Alibi Junior High Page 13

  “I guess I’ve been everywhere. All the continents except Antarctica, although we once spent a couple weeks in Ushuaia, Argentina, which is fairly close; it’s the southernmost city in the world. I kind of liked it, although it was always cold and wet.”

  “Sure, right, but where’s home? Where do you come back to?”

  “Come back to? We don’t come back to any particular place. It’s just different hotels and rentals in different places, a week here, two weeks there. My dad says home is wherever we’re together.”

  Andy jumps over a puddle of water. “So you’re saying you never had a real home?”

  “I guess.”

  “What about school?”

  “My dad teaches me. We’ve got books. I’m almost done with high school. I’ve even studied a few college-level classes but they’re kinda tough.”

  We run together in silence. Our bouncing shadows stretch before us like long, skinny giants. The thing is, I only studied one college class, political science; I don’t know why I said a few. I shouldn’t brag about something I didn’t do. What if I’m asked which classes I’ve studied?

  He looks over at me for a while. “Okay, now here’s the big question…. What does your father do? And don’t tell me the import-export business. I don’t buy that.”

  I stare at the road in front of us. This is the moment I’ve dreaded—answer this question and you can never take it back. It will be out there forever. I watch my feet plodding along. Weighing the pros and cons of honesty. I decide to trust my gut. It’s time to let the truth out.

  “He works for the government. You know, like the CIA.”

  “He works for the CIA?”

  “Yeah, and he lets me help. We work together, like a team.”

  “He does, huh? I’ve never known of…I guess what I mean is…that’s highly unusual, the CIA letting him work with someone your age.”

  I begin to run a little faster. “Well, that’s the way it’s always been. You think I’m lying?”

  “I didn’t say that. Let me get this straight. He’s been deep undercover all your life? Thirteen years? I’ve never known anyone who’s been deep for that long.”

  I increase the length of my strides. “What’s ‘deep undercover’ mean?”

  “It means not reporting back to the central bureau. You assume an identity and then you wear it constantly.”

  “Well, that’s us, I guess we’re deep undercover.”

  Andy and I start breathing a little harder. In between breaths he says, “I’ve never known the CIA to work that way. They don’t keep agents under that long.”

  I increase my speed even more. “Well, my dad’s part of a secret branch of the CIA. A branch very few people know about.”

  The two of us are now close to a flat-out run. “Remember, I did some time…with military intelligence. I had…high clearance. Do you know the name…of this so-called secret branch? Maybe…I’ve heard of it.”

  “Of course I know the name! And there’s…nothing so-called about it. It’s real.”

  I don’t know how much longer the two of us can keep up this pace. Andy rasps, “Okay…what’s the…name…of this…group?”

  I’m running even harder. I can barely talk. “It’s…called…the…New Order.”

  “Ahhhh!” Andy suddenly stops running. It looks like he pulled something.

  “Are you all right?” I stop and move to his side. “Where does it hurt?”

  “I’m fine.” He grabs my arm and looks me in the eye. “Did you say the New Order?”

  “You’ve heard of the New Order?”

  Andy glances up and down the street, then drags me into the woods. We stumble together through the thick brush, disappearing from sight. I follow him for about twenty feet before we sit on a rock near a slow-moving stream and catch our breath.

  His voice sounds different, like a musical instrument that needs to be tuned. “You’re not joking, right? You said the New Order?”

  “Yeah. What’s the matter? Have you heard of it?”

  He picks up a stone, tosses it into the stream, and then just sits there watching the ripples flowing toward the shore. Finally he mutters, “I don’t believe it.”

  “Believe what?”

  “Tell me something. Is your father’s first name Robert?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How about your mother?”

  “Her name was Jodi. But she was killed in Paris when I was almost two. I don’t remember her.”

  He’s quiet for a long time. When he talks his voice is flat and lifeless. “Everyone’s looking for you.”

  “Looking for me? Who’s looking for me? Who’s everyone?”

