The rest of the guys are out. Apparently they are out in the woods with paint ball guns. They said it would be fun, but it sounds painful, so I opted to stay here. To be honest, I’m too sore to really run around in the woods. Except, now I’m bored. Not that the book I’m reading isn’t good, it is. I’m almost to the point where the guy and girl end up together, and I know that is going to be super-satisfying.
Finally.
After, like, three hundred pages.
“Serenity,” Dad says.
I look up when I see my father walking into my room. I lock my iPad and scoot up on my bed.
“What’s up?” I ask him.
“We need to talk,” he says.
“Okay,” I say, setting my iPad down. Whatever it is, I can tell it’s going to take a while, from the way his forehead is wrinkled. “What is it?”
“I asked the boys to leave this afternoon so I could talk to you. Alone,” Dad says.
Which makes me sit up even straighter. “What’s going on?”
“I want to talk to you about Protocol Lex Luthor.”
The words make my heart double in speed.
I have wanted to hear about this since I first heard the words uttered when we we’re in St. Louis.
“I’m sure by now, you know that I have a lot of enemies,” Dad says. “And most of those enemies were either trained by me or my father.”
I nod.
“Spy School does a lot of good. But the thing is, when you go there, you have a choice. You can choose to stay and work for the good guys, or you can leave,” Dad says.
“Why not just make everybody stay?” I ask.
“Because forcing people to do something they don’t want to do is more dangerous than just letting them go,” Dad says. “I don’t ever want anybody to feel like I forced them to work for me. I give them a choice. And I hope that they choose right. Most of the time they do. But sometimes...”
“They become assassins,” I finish for him.
“Exactly,” Dad says. “Some people are motivated by money. Or power.”
“Or family,” I say, in regards to Nolan.
“Yes,” he says. “Choosing right or wrong isn’t always black and white for everybody.”
Which makes me wonder... how grey did it have to be before Nolan went with his parents? Can I really fault him for choosing them over me? It hurts, but I don’t know the situation completely.
“When I was growing up, I had a best friend. Well, he was more than a best friend,” Dad says. “He was my brother. Not by blood. But we were practically raised together. We hardly ever spent time apart.”
“That sounds nice,” I say.
“It was,” Dad says. “His parents worked with my dad and everything was perfect. We both started Spy School together, but we were so well trained before we even went in. The two of us were the top of our class. Of course, I was always better.”
“Of course.”
My dad is the best.
I know that.
“The day came for him to choose. He could stay and work for Spy School or he could leave,” Dad says. “I knew what he would choose. His parents worked for Spy School. I was going to take it over. We were going to be best friends. Someday, I assumed, that his kid would be best friends with my kid.”
“He chose to leave, didn’t he?”
“Not right away,” Dad says. “He got married to a girl he had been in love with since he was a freshman. They had a son. They were happy. Until... he wasn’t anymore. He wanted more power. More money. More... everything.”
“Why would he do that?” I ask.
“Like I said, some people choose things over love,” Dad says. “His wife refused to go with him. She took their son and they hid. With my help, of course. She eventually remarried and she raised her son right. He turned out to be a good person.”
“You talk like you know her son,” I say.
“I do,” Dad says. “Her son is Sebastian Soto.”
Which causes my heart to skip a few beats. “Does he know?”
“Yes. He’s always known,” he says. “His mom thought it was best to tell him the truth from the beginning. Which I completely agree with.”
Which explains so much. It’s why Sebastian doesn’t trust anybody. Anybody in his situation would be the same way.
“Sebastian’s dad is the most dangerous man in the world,” Dad says. “He might not be as strong as I am, but he’s darned close to it. And what he lacks in physical strength, he makes up for in his mind. I’ve never met anybody smarter than he is, besides your mom. And he would not hesitate to end your life if he had the chance.”
“Why is he coming after me?” I ask.
“Because I took his family away from him. Now he wants to do the same to me.”
“They wanted to leave,” I say. “It’s not like you did it to deliberately hurt him.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Dad says. “Not to him.”
“Why are you telling me now?”
“Because he’s coming after you and I think that you deserve to know.”
“It’s why you wanted Sebastian here, right?”
“Part of the reason,” Dad says. “I want him here because he’s like his dad. He’s the best.”
“Except Sebastian isn’t evil,” I say.
“You’re right. Sebastian is a good guy. He’s a lot like his dad used to be... before,” he says. “You and Sebastian hit it off pretty much right away.”
“Are you kidding?” I ask. “He hated me when we met.”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Well, he acted like he did,” I say.
“But you liked him,” Dad says.
“I like everybody.”
“Which makes you more like your mom than me.”
I pause for a second, thinking back to the day I first heard Protocol Lex Luthor. “Dad, was Sebastian’s dad after me when we were in St. Louis?”
“Yes.”
“I want to learn how to fight,” I say. “Like, for real fight.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
“And I want Sebastian to teach me.”
