Authors: Sara Schoen
Once the job was done, Gage told me Camden wanted me back at the hospital. He just wanted the whole thing with the rat over with, and I had done that for him. Camden had some things to wrap up and then he would be done for the day. I told Gage I would be taking a quick detour before returning to the hospital. I had to go back to the loft to change clothes. Blood spatter was always difficult to get out, and I didn’t want to waste time trying to clean it. I knew Camden would want me back at the hospital as soon as I could get there. Just without the blood. No need to horrify the nurses.
Every time Camden called on me I always wound up with blood on my clothes. Mostly I gave up, trashing the clothing. No one would look into the men I killed, anyway.
They would have to find the bodies first.
The cartel had a miraculous ability to get rid of bodies, and if the authorities found a corpse, it would happen a few decades later. The cartel had gotten pretty good at avoiding unneeded attention, and they were only getting better at it. The guy I had just killed would be off the compound and buried before the night ended, and I wouldn’t have to worry about him telling everyone what he had witnessed. Safe for now, everything seemed to be going my way.
When I got back to the hospital, I followed the path Danielle and I had made previously. There were a few landmarks that helped me along the way, such as the nurses’ station, the large crack in part of the tiling, and the cat the hospital staff seemed to have adopted, or just didn’t bother to shoo out. I saw a few familiar nurses, patients, and other people visiting their friends and family. A few acknowledged me, others looked away, upset and tearful. I glanced down at the ground to avoid their sorrowful gazes, and continued walking until I made it to Sara’s room.
I had almost missed it because I didn’t hear the usual chatter, or Danielle’s high-pitched laugh from down the hall. I glanced inside to see Danielle’s chair empty and Sara reading a book. I stepped in, and while I knew she had probably heard me, she didn’t react. If I didn’t know better, I would have said she had become lost in the words on the page, exploring a universe all her own, but she wasn’t a normal girl. She’s a trained spy, a thief no less, and had surely heard my loud footsteps when I turned the corner of the hallway. Maybe even before then if she’d been focusing on it.
She didn’t move at all, just continued to skim the words on the page, waiting for me to say something. She played her cover very well. She had to be watching me from her peripherals. She had to feel my presence. Her body tensed, her eyes focused on the page, which she hadn’t turned over since I had come into the room. She was watching me, waiting for me to move.
“Where is Danielle?” I asked, bringing her attention to me.
Sara looked up, seeming surprised to see me. She moved back slightly in the bed. Her blue eyes scanned me, as if taking me in and sizing me up. I must have come around too often, because she had come to realize that I was a constant in Camden’s life. That in turn made me a threat to her when it came to the mission. It eased my mind to know she had her focus on the mission.
“She went home. She got tired of waiting for you to come back, and she was hungry so Camden came to take her out to lunch,” she said, closing the book to turn her attention to me.
“Then why did they send me here?” Camden could have taken care of things. He would have told me he had taken Danielle out, which meant it had been her idea to send me here. “This is a waste of time,” I groaned, realizing Danielle wanted me to come so I could talk to Sara. I knew she wasn’t going to let go of Camden’s remark that easily.
“I’m sorry. I thought they would have told you,” Sara whispered. She offered me a sad smile, clearly feeling bad that I had admitted out loud that I had wasted my time. She must have thought I’d been wasting my time just by being with her.
I wanted to say something to make her feel better, but I couldn’t come out and say that my sister was trying to set us up. Not only would that confuse her, and cause more questions than necessary, but it would also end with Sharp Shooter berating me for ruining the mission. She couldn’t know my true identity.
“Why are you sorry?” I asked, buying myself a little more time to think. “It’s not your fault. It’s theirs for not telling me. I’m just upset because I could be at home right now watching a movie and eating popcorn.”
She let out a small laugh. “I’ve only known you for a little while, but you seem more like the type who would be at home cleaning a gun than watching a movie and eating popcorn.”
