Get Your Spy On

Get Your Spy On
Chapter 2
Alex’s POV

Wendy Pierce. Wendy Pierce is the most beautiful girl in the entire world. The way her shiny black hair bounces when she walks or when she cheers in her cheerleading outfit how perky she looks. I’ve even written a few poems about her, I know, creepy. I’m not creepy though, I just love her.
I remember when she first spoke to me in third grade. I was walking my dog and she was running with her family, all of them could be on the front cover of a sports magazine. She smiled at me, a genuine smile, not those smiles you get politely when you stare at someone. I said hello to her and she said hi back, and we would have talked more if it weren’t for her father telling her not to talk to strangers.
I wasn’t a stranger though, and her father knew that as well. My dad and her dad hang out with each other almost every day, and they’re constantly calling each other in the middle of the night. I love how our father’s talk to each other and they probably talk about us too, so her father knows I’m a good guy, perfect for her daughter.
But no, he hasn’t told me it’s okay to ask his daughter out, and whenever I try to say hi to Wendy, she quickly turns away and talks to other kids. My father has given me strict instructions to not try out for any sports because what I’m able to do is nearly impossible. If I did sports, everyone would think I’m on drugs the way I run and catch things. I’m not the only one though, Sloane Adams is just like me.
We both are okay friends, but mostly we just talk if we run into each other, it’s not like we text each other or anything. I’ve asked Ben, my older brother, what Sandy and her family are like, but he just says they’re a nice family, very quiet.
I don’t believe that though. Sandy isn’t quiet, in fact she’s one of those people if you mention her name, odds are they’ll know who you’re talking about. Now if you say Sloane’s name, you will get a confused look, but I’m getting off subject now.
I walk into school and see Sloane running to her class, her head down, ignoring anybody who says something to her. I see Wendy hanging with her popular friends and feel my hands start clamming up. How do you talk to a girl who is so popular that guys like me, Alex Dover, who people barely know, date a girl like her?
My best friend, Tyler Len walks up to me and follows my gaze. He shakes his head at me and pushes his glasses to the bridge of his nose. “I don’t understand your mind, Alex. You like the girl, but yet you can’t go up and say hi. Do you even know what her favorite color is?”
“No,” I answer back, shooting him a look. “That doesn’t matter though, what matters is that I think she’s a great person and hot at that, and I hope I can learn more about her once we’ve had a proper date.”
“Like you’ll ever get a date with her,” Tyler says, snorting out loud. I glare at him and begin walking to my class, ignoring him yelling my name. “Alex, I was just joking!”
I sit down in my seat and stare straight at Wendy’s empty seat, worrying if something went wrong. Right when the bell rings, she flies into the room and sits down just as the teacher walks in. The teacher smiles at us, then starts talking about the difference between something and something else I didn’t catch. I stare at the back of Wendy’s head, wondering what I see in her. There isn’t a reason I’m attracted to her, but it’s more like I need to write about her or talk about her.
Of course when I think about her, she’s not really her though. Like when I think about her I think about this super sweet girl like she is, but back in third grade, she wasn’t like that. She was sort of a bully to some people and didn’t get along well with kids, but when she got sent to the principals office and her parents had to come, it all changed.
She became this nice girl who smiled and offered everything to kids, whether it was food, toys, pen, paper, pretty much anything you could think of. I think I’m attracted to the old Wendy rather than the new Wendy. Yes it’s true, I know nothing about her, but I write poems about her. I don’t understand what the relationship is, but I think about it almost all the time.
It also doesn’t help my parents are getting a divorce, and also my mom cheated on my dad. It doesn’t help either when all Ben says to dad is “I told you so” or “Should have listened to me.”
Wendy turns around suddenly and stares at me, her hazel eyes staring at my dark brown eyes intensely. It feels like she’s silently talking to me through her eyes, and suddenly, it doesn’t feel like Wendy is the very happy Wendy she usually is.
When class ends I find this sudden courage and I go up to her, and before I can even think, I tap her on the shoulder. She turns around and stares at me, her eyes still hard, not in the least soft as they usually are. “What?”
She said it so sharply that it took me aback for a second. I clear my throat and look at her. Why do I find her so interesting? “I just wanted to apologize for staring at you in class today, I just though you had something in your hair.”
