What He Thinks I've Done

Chapter Two

John

"I found the girl," I immediately informed Agent Stewart who was on the other end of the line, waiting for my updates.

"He found her." I heard him say, with pride in his voice. I adjusted the communication device that was built to look like an ordinary earphone attached to my ear.

"That was quick," he muttered, chuckling. "Too much for a beginner's luck." Actually it wasn't something that I would be proud of, I hadn't done anything yet and it was just a coincidence that I found her there in the lockers area. I was installing a hidden camera inside my locker so I would know if someone was spying on me. I took out my phone and checked her picture for the last time just to make sure.

"I need to go. I'm going to follow her." I removed my earpiece and put it back to my pocket so I'd be able to focus on my subject. I walked to the other end of the hallway and when I finally found a wall to hide in, I waited for a while then took a peek at her. She was already walking and about to go downstairs. Yeah, that's her.

I ran out of the building, quietly, careful on the sounds that I make. She might have her own devices to detect sounds from afar. I waited and acted normally when I got outside, waiting for her. I hid behind a post when I saw her came out of the stairway. She looked normal, almost like naive, the kind who wouldn't even dare lay a finger outside the school grounds if it's not yet dismissal. But Agent Stewart often reminded me during my training that I should never get deceived by looks. All spies were not just trained to be great in spying but also to be good liars and deceivers.

I followed her, hiding from behind. She didn't show any sign that she had noticed me so I went on until we had approached the parking lot. I saw her trudged to the direction of the bicycle racks, she removed her bike and started pedaling on a normal speed outside the campus. I jogged to my car that looked like any other one in this school -cheap and old. "To avoid attention," I remembered Agent Stewart said, his voice echoing to my ears. But the inside of this car wasn't like any other. It's a fucking agent's car that had more functions than a helicopter. No, it couldn't fly but I could make it fly.

I had the map of this city memorized within a week, I knew her address, I had also visited her house yesterday when I arrived to the house that they had prepared for me while I stay here. 

I drove somewhere ahead where she would pass by and where I could easily see her. She didn't drop by anywhere and continued pedaling home, nothing any suspicious for now. I left my car on a parking lot near the shops when I was almost near her house and waited until she passed by.  

I hid behind shops, walls and alleys unnoticed until we entered the village where she was living. The houses were all the same and the only thing that made hers different were the yellow morning glories at the backyard surrounding the fences. She stepped out of the bike and walked inside holding it by the handle bar and the seat. She left it outside and came in.

"Hey boy. What are you up to?" My head instantly followed the direction where the voice came from and found an elderly woman standing behind me. I pulled out the most vulnerable facial expression that I could master.

"I-I lost my house keys and my eyeglasses has gone missing. I don't know what to do." I lied. I might have fooled the old woman because her eyes suddenly softened. She reached out to touch my cheeks with both hands.

"Don't worry now, darling, we'll help you find it,"she promised, crushing my face with her shaking hands. "Come and drink tea with me we'll look for it later..." she said dragging me along with her. I looked back just to find the door to the girl's house already closed. I raked a hand on my long hair and had no choice but to come with the old woman.

After an hour of listening to the old woman's tales about how she lost her husband to the war, I made a move to stand up.

"And there was this chip that they were all fighting about..." I retreated once more and listened intently to what she was about to say. I sat waiting for her.

"-I didn't understand why and they wouldn't answer me either if I asked," she continued "I still remember they mentioned about... about... ar... ar..." I adjusted my position and got closer urging for her to continue.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Uhm... uh..." She stammered. "What was I talking about again?" She looked at me, confused and asking to be lead.

"You were talking about a chip." I reminded her.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, giggling. "The chip! I don't even know if that really exists. Silly me!" The old woman laughed, throwing her head back. "Why are you asking about it anyway, it's not something that you little kids should know about... what a waste of time. Tessa's supposed to be here by now, you should meet her!" She said, suddenly changing the topic.

"I think I'll go. My mom's waiting for me." I said, not even trying to conceal the disappointment in my tone.

"Is that so? Don't you want to eat dinner with us?"

"No." She had even forgotten about the lie that I pulled up -we were supposed to be looking for my keys. "I'm sorry. Maybe next time."

"Okay." She smiled. "Be careful on your way home!" The woman called out as I walked out of her porch. I waved her goodbye, studying her face and the house.

I couldn't help thinking about it as I walked to the parking lot where I left my car. What does that old woman know about the chip? I don't understand any of it. But I was on my way there and I wouldn't let any of this get off my grasp. I'll know what I need to know.