Hearts To Go

“Hold your horses!” I say. “Explain to me one more time how that’s going to work?”

While playing dumb, I contemplated his response. This was not the rude, avaricious boy from the other night. He spoke like a reasonable man.

Patiently, he repeated himself slowly and surely.

“I was sent here on a mission to train an able, knowledgeable person of by choosing who would be willing to join our cause to find a spy in the city that’s trying to tear down the Mayor’s position. I would like for you to be that person. Our Agency needs your help since you know the city better than we do. We can get all the blueprints we want but, it’s more convenient for us to find one that knows the city well. From the files we were able to get a hold of, you are ranked first in your junior class, have some experience in competitive martial arts, and have lived in the city your whole life. Watching you this past week, I made my final decision. You are the most suited for the task.”

Okay. If anything, this kid is serious. His speech was practiced, his manner calm, cool, authoritative. “You said, ‘a person who would be willing’. Does that mean I can back out? What you are asking is far-reaching. You couldn’t possibly expect me to comply immediately when I hardly know you.”

“Of course not. You may back out, but I will have to erase your memory of this meeting. When we train, you will not be alone with me completely out of the sight of the public eye.” He answers.

“What about parental consent? I am underage.” I stall. This sounded extremely suspicious to me and I didn’t like it one bit.

“You are one year underage, the perfect age for our squad to start recruiting. As for parental consent, parents and siblings are not allowed to be notified of the Agency because of oaths binding us to bear knowledge of the Agency itself.” His voice stern.

Now I was starting to get mad. Who is this kid to intrude the ways of our peaceful town and now make me join a ‘secret agency’ and he even has the audacity to threaten me of ‘erasing my memory’ if I don’t accept his so-called proposal?

“Oh, great! So I don’t really have a choice here. Are you really Lea’s cousin? You don’t sound like you’re related at all. She does not like to keep secrets. Are you really Nero, Nero?”

“Miss Renal Archer Class, I need your final answer. Will you help the Agency find the Mayor’s spy to save the city from any harm, or will you decline my offer?” Nero asked.

Frustrated, I took a deep breath. If anything, this is as much an opportunity for me to keep him from causing harm and get to know him more so that I would know how to stop him if it came down to it.

With another breath, this time for self-control, I readily reply, “I will do it.”

He smiled in triumph. “Wonderful. We begin tomorrow. Meet me here at eight tomorrow morning.” And with that, he turned and ran in the direction Lea had gone.