She doesn’t smile at me, instead she rolls her hazel eyes at me, and let out a snicker. “Listen, Alex. I don’t have to pretend I’m this cheery girl in front of you, and I’m sure you know why, so don’t try and act all nice with me when you can just come out and say what you want to say.”
She waits for me to reply and when I don’t she shakes her head frustrated and walks away. I stay where I am, shocked at what she just did. Did Wendy just tell me off? I walk out of the classroom, still confused. I finish the rest of my classes then head out to my car.
When I’m halfway out of the school, I see Wendy handing Sloane a cupcake, smiling brightly like she always does. Sloane shoves money in her hand and walks off in a rush. Wendy calls after her, but she ignores her and keeps walking.
That’s odd, I thought to myself as I walked over to Wendy. I fish out some money out of my pocket and hand it to her. She looks at me, her eyes narrowed and takes it from my hand. She shoves a cupcake at me then turns around and walks off.
“Wendy,” I say, following her closely. “I have no idea what you mean by me knowing why you don’t have to act like a cheery girl in front of me. I honestly don’t. Can you explain why, please?”
She turns around, her eyes not softening, but it looks like she’s going to talk to me. “If your parents haven’t told you about what you are then I shouldn’t be the one to tell you. Why don’t you ask your dad, he’ll be the one to let you know, but whatever you do, don’t ask your mom about it.”
She walks off again, leaving me once again like I’m forgetting something very important. I get in my car and sit there for a moment. Why would Wendy know something about my life that I don’t? Should I ask my dad what’s going on, or should I just stay quiet since he’s going through a hard time right now? I grab my phone, my hand lingering on the phone number to call my brother.
She didn’t say his name, though. What if he doesn’t know what’s going on either? I can’t just go up to him and ask if he knows if I’m some sort of thing and if he may be one too. I drive out of the school parking lot and head toward the gym, figuring my dad will be there as well. I crank up the music and start bobbing my head to it. If all fails, listen to music. That’s what my mom always says anyways.
When I get to the gym, I see my dad’s car in one of the front parking spots. I park next to it and cut off the engine. How am I going to word this to dad? Do I just go up to him and go, “Hey dad, this girl at school tells me you might know something about me,” Or, “Hey dad am I some sort of superhero or do I have supernatural powers like on TV?”
Yeah, none of those would fly well with dad, especially the second one. I get out of the car and open the gym door and spot my dad lifting weights, three hundred pounds I bet. I causally stroll over and sit down on the ground, watching him until he’s finished his set.
“What’s up son?” He asks as he takes a break and takes a sip of his water. “Didn’t expect you here for another hour or so.”
He hands me the weights and watches me as I lift them up and down. “I just wanted to ask you about something. You know the Pierce family of course. Well I go to school with his daughter.”
“Wendy?” My dad guessed, smiling approvingly once I’ve lifted them twenty times.
“Yeah, Wendy,” I say, putting the weights on the ground. I take a gulp of his water and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “Well, you see, she said something about you telling me something, and I want to know exactly what that is.”
Dad sighs loudly and shakes his head. “She should’ve kept her mouth shut. I told her father that she wouldn’t be able to keep it to herself. The others can, why can’t she?”
I look at him, totally confused at the moment. Why would dad tell her fathers’ dad that she wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut about something? What is that something?
“Dad, what am I? You’ve made me do weights and exercise, but you won’t let me try out for sports. What have you been hiding from me for sixteen years?”
“Son,” Dad said, hitting me slightly on the back. “I don’t work at the job you and your mom think I work. I work with Wendy’s dad and Sloane’s dad. You see, we’re spies. That means you, Ben, and I are spies.”
I laugh out loud, finding this hilarious. Spies don’t exist, except for books. Like dad actually wants me to believe that we’re all spies, and that we’re going to kick some hardcore butts and have secret missions.
“I know this sounds crazy,” Dad says, talking excitedly now. “But I needed to train you so you’d be able to defend yourself just in case some of my enemies tried to kill you. I didn’t think you’d become a spy, but the head of the spies saw you train and he thought you’d be perfect for it.”
“So you’re telling me that Mr. Piece and Mr. Adams are spies as well?”
“They’re the best. I’m not too bad myself, but they’ve been doing it ever since they were ten. I bet Wendy and Sloane are just as good as them too.”