My dad smiles at me. “You know, when you were a baby you were colicky. And the only thing that could get you to stop crying was if we would lay you down beside Sebastian. Even from a young age, the two of you were connected in a way that still blows my mind.”
“He’s my friend,” I say.
“He’s more than that,” Dad says, then stands up. “And I wish your mom were here to talk to you about that, because it makes me very uncomfortable to do so.”
Which makes me laugh.
“I love you, Dad.”
“Love you, too.”
He starts to talk to the door, but I stop him.
“Hey, Dad?” I ask.
He turns around. “What?”
“Why Lex Luthor?”
“In some stories, Clark Kent and Lex Luthor were friends before they became enemies,” Dad says. “It seemed fitting.”
I really need to watch some Superman stories.
Monday, October 2
He’s insane.
In America, October means fall. It means pumpkin flavored everything and cooler weather. But in New Zealand, it means spring. Flowers are starting to bloom and the weather is getting warmer. It’s very strange.
“How long are we going to be here?” I ask my dad.
We’ve been here for over a month now, and it’s the same thing every day. Running until I can’t anymore. Fighting Sebastian, even though I can’t ever seem to get a hit in. Learning to speak Swiss German, how to shoot a gun, and how to do all these crazy things that I’ve never even dreamed of. My dad is even trying to teach me how to disarm a bomb. He says it’s important. It’s not a real bomb. But he says someday, it might be. Which is a little scary.
Sebastian and I seem to have hit a plateau in our relationship. Since my dad told me about his dad, things between us have gotten... cold. Distant. And I don’t like i
t. It seems like no matter how hard I try, he doesn’t want anything to do with me other than training.
I hate it.
“We are going to be here a while longer,” Dad says. “But you get to take a break from training today.”
“I do?” I ask warily.
I feel like there is going to be a catch.
“Today, you’re jumping out of an airplane.”
I swallow hard. “I think I’d rather train.”
I hear laughter and see all the guys come in—Gage, Sebastian, and Brett. Hunter and Jaxon had to leave on an assignment. It’s weird how our numbers keep getting fewer and fewer.
“Who do you want to jump with?” Dad asks.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Jumping from an airplane isn’t just about overcoming fear. It’s about trust. Who do you trust to pull the parachute open in time?” Dad asks.
I look over at the guys.
Gage is better now. He’s still a little pale, but he’s been slowly recovering. He is getting stronger every day. I don’t think it would be good for him to jump from a plane, to be honest.
Brett is also pale. There is even moisture on his forehead. And I remember what Dad said about him being scared of heights. There is no way I would force him to jump with me.
Which leaves me with Sebastian. To be honest, I’d choose him over anybody else in the world. But right now, with things being weird between us, maybe I should choose somebody else. But I realize I can’t. It has to be him.
“I trust all of them,” I say. “But if I’m jumping from a plane with anybody, it’s gonna be Sebastian.”
I can hear Brett sigh with relief even from where I’m standing.
“Why is that?” Dad asks.
“Because if Sebastian is there, I won’t be as nervous,” I say, which is surprisingly honest.
“And that is how teams are formed at Spy School,” Dad says. “It’s how you decide who you’re going to work with. By trust.”
“What if I said I wanted to jump alone?”
“Then you’d be on a solo team. Of which we have plenty. Sebastian jumped solo.”
“After many hours of training,” Bass says.
Just hours?
“Are you okay jumping with me, then?” I ask. “I mean, you wouldn’t rather I pick somebody else?”
“I want to jump with you,” he says.
“Okay, then,” I say, and then look at Dad. “So, I really have to do this, then?”
Dad nods.
“It’s actually kind of fun,” Bass says.
“Says the boy who isn’t afraid of anything,” I say.
“After today, you won’t be scared of jumping from a plane, either,” he says.
“You think after jumping from a plane once I won’t be scared anymore?”
“We’re not jumping once,” Sebastian says. “We’re jumping five times today.”
I look at my dad. “No. Dad, no. I can’t. I don’t even want to do it once.”
Dad narrows his eyes at Sebastian before turning to me. “How about this. Jump once. If you want to stop, then we will. But eventually you will have to go back up there. Besides, Sebastian is right. It’s fun. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
Enjoy jumping for an airplane?
He’s insane.
What is scarier?
And hour later, I am in an airplane, strapped to Sebastian. I look hesitantly over the edge of the plane and squeeze my eyes shut.
“Sebastian, I can't do this,” I tell him through the microphone.
“Yes, you can,” he says.
“Maybe I can, but I don't want to,” I say.
“I thought you wanted to graduate from Spy School.”
“I do. But what does jumping from a plane have to do with being a spy?”
“You’re facing your fear,” Bass says. “You're not just facing it. You're conquering it. Tell me, what is scarier than jumping from an airplane?”
I don't respond.
Because right now, looking over the edge, I can't think of anything scarier.
