it had been so quiet. She looked bored, and judging from the remote control in her hands, she had been flipping through channels since Camden left.
“I thought you’d be happy with me leaving,” I said. “You don’t exactly enjoy my company.”
“I would be, but there’s no one else around. Sara isn’t allowed visitors after eight, and it gets way too complicated to get into the hospital after that time. They make it so hard, it’s like they don’t want people to visit,” she complained. A moment of silence passed between us as she collected her thoughts again before continuing, “Everyone keeps leaving. First, some guys came over to talk to Camden after he finished arguing with someone on the phone, then they left, then Camden followed them shortly after, and now you.”
“Well, why didn’t you stay with your friends? They would have been happy to stay with you.”
“Well, I had nowhere else to go after the pipe burst in my apartment. The landlord said it’s a lost cause so he has to rip up the carpet and everything. Mold is probably all over it now, water damage…I lost a lot of stuff. Besides that, one of my friends is studying abroad, and the other didn’t answer when I called for help,” she said with a frown. “She didn’t call until a few days later, but by that time Camden had offered to have me stay here.”
“You could go stay with her if you wanted,” I replied. “I’m sure now that she knows what happened that she’ll be willing to help you out.”
“She doesn’t have room to let me live with her for however long it’s going to take to fix the damage at my apartment. She would let me, but there just wouldn’t be enough room for the both of us in her one bedroom apartment,” she explained before falling silent again. I was about to push the conversation when she spoke up again. “Just get out of here.” I could hear the pain in her voice, and it hurt. I had left her alone for years. I wished I could make it up to her, but that meant not going to see Sara.
I sighed heavily. There wouldn’t be many other times to make it up to Danielle for leaving her behind. “You know,” I said, letting my hand rest on the doorknob. “I’m going out to get something to eat, if you want to—”
“Well, since you offered,” she said, letting happiness ring in her voice as she sped to her room to get ready.
I hope I didn’t live to regret not sneaking in to see Sara.
***
We walked to the nearest fast food restaurant to grab a bite. The night air was cool and crisp, reminding us that it wasn’t quite summer yet, and that there was still a chance for the temperature to drop below forty. We didn’t say much to each other until we arrived and had both ordered our meals.
“I’ve already spent enough time in the loft,” Danielle stated, the hesitation in her voice shocked me. She normally demanded things. I didn’t know what to do with the sudden change, so I waited for her to finish. “Do you mind if we eat here?”
“No, I don’t mind,” I replied. “Go pick a place to sit and I will wait here for the orders.”
She walked off, and I didn’t have much longer to wait for the food to come. I just didn’t want to stand there in silence, and I had a feeling she didn’t either. I just didn’t know what to say to keep her from suspecting me. I had come close a few times, but I brushed it off. There wasn’t much for her to go on, and there would be less when Camden told her I was dead. It hurt to think about the pain she would go through when she heard the news, but there was nothing I could do about it. This mission had to play out for whatever Sharp Shooter had told the other agents to do, even if I didn’t fully know everyone involved.
I plucked the food bags from the counter once the cashier slid it over to me, and made my way to Danielle. Once she had the food in front of her, she talked nonstop. Whether it was her complaining about school, classes she had to take, or just life in general, she kept going. I blocked most of it out as she continued her rant.
“Jackson always encouraged me to do my best in school, and if I didn’t understand something he would take the time to explain it to me.”
“Sounds nice,” I said, remembering how I used to make her sit down at the kitchen table to do her homework. She hated it at the time, but I guess now she appreciated it because I wasn’t around anymore.
“Yeah, it was. He spent a lot of time with me, even though he drove me insane…sometimes. I liked having him around. It was a lot better than not knowing where he is. Everyone’s written him off, but the Army never gave a formal report that his body had been found. The whole incident is still under investigation.”
I could tell the words left a sour taste in her mouth, judging from her disgusted expression.
She continued, “That’s the worst part, not knowing. I hope Camden can find something. I just want a little closure. I don’t want to be in the dark anymore.”
I swallowed hard, trying to cover the guilt that sank into my features. I couldn’t fight the remorse. I should have found some way to tell her I was still alive, but that went against orders, and I had sworn to follow them. “I’m sure you will get some closure soon,” I said. “Camden is good at what he does.”
A gleam of hope appeared in her eyes.
“Tell me more about your brother and you,” I said.
She beamed at the suggestion before she continued to talk about our relationship growing up together. She mentioned events that made me smile, and a few I cringed at. She seemed pleased to talk about it until we had both finished our food, and were ready to go.
“I’m sorry, I’m probably boring you,” she said as we got up to leave.
“No, not at all,” I said, smiling. “You guys sound like you were really close. It’s okay to talk about him.”
Danielle shrugged. “To him we probably weren’t that close. He probably just thought of me as his annoying little sister, but to me, he was my everything.”
