The Teenage Life of a Secret Agent

Prologue

"Clara, you have really done it this time." The police officer shakes his head in disappointment.

I sit in the cold, hard chair, not bothering to reply. He continues looking down at the metal desk, with files in front of him. The harsh florescent light and the bland grey walls have become familiar to me over the past year. That probably isn't a good thing.

Another police officer walks in with a blank expression on his face. "Sir?" Ted, the policeman who was reviewing my file looks up at the other guy. Yes, I am on a first name basis with the police officer.

"Yes, Officer Reynolds?" Ted's grey bushy eyebrow rises in confusion, probably wondering why we were interrupted.

"There is someone here to see you. He says it is important and must be seen now." He explains.

"Who is it?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. But it concerns..." he pauses before looking at me. "... Her." I gulp. What is going on?

"Okay. Clara, I will be right back." He says before standing up and leaving me alone in this dreary room.

Once alone I sneakily pull the files closer to me, curious to know what was in them. Flipping through them I begin to realise just how often I get up to things I shouldn't.

Now, you are probably wondering why a fifteen year old girl is sitting in a police station on a Tuesday night. I guess I have to start at the beginning.

I was born in a town in Maryland, about an hour away from Washington DC. I came from a pretty normal family, but I was always the odd one out. Growing up I didn't spend my time playing with Barbie's like everyone else. I was more interested in books and learning about weird and interesting facts. I guess you could say I was kind of a nerd. My dad would be away a lot for work, but when he was around I would always spend as much time with him as I could. He was my hero and I adored him. He would always tell me about all these interesting places he went to for work. I am not sure exactly what it was that he did but it was probably something to do with computers. He was always looking at some kind of screen. He was a genius when it came to those things. And soon I was too. He taught me everything he knew and then I taught myself more. By the time I was ten I had learned how to hack into almost anything. Mum always tried to encourage me to do more normal things though. She was worried that I would be picked on and alone and insisted I needed friends. So when I was seven she enrolled me in dance. I told her I would only go if I could start swimming lessons.

So like I said things were pretty normal. I was just a super nerd who also happened to be athletic. So when did everything go wrong? Well that would have been three years ago when I was twelve. My dad was on his way back from one of his business trips except he never made it home. His plane crashed for reasons that are still unknown. He died along with a hundred and twenty one other people. That day destroyed me. My dad, my hero, my idol was gone.

I became more secluded than ever for the year that followed. I quit all my extra-curricular activities and stayed in my room as much as possible. By the time high school started things had changed. After having gone through puberty I had begun to attract people's attention. Boys' attention. Now, I am not vain or anything but I know that I am good looking. My long brunette hair reaches my waist, my big green eyes and clear, tanned skin along with my plush pink lips and long dark eyelashes attracted a lot of attention. My body was also pretty good from all the sport and dance I did. I mean sure I quit but I still ran every day. Not only did I attract the attention of most of the boys at school, but the attention of one boy in particular. Grayson Teller. Grayson was The Bad Boy of our town as cliché as it sounds. He is two years older than me and the first boy I loved. I know I was young but I was stupid, okay? Grayson and I got together pretty quickly and he dragged me into his world. One that consisted of constant partying, drugs and sex. Yes sex. I lost my virginity to him on my fifteenth birthday. And that probably makes me seem like a complete slut. Trust me I regret it, but I will get back to that later. I went to all these parties with him and was always high or drunk. I even accompanied him to drug deals. Yes, Grayson is a drug dealer. See I told you I was stupid. One day he learned of my special skills when it came to hacking. That is when things go really bad. I began hacking into security systems and then Gray and his buddies would break into all sorts of places and steal stuff. I have only been caught a hand full of times which is why I am so familiar with this place. Mum doesn't really know what to do with me. She usually just says she is disappointed in me. I stopped caring the day my dad died. Stopped feeling anything but emptiness.

So tonight is a week before sophomore year starts and I got caught helping Grayson break into a jewellery store. This is probably the worst thing I have been caught doing. The other times were usually for underage drinking, drunk driving, and trespassing on private property.

So when did I realise that Grayson was an idiot? Well that would be two hours ago. Just as we entered the store I found out that Grayson was cheating on me the whole time we were together. Some slut was texting him. When I asked Grayson about it he admitted everything, saying that at first he just wanted to get in my pants and then he was just using me to break into places. I was fuming about what that son of a bitch had done. And I let him know that too. Our screaming match is probably how I got caught. But do you want to know why I really truly loathe him? He left me. He drove off leaving me on my own to run away from the cops. I mean I know I am fast but I am not that fast.

Which brings me to now. After being caught I was sent to the interrogation room. Mum is away visiting my Aunt so she won't be here to bail me out anytime soon. Ted has been trying decide what to do with me for the past hour. This is my third major offence and so I am in a lot of trouble.

The door flies open and I look up expecting to see Ted but instead I see a man who looks to be in his forties. He has dark hair and pale skin. His eyes are a cold blue and are looking into mine. I also notice a long thin scar that runs from his jaw, up to around his left eye.

"Hello, Clara Stone. I am Mr Blackthorn." He says with a strong British accent. His sits down in the chair opposite me on the other side of the metal desk. He straightens his black tie which matches his suit. He looks like he should be at some fancy party instead of sitting here talking to a teenage delinquent. Who is this guy?

"What are you doing here?" I question, uttering the first words that I have spoken since I got caught.

"I am here to make you an offer."

I raise my eyebrows curiously. "What are you saying?"

"You have got yourself into quite a bit of trouble lately." I roll my eyes. "I am here to offer you something that is... unusual."

Well, would you get to the point already, I ask silently.

He continues. "You either spend the next three years in juvie, and when you are eighteen there will be a trial to determine if you need further punishment for your crimes. Or..." he pauses. So far the first option doesn't sound great. "You go to USMA for two years and if you behave you will have your record wiped clean." He finishes.

Huh? Can he even do that? "What's USMA?"

"The toughest military school in the country. It is unusual for girls to go there but I get the feeling that you can handle it." He looking at me like he knows something I don't.

I gulp. Military school? "What about my mum? Doesn't she have to decide because I am underage?"

"You decide and I will worry about getting your mother on board." Mr Blackthorn looks like a man who can get anyone to do what he wants so I believe him when he says that.

"So, what is your decision?"

***

Hey! So here is the Prologue which is set a few years before the story actually starts. Unlike the Gracewood series, I haven't finished writing it before I start posting it so if I get busy there may be longer gaps between posting than with the other books.

I hope you enjoy this book. Please comment and vote! x