“Exactly,” Sebastian says. “Nothing bad is going to happen. We have the best equipment there is. And I'm with you. I promise I will protect you.”
Protect me while we’re plunging thousands of feet towards our death?
I lick my dry lips and nod my head. I know there is no way out of this. I have to do it. So, I might as well just suck it up. “Okay. Let's do it.”
“You're going to have to jump,” Bass says.
I take another breath. “Okay.”
“On the count of three. One—two—three.”
We jump on three.
The first thing I feel is a complete weightlessness that takes over my body. There is no sound. There is nothing. But just as quickly, everything comes rushing back. I want to scream, but I can't. I'm terrified.
Then I open my eyes.
We've been in New Zealand for over a month now, but I haven't quite gotten used to the beauty. I can see some snow on the mountains off in a distance. Today is a sunny day, which is a nice change from all the rain we've been getting lately. And I'm not scared anymore. It's actually kind of fun. Nice.
All of a sudden, our free falling is stopped and I feel a jerk as we pull up.
Sebastian pulled the parachute.
I'm glad that I'm here with him. There is nobody in the world I'd rather be with for this experience.
Maybe it’s because we knew each other as babies. Maybe it's because we already had a connection. I don’t understand that connection, but something about Sebastian is so... comforting. He makes me feel safe. I just worry that he will get called off on a different mission, like everybody else. I don't want him to leave.
“What do you think?” Sebastian asks.
“It's beautiful.”
“You didn't scream.”
“I don't think I could. I was too scared,” I say.
“But you're not scared now?”
“No. I like this. It's fun.”
And even though I can't see him right now, I know he's smiling.
“I knew you would,” he says.
“Can I answer your question now?”
“What question?”
“You asked me what is scarier than jumping out of an airplane,” I say.
“Oh,” he says. “What is scarier?”
“The thought of losing you,” I say. “I want to learn to fight to protect myself, but I want to be able to protect you, too.”
“You won't ever have to protect me,” Sebastian says. “In fact, I will protect you. Always.”
“What if you have to leave? Like Sander, Jax, and Hunter?”
“I won't leave,” he says. “I promise.”
“What if there is another mission that is more important?”
“Nothing is more important than you,” Sebastian says, making my heart race slightly. He’s told me that I’m just a job to him, but when he says that, I feel like I’m more. Maybe he’s just not ready to admit it yet.
“My dad told me we were friends when we were little,” I say.
“S, do you really want to talk about this when we're in the air?”
“I guess not,” I say.
“We’re about ready to land. Do you remember what to do?”
“Yeah.”
When we land, I am supposed to run. And I’m prepared. But when we hit the ground, the jarring nearly knocks me off my feet. The only thing that keeps me up is Sebastian. And even he doesn’t keep me standing for long. I hit the ground hard. And since we’re attached, Sebastian lands on top of me.
“Ow,” I say. Because that really hurt.
Sebastian quickly rolls over so that I’m on top. Only now, I’m looking up at the sky.
“Are you hurt?” Sebastian asks.
“I’m fine,” I say. “That was fun.”
He chuckles and then puts an arm around me. I’m wondering what he’s doing until all of a sudden, I am loosened from the restraints and I end up
rolling off, hitting the ground again.
“It’s so weird to be on land again,” I say.
Sebastian gets up and holds out a hand to help me up. I nearly fall over again, but finally get my legs to work properly.
“You were awesome up there,” Bass says.
“Can we go again?” I ask.
“You want to?”
“Heck yes. That was so much fun,” I say.
“You are one crazy girl.”
“I am not sure if that is supposed to be a compliment or an insult,” I say.
He grins. “It’s a compliment. Trust me. But I just expected you to be freaking out. Or screaming the whole way down. Maybe even crying, I don’t know.”
“Should I cry to make you feel better?” I ask.
“No. I don’t want you to cry.”
“Good,” I say. “Now let’s do it again.”
Family.
That afternoon, after we jump five times, Dad has Sebastian, Gage, and Brett out doing some training. And I know exactly what that means. He wants to talk to me. Alone. My dad is a very unpredictable man, but I’ve learned that when it comes to me, he’s very predictable. Honestly, I just think he doesn’t know what to do with a teenage girl. It’s new for him.
“I always thought you were just like your mom,” Dad says. “Until today.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Your mom was terrified of heights. She hated the face-your-fears exercises,” Dad says. “She was smart and actually managed to get out of doing half the stuff. Today... you reminded me of myself.”
“But I was scared,” I say.
“Everybody is scared the first time,” he says. “And the ones who say they aren’t are liars. But Sebastian told me that you didn’t hesitate. He counted to three and you jumped. You didn’t scream, which means you handled your fear well. And before you even got to the ground, you were asking to do it again. It’s almost like you like the fear.”
“Maybe a little,” I say.
“That’s a good thing, because that is what makes a good spy,” Dad says. “You’re smart, driven, and a natural leader.”
Keeping Me (Spy Chronicles Book 2) Page 10