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

Chapter 17

Hours later...

I stood in the rain as it splashed onto my sleeves and hood that was already over my head. I looked at the building across the street; the hospital building where Susie was. I bit my lower lip as I went over the plan again to myself in my head, before I finally crossed the rain soaked street.

I went into the alley in between the two buildings next to it and went around to the back. I pulled back my hoodie, and tied my bandana around the lower half of my face. Once the bandanna was secure, I slipped back on the hoodie and snuck a little closer to the building to examine the back entrance. Like I guessed, there were no agents at the back, but I realized they could have locked the door.

"Crap." I whispered to myself, once that dawned on me. I turned around so I could find another way in, but I found myself punched in the jaw. I staggered to the ground, but before I could get my thoughts in process I was grabbed by the collar, and pinned to the wall.

Once my vision could actually focus on my attacker I was expecting an agent, but it was....Carlos instead. His black hair was now soaked and his once kind brown eyes were now full of hatred as raindrops made trails next and below them. I was confused for a moment of why he didn't recognize me, and then remembered my outfit; he must think I was one of the people that took his sister.

"You're going to lead me to my sister, and then all of you pay." he practically growled; I have never seen Carlos this angry before. Suddenly, without warning, he tore down the bandana from my face, and then ripped my hood off my head. His face went from pure anger, to confusion, before finally going into shock and terror.
My blood-shot green eyes met his glassy brown eye, and we just stood there as the rain came down on us soaking our hair and clothes, speechless and lost in a fog of confusion.

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Back at the motel...

Carlos paced back and forth across the motel room floor, as I sat in the wooden chair with my head down and my eyes on my feet. "Zylina, what the heck? First our call, and now this?!" he exclaimed.

"Carlos, I-" "No, no, I don't want to hear anymore lies. Are you part of the group that took my sister?". At the question I jumped to my feet as fast as a bullet, and shouted, "Don't even ask me that!"

A heart beat passed, and then another heart beat, and I slowly sat back down. "So you at least know this group?" Carlos asked, with a little more sympathy this time. I ran my fingers through my hair and said, "Yeah, a little too well."

I heard Carlos scold himself, and then pull up a chair to sit in. "Zylina, who are you, really? I can't help, if I don't know who you are." I looked up at him and then a look of realization came upon.

Carlos stood up, and let in a sharp breath. "You're her; one of the people that saved the twins in Findlay!" he exclaimed. Well, he figured that one out fast. I nodded my head to confirm his conclusion, and he turned around and gripped his hair, but after a few moments he faced me again.

"If that's true, then you haven't come to kidnap the kids, you came to do just the opposite." Carlos said. I stood up and faced him, before saying, "That's why I can't have any connections to you. This organization is brutal; I know this first hand, because I was once a part of it."

Carlos's eyes went wide, but I ignored that and continued, "This organization, it's an Academy that kidnaps children, and turns them into pure blooded killers. I'm lucky and grateful that I had an older brother-figure looking after me during my time there." I gave a sad smile when I mentioned Rory. He was the only person I knew at my time in the Academy that genuinely cared and loved me.

"Your older-brother figure, that's the other person who saved the twins?" Carlos asked. I simply nodded, and I felt a few tears stream down my cheeks. "What happened to him?" Carlos asked, which I wished he didn't because the memories of the shoot-out flooded back to my mind and I broke into a sob.

"Zylina!" Carlos exclaimed, placing his hands on my shoulders. Without thinking I hugged him tightly while continuing to sob. I felt him hug back and say, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked about him." I pushed back from the hug, sniffed, and said, "No, I'm glad you brought it up, I need to tell this to someone."

I began to tell him the whole story from the shoot-out, to me running away, and to me having a difficult time getting over my guilt. Carlos stood there, occasionally nodding, and just listening. During my story we sat down across from each other, and once I was at the end he placed his hand on my cheek and we locked eyes.

For a single moment I had a fear that he was going to kiss me, but he didn't. Carlos just embraced me, and whispered, "Zylina, you're tough and strong. It's not your fault, and if your mind says it is, then that is just evil trying to bring you down."

I didn't respond; my words had been taken by his. We continued to hug for awhile, before he pushed us apart, and he said, "My sister, we need a plan." I thought about it for a couple moments, before responding, "We could do it now, while it's raining, but since it's dark we won't have a lot of vision. We can do it tomorrow too, but I heard from a source they'll be taking her to the Academy tomorrow night."

Anger flashed in Carlos's eyes for a single moment, and he said, "We would have more vision tomorrow, but we can't catch a truck, right?"

I smiled and answered, "We can, you'll just have to follow my lead." "Alright, alright, I'll follow your lead. I'm just worried that Susie might get hurt." Carlos admitted.

"We'll figure something out." I reassured him. Carlos nervously nodded, then looked over my shoulder. "It's late Zylina, I should probably be going home." I looked over at the clock, and I realized it had gotten late.

I led Carlos out the door, and watched him rush over to the car he had driven here. We waved to each other, then he sped off. More thoughts were weighing on my mind, and I went to take a shower before I caught a cold from being outside in the rain. 

TBC....