Codename: Shadow

Chapter 2

Nine minutes and sixteen seconds, my internal clock chided to me as I looked at the boy who was against the wall.

                “So,” the boy said slowly, examining me with a smirk. “You’re the Shadow.”

                “Well that depends,” I hissed at him, “Who are you?”

                He grinned at me as if I was amusing, harmless. I considered for a second knocking the grin off his face, but then he stepped into the light, and I fully realized that I would never be able to knock him around unless needed. Because let me tell you, he was fish taco.

                Whoops! They’re making me write this in Japanese, and I’m a little rusty. I meant “attractive.” He was attractive. [The guy reading over my shoulder seemed to find that very funny for reasons I can’t quite understand.]

                “Me?” he asked, “I’m someone who you really don’t want to get on the bad side of, and so if I were you, I’d ask more nicely this time.”

                I managed to keep my expression straight, resisting the urge to smack him upside the head despite those sapphire eyes of his. But something told me he was telling the truth, so I simply gritted my teeth and tried again, forcing a kinder tone. “Who are you?”

                “That’s better,” he flashed a million dollar smiles my way. “My name is Elijah. You must be The Shadow.”

                My head cocked at a curious angle as I looked across at him. He’d finally stepped out of the shadows, allowing me to get a good look at him. He wore faded Levi’s and a black t-shirt. How Elijah got in there, I’ll probably never know.

                I skirted across the room. He had danger written all over him, which surprised me, because I’d never really felt threatened by a guy. Either my expression showed my extreme distrust, or he was a mind reader, because seconds later he told me, “It’s okay. I’ll only turn you over to the cops if I have to.”

                “Cause that makes me feel sooo much better.” I rolled my eyes.

                Elijah shrugged. “It should. I am a man of my word.” And that would mean something to me if he was actually a man and not a teenage boy.

                “Shadow, I’ve got a visual on you. What’s going on in there?” Hacker’s voice rang in my ear. I’d forgotten that he even existed for a few moments.

                “Go ahead,” Eli said pointing to my ear. “Answer that. It wouldn’t be fair to leave him in the dark.”

                I’m not exactly sure what surprised me more about Elijah:

                --That he knew exactly what and when Hacker had spoken,

                --That he’d shown a little bit of sympathy by letting me speak to Hacker, or

                --That he’d broken into an art museum of that standard, undetected, in jeans and a t-shirt!

                At that moment, I knew that Elijah would be someone that either I would want on my side or curse for not being on my side.

                “Surprise visitor,” I said softly into my communication unit—AKA, my comms. “No need for worry. Await further instruction.”