Spies&Thieves

more important things at hand

-ZACH-

“Hale, is there a reason we’re watching polo on the tv? Don’t get me wrong, I love horses, but we have other things to worry about right now,” an irritated Macey said as she strolled down the aisle of the jet. Bex, amused by this, doubted, “I thought you broke your arm falling off of one?”

“My mother tends to lie a lot.”

“Must be why you’re so good at it,” Hale remarked.

“Excuse me?” Macey said, spinning on him. He smiled wryly, “Isn’t that a sort of compliment for you?”

She scoffed back, “A rude one, but yes.” Hale began to say something back, but then Kat stood up in vexation and exclaimed, “Can you guys cut it out? This job is stressful enough as it is, and I do not need to listen to the rest of you fight over a tv channel when we have to sneak into the biggest castle in the world still in existence in less than twenty-four hours.”

The group looked at her with shock, Hale’s expression with concern, and mine— well, I laughed.

“What?” she asked irritated.

“Well, first of all, we won’t be sneaking into any castles. Macey’s going to do us all a favor and call up her old boyfriend,” Macey started to interrupt, but I continued, “and secondly, well, I don’t know. You remind me of someone I know…” No one returned any sign of comment, so I concluded, “Right. Well, let me know once Macey has finished speaking with Prince Charming, I’ll be in the bunker.”

“Fun fact of the day: I haven’t hit anybody in the past forty-eight hours.”

I heard Bex’s voice floating into my mind but I didn’t listen. I saw her footsteps nearing me but didn’t visualize them. I felt her body sit down next to mine but didn’t sense her presence.

I was there but my mind wasn’t.

“You have to talk to me, Zach. This isn’t you.”

I shook my head. Couldn’t stop shaking it, actually. In a heartbeat, her arms wound around me, and I was positive that Bex was the only thing holding all of my broken pieces together now.

Some time later, traitorous silent tears ran down my face in a hurry to get away from the pool of violence in my eyes.

Her voice was rough and haggard, “Do you miss your mom?”

I almost laughed. “No.”

Seconds ticked by like the throbbing pain welling in my chest. “Is it Cammie?” Bex’s voice was scratchy now, barely a whisper, “Zach… did something happen to her?”

Her question tipped me off so much I actually looked at her. Saw the pain in her eyes and pure desperation. “No. No. She’s fine. As far as I know, she’s fine… just fine.”

Relief flooded through her features like water rushing past a broken dam. Head nodding, she wiped her nose with the side of her sleeve and tried to calm herself down. My arm involuntarily wrapped around her, and she eagerly rested her head against my chest.

Fingertips numbly reaching for her backpocket, Bex pulled out a cellphone and dialed the number we learned by heart.

“Rebecca-Grace Baxter. MI6. Operative number 93720. Location: East of the Atlantic Ocean.”

There was a pause, and then, “I need to speak with Agent Abigail Cameron.” Bex rolled her eyes at the response. “Claire, just do me this one favor. It’s a family emergency.”

She threw an arm up, “To hell with a blood-relative! Put Abby on the phone or I’ll— Thank you very much.” I suppressed a smile.

Bex put the phone on speaker in time to hear, “Rebecca, I love you, I really do, but maybe you shouldn’t threaten the poor receptionist every time you call.”