Enemy Secret

❂ Chapter 2 ❂

I was sitting alone in my room, clutching a picture to my chest. I remembered the woman in the picture quite clearly. My mother stood in the picture, snuggling me into her arms. I was young, probably around five.

The sun set in orange rays in the background, water washing over our toes. Huge smiles graced my small chubby face. Hugging my mother's leg was Calyx, her blonde hair whipping in the wind. Calyx was only two. My mother and I looked more like sisters than me and Calyx. Our pale blue eyes contrasting with our dark auburn hair.

Calyx had taken to looking more like our father with her blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. My Mother had died when I was ten, Calyx only seven. Cancer had been taking over her body. I remembered when her shiny auburn hair had started falling out. I remembered her sitting in the hospital bed, tubes and monitors taped all over her. I remembered her tears when she saw Calyx and I. I remembered the die she finally gave up, unable to fight anymore.

I felt hot tears slip down my cheeks. I stood the picture back on my nightstand, glaring at the smudges in the glass. That was six years ago. My Father had left quickly after that. I had just turned 16, another birthday going uncelebrated. Calyx had given me a gift, a handmade necklace. A small hand-carved tree. The smooth lines in the wood making up the small details. It was simply stunning.

My Father hadn't even called. Our Uncle Axton had taken over as guardian for us.  Uncle Axton had given me a charm to clip onto Calyx's necklace, a small metal rose. I sat alone on my bed, stroking the necklace. I glared at the ceiling. Suddenly a knock sounded on the door, "It's open." I yelled. I brisk figure stood in the doorway, I immediately sat up in my bed. Pain rushed through me as I recognized the man standing in my doorway.

My Father. I ran over to the door and slammed it in his face, my breathing harsh. After six years, now he decided to come back. I felt tears slipping down my face, I wiped them away angrily. "Shiloh, open the door." He commanded, jerking on the doorknob. "How dare you!" I screamed, pacing my room. The door suddenly sung wide open, My Father staring at me with a harsh frown lined into his features.

His chocolate brown hair had turned a muddy grey, matching his dull eyes. No emotion passed through his eyes, nothing. No joy, or excitement or even sadness, just... Nothing. 

"Go away!" I yelled, wrapping my arms around my body. My Father shut the door behind him and turned to look at me. "Now since you are of age, its it your turn to take control of Sector 9." My Father said, crossing his arms over his chest. I stood, obviously confused. "What the hell is Sector 9?" I shouted, my emotions walking a tight rope.

"A spy group." He rolled his eyes, as if I was dumb for not knowing. "When the eldest child turns 16, they take over the group from their parents. You are 16. You are now leader of Sector 9, under my watchful eye of course." He explained.

I gasped awake from my memory. That was how I gained control of Sector 9.  My Father left after that, only checking in on me with emails weekly. That was two years ago and I still hadn't seen him since. After I was given control of the group I was whisked away with Calyx to train. We had trained for a year before I was set free to control Sector 9.

All of the previous members had left, leaving me to build the group from scratch. I had recruited Jarek and Rexan over the last year, when I was 17. I was 18 now and still haven't made any alliances or gotten any new recruits.

I still had to go to a meeting every five months with all the other Sector leaders. There were ten Sectors, were. Sector 10 had been taken over by a rogue group of ex-spies. Sector 10 was renamed Land 98. No one knows why, except for Land 98.