“Wait,” I say, my full attention on him now. “Wendy and Sloane are spies too? Do they know what they are, or am I the only one who has been kept in the dark?”
“Wendy’s father broke the rules and told her when she was little,” Dad said, shaking his head slightly. “She was too smart to do whatever he wanted and she demanded to know why she had to train day and night while the other kids got to watch TV.”
I shook my head. Dad has gone completely loony! If he really thinks he can tell me I’m a spy and my crush is a spy as well, well that’s just messed up. I look at my dad and now fully know that he’s not lying to me, that he’s completely serious.
“Okay, let me get this straight,” I say slowly. “I’m a spy, Slone’s a spy, and Wendy’s a spy. We’re all spies that do missions and help people, and . . . . kill people.”
“That’s correct,” Dad says, smiling broadly. “Killing bad guys is pretty fun. Especially when they try shooting you and they miss. Now do me a favor and call your mom and tell her that-“
At that moment, people started shooting at me and my dad at once. A bullet hit my dad and he grunted loudly. He fell to the ground, blood appearing on the front of his shirt. I lean down and look at it, my heart racing. I dial Ben’s phone number, noticing my hand’s shaking.
“Ben, dad’s been shot. We’re at the gym. Some bad guys just appeared out of nowhere and started shooting. I think they left, but I’m not sure.”
I hung up the phone and applied pressure onto his wound. I have to keep the blood in. I already lost my mom to some guy, I can’t lose my dad too. Dad looked up at me, his eyes shining when he saw me looking at him fearfully. “I’ll be okay, son.”
I didn’t answer, instead I just kept telling him to take deep breaths and wait for Ben to get here. I heard the sounds of tires squealing and then the sound of people fighting. I look out the window and see Ben beating up two guys, both of them holding knives in their hands. Dad turned his head as well and by the look on his face, he was alarmed.
He looked at me, his eyes wide with fear. “You need to go help your brother. He won’t live.”
“But what about you?” I ask, glancing at his bullet wound. “Somebody needs to stay here and take care of you. I can’t let you die, dad.”
Dad grunted loudly and pushed the cloth to his wound reluctantly. “I couldn’t live with myself if I let you stay here and take care of me instead of saving your brother. The faster you help him, the sooner I can get this bullet out of me.”
I stood up and nodded. He grunted loudly and pointed to his gym bag. I walk over to it and pull out a gun from his bag. I look at it, turning it over in my hand.
“It’s all ready to go,” Dad said slowly, pain searing through him. “Just start shooting.”
I hurry out of the gym and run to where my brother is, screaming at the men to get back. They turn around, both of them wearing black shades and the same serious expression. One of them throws their knife at me. I doge it then shoot one of them in the leg. He cried in agony as he dropped to the floor, swearing out loud.
Ben took this opportunity to shoot the guy that was fighting him right in the stomach. The man gasped for a moment, then fell to the floor, nearly dead. Ben walked over them and hurried to the gym to take in dad’s wound. He knelt down next to him, whispering encouragement to dad.
Dad smiled at me, happy tears in his eyes. “You did wonderful, Alex. I couldn’t have asked for a better job. Next time though, just shoot him in the heart.”
I winced, but nodded. I don’t think I’ll ever have the guts to shoot someone in the heart, unless they’re killing my family of course. I watched as Ben took the bullet of the dad then started stitching it back up. He looked scared, but he quickly covered it with concentration and determination.
“Alex look through my bag in the car and bring me a small glass bottle containing light green liquid,” Ben said hurriedly as he stitched dad up.
I did what he said and ran to his car. I went in the backseat and got his blue duffel bag out of the car and started looking through it. Knives, boomerangs, guns, unused bullets, different types of dynamite, and finally a glass bottle. I pull it out and look at it for a moment. It’s something I’ve never seen before. It looks like water with green dye in it. I take it inside the gym and hand it to Ben. He opens the cap and pours the whole thing down dad’s throat.
“What does that do?” I ask curiously.
“It heals your wounds faster than normal,” Ben answers. “It hurts more, but when you’re spies like us, we need things like this. Why else do you think they’re so many people out there in the world disappearing at random moments? They’re trying to expose us, but we kill them before they can.”
“So who makes these things then?” I ask, pointing to the bottle with the now gone liquid. “There’s got to be someone who makes it for you, correct?”
