“I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?” Penny says.
Zane shakes his head. “No. It’s a perfectly reasonable question. Just a very sad story.”
Penny reaches for his arm. Her touch is cool against his hot skin. “You don’t have to talk about it.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll tell you.” Zane covers her hand with his, and holds it there. “We were refugees of the Bosnian War. Do you remember that, or are you too young?”
Penny shakes her head. “I remember it a little, hearing about it on the news. Some of my teachers talked about it. But, yes, I was very young at the time.”
“I was fifteen years old,” Zane says. “My sister, Zara, was eleven. When the unrest began, it was mostly confined to Sarajevo. I remember my father reading the reports of the attacks. He was a man who smiled all the time, and always had a kind word. But while reading the morning paper, his face would turn gray. Still, we thought we were safe in our little village. Sarajevo is a big city, and a world away from our lives. But by that spring, nowhere in Bosnia was safe. Our village was shelled late one night. Half of our home was destroyed. Both my father and my sister died in that attack.”
“Jesus,” Penny whispers through her teeth. Her eyes glimmer with tears.
Zane raises an eyebrow at her. “It was after that, I realized just how strong my mother is. Through her intense grief, she found a way to get us out of there. This is where my memory gets fuzzy. I remember fleeing our home in the middle of the night, taking only the possessions that we could carry. We rode in the back of a truck covered by a tarp. From there, we got on a boat, then a plane. I remember walking for a long time at some point. When we settled in North Carolina, it seemed like a different world. A better world. And we’ve been here ever since.”
“I just-“ Penny blinks her tears away. “How can someone get past something so traumatic?”
Zane holds Penny’s hand tighter. “You never get past it, not truly.” He strokes her cheek, gazing into her eyes. “But you are stronger than you think you are. It’s human nature to survive, to fight for life, for happiness.”
Penny lightly kisses Zane’s hand pressed against her cheek. It’s a small gesture, but Zane feels its magnitude deep inside his core. He feels a tug towards her. He imagines how easily he could wrap his arms around her waist and pull her into his lap. But, he resists.
“You never told me what you do for work,” Zane says, going back to his eggs.
Penny brushes the hair from her face. “It’s nothing special. I’m a freelance social media marketing consultant. Which means, I get paid to post to Facebook all day.”
“You get paid to do that?” Zane says, teasingly.
Penny sighs. “Believe it or not, I do. That’s our current state of affairs. And don’t forget Twitter. I post there too. I also do some coding, web development, whatever I can pick up.”
Zane shakes his head. “That would drive me crazy. I haven’t been on social media in years. All the self-glorification, the naval-gazing, the mining for likes and comments. It’s all so fake. Now, my mother, she’s on Facebook all the time. I have to warn her not to overshare, but she doesn’t listen.”
The conversation pauses as they finish their breakfast. Zane clears their plates, and returns to freshen up Penny’s coffee. She stirs milk into her mug, with a strange look in her eye. She takes a sip, then looks up at him.
“What do you do?” she asks.
Zane stalls by returning the coffee pot to the kitchen. He’s been dreading this question. He hates to lie to her, but he sure as hell doesn’t want to tell her the truth. If she knew he was an assassin, she’d go screaming for the hills.
“Security,” Zane says, sitting back down. “Freelance. Like you.”
Penny’s eyes narrow as she stares at him. “Oh,” she says.
They sip their coffee quietly for a few moments. Now that they’ve had breakfast, Zane’s considering how to get Penny to the bedroom.
“What are you doing for the rest of the day?” Zane asks.
Penny smiles, her cheeks flushing red. She’s about to answer when her phone dings. Zane watches carefully as she reads the text. Her mouth falls open, and her face turns white.
“I have to go,” she says, standing up clumsily.
Zane jumps to his feet. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Penny gives a pinched smile. “Nothing serious. Just a work emergency.”
Zane eyes her carefully. Nothing serious wouldn’t make her as pale as a ghost.
“Emergency?” Zane laughs. “What is it? Not hitting your ‘like’ quota?”