  I glance at Andy. He looks anxious. “The New Order—I don’t believe it. You’re legendary. If you get a bunch of high-level intelligence types out for a night on the town, the talk will always, eventually, turn to the New Order. Some people think your dad’s a hero, others think he’s a crazy vigilante.”

  My elbow jerks sideways and smashes into Andy’s cheek. He falls backward onto the soft, damp earth. I jump off the rock, pin him to the ground, ball my hands into fists and shout, “He’s not crazy! Take that back!”

  He yells, “I didn’t say he was! Calm down! Don’t make me hurt you!”

  Just as quickly as my anger overtook me it slips away. I roll off of Andy onto the ground beside him. I lie on my back and look at the trees stretching upward in the dense woods. Their leaves are changing, turning color, finally showing the first signs of the approaching autumn.

  I glance at Andy. His cheek looks like it’s starting to swell. “I’m sorry.”

  He’s quiet for a while. “That’s okay. No big deal. I’ve been hit harder before…by a bus.”

  The two of us start to laugh but it’s a low, tired laugh. After a while I sit up and I’m surprised by the heavy sigh that escapes from me. I sound like Jenny. She’s always sighing about something. I don’t want it to hang in the air too long so I blurt out, “Tell me what you know about my father.”

  Andy’s still lying on his back behind me. In a calm, steady voice with little emotion he says, “I’ll tell you what I’ve heard, and this is just what I’ve heard so if it’s wrong don’t hit me…okay?”

  I smile. “Okay.”

  “I guess I don’t know that much but everyone’s heard of him, well, that is, everyone in military intelligence. He used to work in the agency with his wife until she was killed in the line of duty.”

  I interrupt him. “That was my mother, Aunt Jenny’s sister.”

  He swats at a few bugs flying around his head. “Yeah, I guess. Sorry. I heard your dad took it really hard and left the agency. He formed a group called the New Order.”

  I glance over at Andy. “So you’re saying my dad isn’t with the CIA anymore?”

  “No, as far as I know he’s on his own.”

  I’m not sure what to say about this. My dad’s always told me we work for the CIA. What if Andy’s right? It’s not like I ever met anyone my dad works with. Could we be on our own?

  The bugs seem to be getting more aggressive. Andy smacks one that landed on his leg. “The New Order claims they’re trying to stop wars. Your dad’s been plucking bad people out of bad situations before they can contribute to a war breaking out. Sometimes it even works.”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “I didn’t say anything was wrong with it. I’m just telling you what I’ve heard, remember? Look at me. I’m the one-armed man who can’t sleep at night. Do I look like a poster child for the glories of war?”

  I turn around and glare at Andy. “Why is everyone looking for us? It sounds like what my dad’s doing is a good thing.”

  His voice rises. Irritation slips into it. “Because war isn’t simple, it’s complicated, and sometimes it’s even necessary. War can bring change. Sometimes change is good.”

  I think of something. “Are you saying it was the CIA who tried to kill us?”

  “Someone tried to kil
l you?”

  I tell him about the café bombing.

  He stares off into the woods after I tell him the story. It’s starting to get dark. “I could be wrong, but that doesn’t sound like the CIA. They wouldn’t risk killing that many people; it could lead to far greater problems. Sounds more like the work of terrorists or some independent militant group. Has your dad gone up against someone recently who doesn’t work for any particular country?”

  There’s so many different places we’ve been and so many people we’ve studied that it’s hard to even remember who’s who, but then something pops into my head.

  “We broke up this arms dealer selling weapons in South America but I doubt it could have been him. My dad didn’t think much of him. He said he was some ‘lowlife wiseguy’ working out of New York.”

  Andy’s eyes seem to open a little wider. “You do know ‘wiseguy’ is another way of saying someone who works for the mob, don’t you?”

  I shake my head no.

  “Don’t you watch TV?”

  “Why does everyone keep asking me that? No, I don’t watch TV.”

