We were back in the mall the following day. Robin and I were in the shop while Steve and Dustin went searching for Russians. I tried to tell them they weren't gonna find a Russian in broad daylight that admitted to being a spy, but they didn't listen.
Erica, Lucas' little sister, came in with her friends and rang the bell over and over in order to get Robin's attention. I wasn't standing behind the counter this time, I was lounging in a booth.
Erica groaned as Robin didn't answer and looked around until she spotted me. "Athena, don't you work here?"
"Absolutely not." I shook my head.
"True. You aren't a nerd." Erica shrugged, ringing the bell again.
Robin removed her headphones and stared at Erica.
"I'd like to try the peanut butter chocolate swirl, please." Erica smiled.
"No. No more samples today." Robin denied.
"Why not?" Erica furrowed her eyebrows.
"Because you're abusing our company policy." Robin told her.
"Where's your sailor boyfriend?" Erica looked over at me.
"Hopefully sailing the sea." I muttered.
"Sorry, he can't help you. He's busy." Robin added.
"Busy with what?" Erica questioned.
"Spycraft." Robin smiled.
Erica whined and looked over at me. "Athena! Please tell Miss. Sailor that I want to try a sample."
"And what makes you think I can order her around? I don't work here." I tilted my head.
"No, but everyone listens to you." Erica shrugged. "You're a badass."
I smiled and stood. "I'll help you...only because you called me badass."
"Now you're abusing our policy." Robin looked at me and I shrugged.
-
The store died down and Robin made us both milkshakes as we talked about life and stared at the Russian message.
"'The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west'." Robin read.
"That's a shit code, by the way. I mean, a silver cat? What silver cat?" I groaned, drinking my milkshake.
"There's more, look. 'A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly.'" Robin continued.
"'Tread lightly?'" I repeated.
A knock on the back door caught our attention.
"It might be the boys." I hopped off the counter and walked into the back before opening the door.
It wasn't my boys, it was the delivery man.
"Delivery for you." He held out a box.
"Uh...thanks." I grabbed the box that read: Lynx. "Birdy! You gotta sign something."
Robin ran into the back and signed the paper as I put the box on the table.
"Have a nice day." The man nodded.
"Yeah, you, too." Robin said breathlessly.
I looked over at her with a teasing smile. "Don't tell me you have a crush on him."
"What? Ew." Robin denied quickly as she grabbed my arm and pulled me into the hallway. "Look."
I stared at the man as my eyes caught the symbol on the back of his shirt.
"A silver cat." I whispered.
"Silver cat." Robin repeated.
"The code is in the mall." I realized.
Robin grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the front. "Come on!"
"Oh, Thena, Robin, you two aren't gonna believe who Dustin thought was a Russian." Steve walked into the shop.
"You did, too." Dustin argued.
"No, I did not." Steve shook his head.
Robin and I ran right by them.
Steve and Dustin watched them run off.
"What in the world?" Steve furrowed his eyebrows.
"Ugh, more walking?" Dustin groaned, following after the girls.
Robin and I ran to the center of the mall and looked around.
"'A trip to China sounds nice'." Robin repeated over and over. "A trip to China sounds nice." She motioned to the Chinese diner in the food court.
"'If you tread lightly'..." I looked around and pointed at the shoe store.
"When-When blue and yellow meet in the west'." Robin said and we looked around until she grabbed my arm and I spun to face the giant clock.
The clock with a one blue hand and one yellow hand.
"When blue meets yellow..." Robin whispered.
"...in the west." I finished. "Holy shit."
"Thena." Steve spoke my nickname and I looked down at him and Dustin. "What are you two doing?"
"We cracked it." Robin revealed.
"Cracked what?" Steve asked.
Robin and I jumped off the platform we were standing on.
"We cracked the code." I smiled.
-
Sitting in the pouring rain wasn't on my list of things to do today, but here I am. We watched from the room as a delivery truck went near the mall doors in the back.
"Look for Imperial Panda!" Robin yelled over the loud rain.
"And Kaufman Shoes!" I added.
Dustin used the binoculars and pointed ahead. "They're with that whistling guy, ten o'clock."
"What do you think's in there?" Steve questioned, wiping the rain from his face.
"Guns, bombs?" Dustin guessed.
"Weapons?" I added.
"Chemical! Chemical weapons." Robin nodded at me.
"Whatever it is, they're armed to the teeth." Dustin added.
"Great. That's great." Steve groaned.
The man opened the door with a keycard.
"Hey, what's in there?" Robin asked.
"It's just more boxes." Dustin answered.
"Let me check it out." Steve reached over to grab the binoculars.
"No, I'm still looking." Dustin denied.
"Lemme see it." Steve argued.
"Stop!" I warned because they were gonna get us caught.
And just like that, they dropped the binoculars and the loud clatter alerted the men.
"Duck!" I shouted and we laid against the wall.
Steve's hand held mine as Robin latched onto my other arm. I glanced over at Dustin to make sure he was okay.
We ran back inside before we got caught.
"I think we found your Russians." Robin panted.
YOU ARE READING
The Babysitters ♡ Steve Harrington
FanfictionAthena Henderson thought she lived in a normal world. She was wrong. When her brother's best friend goes missing, she starts to realize life may not be what she expected. But once her best friend also goes missing, she's determined to find out the...