“Government, scientist, pretty much anything you can think of,” Ben says nonchalantly. “They didn’t want to release it to the public, so we took it for ourselves. It sure does work too.”
He motions to dad, who is still in pain, but the bleeding has stopped and it looks better already. I sit there, amazed at what I’m seeing. You could make millions off of this liquid, yet they don’t.
Ben helps dad up and we lead him into Ben’s car. “We’ll pick your car up later today, okay dad? Alex, follow me home and if you see anybody following us, drive to the police station, they know us there.”
I nod my head and make my way toward my car. I slide in and star the car, my hands still shaking. I can’t be a wuss, I bet Sloane and Wendy didn’t freak out like I did. As I started driving, I wondered if I’ll be a spy for the rest of my life. Like do you ever get to leave, or is it a full time job you’re sick of? I don’t want to ask Ben or dad, but I bet Sloane will tell me.
When we got home, an apartment since dad gave mom the house because he said he couldn’t live in a house mom lived in once. All the papers haven’t been signed yet, so Ben stays with dad and I stay with mom, but lately I sort of pretend I fall asleep at dad’s house so I don’t have to go back home.
I turn the car off and grab my book bag and head inside the apartment. I noticed dad changed his shirt in the car to a bloodstain free shirt with stripes and cuffs on the arms. I open the door for him and Ben puts him on the couch to rest. I help Ben make dinner in complete silence, neither of us want to talk about this spy business.
After five minutes, I glance over at him, feeling a little hurt inside. “We’re close, Ben, but you didn’t tell me about being a spy, or that dad was a spy. Aren’t we closer than that?”
Ben stops cutting the carrots he was cutting and stares at me. “I wasn’t allowed to tell you, and I wanted to, trust me. Dad said you’d understand and when you become a spy, you’ll realize there are a lot of rules to follow.”
“Did you tell Sandy?” I ask hastily. “Did you slip to her about being a spy? You love her, so I just assumed you’d tell her just like in all the action movies.”
“No I didn’t tell her,” Ben answered, shaking his head at me. “Her father would kill me. Besides, he puts medicine in her and his wife all the time that I’m surprise they even know their names. Nobody will bust him either.”
“What kind of . . . medicine?”
“He slips up sometimes,” Ben explains, handing me celery to cut. “They sometimes see things they aren’t supposed to see. They saw his briefcase with guns and knives, and once they saw him kill someone. He put medicine, clear liquid in their bodies so they forget what they saw.”
“And he did that to his family?” I ask aghast.
“Well, yes. I do think he only gave it to Sloane until she got older though. He trained her too much, he had to give it to her. Since you’re a boy, everyone thought it was normal our dad took us to the gym almost every day. Sloane and Wendy on the other hand, aren’t so lucky.”
I nodded my head, piecing things together. “And just to be clear, it’s just us three, right?”
“And another kid,” Ben says, putting the steak in the oven. “He goes to Sandy’s school. I’ve heard little about him, but none of his family are spies. They just picked him when they saw him working out.”
“So how will he know he’s a spy? Will someone let him know, or will he just sort of know?”
“The head spy is going to meet him after school tomorrow. He’s taking him out to dinner with some other spies, maybe Mr. Pierce and Mr. Adams. All the elite spies have been watching him carefully. He’s very strong and quick on his feet I hear.”
I nod my head, and start working on the rice. When dinner’s ready, Ben helps dad into his seat and we eat silently, both Ben and dad sharing a look. “What? What do you want to tell me now?”
“You’ve been staying here for a couple days now,” Dad started saying, wincing as he said the words. “Not that I don’t mind, it’s just your mom keeps calling and it’s starting to piss me off.”
I stab at my vegetables. “I have no interest in going back, especially when you just tell me I’m a spy. I want to stay with people who actually are like me, unlike my mom. Her boyfriend lives there too, he hates me.”
“He doesn’t even know you,” Ben says, but I can tell he doesn’t want me over there either. “Maybe if you actually stay over sometimes he’ll get to know you.”
“He told me straight to my face he likes me out of the house. We’re better friends when I’m over here. I swear, I think he’ll try to kill me if I go over there. It’s like in those creepy scary movies.”
“If you want, I’ll drop you off,” Dad offered, smiling at me.