  Andy smiles. “Okay, the bottom line is this: Someone’s after you and your dad but you don’t know who?”

  “Right. My dad just said that someone’s after us and he has to take care of it. That’s why I’m here. He didn’t think it was safe for me to be with him.”

  “I know you don’t want to hear it but he’s probably right.”

  I pick up a large rock and toss it into the stream. Why couldn’t my dad have had a normal job? I hate all of this.

  I look over at Andy. He’s drawing patterns in the dirt with a stick.

  “Andy?” He looks up. “Are you going to tell anyone about me?”

  He doesn’t say anything, just continues to draw in the dirt. When I start to think that he didn’t hear me he says, “I should…what your father is doing is dangerous. One mistake could be disastrous. I understand what he’s trying to do—a part of me even admires it—but that doesn’t make what he’s doing right.”

  “So you’re…going to tell?”

  He blows out a long breath of air. “I gave you my word.”

  I can’t help smiling. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. We still have to figure out who’s in the woods. My guess is that it’s someone after your dad; they’re probably watching you hoping he’ll show up. I think you’re safe as long as your dad stays away, but if things change and get too crazy around here, I just might have to call for some help. Oh, and there’s one more thing.”

  I shake my head. I hate “one more things.” They’re always bad news. “What?”

  “Remember the metal box in the woods? The one you saw the man in black remove? I found another one. It’s a wireless camera. We’re being watched.”

  “What? This is so messed up! What happened? Did you get rid of it?”

  He quickly shakes his head. “No, I figure it’s better if they think we don’t know about it. Another thing to keep in mind is that if we’re being watched, maybe we’re also being bugged. So watch what you say.”

  I toss another rock into the stream. “Great, just great.”

  Andy stands up. “Hey, we’ll figure something out. At least we know something’s going on. That’s to our advantage.”

  “I guess.” I look around. It’s dark. “Maybe we should head back.”

  “Right.” He swats another bug. “Besides, these gnats are driving me crazy.”

  We stumble through the woods up to the road and start walking toward the house. I’m tired. I feel like I’ve been drained of all my energy.

  I hear a car coming up the road behind us. It has a loud, powerful engine and the music is really pumping. I don’t pay it much mind until it roars past us and slams on its brakes. I quickly look around for potential weapons. I see four.

  A girl calls out, “Hey, guys! Whatcha doing?”

  I relax a little as we walk toward the car. It’s a convertible with its top down. Two girls are in the front seat. When we get closer I realize it’s Renee and her sister, Annie. Annie’s sitting behind the wheel with a huge smile plastered on her face.

  She waves at Andy. “Hey, stranger. What are you doing out here?”

  “Cody and I went out for a jog.”

  Renee calls out, “Hey, Cody! Liberator of mice. Defender of the just.”

  I wave and try to smile. She’s a lot friendlier than this afternoon.

  Annie puts her elbow on the door and leans toward us. “Hop in the back. I’ll give you a ride.”

  Andy shows her our clothes. “Nah. Thanks, but we’re a mess. We better walk.”

  “Don’t be a jerk. Get in the car.”

  “But—”

  “Guys, just get in the car. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  We both hop into the backseat. Renee’s giving me a big smile. I guess freeing the mice got me back on her good side.

  Annie turns around. “You guys like ice cream?”

  We nod our heads.

  “Good, because we’re kidnapping both of you. Next stop, the Ice Cream Shack.”

  The car roars off down the road. Renee turns up the music. Mailboxes fly by. Above us, spread out like a blanket, is the night sky. I see the very first star of the evening.

  I make a wish.

  VORTEX

  “Cody, where were you? It’s late!”

  Jenny’s sitting at the kitchen table in her robe, drinking a cup of herbal tea. The clock above the sink says ten past ten.

  “Sorry. Andy and I got kidnapped.”

  “Kidnapped? What are you talking about? Who kidnapped you?”