I looked at her in shock, because she’d figured out what I enjoyed doing in my free time while my parents were alive. I used to sit in the basement and clean the family’s guns, not for fun, but I preferred to know they were in working order. I preferred to be prepared, just in case something happened. It also relaxed me a bit while I sat and watched television.
“But it is technically my fault you have to be here,” she said, returning to the previous topic. “If I wasn’t here, you wouldn’t be either. There would have been no reason for Camden to send you and you could be at home watching a movie.”
“That is true, but then I wouldn’t get out of the house nearly as much. If Danielle isn’t here, though, I will be going home to watch that movie,” I said with a smile as I turned to leave the room.
“Wait,” Sara called. I turned around to see a sheepish grin on her face. “Please don’t go yet. It’s so boring sitting in this room by myself with a television that’s stuck on the news channel.”
I bit my cheek as I considered it. I didn’t want to leave her alone here, and in truth I did want to talk to her, but I wanted to wait until the mission ended so I could get to know the real her. I sighed, thinking it over. I would have nothing to do at home except watch Camden try to keep Danielle around, which including kissing and intimate conversations about the future. Talking to Sara seemed like a better idea the more I thought about what I had waiting for me back at the loft.
“Sure. I can stick around for a little while,” I said, heading toward the television to click through the channels. With my height, I could easily reach up and manually change the channel. The remote may not be working, but at least the manual buttons were. I waited until Sara told me to stop at a show I didn’t recognize, but I guess to her it was better than the news.
I took Danielle’s usual seat, and waited for her to talk. She filled me in on what had changed, how she would be released tomorrow, and how much she hated hospitals.
“I once went to a hospital with my mom and the nurses had to glue me up.” She skipped over details of her story, seeming to believe I didn’t need to know. “Well, of course everyone wanted to know how I did it, and the explanation wasn’t good enough. It sounds ridiculous even to me.”
“What happened?” I questioned, unable to hold back the curiosity.
“I ran into the door at just the time my dad opened it. I was so short he couldn’t see me, and who goes running into a garage?” She offered a weak smile as a disgusted look crossed my features. I didn’t want to think about it. “It could have been worse. I got glued, so thankfully no stiches. Now it makes for a great story, and a pretty good ice breaker.” She pointed to a very faint scar on her forehead and smiled. “Admit it, it was a good story.”
A few times during our discussion, I thought I felt a real connection. Especially when she continued to share hospital stories. I could see why she didn’t want to stay in one for an extended period of time. She hadn’t had the best experiences.
There were a lot of things we had in common, but I couldn’t be sure if this was really her or if she’s just playing the part that she had to. It felt real, and the whole time I couldn’t help but hope it was. I didn’t want to know the fake her, I wanted to know the real her.
She made it hard to believe her, though. I found it difficult to believe her parents had died in a car accident on a rainy night with her in the driver’s seat, that she covered her scar with her arrow tattoo because she attempted suicide, and that she spent years searching for a way to change her life for the better instead of focusing on the bad parts. I had to say, Sharp Shooter had really outdone himself on her cover story. I knew covers were typically in-depth and lengthy, but hers went much deeper, and she told it with such emotion that made it seem as if she had lived it. The story was immaculate, detailed, and emotional, but nonetheless fake. I had started falling for the fake story, and the girl who told it.
I couldn’t wait until the end of this mission so I could get to know the real her.
Sara was being released today, meaning that the real mission would start soon, or so I hoped. Camden had told me last night that he planned to propose to Danielle soon, and that he had managed to find a few more things on her brother. I wasn’t sure what he found, and he didn’t want to spoil the surprise because he wanted to tell Danielle first. I could only hope he wasn’t going to tell her he found me somewhere. At least then the lie wouldn’t kill her. I wanted her to believe I could still be out there, alive, and fighting for what I believed in. But that would either mean he’d found someone to play me, or he figured out who I was. While I would prefer the story where he wouldn’t crush Danielle’s spirit, the best one for me involved Camden’s men finding me dead somewhere overseas.
