‘But it’s a bit early to say—and hard to uproot the whole family. Our preference is to deal with this threat, contain it, and see where we stand then.’
I drew a circle with my fingertip. ‘And if you’ve a leak in the FBI, you have to plug it before moving or the problem would just fol ow you al .’
Victor’s gaze sharpened. ‘You’re a bright girl, aren’t you? No pun intended.’
‘But I’m right, aren’t I?’
‘Yeah. We can protect ourselves better in a place we know until we can be sure it’s safe.’
‘I see.’
He got up and pocketed the recorder. ‘Yeah, you do, don’t you. You’re sweet, just like Dad said you were. Thanks for your time, Sky, Mr and Mrs Bright.’
‘No problem, Agent Benedict,’ Simon said, showing them to the door.
Sal y sat down next to me at the table. Simon sat on my other side and reached for my hand.
‘Wel ,’ he said.
‘Yeah.’ I leant my head on his shoulder, our earlier argument forgiven.
‘I’m sorry, Sky, but we can’t let you see that boy out of school, or any of his family for that matter, until this is al sorted out.’
‘It’s not fair.’
‘No, it’s not, darling. I’m sorry.’
Unable to see Zed in my free time, I couldn’t wait to catch up with him at school to find out what was going to happen to his family. I felt very confused when he didn’t turn up for the next few days. He’d left me worried sick and facing everyone with an unexplained black eye. It was total y embarrassing—
the kind that makes you want to curl up quietly in a corner.
‘Whoa, Sky, you take up boxing?’ Nelson exclaimed in a loud voice on seeing me in the school hal way.
I tried to pul a hank of hair over my injury. ‘No.’
Other students were now looking at me as if I were an exhibit. Funny Girl with Black Eye, rol up, rol up!
‘How’d’ you do it then?’
I put on a spurt of speed, hoping to reach my form room before he got it out of me.
‘Hey, Sky, you can tel me.’ Nelson caught my arm, no longer teasing but serious now. ‘Did someone hurt you?’
I shoved my hair off my face and looked at him straight. ‘I ran into an elbow yesterday.’
‘Whose?’
‘Zed’s. No big deal.’
‘No big freaking deal! You’re joking! Where is he?’ Nelson looked fit to burst. ‘I knew no good would come of it. He should take better care of you.’
‘It’s OK.’
‘No, it is not OK, Sky. Zed’s not right for a girl like you.’
‘It was an accident.’
‘So how it happen then?’ He put his arm across the door, denying me entry. ‘How you run into his elbow?’
What could I say? We were targeted by an assassin? That would be like setting off a box of fireworks in whole school assembly.
‘We were mucking about in the woods and I kind of fel against him. Nelson, wil you let me go in? It’s bad enough looking stupid; I don’t also want to be late.’
Nelson dropped his arm. ‘But I got your back, remember? It may have been an accident but I don’t see him here checking you’re al right. I’m gonna have a word with Zed.’
‘Don’t.’
‘Nothing you can do to stop me, Sky baby.’
So now I had something else to dread: Nelson ripping up Zed in the mistaken belief he was somehow defending me.
Zed turned up two days later. Victor drove both him and Yves to school in a sleek Prius with blacked out windows, dropping them near the door. I only saw them hurry in because I happened to be running behind too, having to function on ‘Simon time’ due to his insistence on taking me to class. Simon never started out until the moment he was supposed to be somewhere—OK for artists perhaps but not for students.
Seeing them run from the car to the front door, I thought the Benedicts looked harassed but otherwise fine.
Zed.
He heard me cal out mind to mind, looked round, but Yves grabbed one arm and Victor the other, hurrying him under cover.
I’ll find you later, he replied.
But I wanted him now. I had to swal ow my disappointment and go to explain to Mr Joe why I had missed registration for the second day in a row.
I hid in the library at recess. Outside the snow was fal ing and al of us were inside, scattered over the school, seeking shelter. I’d chosen the reference section of the library, hoping to attract fewer stares there. My eye was stil a multicoloured humiliation.
Since my brief glimpse of Zed that morning, I had the horrible feeling that maybe my feelings for him were leaping way ahead of his for me. I was al cut up about the tiny matter of a threat to his life and he hadn’t even thought to cal to tel me he was OK. Any thought messages I’d sent him had been left unanswered. Talk about blowing hot then cold.
Perhaps that soulfinder rubbish had been just that—
utter nonsense to win a few kisses.
But Zed found me in my bolt hole. Probably saw me there before I even arrived. He sat down opposite and just looked at me.
Sky, I’m sorry.
Hey, another benefit of this mind-talking stuff—
not only do you have low phone bills but you don’tget chucked out of the library. I pul ed the P to Q
section of the encyclopaedia towards me, pretending sudden interest in an article on penguins.
You mad at me?
No.
So why the cold shoulder?
I glanced up. He hadn’t taken his eyes off me. Oh my, he looked good—I wanted to bury my face in his shoulder and just hold on tight.
Your eye hurt?
No, your brother fixed that; he just left me looking like a dork.
I couldn’t come in until the area had been searched.
I guessed something like that was going on.
I couldn’t text you because there’s no networkreception at home. I’m sorry.
No, don’t apologize. I understand.
Do you really? Do you really understand how difficult it’s been for me? I wanted to be with you—
stay with you that day. You argued with your dad, didn’t you?
Yeah, but we’re OK now.
You’re upset that I wasn’t there to take the heat about your eye. People have been giving you a hard time.
Not hard, just awkward. Nelson’s after you.
I deserve it.
You were saving my life.
You should never have been in danger in the first place. I should never have put you at risk.
Look, can we go somewhere so we can talk properly?
I don’t know if that’s a good idea.
He pul ed the book from my fingers . Penguins, such fascinating creatures, but I didn’t know you were studying them. What class is that you’re taking?
The ‘we stupid looking creatures should stick together’ class.
He tucked the book back on the shelf. ‘Come with me.’
‘Where?’