Nerd in Disguise: Blood Bound

Chapter 9

"How do you know this?" I slam him to the door roughly, pressing my switchknife closely to his carotid artery. "And how long have you known?"

"Whoa, calm down," his eyes widens. His arms slowly reach for the knife.

"Nope, no funny business." I apply some pressure on the knife warningly. "Answer my question."

"It's kind of hard to concentrate with your knife on my throat." He smiles weakly, trying to avoid getting cut. "I'm not going to do anything. I swear." He raises his hands in surrender.

"You don't make demands." I glare at him. "I'm the one with the knife obviously."

"Yeah, that escalated quickly." He grumbles.

"Don't test me." I watch him carefully. "Now, answer the damn question."

"I have done my share of research too." His eyes grow cold as his face becomes a blank mask. "I've known the entire time."

I'm not going to lie that his abrupt change in personality scares me a bit. It's unsettling.

"Well, are you going to sheathe your dagger?" He eyes the knife.

"Are you going to use your knife on me?" My eyes flick to his knife hidden within the palm of his left hand.

"Ah, spotted. Guilty as charged," he smirks. "Truce?" He shows me his empty hands.

I continue to watch him warily. He has a sneaky vibe. "Let's talk." I motion to my chairs, but I don't put away my knife. He should be glad I didn't pull my gun on him. I think knives are cleaner and quicker.

"No, this place isn't safe anymore." He scans my room.

"It's not bugged."

"How do you know that? Do you check everyday, every night?"

"Yes, I do." I frown.

"Okay." He nods simply. "After I make a quick check."

I wait there as he checks the room, which I know is clean. And he finally finishes.

"You know, you aren't what I expected." He gives me a once-over in a serious manner.

"What, a nerd?" I cross my arms.

"You're just...different."

"How so?" I want to know, but he changes the subject.

"What do you know about me?" He folds his arms and leans on the back of the chair.

"Almost everything." I reply succinctly. I know enough, but what he said when he entered threw me off. I don't know what he took, and why he ran away.

"My life has been compromised. Well, the CIA has been compromised." He fidgets with the chain of his necklace. "Maybe it's just corruption or something. Hell, I hope it is just some corruption of power or something. All i know is that my parents are now dead, murdered in cold blood. That happened a couple weeks before I arrived here."

"I uh didn't know that." I am at a loss of words.

"My file probably has that covered. It probably says they're living still? Yeah, their deaths haven't been filed or reported. Apparently, they are still on their honeymoon. They always go on their honeymoon for one whole month. Their bodies will not be discovered for another day or two." He clenches his chain tightly in frustration perhaps. I cannot tell with his blank face again.

"I was there when they were killed, you know? I wasn't supposed to be there." He laughs bitterly. "Talk about wrong place, wrong time. It's just all bad timing. I just happened to be in the crossfire. I was there as the shooters came. I've never seen such highly skilled, trained assassins. My parents were the best in fieldwork. Fuck it. I was there backing them up and they still died. They have it their all before they died." He plays around with his knife, watching it gleam in the moonlight. By now, I know he's far to into his story to actually use the weapon.

"That's the thing. They weren't just killed." He explains. "No, they were tortured. I fucking watched them be tortured in front of me. They didn't break though. This interrogation must have taken days. Fucking days, and they didn't crack even when I was tortured."

I only sit there listening.

"You must think they are the worst parents ever to not crack when their own kid is tortured?" He sighs. "They aren't because they knew I would live and it was also part of the way we lived. We all would have died for the CIA. Plus, you see, the attackers couldn't kill me, more like they wouldn't. I'm still trying to find out why exactly. Still, I have what they wanted. I didn't have it then, but I have it now." He takes out the metal pendant.

"All this for that little metal container?" I can't help but ask.

"Yeah, all for this. I don't even know what it is. It may be a USB."

"You don't know what it is?" I'm not sure if I can believe him.

"Not really," he examines it closely.

"Who's running the CIA?" I ask.

"The current deputy and executive director of the CIA ."

"And they--?"

"Everyone on the CIA is pretty much looking for me and this little box. They are and were probably in on this. My parents and I are probably going to be labeled as moles or traitors."

"How'd you escape?"

"I didn't." He says. "I killed them all."

"And where do I come in?"

"Your dad, Giovanni. He can help me." Jacob focuses and looks back to normal.

"Well, I guess you don't know him like I do." I roll my eyes.

"I need to talk to him."

"I need him to stay the fuck out of my life." I reply sarcastically, "but I guess that's not happening?"

"Dammit Shay!" Jacob pounds his fist against the wall impatiently.

"Believe me. My mom and I have spend the last couple years living as normal as we can without him in our lives. I got to say it's been GREAT compared to before." I argue. My dad is a messed up son of a bitch. I'm glad my mom and I got out.

"At least you have parents!" He stands up and shouts.

"Don't you pull that card," I charge at him, but I stop halfway feeling stupid and embarassed. "You're a CIA agent. What do you need with the Italian mafia?"

"I'm an EX agent," he corrects me. "He's pals with my father."

"The director of CIA?" I say in disbelief. There's something more to it.

"Don't be so surprised."

"I'm done with that life." I refuse. "There's no way I'm going back. You can leave. I cannot help you." I point at the door.

"You can't just quit being a Ricca. You know how hard it is to get out. What makes you think your father, or your brothers will let you out? You're blood and family to them."

"Exactly, because I am blood and family, my punishment will be the worst. It is suicidal to go back. I am not going back there. He will skin me alive himself." I put my foot down.

"If you were truly out, you wouldn't have the Ricca insignia ring with you still. You know how incriminating that is." He shakes his head sadly.

"What good will their involvement be?"

"They are my last chance," Jacob looks like he is going to beg, but instead he suprises me and not in a good way.

"If you don't help me, I will seek them out myself and they will find out you are here too." He pauses as he opens the door to leave.

"Is that a threat?" I step close to him.

"Yeah, it is."