  “Annie and Renee Carrington. They said they would give us a ride home but they kidnapped us instead. They made us eat ice cream, told us jokes, and flirted. It was terrible. I’m sure I’ll be…traumatized for life.”

  “Don’t make me laugh. I’m mad at you. I’ve been worried. I didn’t know what to do.”

  I sit next to her. “Sorry. I didn’t think you’d worry. You know I can take care of myself.”

  Her voice rises, taking me by surprise. “Well, I did worry, and it doesn’t matter if you can take care of yourself, you’re still only thirteen. You let me know where you are. Do you hear me? If you’re going to live here I at least want some respect.”

  I hold up my hands. “Hey, I didn’t think it would be such a big deal. Besides, I don’t have a cell phone.”

  “Come on. Are you telling me no one had a cell phone you could borrow? I don’t believe that.”

  She’s right. “I messed up. I should have called. Next time, okay? I promise.”

  I stand to leave but she reaches for my arm and pulls me back into the chair. “Not so fast, mister. You’re not leaving this table until you tell me how it went with Renee, and I want details.”

  I do. A little at first, like an old-fashioned hourglass, but then I open up, and everything just spills out of my mouth. I tell her every detail from the moment they picked us up until we were dropped off, and it feels great. Jenny and I talk together for more than an hour. She tells me stories about when she was in school, guys she liked, things they did together.

  She tells me about a date where everything went horribly wrong. I can’t stop laughing and I find myself thinking, I guess this is what it would be like to have a mother. I like the way it feels. It’s a lot different than the way my dad and I are together. It’s somehow easier, like breathing at sea level instead of high in the mountains.

  She gives me a long, tight hug and a kiss on the forehead before I go off to bed. It has that strange way of making me feel safe. I’m not sure how or why. It just does.

  Sleep comes slow. I lie in bed waiting for it like an overdue bus. I can’t believe this day. There’s so much to think about—my dad, Renee, the karate class, the mice—but I’m also exhausted. I can’t lie here and think about everything. It’s suffocating. Eventually I slip away and fall into a dream.

  My dad and I are sitting
together someplace in India at a small outdoor café. It’s hot and dusty. I’m bent over a plate eating a dish of the sweet, spicy ice cream type dessert called Kulfi. It’s one of my favorites. I love it. I can actually eat it until it makes me sick.

  My dad’s looking at me. When I meet his eyes he smiles and says something but I don’t understand what he’s saying. It’s in a language I’ve never heard before.

  “What?”

  He repeats what he said but I still don’t understand him.

  “What? I don’t understand. Speak English.”

  He’s getting aggravated but I don’t know what he wants. I can’t understand him. He’s annoyed and I’m frustrated. We’re two half bridges that don’t meet in the middle.

  Buzzzz.

  Buzzzz.

  I open my eyes. What’s that sound? I look at the clock: 2:47.

  Buzzzz.

  Buzzzz.

  It’s coming from the kitchen. I spring out of bed and slip down the hall, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I’m ready for anything.

  Buzzzz.

  Buzzzz.

  On the kitchen table Jenny’s cell phone is vibrating. I pick it up and read “unknown caller.” I flip it open before it buzzes again.

  “Hello?”

  “Cody?”

  “Dad?”

  “How are you, son?”

  “Dad, it’s three o’clock in the morning!”

  “I know. I can’t always pick and choose when to call. Now’s the best time but we have to make it quick.”

  In the background I can hear the same sound I heard last time. It sounds like a machine that’s crunching rocks, turning boulders into marbles.

  I raise my voice. “Is everything okay? How’s our problem?”

  “Progress is being made but I need you to do something.”

  “What?” I’m surprised he can hear me over all that noise.

  “You have to keep your eyes open. Understand?”

  “I think so.”

  There’s irritation in his voice. “Do you or don’t you understand?”

  “I do. I know what you mean.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Dad, is something wrong?”

  “No, there’s nothing to worry about, everything’s under control. I’m finally close to putting an end to all this. I’ve set the wheels in motion. I want you to stay alert just in case.”