A Spy's Home---Book 2: Wounds, Both Old and New

Chapter 15

That night...

My feet shuffled against the rough sidewalk;I had spent the rest of the day researching to find out if there were other disappearances in this town, which there wasn't. I figured the Academy just started taking kids from here starting with Susie, or the 4-year old girl was the only one on the list from this city.

A warm breeze blew through my brown hair lifting it from my back. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and continued down the deserted sidewalk with my mind at ease. I don't know why my mind was at ease; I feel like I should be planning my heart out to strategize what the best way to get into the building and get out without Susie being harmed, but this peaceful moment had me relaxed and put my mind at ease anyway, like I'll be able to save her without a plan.

I guess I was happy that I had done something that made me happy for once in my life. Maybe I had a new ally in this world, and maybe not everybody in this world, except for Rory and his parents, wasn't against me.

However, I immediately regretted letting me guard down because before I can sense a presence following me I am grabbed from behind and dragged into an alleyway. Once I was forced to turn the corner by my attacker, he threw me onto the pavement and said, "I would stay down if I were you."

"And...why should I... listen to a...petty thief like you." I retaliated. I then tried turning around to punch the attacker in the jaw, but to my surprise that's not what happened and I was kicked to the ground again. That was certainly not what I was expecting at all.

"Now, are you going to listen to what I have to say, or are you going to try to throw a punch at me again?' my attacker asked. I turned to face him, slowly stood up, and replied, "Well, it seems like I have no choice, now do I?" I tried identifying the attacker, but he was wearing a hood over his head and a black bandana on his face; it was nearly impossible.

The man chuckled to himself, and said, "No, it does not seem like you do." I balled up my hands, as I was determined to not let my guard down a second time around this moron.

"Just get on with it. What do you need?" I asked, with a little more sass then I intended. The man, who I assumed was in his twenties maybe late teens due to his voice, crossed his arms in front of his chest before speaking again.

"If you're done sassing me off, then I'll say what I have to say." he told me. I could tell by the expression of his eyes that he meant business, so I clamped my mouth shut and nodded, but still not letting my guard down in case he were to attack.

"Listen well, I'm only going to say this once. You need to get a plan together soon because the Academy is moving Susie in two day at midnight." he explained. It dawned to me in an instant after the statement of who my attacker was; he was the one that gave Rory and me clues in Findlay, and he was the one that gave me the note the other day.

"So you're him? Mystery Clue guy?" I asked, pretending to not be as shocked as I really was. The dude flung his arms into the air, and answered, "If you want to call me that, then yeah, you got me."

"But, I'm also guessing you're not going to tell me your identity." I assumed, stuffing my hands back into my pockets, and shrugging my shoulders. I heard the man chuckle, before responding, "No, but I think you'll figure it out in due time."

Giving up on trying to find out his real identity, I replied with, "I think I got the message, and I know I need some sort of strategy." The man stared at me intently for a few moments before saying, "But you don't have one."

Gosh, this guy was good. I shrugged my shoulders and answered him, "So, what if I don't? I've saved a kid before, and I can do it again." I know that's a cocky thing to say, but I couldn't stop it from coming out of my mouth.

The man stepped forward, and exclaimed, "That last time you saved a kid, you had help, but now you don't. You're being rash thinking that you can do everything on your own, but I think I know what the truth is. The truth is that you are trying to forget about what happened by going into fights without a plan!"

A moment of silence passed over the both us, as his strong words settled down in my heart and mind. "Get it together, Zylina, because I may not always be around to give you a clue." he told me, before vanishing into the shadows.

I looked at my feet as I collected my breath; why are all mystery men the people who are right? I shuffled back out into the main sidewalk, my care-less relaxation feeling ruined, but my mind set straight. 

TBC....