Penny gives an exaggerated laugh. “Just a, uh, deadline’s been pushed up. Thank you for breakfast. I have to go now.”
Penny glances towards the door. Zane understands that’s his cue to leave. He has an uneasy feeling as he walks towards the door. What’s she hiding?
Penny thanks him for breakfast again. Before leaving, Zane grabs her and kisses her. His hand wonders to her ass and squeezes. When he pulls way, Penny is breathless.
“I’ll see you very soon, Penny.” He kisses her again before walking out the door.
*
While on the bus, Penny clutches her phone like it’s her only lifeline. This morning, Hunter had texted her two words, I’m out, in all caps. During the ride, she texts him frantically, explaining that she needs his help. She can’t do this alone. Once Em Dash decodes the files and hands them back to her, it’s up to her and Hunter to find the report about Ben. She can’t possibly go through all of them on her own.
She gets off at the bus stop, then walks the familiar path through the woods. Inside the barn, the electricity has been cut off. Hunter is pacing frantically. He doesn't look at Penny when she enters, he just starts talking. Penny can tell by the sound of his voice that he’s a bit unhinged.
“We have to destroy everything,” Hunter says. “Wipe everything. We can’t leave any evidence.”
Penny steps forward slowly, her hand extended. “Just, calm down, Hunter. Take a breath. Let’s talk about this.”
Hunter shakes his head furiously. “We should burn this entire barn down.”
Penny grabs him by the shoulders and shakes him. “Burn the barn down? That’s how you definitely get caught. They’ll find all these wires. They’ll trace it back to us. Then, they’ll start asking questions. Do you think you could hold it together if someone’s interrogating you?”
Hunter stiffens his mouth. “I’ll leave. I met a girl online. She lives in Florida. Maybe I can crash with her.”
“Hunter,” Penny yells, desperate to get through to him. “They still don’t know who we are. We’re safe. Where’s this coming from?”
Hunter turns to her, his eyes dark. “How can you be so calm?”
“I’m staying focused on the mission,” Penny says, calmly.
Hunter laughs, a quick, sarcastic chortle. “And I thought you were smart. We’re safe, huh? Do you feel safe? Someone’s been hired to kill you, Penny.”
Penny’s calm facade fades. Hunter was never supposed to know that.
“You weren’t going to tell me, were you?” Hunter says, his voice dripping with venom. “I hacked into your phone. I read all of your messages with Em Dash. Zane, fucking, Celick? Penny, we have to get out of here.”
“No, no.” Penny shakes her head defiantly. “It’s not over yet. Look, Hunter, Zane isn’t going to be a problem.”
“Not a problem? Penny, wake up. Do you think being assassin is some bargain basement gig? They’re probably paying him several million dollars. And once they find you, they’ll be coming for me.” He stops to study a few low hanging wires. He grabs one, and yanks it down. “We have to get started. Come on.”
“No, I’m not giving up on Ben.” Penny plants her feet stubbornly. She considers that maybe she should listen to Hunter. Maybe they are in over their heads. Penny has a price on her head for Christ’s sakes. But even before starting this, she knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and she
swore to herself she wouldn’t give up.
Penny pulls out her phone and swipes it open. “Did you read the rest of my texts?”
“No,” Hunter says. “I’m not a creep.”
Penny presses play on the video of Zane swimming in the lake, then hands the phone to Hunter. His forehead crinkles in confusion.
“Is that-“ he asks.
“That’s Zane. I’ve been in contact with him.” She reaches over Hunter’s shoulder, and opens the text thread between her and Zane. “You see?”
“You’re fucking crazy,” Hunter says under his breath.
“I’m keeping an eye on him. He doesn’t know who I am. Hunter, I need you. There’s no one else I can trust for this. My agreement with Em Dash only involved decoding the files. I need your help going through them. And I promise you, the moment we’re in danger, I’ll tell you. We’ll wipe everything clean. Get out of here. Okay?”
Hunter is staring at the phone when a text comes through. “It’s him,” Hunter says, handing the phone to Penny. “So, are you like, dating him, or something?”
“Something,” Penny says, reading Zane’s text.
Still at work?
