The Queen Of Spades

Chapter 3, Continued, Again

Oliver had already told Hannah that I went somewhere on Saturdays so I could leave when I wanted, so I decided to leave after breakfast and looked in my purse for some cash. It was a long trip to the cemetery from the house and I didn't want to walk, so I took the bus instead. At the bus stop someone caught my eye, a guy trying to look like he wasn't staring at me. I felt his eyes on me though and dismissed it because people stared at me all the time, it usually just meant that they thought I was "hot". When the bus stopped at the stop closest to the cemetery I got off and started walking, but I saw the guy again so I got off the sidewalk and took a shortcut that I found that will bring you right to the cemetery. Rule twenty-eight was nagging at the back of my brain and I knew that I should either confront him or leave, but it was Saturday. Saturday is the only day I have time to visit the cemetery, so I ignored the shadowy stranger and walked down the path to my siblings' gravestones. They were all buried beside each other so that I could talk to all of them at the same time. I took off my backpack and pulled my rubbing kit out. Starting with Aiden and working my way down to Luke. After I was finished I started to pack up so they wouldn't blow away in the fall breeze, then a twig snapped behind me and I finally let the mystery man have it. "Unless you're gonna come talk to me, border bunny, why don't you sod off. Can't you see I'm a bit busy here." I spun around and faced him.
"Oh Madelyn, you wound me." The mystery man said, putting his hand on his heart dramatically, "I'm obviously Cuban."
"I really don't care who you are. What I do care about is the fact that you called me by a name that doesn't belong to me." I studied him to see his reaction to my lie.
"Oh come on, how many Irish girls with short blonde hair taking the bus to the cemetery could there possibly be? You're a really bad liar, Maddie."
"Okay, so what do you want from me? Why are you following me." I hated that nickname.
"You are my newest assignment. Oliver sent me to meet you."
"Oliver sent you? To follow me? Don't insult me."
"Sí, congratulations Madelyn Everhart, I am your new protection detail." He was an arms distance away from me now. Close enough to kill me. Close enough for me to kill.
"I need to make a call." I said, pulling out my knife and holding it against his throat. I pushed him towards the nearest tree so that he couldn't move, "Stay." I commanded. I took out my phone and pressed Oliver's contact.
"Oliver, what the Hell." I said into the phone, "I thought you had a thing against damaged goods."
"Are you talking about your detail? He's not damaged."
"Yeah, he is damaged," I said, drawing my blade along his arm, "as of two seconds ago at least." I hung up and looked at him.
"Ow. What was that for."
"A reminder. A reminder that if you ever call me Maddie again I will kill you without batting an eye."
"Well, nice to meet you too. The names Caleb, Caleb Acosta. Do you want ice cream? I feel like some ice cream."
"Fine. But you're paying." I put my knife back in my waistband and left with Caleb following close behind. We walked to the ice cream shop a few blocks away and opened the door. It was one of those old style shops with bar stools in front of a counter and a jukebox. We sat at a table and waited for our food. I tried to figure him out, he was probably Noah's age, and had hair like him too, the similarities stopped there though because his eyes were dark brown instead of green and he was more muscular. Instead of Noah's ripped blue jeans and tank tops, Caleb wore black jeans and an untucked button up with a gold chain to top it off. Not to mention the gun underneath his shirt. Why was he in this business at such a young age? The only people this young that were spies were my family. He had no visible scars except for the cut I gave him which would be a scar soon, and he still had a light in his eyes that should have gone out by now.
"What's your cover?" I asked Caleb while he was eating.
"That's up to you. Friend? Boyfriend? Half-brother? Personally I think the last one wouldn't work very well but, like I said, it's up to you."
"Definitely not the last one. Maybe the first one, but we are not even dating for our cover."
"Friends it is. Let's get our stories ready. How long have I known you?"
"Right, okay, we've known each other for three years. We met at a concert?"
"Concert, okay. If we've known each other for a while then I'll need background info."
"Okay, I don't have any siblings. You already know my name, you know my uncle Oliver. Do you know Nada?"
"Yeah, your Aunt. Hobbies?"
"None. I don't do things for fun. I'm always working."
"You're a really bad liar. Favorites?
"Actually I'm an amazing liar, just ask the President. Green, french fries, history, Dublin, winter, rap."
"Okay, red, milkshakes, gym, Dallas, fall, rap."
"I think that's all, so I'm gonna go for a walk. Bye." I stood up and started to walk to the train graveyard, but Caleb was following me. Crap, we've kept it hidden this long, I refuse to let someone find it now. Weighing the options, I took out my headphones and started running. If he can keep up with me he can come with. Three miles I thought, catch me if you can. And he did, I got to the bridge and saw him out of the corner of my eye as I vaulted the railing. Dang, okay, I guess he can see the boxcar then. I looked back to see his face as I jumped and smiled at his shock. Then he did the most annoying thing, he jumped too! He wasn't supposed to jump down, he should've stayed up there. Ugh, whatever. Careful not to fall in any of the empty spaces as I jumped across the train cars, I counted out the cars to mine like I always did. Sort of a ritual, count the cars as you jump across them and you won't fall through. Caleb fell though, and he climbed back up trying to play it cool. While he wasn't looking, I slipped down into my boxcar and sat down. I heard footsteps on the roof and held my breath, waiting for him to pass. When he did, I got up and walked back to the house, making sure he never saw me. He really was a terrible stalker, wasn’t he.