If I had my choice, I wanted this to end before he had the chance to tell her whatever news he intended to, or to pop the question. I didn’t want her to be involved with whatever plan Sara initiated now that she could be on her feet and active again. Danielle would be traumatized enough when she realized who Camden really was, and what he did for a living. I didn’t want to make it worse for her by getting her arrested and then dropping the bomb that I’m still alive all at the same time. I just had to make it through whatever Sara had come up with for a plan, and pray that it worked.
When I met with Demon the last time, he told me she had a plan, but she didn’t want to share it with anyone. Not even him. That made both of us nervous, but he knew some of it, like how she’d work her way into the cartel, but he had been trying to find a way to figure out exactly what she had planned and failed so far. I hoped Demon would figure it out soon, because I hated surprises. Nothing good ever came from surprises, because during a mission the unexpected got agents killed. Sara should have learned that from the Sandtown raid, though I’m sure she hadn’t planned to get tracked down like an animal and captured by cartel members. I guess I would just have to wait and see, especially since I couldn’t just ask her. That would have been too easy.
I had come to see her today because Danielle had classes, and wouldn’t be out until after Sara had been discharged. She wanted to make sure someone was there when Sara got out, and wanted to make sure she didn’t try to pay the bill to get Camden his money back. I doubted she would, because a free hospital visit wasn’t something someone paying for school on her own would turn down, but Danielle wanted to make sure.
Although, since I came for Danielle, I had also been sent with flowers and a thank you present. I had told Danielle I wasn’t going to deliver it, but she had insisted that it would make Sara’s day and if I didn’t give it to her right when she got out then it wouldn’t make any sense. Thanks to Danielle’s new friendship, Camden wasn’t going to let me forget taking flowers and a present to Sara. He saw me leaving the loft and laughed until he had tears welling up in his eyes.
He said, “You looked like you’re whipped already, and you two aren’t even together.”
I didn’t bother to argue with him. It wouldn’t have done any good deflecting his judgment. I didn’t understand why guys who were devoted to their girlfriends had to be mocked for it. Mostly because I liked to entertain the idea of something happening between Sara and me, even though I knew it couldn’t.
I knew the dangers of the cartel. I knew what falling for her would do to her, and me. It would put us both in more danger, and if the time came, one of us would have to watch the other die. That’s why they left her in the dark. She formed bonds with people quickly. Demon and Whip Lash knew that if she figured out who I was, a fellow agent, then she wouldn’t focus on getting herself out. She would focus on me, and that would get us both killed.
It may end up like that anyway. Camden had been telling whoever would listen about Sara and me already, and I’d never hear the end of it. Members would be talking, and if this mission went south, there would be a hunt for her as well. If it went well, maybe they would think I ran away with her once Miguel and Camden were captured. Suddenly I couldn’t be happier that we wouldn’t see anyone else from CIRA during this mission, because if they found out about this, I’d never live it down.
I let out a sharp exhale as I made it closer to Sara’s hall. I didn’t want to think about the mocking I’d suffer at other agents’ hands. I became lost in thought when I noticed two black haired men walking toward me. One significantly taller than the other, but both looked oddly familiar. They had their heads down, trying to avoid attention, and weren’t even talking to each other. To anyone around them, it would have looked as if they were mourning, but I knew they were just trying to avoid being seen. They sidestepped as they walked toward me, as if avoiding video cameras.
I stopped as they walked passed me, not seeming to notice me.
“Demon?” I asked before I could prevent myself. I knew I wasn’t supposed to use his real name, or any name for that matter while we weren’t alone. If he had a cover, I could be breaking it by speaking to him.
Neither of them seemed distressed as they turned around. Demon glanced up and looked me over, seeming confused at first. The guy next to him seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t remember his name or where I had seen him before. All I know is that I didn’t like his attitude. Even just standing close to him now I could see that he was completely full of himself. I turned my attention back to Demon just as he caught sight of the flowers in my hand, flashing me a knowing smile. He didn’t say anything, just jabbed his partner in the side with his elbow playfully to attract his attention. His partner flashed an annoyed glare in my direction before he caught on. They both laughed before turning away and heading back down the hallway.