*
Yes. It might be awhile. I’ll let you know.
Zane pockets his phone, and goes back to the game of checkers he’s playing with Nora. He’s starting to regret not following Penny to where ever she was going, but he wants to trust her. He can’t forget the look on her face when she got that text. Is there another man?
“Who are you texting?” Nora asks, leaning back, casually.
“No one,” Zane grumbles. “A friend.”
Nora raises her eyebrow. “It’s not that Jacob, is it?”
Zane gives her a pinched look, then hops over three of her red checkers. Nora lifts her chin, holding her hand to her mouth as if smoking a cigarette.
“Is it a she?” Nora asks, then collects one of his black checkers.
“I told you, it’s nothing.”
Nora throws up her hands. “Nothing. You stay out all night, then when you return this morning, you’re all smiles. Now, you’re in a grumpy mood, and ruining my game of checkers. Only a woman can cause that kind of emotional instability.”
Zane silently studies the game board. He doesn’t have a move. No matter where he goes, Nora’s in a position to sweep the last of his checkers. He moves to the right. Nora laughs, then executes her final move.
“I know it’s a woman,” Nora says. “Because you normally beat me at checkers. Please, draga, tell me about her. Give an old lady something to live for.” She clutches her chest, exaggerating her feebleness.
Zane looks at her sideways, but sighs, knowing he’s cornered. “It’s something new. Very new. Don’t get too excited.”
Nora clasps her hands to her mouth. “I knew it. What’s her name?”
Zane rubs his face. “Penny.” Her name on his lips makes him smile.
“Such a lovely name. I look forward to meeting her. Another game?”
“Sure. And you won’t get so lucky this time.”
Nora lays out on the checkers for new game, a smile beaming from her face. Zane takes her hand, making her look at him.
“No posting about this on Facebook,” Zane says. “Okay, Mati?”
Nora lifts her hand, showing him her palm. “You have my word.”
Zane hopes he can trust her, but he’s heard that before. “I’ll take red this time.”
Zane’s phone buzzes beside him.
“Is that her?” Nora asks.
I wish, Zane thinks. “It’s Jacob. He wants me to go look at cars with him.”
Nora swats the air. “Tell him to buzz off.”
“I think that’s what I’ll do,” Zane says. He doesn’t want to get sucked into spending time with Jacob. Their encounters usually end up taking hours, and he wants to see Penny later. That is, if she ever gets back from work.
That afternoon, Zane tries texting Penny again. She says she’s still working. Zane tastes bitterness at the back of his throat. What could be taking so long? Where is she? He throws his phone to the other side of the couch and flips on the TV. But nothing holds his attention. He can’t stop thinking about Penny, whether or not she’s with another man, or just avoiding him. Penny had lied to him this morning. It was written all over her face.
His blood is hot with jealousy. The adrenaline makes him jumpy. He wants to punch something.
But Nora would have a cow if he punched anything in this house. Zane needs to get out of here. He needs to work this intensity out of his system.
Two hours later, Zane meets Jacob at the jaguar dealership. Jacob is wearing his regular black suit with a skinny tie. He walks towards Zane, his arm extended.
“Glad you could make it,” Jacob says, patting Zane heartily on the back. He sweeps his arms towards the cars on the lot. “See anything you like?”
Zane zones in a silver jaguar F-type, a sexy little sports car with a convertible top. “That,” Zane says. “Where’s that salesman. I want a test drive.”
Jacob seems pleased with Zane’s sudden zeal for consumerism. He calls the salesman over, who gives Zane the keys to the car. The salesman is all slick sales pitch, talking endlessly about the magnificent way the 2018 F-types handle. Zane doesn’t hear any of it. His entire body is running hot. He can’t get visions of Penny and another man out of his head. He needs to do something to force this adrenaline out of his system.
The car only seats two people. Jacob sweet talks the salesman into letting Jacob and Zane ride alone. This isn’t hard to do. It seems the salesman knows exactly who Jacob is. Zane gets behind the wheel and revs the engine.
“Easy there, Zane,” Jacob says. “Is everything all right with you, man? You seem tense.”