Chapter 18
Camden had been extremely busy over the last few days because his father had been calling on him more often for one reason or another. I was sure it had something to do with the lack of evidence for the rat. Miguel and Camden were both under fire by cartel members. Their loyalty waned as they tested the waters due to this now stressful time. Camden had the news dropped on him last night because Miguel wanted Camden to be a part of the decisions. Now that Camden had made it clear he had taken his father’s rules seriously and found a girl to marry, Miguel wanted to make sure he could handle it when it came time for him to step down. Even though discovering a mole in the cartel rarely came up, and shipments were being scrutinized in every aspect, they had to be prepared for it. Miguel also needed Camden to win over the members who were starting to question their loyalty, to keep everyone in line.
Thankfully, it got Camden out of the house, and since Danielle often went to visit Sara, I had time alone. This gave me a chance to signal Demon, and then meet up with him a few days later after he took a trip to the hospital. Danielle had mentioned she’d walked in on a guy with black hair talking with Sara. He introduced himself as Sara’s lab partner for a biology class. She’d said he had a lean frame, green eyes, and appeared interested in Sara. Demon hadn’t taken much precaution to disguise himself. Danielle repeated almost everything he’d said, unknowingly telling me he would be waiting for me the next day in our usual spot.
&
nbsp; “I thought it was strange because he made plans to see Sara at nine the next night,” Danielle had explained over breakfast a few days earlier. I knew since Sara didn’t accept visitors after eight, the comment had been meant for me.
I left early that night, under the guise of grabbing a bite to eat, and rushed to meet Demon. His opening line was very typical of him. “So I see you’ve been spending a lot of time with Sara. Trust her yet?” He enjoyed a little teasing, even during a mission. I think it helped him relax. Either way, he explained Sara was the other agent, and while she had improved hiding her emotions and thoughts, she knew what she was doing.
“How long before she’ll be out?”
“Depends on how fast she heals, honestly.” He explained she’d broken a few ribs, which wasn’t a part of the original plan. “It will take a few weeks to heal fully, but they should be healed up soon. She won’t sit around long. Two weeks is already too long for her. I convinced her to wait another week at least.”
“How did she break her ribs?”
“She failed to jump high enough, but she will be getting out soon. I knew she would refuse to stay in the hospital the entire time.” He shrugged, as if relenting. He had clearly given up trying to make her choices for her. “She’s terrified of you, though. I heard you shot at her. What were you thinking?”
“So she was the one who set the shipment on fire?”
“Of course she was. She took the files we needed. They didn’t want Camo getting caught trying to escape with them, and we knew she would be able to retrieve them easily.” Because Sara went in, we got what they needed and that allowed them to move the plan into the final stage, which he still didn’t say a lot about except that it was time to catch them in the act. It’s up to Sara to do that. Before we went our separate ways, Demon told me Camo had made it safely back to CIRA because I told her to get out, and reminded me that I had to do the same for Sara. I just hoped I would be able to.
“Marco,” Camden called, entering the kitchen area and disrupting my thoughts. “I need you to go with Danielle to the hospital today. I can’t go.”
I bit my tongue to prevent myself from saying she could go alone, that she’s old enough to take care of herself, but I knew what he would say. Danielle had made that same argument earlier this week, and it ended with Camden telling her that while he knew she could take care of herself, he was concerned after what had happened. He’d started to think someone was after him because of the rat, that someone might be aiming to take out Danielle, but he played it off well. To her it sounded sweet and loving, but to me it sounded fake and rehearsed, and I wanted to say, “Camden, you’re full of shit.”
Instead, I nodded in understanding, having given up arguing, but Danielle hadn’t.
“He doesn’t have to, Camden,” she said. “I won’t force him to be at the hospital if he doesn’t want to. I’m capable of looking after myself.”
“I know,” Camden said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. “I just like to be sure you’re safe. Humor me, please,” he begged, flashing a smile that I knew had Danielle won over. She never said no to him when he smiled at her like that. “I’m sure Marco won’t mind. The first time we went, he couldn’t keep his eyes off that girl.”
I glanced up to him in shock. He’d been staring at her too, but he pinpointed me to distract from himself. I couldn’t admit that aloud, and I knew Danielle wouldn’t let it go now that he’d said it. She liked knowing the details of everyone’s lives, especially the specifics about relationships.
“Really?” Danielle exclaimed, suddenly excited that I had to come with her to the hospital. “Do you think you’d ever try to see her when she got out? Are you going to ask her on a date?”
“I’m not having this discussion,” I said, picking up my plate and glaring at Camden, who had a wide smirk on his face. I opened my mouth to tell him off when his cell phone started ringing.
Saved by the bell, Camden, I thought as he glanced at the screen. It rang a few times before he held up a finger, telling me that he needed a minute. He raced out of the room.
“You know, I got flowers for her,” Danielle chimed, clearly not ready to let go of the conversation. “If you want, I can let you give them to her. I’m sure it would really brighten her day.”
