A Spy's Home--Book 1: Beyond the Borders.

Chapter 15

One Week Later....

One week on the road with the only family I've ever known; groan. It was more exhausting than I thought. We ended up in Ohio, which is the farthest I've ever been from what I used to call home. Rory told me that he quit his job, so he could travel, but we had enough money for about a year and a half. I was excited to see the rest of the United States, since I had spent my whole life in the East Coast.

It was our eighth day of being on the road, and we were just checking in to a motel. I was waiting in the car, reading one of the books Rory's mom had gotten me. It was a hardcover, 300-page, fantasy book, and though I was reluctant to read it I actually loved it and I couldn't put it down. I was so enveloped in the book that I didn't even notice Rory coming towards the car. He knocked on the window, and I jumped and dropped the book on the car floor; I knew I was jumpy because my instincts are always alert, but I didn't know I was that jumpy.

"Sorry Zylina, I keep scaring you like that." Rory apologized, opening the back door. "I guess being on the run from a Spy organization will make me a little jumpy and paranoid." I joked, putting the book back into the backpack Rory's mom put all my personal belongings. "C'mon we're in room eighteen." Rory said, before closing the door and walking to the long building of rooms. I chuckled to myself, put on my backpack, picked up my other bag where I had my clothes, and got out of the car. The trip so far may have been exhausting, but it was nice to spend some time with Rory.

The sun was just starting to set so I could see where room eighteen was, and I started walking. Once I got to the door I knocked and called, "Rory, is the door unlocked?" "Yeah, it is. You can come in." Rory called back. There was something in his voice that I couldn't point out; fear? I put my bag down so I could open the door, and what I saw made my heart skip a beat. A thin man, who I recognized from the Academy, had Rory at gunpoint against the wall. "Hey Zyl." the man said, turning his head to me. I was frozen in terror, and I had to swallow it down so I could speak again.

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Rory's point of view

I had just entered the motel room and was setting my bags. I thought we were safe; I thought we were away from the Academy where they made us think we were helping people when we were actually hurting them and kidnapping babies for recruits. However, the feeling of comfort and safety went away when I heard metal clicking. It was the unmistakable sound of a gun, and I slowly turned around. The face I saw made my panic; It was my old rival, who was always out to prove that he was a better agent than me, and he was always pushing Zylina around, which I hated; Cree.

"Cree?" I said. "I knew I made foolish mistakes in the past, but even I'm not foolish enough to run away from the Academy." he responded. When I heard a knock on the door my heart raced. "Rory, is the door unlocked!" Zylina's voice called, from the other side of the door. I wanted to tell her to run, that she was in danger, but Cree pointed the gun to the door and whispered, "If you don't tell her to come inside I'll shoot her through the door." "Yeah, it is. You can come in!" I called back, but immediately I was filled with guilt and anger about doing that.

My breathing quickened as I saw the door open and Zylina freeze in terror and Cree turned to face her. "Hey Zyl." he said. No way! Did he just call her Zyl? No one is allowed to call her that except me and me alone! This dude is going to pay! "C...Cree?" Zylina stuttered, dropping her bags on the floor. I could see the terror in her eyes and her mouth tremble at the sight of the guy who used to pick on her when she was younger; I wonder if it got worse when I left. "This is how it's going to work, Zylina you are going to close and lock that door, then you're going to come over here and stand next to Rory." Cree ordered. Zylina and I locked eyes and I nodded to tell her to listen to him; Cree may have been one of the worst students at the Academy, but he was ruthless, and I didn't want Little Z to get hurt because of me. 

TBC...