Heartbeats

Chapter 2

      “Come on! It wasn´t that bad.” Reach said, his fingers clicking on the keyboard while his eyes scanned the screens on the wall.

      “Wasn´t that bad? Reach, he could´ve killed me! I should be dead right now. I knew someone else was there. He´d left a trail of dead guys, for God´s sake! I should´ve been more careful.” I clenched my fists. “I was stupid. I don´t even know why he left me alive.”

      “Because he liked your butt.” Cam chimed in. She was sprawled on the couch, bright blue eyes sparkling and her long blonde hair surrounding her face like a halo. Typical Cam. Looked like and angel, but she deadly with a sniper. I had yet to meet somebody to surpass her.

      I groaned. I knew I should´ve skipped over the comment on my butt.

      She snickered when she saw my expression.

      “Shut it.” I muttered.

      With a final click on the keys, Reach turned his chair around. Reach looked like a surfer. Bright blonde hair, naturally tanned skin, and an easy smile. He was our tech guy. Could hack his way into everything. And I do mean everything.

      I was the only dark haired of our group. It reachedmid-back, curls tumbling over each other. Gray eyes, average height.

      “Don´t beat yourself up. We all know you´ve been a little… off since the accident.”

      I glared and he quickly stopped talking. I didn´t like them talking about the accident. Talking led to thinking. Thinking to remembering.

      “Anyway,” Cam interrupted. “What are we doing next? We´re running a bit low on funds.”

      Reach turned back to the computer screen. “There´s an easy gig this Friday. Good pay.” He leaned in to read the screen. “Oooh, you guys are gonna love this.”

      “What?” both Cam and I asked simultaneously.

      “One word,” he said, his smile inching into a smirk. “Prom.”

      Cam let out something that sounded suspiciously close to a squeal, while I let out a groan.

      “Prom?” I asked. “I don´t understand.”

      “There´s going be a transaction during the dance. They´re using it to cover it up.”

      “What do we have to do?”

      “Just make sure that the transaction happens.”

      Cam was grinning from ear to ear. “Gin! We have to take it! I´ve always wanted to go to prom. Pleeease.”

      I frowned. “I´m not so sure. Reach? Any thoughts?”

      “I think you should. Easy money. We need it. And anyway, it says here they´re not expecting an attack. They just want to be sure.” He paused, a smile edging up his lips. “And anyway, neither of us has ever been able to deny something to Cammie.”

      I chuckled. “Alright.” Cam let out a whoop of victory. “We just need a way of going in.”

      “Already on it. I´m printing school IDs and buying your tickets. It´s a big school, so don´t worry about people not recognizing you.”

      Cam squealed again. “We´re going to need dresses, and make-up, and… oh! Dates!”

      “Wait, what?” I asked. “Dates?”

      She frowned, her nose crunching up a little. “Well, date in this case. We´re going to have to share Reach.”

      He blinked. “Huh?”

      My own eyebrows rose in bewilderment.

      Cam´s eyes, on the other hand, widened in excitement. “A tux! We need to get you a tux!”

      “Whoa! I´m not going!”

      “Why not?” Cam narrowed her eyes.

      “I, um, I´m the tech guy, remember? I don´t go out to the field.”

      A smile broke her face. “Well, you are this time!”

      I drowned out their bickering as I stood, pacing to the wall, and back again. Last night had been humiliating. A guy not much older than me had bested me. We had failed our mission, losing our clients and money that we needed. And the mistakes had been stupid. Never again.

      “You know, Gin.” Reach started and I snapped back to the conversation. “I can´t believe I had never noticed this before, but you do have a nice butt.”

      I groaned.