“No thanks,” I grumbled, leaving the room to grab my coat. I wanted to get out of here as fast as possible so that I could get her to the hospital, and force her to keep quiet about it around Sara.
Danielle followed, gathering her bag, coat, and the flowers, but didn’t stop asking questions until we were out of the building, waiting on whomever Camden had ordered to take us there.
“I’m sorry you have to come with me,” she said as the car pulled up and she got in.
I sighed. She didn’t like being treated like a child, even when she had been one. She always fought with our parents on what she should be able to do at her age, and now she had to follow the rules Camden wouldn’t ease up on. “I don’t mind. At least it’s better than following Camden to work, and being bored out of my mind. He doesn’t really need me until they’ve managed to track down whoever they’re looking for.”
Thankfully, she didn’t say much else on the way to the hospital. I enjoyed the silence over having Danielle ask me about Sara because while I knew things about her, I knew they were all lies. Sara was undercover, her story a fabrication, and that meant in the long run I knew nothing about her. Danielle wanted everyone to find love, to be with someone they cared for, someone who cared for them in return. She wanted a happy ending, even if it had to be forced. That only made Camden’s lies to her all the more irritating. She believed we were partners on investigative cases. According to his story, I lived with him because we had become close friends through our work. This was true for my undercover persona, but I really wanted to knock him out half the time. He told her I was helping look for Jackson, dragging me further into his lie, and forced me to tell her what little we had found.
If any good news came out of it, at least CIRA could make people disappear. We hadn’t been able to find anything on me, not even about the crash itself or me enlisting. I had become a ghost, and nearly impossible to find. I didn’t let it go to my head, though. I knew Camden had men, just like André, who could track me down if given enough time.
When we arrived at the hospital entrance, Danielle raced out as I thanked the driver who had dropped us off. I didn’t recognize him, but since I didn’t usually bother with the drivers Camden sent, I wouldn’t know who they were. I followed slowly behind her once I exited the car. She got in line to check in and greeted a few people behind the counter by name. She knew most of the staff, had even become friends with some of them due to the amount of time she spent here, but each time she visited she needed a new pass, even if she came back the same day.
I flashed my ID card with her, and we each received a pass. She handed me the flowers while she stuck her tag on. I thought she would try to stick me with them, but thankfully she took them back and lead me to Sara’s room. I hadn’t sat with Sara since we were first introduced about two weeks ago. Normally, I dropped off Danielle and left.
Sara said a quick hello to us both when we got to the room, and Danielle immediately hugged her. The embrace, while short and gentle so as to avoided hurting Sara, was touching to see. Danielle whispered something in Sara’s ear before pulling away, causing her to laugh, and Danielle immediately took a seat in the chair next to the bed. She handed Sara the flowers and once again whispered something I didn’t catch. If I had to guess, she said something about me giving her the flowers because Sara blushed and offered me a soft smile.
I fought the urge to tell Sara I hadn’t brought the flowers, but decided not to once she looked away. I leaned against the wall for support as I glanced around the room. There were flowers all over the room now, and if I had to take a guess, I would say they were all from Danielle and Camden. Danielle was attempting to show her gratitude for Sara saving her. If only Daniell
e knew Sara had done it for a mission, maybe she wouldn’t be so quick to thank her.
I knew Demon had Night Stripe jump in to gain Danielle’s trust, I just hadn’t figured out exactly why. Could it be to get to Camden? It didn’t seem likely, but I knew they wanted Sara close to the cartel. They said wreaking havoc was her specialty, so what could she do with Danielle’s friendship? Danielle wasn’t in the cartel, not directly anyway. Demon hadn’t explained that part of the plan. I wish I had thought to ask him, because to me it seemed someone hadn’t thought the plan through entirely.
“Marco,” Sara called, pulling my attention back on her. It was immensely difficult not to stare at her, and it only got worse when she wanted to talk to me. “Grab a chair. There’s no need for you to stand.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine where I am,” I said, offering her a smile.
Sara nodded and turned back to Danielle, but I could see her watching me out of the corner of her eye. There’s the agent training seeping through, keeping an eye on her perceived enemy.
“Marco is too shy to admit it, but he can’t take his eyes off you because he has a crush on you,” Danielle said with a smile.
I glared at her, wondering why everyone felt they had to say that. I didn’t have a crush on her, or any feelings toward her. Well, I had stared at her the entire time we were here the first time. I also hadn’t stopped thinking about her, but that didn’t mean anything. It was for the mission. I had to focus on her. I opened my mouth, about to tell Sara I didn’t have a crush on her, but she spoke up and stopped me.
“Thank you, Marco. Tulips are my favorite flowers. It was sweet of you.” She flashed me a smile, a blush taking over her cheeks.
“But I didn’t bring—”
Danielle interrupted before I could finish the sentence. “So did the cute doctor change your bandages today?”
I noticed Sara offer Danielle a blithe expression, and laughed off her question. “No, and hopefully he never does. I would be too nervous and awkward.”