Never Look Back

Chapter Seven

Jade

The old man was pretty chill with the fact that Sam tagged along. He tensed up when I mentioned her last name, but, like me, played it off as not that big of a deal. We chatted some more about how long we were gonna stay and then he sent us out so he could finish his work, which was code for, he was gonna wait until we could talk alone.

"How do you feel about your room?" I asked a nervous Sam. She kept glancing at her phone like something was wrong.

"I like it," The clever girl faked a smile, but I know better. I'm the master of those smiles. I poked her on the nose, "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's Marcus. He's always been supportive about everything I do, but now he's not even talking to me! He's mad at me because we went to see Grace. He said I was going to stir up unwanted trouble if we kept going like we are and then he hung up on me." She began to tear up, "I knew he was acting little strange after I had my dream, but he was never like this."

"Don't sweat it. He probably just needs some time to cool off. I'm positive he'll call you back tomorrow morning at the latest."

Relief flooded over her, "Thanks Jade. I needed that."

"It's all good. Just try and get some sleep so we can start planning tomorrow." I winked and left. In uber emotional situations like those, it's best to leave them to deal with their own inner demons rather than drag them out and stir the waters.

Back to the old man I go.

"So, why are you running with a Donovan?" Clovacc asked, not looking up from his law book.

"Actually she found me," I told him Sam's story, "But that's not what matters. I need to know about this necklace Grace gave me. Who are them? Don't pretend you don't know because I remember you talking about them before."

I first met Clovacc when he was a CIA bigwig. I had gotten pulled into some trouble and ended up on an unworld operating table about to lose a kidney when he and his team saved me. They shut down the bad guys operation and took me to a safe place- his house.

"Does she know?" He asked, completely ignoring the them topic.

"No and she's never going to find out that part of the story, got it? That night never happened." Sam would have a heart attack if she knew I almost killed her father. She would never trust me again.

"That necklace has a deadly secret that a group of very dangerous people want. Your sister was keeping it safe from them, but they found her. I doubt she'll still be alive come morning." Clovacc shifted around his desk drawers until he found a small plastic flashdrive, "Go to the office and put your bit with this bit to get the answers you want."

"What the hell? Can't you get her some protection or something? Who are these dangerous people? You can't just say something like that and then not answer my questions! Tell me what I'm dealing with here!"

Clovacc sighed, writing something down on a notepad, "You know I can't. I'll see what I can do for your sister, but my hands are tied. Get your Donovan girl and if you both are positive you're prepared for the answers, then go to my office."

He handed me the paper that read:

They have ears almost everywhere. Go to my private office. You can speak freely with each other there. Keep this warning in mind- if you choose to complete the map, there's no turning back...