"Okay Carter, today we're just going to introduce you to the team, show you the mission, then let you decide. Easy!" exclaims with a smile Cecilia.
Yay! I get to meet the team! A whole bunch of people who's names I won't remember! I'm so excited! Ugh.
Before I can ask any questions, a group of about 15 people come out of the same room Mr.Harster and Cecilia came out of.
How big is that room and how the heck did we not hear all of them!
Just as I'm about to ask, Cecilia asks if I'm ready to meet and memorize all these people's names. "I suppose so. I'll try to remember everyone's names," I say as happily as I can. "Good," Cecilia says, getting down to business."There's George and Duke your weapons specialist and weapons trainers," she explains, pointing to two guys who look like they could be twins."Then there's your makeup artists, Sarah, Hannah, Penelope, and Viki," Cecilia says pointing at each girl when she says their names.
Why do I need so many makeup artists? I'm not that horrible looking, am I?
"Now, there are your hair stylist. That's Jaylen, Fiona, and me! Now, I also have another job but you'll find that out later," she says with a smile.
I feel like I should be scared if this perky 15 year old has another job than messing with my hair.
She tells me the rest of the people's names and jobs but I'm only halfway listening. "Got it?," Cecilia says after what seems like forever.
Who could listen to that for that long? I was thinking about how worried my mother must be!
But I don't say that out loud, all I say is yes. "Good. Now, it's time for you to find out your mission." All the sudden, everyone else leaves the room except Cecilia, Kyle, and Mr. Harster. "Carter, are you ready to learn about your mission? You're going to have to listen to everything I say and every detail because messing up could get your cover blown. On this mission, if your cover is blown, you could get in serious trouble," Mr. Harster says. "What do you mean 'serious trouble' ?"
What the heck have I been dragged into!
"I mean serious trouble, what that trouble will be, I have no idea but it won't be good. Knowing this, will you still do this mission?"
Will I? Can I take the risk?
"I need to know the mission before I can make any promises," I say after carefully thinking it through. "Okay Carter, I think that's a wise decision."
Did you really think I'm stupid enough to trust my life to people I don't know on a mission know about yet? Hell no!
"Now," starts Mr. Harster, as he walks over to the big hologram projection table in the middle of the room. "About 8 girls have been being taken from different clubs all around Harperstown. About a week later, the girls are found in a alley near the club they were taken from. When found, they have been raped, drugged, and beaten to the point where they wake up not knowing who they are. Which means they don't remember anything about the kidnapping or the person who took them." Mr. Harster takes a break to breath which gives me time to think.
Okay, these people want me to find a guy who is raping, drugging, and beating girls. What the heck! I'm only 16!
Before I can think about anything else, Mr. Harster continues. "Now, people have seen these girls being taken or dropped off but this guy is to good. He always hides his face behind a mask so no one can see his face. But we do know that he is muscular, about 5 foot 9 to 6 foot 1, and is about 17. The FBI had been working on this case but turned it over to us about a week ago after they couldn't find any more clues on this guy. Since then we have found out what school he goes to, that he has blonde or brown hair, and that he has green eyes and blue eyes. Now, we have four suspects who were all at the clubs when the kidnapping took place," he pauses while pulling up four pictures of the suspects. That's when Cecilia jumps in to tell me about the suspects. "Now, first we have our flirty nerd Jackson. He has dirty blonde hair, green eyes, and is 5 foot 9. We suspect him for the obvious reasons. Second we have jockey football player Hunter. He has light blonde hair, blue eyes, and he's 6 foot 1. Same reasons as the rest. Third is bad boy Lucas. He has dark brown, dark blue eyes, and is 5 foot 8 which is under the regular height but he has more suspicion than the other 3. Finally, there's jockey, bad boy, and football player Drake. He has light brown hair, light green eyes with brown specks, and is 5 foot 11. You're probably wondering why we need you. You are the best in all your class, you are amazing with computers and you were the best actor at your old school. We need you to gain their trust, hack anything of their's that you can get your hands on, and find out who's the guy we're looking for. Now that you've heard you're mission, will you do it? By the way, Kyle and I will be with you all the way if that helps any. We'll give you an hour to decide."
Will I do this? Can I risk it?
After an hour of thinking, I finally make a decision. "Look, I could get hurt, badly. You really don't know what could happen to me but you hope the best. I could walk away and let someone else do this and if something happens to them, it would be my fault. That's why I'm going to do it. But you have to tell my mom so she doesn't worry. Besides, I trust my older brother to take care of me," I say as calmly as I can. "Yes! Okay we promise to tell your mom and least you know you'll be safe with yo--," Cecilia stops talking after she realized what I said. "Um wh-why did you say your brother," Cecilia asks nervously. "When I was 6, my brother, named Kyle, was kidnapped. He put me in a trashcan and told me that no matter what I can't come up. I promised I wouldn't. So, I watched my brother get taken away and him refuse to tell them where I was. I have nightmares about them coming and taking me too. I still see one guys ugly rat face. I always remembered my brothers face when he told me to stay down. When Kyle assured me to trust him, I saw that face my brother gave me and I had to know. That's why I trusted him. So, during my hour alone, I hacked into his computer and found all his pictures. I saw his journal, his story of escaping and finding ya'll. That's when I knew it was him and I knew I could trust him to protect me," I explain. When I'm done, everyone is starring at me in shock. Then, Kyle walks up to me and just stands there. "Hey sis," he says quietly. "Hey big bro," I say back. All the sudden, he bends down and hugs me. "God I missed you Carter," he says, sadness laced in his voice. "I missed you too. So much," I say as tears form in my eyes. For once in 10 years, I finally feel like my family is whole again.