“Everything’s fine,” Zane says, nonchalantly.
Zane puts the car in drive, then speeds off of the car lot, spinning tires as he goes. The salesman runs after them, yelling. Jacob yells for Zane to slow down. But none of it matters to Zane. The engine rumbles beneath him, and he can feel the power of the machine he operates. The rush Zane feels is like a drug. It heals him, but only temporarily. To feel better, he has to go faster.
The road is clear in front of the dealership. Zane steps on the gas, seeing just how far he can push it. The speedometer jumps to sixty, then gradually goes to up seventy, eighty. Zane has spent so long judging his old self and his reckless behavior, but now he remembers the appeal of it. It’s freeing to laugh in the face of consequence, to truly not give a fuck.
“Slow down, man,” Jacob says, trying to keep his cool. He’s gripping the handle on the ceiling of the car so hard his knuckles are turning white.
Zane doesn’t listen. He whips down a side road, then pumps the gas even more. He watches with exhilaration as the speedometer creeps closer to one hundred.
“Slow down,” Jacob says, louder this time.
Zane’s mind flashes back briefly to his car accident. He’d been driving recklessly, just like this, and he wasn’t exactly sober. The light pole had come out of nowhere. He can hear the crunching of metal, smell the smoke. He can remember Nora leaning over him while he was in a hospital bed, smiling though her face was stained with tears. Nora has lost so much. If something happened to Zane, it might kill her.
The adrenaline subsides, leaving Zane with real fear. He’s going very fast. He can’t just slam on brakes. He takes his foot on the gas and lets the car slow down before lightly pumping the brakes. His palms are covered with cold sweat. What had he been thinking? Why did he think he could go back to the way he was?
This is why he needs Penny.
The car comes to a rolling stop. Jacob’s breathing is so loud, it fills the entire car. Both of them stare out of the front window, trying to process the terrifying experience. Jacob turns slowly to Zane, then opens his mouth and lets out a loud “Whooooooo!”
“That was awesome, man,” Jacob says, laughing. He holds up his trembling hand. “Look at me. I’m sha
king. Man, that’s what it feels like to be alive.”
Zane silently grips the steering wheel in front of him. He thought he had changed. He thought he didn’t have to chase adrenaline highs anymore.
No, he is a different person now. It’s this mess with Penny that’s got him all screwed up. Zane needs to see her. He needs to find out her secret before it drives him crazy.
Chapter Eight
Penny didn’t mean to fall asleep on the ratty old couch in the barn. She’d stayed awake until dawn, slowly talking Hunter back from the edge. He’d made her swear repeatedly that as soon as Zane and company found out their identities, she’d let him know. Penny made that promise, and she plans to keep it.
Hunter is asleep at her feet, his head craned back, and his mouth hanging open. Penny quietly leaves the barn. They left the conversation in a good place. She doesn’t want him to wake up, and rehash everything again.
On the bus back into town, she scrolls through the texts Zane had sent her. She’d stopped responding sometime after midnight. He’s going to be suspicious, Penny thinks, her chest tightening with fear. She’ll have to stick to her story, no matter what, that she was working with a client. She rubs her temples while thinking it through. Yes, they had to make the deadline, so they pulled an all-nighter.
Zane will want to see her today, there’s no question about that. The thought excites her, and sends tingles down her thighs. It also scares her. She’s growing attached to Zane. She hasn’t known him for long, but now, life without him would be empty. Lonely. But with every lie she tells him, she digs herself deeper. Hopefully one day she’ll be able to find her way out.
Why couldn’t she have met the perfect man at another time in her life, and one that’s not been hired to kill her? It’s just Penny’s luck. Anything good that happens to her is fraught with dangerous landmines. She has to navigate carefully not to get blown up.
When Penny enters her apartment, there’s still a hint of the delicious food Zane had brought over wafting in the air. She opens the fridge and eyes the leftover musaka. Her stomach grumbles with hunger, but when she moves to make a plate, the hunger is replaced with nausea. It’s a symptom of her anxiety. Her body needs fuel, but her nervous stomach rejects it.
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