“That’s alright dad,” I say quickly. “I don’t want you to see him, you’ll want to kill him. Besides, mom isn’t stupid enough to pick him over me anyways.”
I finish eating, say good-bye quickly to them both and get in my car. I drive toward mom’s house, which is pretty close to Sloane’s house. Maybe she’ll be around when I get home. When I parked into the driveway next to mom’s minivan and her boyfriends Porsche, mom ran out of the house, smiling brightly.
“Sweetie!” Mom says happily as I get out of my car. She hugs me tightly, and I awkwardly pat her on the back. “I’m so glad your father gave you my message!”
Mom’s boyfriend came out of the house, throwing daggers at me. He puts a quick smile on his face when mom turns around and leads me back into the house. They’re in the middle of dinner I notice when I see food and half empty plates on the dining room table.
“I already ate at dads,” I tell her quietly, eyeing the dining table. “I’m sure you did a good job though, mom.”
“Actually,” Mom said, smiling at Matt, her boyfriend. “Matt made everything. He’s a really good chef.”
She kisses him on the lips, giggling out loud. I look at her, disgusted. “You do realize you left my dad less than a month ago. I’m not into you kissing your boyfriend right in front of my face.”
Mom blushed furiously, her black curls bouncy around her face rapidly. “I’m sorry sweetie, sometimes I forget. I would love it if Ben came over, but we never did have a good relationship.”
“He caught you cheating on dad when he was ten. You’ve always cheated on him, but never had the guts to dump him. You two would probably still be together if dad hadn’t caught you with Matt.”
I looked at Matt, and raised an eyebrow. “How does that make you feel, Matt? I guess my dad was good enough for her in some ways, enough to make you a secret.”
“Stop that, Alex,” Mom scolded at me. She turned to Matt and kissed him on the nose. “Sorry about my son, sweetie. You’d be upset too though if your parents got divorced like this.”
“You do realize I don’t want to be here,” I said loudly, mainly saying this to Matt. “I’d rather be with my dad, and don’t you worry, when those divorce papers are finished it’ll say my dad has full custody of me.”
Mom looked at me, shocked. Matt nodded his head when mom wasn’t looking and gave me a thumbs up. If anything, he’ll help me not come back if it means he’ll have this house and mom all to himself. I took off upstairs and into my room. I lock the door just in case Matt wants to have another one of his “talks” about the rules in “his” house.
I log on to my computer, and check my IM. Even though Sloane and Wendy don’t know it, their names are on my buddy list. I click on Tyler’s screen name and start talking to him.
Alex: Dude, I just got home at mom’s house. Matt is so annoying. He thinks everything’s about him. Mom’s totally taking his side as well.
Tyler: When do you think those divorce papers will be settled? It usually takes a while doesn’t it?
Alex: Depends on the couple I guess. You have to go to court and everything to see who gets the kids on what day and stuff. It’s really complicated and I think my mom doesn’t want to deal with it. She knows she won’t get me if I tell the judge about Matt.
Tyler: Well at least your dad doesn’t live far away. You’ll be able to go to the same school and you won’t have to worry at night that Matt’s going to hurt you when you’re asleep. Did he really come in your room and just stare at you?”
Alex: Heck yeah he did! I nearly pissed myself when I woke up. I didn’t tell mom, figured she’d come up with an excuse. I do worry if it’s safe to let her live here with him, but you know what? I think he just asks like a loony when I’m around.
Tyler: It’s safer that you leave then. I got to go, someone’s at the door. If you need me to, I’ll come over and stay with you, even though it doesn’t sound appetizing to be there.
Alex: Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. As long as I keep my door locked and push things in front of the door, I’ll be fine. Night bro.
I log off and then I push my dresser and bookcase in front of the door. I hear mom and Matt talking in their bedroom next to mine. I lean against the wall, and hear them bickering.
“I can’t kick him out of the house, he’s fifteen!” Mom whisper yelled at Matt. “He makes remarks at times, but you’re going to have to deal with that if you want to be together.”
“Is it worth leaving me for him?” Matt asked angrily. “He told you once those divorce papers are done, he’ll be in his dad’s full custody. What will you do then?”
I lean my head against the wall, not wanting to hear all this right now, I wish she would just kick me out so I don’t have to listen to this or be in this atmosphere anymore. I close my eyes and pretend I’m at my dad’s house with him and Ben, watching action movies.
