A Teenage Spy Story

Chapter 11: Nattie

Chapter 11: Nattie

Zach walked in and closed and locked the door. "Thank God you're ok," I said to him.

"I was honestly thinking the exact same thing."

"So what happened?"

"I have to get your side of the story first. Policy." He shrugged and pushed his hair out of his face.

"I walked downstairs and saw the guy. You told me to run and I did until I found Janey."

"That's it?"

I nodded. "What's your side to it?"

"We were throwing you a surprise party and I was going to decorate your room. I walked in and this guy attacked me. I was in the middle of fighting him when you walked in. He started going towards you and I yelled for you to run. I took care of him and called Agent Winters."

"So he was going after me?"

Zach nodded.

"Why?"

He shrugged. "We can't really tell right now. Janey's looking into it. So much for a birthday party."

"It's the thought that counts," I said.

"But I did get you something." He pulled out a box wrapped in black paper. I opened it.

"You got me a set of ninja stars?"

"It's what you said you wanted."

"Thank you so much!" I gave him a hug and took one out of its case.

"You're really going to test it now?" he asked.

"Nah, I just want to hold it. I'll go down to one of the training centers later and test it out."

"I'll come with you. Training's been cancelled for the next few days because of the investigation. You're going to get called up a lot to tell your story."

"But it's basically nothing."

"They still need you to tell it."

"I just wish I knew why they were coming after me." I looked at Zach. He wasn't replying. "You know?"

"Know what?" He was playing it off pretty well.

"Oh my God you know why I was almost kidnapped and you won't tell me?!"

"Nattie, I can't."

"You're risking my life here and you can't even tell me why?!"

"I'm not allowed! I wish I could tell you, I really do. But I can't."

I sat down and lowered my voice. "But why?"

"There's rules about this stuff."

"Break them."

"I can't."

"Why not? I'm pretty sure everyone here has broken a rule at some point. Why can't you?"

He sighed and turned away. "Wait. You've broken a rule?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me."

He paused. After a long silence. "Fine. Yours probably isn't as big as mine. I promise I'll tell you."

"When I was leaving the A2, my mom gave me a very brief overview of the mission, but she told me to do one thing once I got here. Lie about my age. I had no idea why at the time, but when Janey was questioning me my first day, I said I was 18. And every time after that when someone asked. May found out and confronted me about it, but she understood. She wasn't allowed a position of authority because of her age, so she kept my secret."

"So you're not really 19 today?"

"17."

"How did your mom know?"

"I don't know. She never told me. I suppose I could go ask her, if I really wanted to know. Your turn."

"Mine goes back to the fact that we're dating. You're the first person I ever dated, and I was really struggling to decide if I wanted to be with you or not. When April's dyslexia was brought up, we told you about how weaknesses are viewed around here. You're my weakness. That's why I followed you off the roof on that mission. That's why I saved you instead of going after the decoy flash drive. Part of it is my agreement with your dad, that other part is that I can't imagine being without you anymore. 

"Here's the part I'm not allowed to tell people: I know the data. And the Ishithians are willing to do whatever to get it. Right now, since they failed at getting the flash drive, they're trying to go through you to get to me. They know that'll impact me more than anything they could do to me."

"I can handle it," I said.

"I know you can. But I don't think I could handle watching them do stuff like that to you."

"We'll get through it," I said. I laced my fingers through his. "Together."