The Risk Takers

Part 3 | Recruits

I decide to tell Teddy where to start his timeline, "Did you know who I was when we met?" He nods his head and says, "Kind of, I was trying to get in touch with Liam before I met you at the carnival."

I look to him and ask, "Why? How did you know Liam?" He glances to Liam and after his long sigh, I know all his secrets are about to come pouring out.

"My parents used to work in the same department as Topher when they were researching the DNA of all the recruits for the C.I.A." Teddy stops and waves his hand about, "Oh, that's what my parents do, they are researchers. Anyway, Topher is a recruiter so my parents knew him quite well. When my parents and their team figured out they were able to extract and duplicate DNA of the special agents working there, Topher became a little too interested. At first, it seemed like Topher wanted to see if normal people could be developed into special agents by injecting them with certain abilities, but my parents soon caught on to the fact that he was really only interested in injecting himself. Topher started only recruiting people with talents he didn't have and he wanted my parents to test to see if it was possible to inject him with their abilities. My parents and their team wouldn't do it, they didn't want to create a monster but that's what Topher was doing, he was getting greedy."

Liam and I nod along to Teddy's words without interruption and he has us both in complete suspense. He shifts forward and continues, "Anyway, Topher had major pull at the agency I guess. He was their best recruiter and field agent. Who knew right? And Topher got them to bring in a new team of researchers and developers to test his own theories, so my parents and their team quit in protest. They wouldn't give into Topher's demands so they quit. My parents are more into the science of our abilities than the actual use of them you see?"

"How long ago was this?" Liam asks and Teddy shrugs, "My parents worked for the C.I.A for like twenty years. They were recruited right out of college and I was actually born in Virginia. The stuff with Topher all took place within the last five years though, so I used to hear a lot about this guy. Well fast forward to about a year ago when my parents find out that Topher is in Malibu moonlighting as a college professor. My parents still have friends within the agency and let's just say there is an I-hate-Topher-Greysor-club that meets up to discuss every so often."

I let out a light laugh, "Let me know when the next meeting is and if they need a club president."

Liam eyes me but I let Teddy continue, "There are a few people within the agency trying to get Topher out and a whole bunch of people on the outside that want the same thing. Topher basically hires and fires the research department so he's made some enemies. Well my parents knew that if Topher was out of Virginia then he must be back to recruiting. They knew that Topher had been looking for his son for years so they wondered if he was going to Pepperdine in hopes of finding his son, who would now be of college age."

"So they know all of this through agents still on the inside?" Liam asks Teddy and he nods, "Yeah, my parents are still in the know with everything that's going on. They've started their own research facility after going over to England and joining MI5. That's like the Britain's C.I.A," Teddy says to me to clarify.

I roll my eyes, "Yeah, yeah I've seen James Bond."

"Well their team consists of a lot of the old members of the C.I.A's research team so they all know who Topher is and they are all still working on DNA. My parents wanted to know what Topher was up to in Malibu, but they knew they wouldn't be safe if they were to run into him. This is where I come in," Teddy says while rubbing his hands together. From the excitement in his voice I can tell he's glad to be in on the "mission."

"My parents enrolled me in Pepperdine last year and I was supposed to keep tabs on Topher. See who he was meeting or if he had made contact with his son. I only ever saw him continuously meet up with Ryan Steadman but I knew that Ryan couldn't be his son because his parents own the Malibu country store, where he hangs out all the time."

"Okay, so how did you figure out I was Topher's son?" Liam asks and Teddy leans forward so his elbows are resting on his knees, "Pure coincidence." I glance to Liam as Teddy says, "I'm in the Kappa's brother Fraternity. Ellie knows this. During pledge week it's kind of a ritual where the Kappas and Sigmas get together and rank the pledge's hotness. We tell the leaders which girls we are interested in and the Kappas tell us which boys they are interested in from our pool of pledges- it's stupid trust me I know. Well I had just broken up with Callie, so I wandered over to the Kappa house to review the pledges. Heather and Ashley were bringing up the girl's social media accounts and eventually Ellie's page was brought up. You were in her profile picture and it said she was in a relationship with Liam Greysor. Now, I don't know if you've ever been told this, but you look exactly like your dad."

"It's the eyes," I agree with Teddy but Liam just shakes his head.

"Well it worked out perfectly that the Kappas were interested in you and one day during pledge week, I happened to see you strolling down Greek Row. I wanted to approach you but I wasn't sure what to say. Then I saw you and who I now know is Mischa, get into a car that Liam was driving." I'm blown away that Teddy has known of me for that long. He's known who I was since August and I had no idea.

"But you never approached me. Not until Labor Day weekend."

"Ah yes, there was a snag in my plans. I had seen both you and Liam together that weekend during parents weekend again and I was sitting right behind you for the fireworks. My plan was to approach you after your parents had left, but then I saw Topher approach you. Liam, you left with him but then you didn't come back. I followed you down to your dad's office but I couldn't follow you inside obviously. After you left the office Liam, I knew something had just gone down. You didn't look approachable so I left you alone. I didn't see you two together after that and then I found out Ellie had dropped out of pledge week, so I kind of panicked. Then I discovered Topher was no longer on campus and my parents were told he was back in Virginia with his son. I decided to stop my pursuit of you until I saw you at the Carnival."

"I had a vision of the two of you together," Liam says softly, "Right before I left, I saw Ellie meeting you at the Carnival and then later, I saw you two kissing in a treehouse."

Teddy waves his hands in front of him, "I was honest when I said I was getting over an ex. I thought maybe the best way to get information from Ellie was to maybe try dating her. But then we both agreed we weren't romantically interested in each other and I'm lucky you gave me another chance after kissing you Ellie."

I fold my arms as I look to Teddy, "So our friendship isn't real. You were always just using me."

Teddy shakes his head, "Ellie, we became real friends. You no longer had a connection to Topher and I still wanted to hang out with you. You are my best friend so don't try and over-analyze all this."

"She does love to over-analyze," Liam mumbles in agreement but I glare at him before asking Teddy, "Then why didn't you tell me you could read minds?"

"My parents didn't want me to. They were afraid if Topher ever came after you, we would have no element of surprise." Both Liam and I look confused and it's Liam that asks, "Surprise?"

Teddy nods, "Yeah you cut me off before I got to the good part." Suddenly there is a knock at my door and Liam instantly vanishes. My mom pushes my door open and sees me and Teddy sitting across from each other, "Just checking in."

"I'm fine mom," I say cheerily, trying my best to get her to go back downstairs.

"Okay, well I was just wondering if you had invited anyone else to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow? I'm trying to figure out my place settings."

I'm about to tell her no when Teddy interrupts, "Oh you invited Liam right?"

I look to Teddy confused and my mom responds, "You invited Liam? Won't he want to have dinner with his parents tomorrow?"

You want Liam here, trust me. Teddy says to me with a quick glance and I look back to my mom, "They don't celebrate Thanksgiving. So I invited him here." My mom reluctantly nods and then slowly closes the door. Liam reappears and quickly asks Teddy, "Why do I need to be here tomorrow?"

"Because we need your dad to know you are in Highland Park." I instantly shake my head, "It's too dangerous. Topher can't know."

Liam immediately responds, "How will he know I'm here?"

Teddy looks to me and says, "Ellie is going to tell him."