I wake up to the sound of rattling of my doorknob. I check my digital clock and realize it’s nearly four in the morning. I grab my cell and send Tyler a text that Matt’s trying to get in my room.
I hear grunting and swearing then I hear him pressing his body against the door to open it. Freaking out, I rush to the door and keep my hand on the doorknob. I see him start sliding a credit card on the side my door to try and unlock it. That stupid trick always works.
I keep holding the lock on the doorknob, slowly realizing that this may very well go on all night. I hear him stop trying after five minutes. I run over to my duffel bag and look for a weapon. The door starts turning and it unlocks without a problem. I grab something black in my duffel bag and whatever it was I point it at him.
“What the heck are you doing?” Matt asks, backing up slowly.
I look down and noticed I’m pointing a gun right at him. I take this opportunity and start walking closer to him, scaring the crap out of him. “You leave me alone, do you understand, Matt? I’m not afraid to pull this trigger and send your sorry ass flying down those stairs.”
Matt nods his head then hurries into the next room. I hear the bed creak as his weight hits the bed. I close the door and this time I shove the bookcase and dresser in the right position against door. I carefully lock the door then lay back down in bed warily. I had an uneasy sleep tonight. I kept having dreams Wendy was hurt or got stabbed by some man in black.
I woke up to my alarm clock. I noticed I sweat through my clothes, disgusting I know. I change my clothes and gather some of my belongings. I make trips from my truck back into my room, taking every single item of clothing, books, technology, and notes out of my room and into my car. When I was finished I took a handful of grapes then headed out the door, not bothering to leave a note.
I lock the doors in my car then began my morning run. I ran the fullest, hearing the swishing sound of the air hitting me as I ran. It feels good to run the fullest, and definitely fastest I could go. I heard a door shut quietly then the sound of feet running. I turn the corner and see Sloane running, her blonde hair whipping back in forth. I run behind here quietly then pick up more speed until I’m running alongside her.
“Hey, Alex,” Sloane says without enthusiasm. She looks straight ahead, not caring if I’m there or not.
“Hey, Sloane. I’ve seen you run a few times, you’re pretty good. Have you heard about my parents getting a divorce? Everyone keeps giving me sympathy, but you haven’t given me your sympathy yet.”
Why did I say that? I sound like a douche or a teenager who wants support just to get laid. I was about to speak up and apologize, but Sloane interrupted me.
“Yeah I heard,” Sloane says, turning her head at me, still no expression on her face. “Everybody’s parents get a divorce, so it’s no big surprise you know?”
I felt hurt, but I brushed it off quickly. Sloane picked up speed, hoping she could lose me along the way. I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of getting me off her back that easy. I pick up speed until I was once again alongside her. I flash her smile, the smile that everyone smiles back with. “You’re not the one to tell someone something delicately, are you?”
“I am,” Sloane replies back, not looking at me in the eye. “On things that need to be dealt with delicately. Divorce doesn’t count anymore, especially when you know your father has cheated on your mom plenty of times.”
I winced again. Even though she’s right about everything she’s saying, it still hurts. She could be nicer about this too. Just because her parents aren’t divorce doesn’t mean she can act like she’s too good for me. On the other hand, she probably knows her dad puts that liquid in her mom’s drink, and that’s pretty bad.
Sloane turns to look at me, her eyes softening slightly. “You okay?”
“I just have other things going on as well,” I mumbled, not meeting her gaze. I stare at the ground, my throat tightening slowly. I was going to say more when I hear giggles, Wendy’s giggles. I look at the same direction Sloane’s looking at and was welcomed with Wendy’s eyes burning at us. I felt Sloane shiver next to me. I glance toward her and noticed she’s encountered how Wendy really acts. We both keep jogging for a little while longer but she said she has to go. I jog back home, and smirk as I steal a glance of Sloane staring at me in awe.
I unlock the door to my car and hop in. I quickly start the engine then peel out of the driveway. I raced down the street to dad’s apartment. I decide to take the long way there, enjoy the ride a bit. As I’m driving, I couldn’t help but notice Sloane may be able to outrun me if she wanted to. I better make sure I practice more so that thought doesn’t become a fact. I park next to Ben’s car and open the door to the apartment.