At least I didn’t have to hear their comments, not yet anyway.
I suppressed a groan as I walked toward Sara’s room. Demon had left before I showed up, and I wanted to know why. Not only why he came with another agent, but also why he had left. I didn’t have to wait long to figure it out. I could hear another person with her when I got close. It sounded like a nurse, but it didn’t seem to help Sara calm down.
“I don’t want to,” she cried.
“We have to finish the tests before you can go,” the nurse replied.
I walked in just in time to see the nurse jam a needle in Sara’s arm. She didn’t watch as the blood was drawn slowly from her arm. I remembered my last trip to the hospital. They needed blood in order to run a few tests.
Sara seemed to hate having blood taken.
“There,” the nurse said after a few moments. “I told you it wasn’t going to take long.”
I watched Sara’s face twist in disgust as the nurse showed her the small vial of blood before pulling the needle out of her arm. The nurse turned around to see me enter, and the grimace on her face told me she wasn’t pleased with the battle she’d waged with Sara. I smiled back.
“She’s all yours,” she growled before stalking out of the room.
I held back my laughter as we walked past each other. Sara glanced at her arm nervously as I took a seat next to her.
“You just became her least favorite patient of the day,” I joked.
“Yeah, you think?” she asked. “It’s okay, she’s not my favorite nurse either. So far, all she’s done is poke and prod me.” Sara visibly shuddered. I glanced at her arm, thinking she might be cold, but her skin didn’t react. I glanced at her again to see a grimace that matched the nurse’s when she left. Clearly they didn’t have fond memories of each other.
“I brought you these,” I said, breaking her from her thoughts. “Courtesy of Danielle, and a present as well.”
“Thank you, Marco.” She took the flowers from my hands and placed them in her lap, then took the present from me. “She’s been way too kind to me about this.”
I shrugged, not wanting to give an opinion on the matter. If I said
that’s just how she is
, it would seem a little too involved. Sometimes it’s just better to keep silent. Especially when the silence kept you alive.
Sara opened the present, letting an apple fall from the package. I lifted an eyebrow in confusion before Sara laughed and showed it to me. She realized that I didn’t understand, so she explained.
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” she said, taking a bite and smiling at me. “Thank you for bringing these for me, Marco. I know it’s not your job, and I really appreciate it.”
A silence fell around us. I wanted to say something but I wasn’t sure what to say. I couldn’t tell her I had seen Demon and whoever his partner was. There wasn’t a safe topic, and I could tell from her growing uneasiness the silence bothered her.
“So,” I said. “Since you’ve been in the hospital for about a month now, I’m sure you’re sick and tired of the food here. How about we go get you your first non-hospital meal once you’re cleared?”
“That sounds wonderful, actually,” she said with a mischievous smile that confused me. It was different than the one Camden had, the one that told me he had a plan, typically one that only worked out for him. Sara’s made it seem like something had fallen right into place.
I contemplated asking her about it when she spoke again. “I’m thrilled to get out of here and actually start going to classes again. I never thought I would miss going to classes, but I can’t wait to have
something
to do, even if it is schoolwork. Sure, I’ve kept up to date by emails from teachers, but I can’t really do much except type papers. I have tests to make up now too,” she said, shaking her head.
“Wow, sounds like a lot. Maybe I should take you out now so you can’t just say no later.” I almost believed that she could actually be stressed out over classes, except I knew her cover as Danielle’s classmate. This is just another part of her charade, a part of her undercover identity. She made the story convincing.
“Danielle offered to help me study for a test coming up in our class. So you may see me again,” she said as the nurse came back in to discharge her. They had a few papers for her to sign. The process started with the nurse kicking me out so Sara could change, but at least it was a step in the right direction. Soon I’d be having the first date I’d had in about five years.