Ben had a frown on his face and dad’s on the phone talking seriously, a worried expression on his face. I look at Ben who seems relieved to see me when I walk through the door. “Sloane and her dad are hurt. Some men attacked them while they were in their car on the way to the gym. Looks like they were waiting for us to come back, but instead they got them.”
Dad hung up the phone, sighing loudly. “Gary nearly killed Sloane. Sloane jumped out of the car just as it flipped and burst into flames. Her leg is badly sprained I hear. Her dad was shot. I can’t believe they were able to hit him.”
“He was more worried about Sloane than his reflexes,” Ben commented. “He wasn’t even thinking, just making sure Sloane didn’t get hurt in any way.”
“That’s how it should be,” Dad said, glaring at Ben. “I’d do it for you two in a heartbeat, even if it meant I’d be getting in trouble with the Alpha.”
I felt my body ache all over. I was the last person to see Sloane before the accident besides her dad. I should’ve done something, offered to take her there myself or something. They wouldn’t have recognized us if we were together in the same car.
“Did Tim pick him up?” Ben asks, lying down on the couch, rubbing his head.
“Yes he did,” Dad assured him. “Tim’s worried about the “you know what’s” getting smarter than us. We notified the Alpha and he didn’t seem pleased his Beta and the Beta’s daughter got hurt.”
“Will he be. . . executed?”
“No, of course not,” Dad said quickly. “There’s just talk of him having to get a strong talking to on the importance of staying alive, whether it means sacrificing your daughter or not. Poor, Gary.”
“Why poor Gary?” Ben said pretty loudly. “He shouldn’t have had kids if he was going to protect them like that. He knows better than to sacrifice himself before his daughter dying. It’s so irresponsible of him to do that.”
“Hey,” I said angrily. “Don’t be an idiot, Ben. Who cares about being kicked off the spy squad? Wouldn’t you rather have your daughter than keep your job? Especially when your daughter is highly gifted and is only FIFTEEN!”
“Calm down, Alex,” Dad said sternly, putting his hands out between me and Ben. “You’re right, Alex, but he may have made it harder for the rest of the spies as well. He was thinking about himself you could say, but secretly everyone would have done that for their kid, even the Alpha himself.”
“Would Wendy’s dad?” I ask without thinking.
“Wendy’s dad, no. He is much too into the rules to break them himself. That’s why he trains his daughter so hard I think. I also think that’s why Wendy is so stone faced and never just let’s go. She feels unloved I bet, especially when she hears about Gary saving his daughter.”
“She’ll give Sloane a hard time for sure,” Ben adds, shaking his head. “I’m going to notify the Alpha, letting him know to keep an eye on Wendy and her hormones.”
Dad didn’t answer, instead he pointed at my large bag around my shoulder and numerous items in my hands. “What is all of that?”
“Matt tried breaking into my room again, this time with a credit card. I flashed a gun in his face and told him I’d shoot it if he doesn’t knock it off. He’s evil, dad.”
“Where’s the rest of your stuff?” Dad asks, eyeing the door.
“In my truck.”
Ben opens his eyes and looks up at dad, waiting for him to say no to me. Dad sighs loudly and runs a hand through his hair. “Matt seems like a handful, so if you want, you can share a room with Ben, but I don’t want to hear you two fighting, got it?”
I nod my head and run into my truck to unload the rest of my things. By the time I got them all into my half of the room, dad found an old air mattress for me to sleep on. I logged into my laptop and saw an IM from Tyler.
Tyler: Dude! I went over to your house this morning. Your mom said you moved out, probably into your dad’s house. She said you took EVERYTHING! Give me the details.
Alex: Yeah, I couldn’t take it anymore. I heard enough from him. Mom can handle herself, and if she needs help, I’m sure my dad will help her out even though he despises her. There’s something about Matt though.
Tyler: What do you mean? He’s a psycho serial killer. Why would your dad waste time with a dude like him?
Alex: I just thought my dad would want to beat him up for what he tried to do to me. I guess he thinks I can take care of myself. Sort of awesome if you think of it. I’m going to go, I have some homework to do. Oh and by the way, I don’t have a crush on Wendy anymore.
I logged off before he could respond. I smiled to myself at what he’ll say to me on Monday. I can’t wait until I’m a spy and I can do secret missions, but I’m not excited to get shot or stabbed.