Chapter 28
Josiphina
I was about to scream, or break free, or try to escape, but as soon as we crossed the threshold, all I could do was gawk.
We walked along a dazzling carpet, dark royal blue with sky blue paisley all over. In front of us was a long mahogany desk, surely fit for a king. Pillars lined the entire circular room, and the ceiling! It was a dome , made from the same marble as the floor, it was perfect. An angel with a blue dress of flowing skirts danced across it. The angel resemble, too well, my mother. With her hair even darker than mine, and emerald eyes, I couldn’t resist staring at it until we reached the desk.
“Identification please.”
I looked up to see a frumpy old woman at the desk, her short brown hair piled in curls on top of her head, and an unwelcoming frown across her face.
“Identification!” She was asking me.
“Uhh, I-I…”
“Miss Josiphina Marie Rachel.” Zach sighed.
How? I wanted to ask, but then stopped myself. I remembered filling out six different pages of paperwork when I applied for YGYS Junior, and later YGYS Headquarters. Zach probably had every girls name memorized.
“You may go,” the woman said.
We proceeded down a corridor to what looked like a private elevator. CJ pushed the button.
“So…” I began, and Zach looked down, “what happened to Gary Clark?”
Zach opened his mouth, but CJ beat him to it.
“He’s in his grave, sister.”
My eyes started to fill with tears. “Did you, I mean did…” I couldn’t finish.
“No,” Zach’s voice softened, “We didn’t kill him. He died on a mission, a long time ago.”
“Oh.” I sighed. If they were killers, I would never look at them the same way. I don’t think I would even look at them.
The elevator doors opened, and we stepped in. CJ let go of me to press the button for the 8th floor, and I used the opportunity to bolt out of the doors. Zach caught my pinkie and I stopped.
“I’ll let you go,” he whispered, “but believe me, I’ll come back.I have eyes everywhere. You’ll have no where to hide.”
He let go and I ran. I didn’t stop until I was out of the building and down into an abandoned subway.
Yes, I would hide. I would hide somewhere I believed he couldn’t find me, in plain sight.
The bus was only one hallway away. I had made it the first day back at school with no sightings of Zach. But, I didn’t forget what he had said. He would come back. The mysterious Zach could be behind any of the six doors that lined the last hallway to the bus.
Natalie walked beside me as we turned the corner. I sighed, but didn’t stop. We passed the first two doors. No one. We passed the second two. No one. I stopped before the third two. He was there. I knew it.
I considered jumping past them, and flailing my arms to make it hard for him, but before I could even bend my knees he was there. The door to my right opened, and there stood Zach. I was about to bolt, but he grabbed my back.
“Don’t.” I said, but it was too late. He kissed me.
Natalie squealed and ran off towards the bus leaving me alone with the boy I pretended was not super hot.
“What was that for,” I asked, pulling away from him.
He snarled. “I had to get her out of my hair.” He pointed at Natalie, who was now seated in the bus that was slowly pulling away.
“I told you I would come back,” he smiled, “why didn’t you just stay?”
I turned away, decided not to answer that question. “What do you want from me.” I grabbed my sides and slowly faced him. He reached for my hand, but I pulled it away. “Why does everything have to be a secret? Can’t you just shout it out loud so the whole world can hear?”
“It doesn’t work that-”
“Why not?” I boomed. “Tell me!”
“I-I can’t.” Now it was his turn to turn away. Zach pulled out his car keyed and started trudging down the hall, geusturing for me to follow. I jogged to catch up.
“How do you know David?” I asked. “How?”
“We’re…” he paused, “sort of old friends.”
“More like old enemies,” I muttered remembering how David had glared as soon as he saw Zach. I wished that day I had ran to David when Zach let me go. I wished I had not come to the Crysis Shelter in the first place. No, I wished I was not a spy. I wished I was just a little Brooklyn girl that wasn’t on spy meetings and missions when the other girls wanted to play tag in the park, or chase Lexi’s cat through the streets. Every day I had to go to the YGYS I watched Natalie’s sad face dissapear through the rear view mirrior in a old cab. I thought of her now, and longed to go back in time and undo all that paperwork I signed to become a spy. Maybe if I could just…
No. I couldn’t go back. Not just because it was impossible, but because of my mission. I know there are smugglers thrying to steal priceless works of art. It may not be my mission to stop them but it was my jb. I would do that for my father. I must. He was a spy. Even if he was named Zach, the same as the jerk in front of me, he was my father. He was my leader. He was a spy.
Chapter 29
Josiphina
I sat in the passenger seat of Zach’s black Corvett watching the tellaphone polls go by, too fast to count. I looked down at the black leather seats, and thought of the ones in my own car, with patches and a melted crayon. My knees were brought up to my chest, and my head lay on my knees. I didn’t ask where we were going, not sure if I wanted to know.
“Next exit to the right,” Zach GPS instructed. My blood ran cold. It had spoken in my voice.
“How did you…”
He laughed, but didn’t answer. It wasn’t like I expected him to. I looked at the GPS deice and saw where in adress was printed in blue letters.
“That’s where we’re headed?” I asked.
“Nope, that’s the small church next to it. The building we’re going to isn’t on GPS.”
I groaned, wishing something could be halfway normal.
We exited the interstate and started down an old dirt road. We passed the church and pulled up in front of a black, glass building.
“It stands out.” I said.
“Definittly.”
We climbed out of the car, and two men in gray suits shook our hands and welcomed us inside. The first was dark haired with a scar along his left eye that ruined what could have been a handsome face. He didn’t smile at me. Zach said he never smiled. The man said his name was Isaac Peterson.
The second man was jolly and old. He had a laugh that made the whole world want to laugh (though Peterson didn’t even smile), and eyes that shone brighter than the stars.
“I’m Mr. Coddwell,” he said, “ but you may call me Coddie.”
I knew istantly that I would always call him Coddie, no matter what anyone told me. I knew that moment that when he died, I would always bring him flowers with notes that said “Goodbye Coddie”. I smiled and passed the threshold of the building-that-looks-like-black-threw-up-on-it, and I understood why Zach called it that. I stared at black carpet, black walls, black tile ceilings, black tables with black tablecloths, black chairs, and very black guards.
“Through that door,” Peterson said, giving me a taste of his horrible breath.
We walked into another black room. In the center was a long table, with four men on each side. Peterson and Coddie sat in two empty seats towards the opposite end. I sat down in the empty seat closest to me, and Zach seated himself in the corner next to two ladies with black skirks and black blouses. I realizedd I probably stood out like a nun at a strip club in my pink croped top, and my skiny jeans.
“You must be Josiphina Marie Rachel,” The man seated at the end of the table said. I cringed. How did everyone know my name?
“Are you?” he asked again.
“Yes,” I looked down, embarrased for some reason. The man smiled, revealing two gold teeth on the far left side of his mouth.
“Good afternoon,” he said, “I’m Dr. John Danver, but you shall call me Sir, alright?”
I nodded.
“Alright!”
“Yes, Sir,” I shouted, and Zach laughed. Dr. Danver silenced him, and looked back at me.
“Ms. Rachel…” he paused, “I don’t know where to begin. Let’s see… Oh yes!” He smiled a brilliant smile, “We’re men under these… ongoings in the big apple you must of heard of,” I nodded, “Spectacular!” he clapped his hands, “then no further explanation will be neccisary.” He looked at Zach. “Have you asked her yet?”
Zach shook his head.
One man shifted in his seat. “Do we have to? I mean she’s so young-”
“Shut up Gunfrid,” Dr. Danver shouted, not even taking his eyes off me. Gunfrid was obiously German, with dark skin, a black triangular beard, and a black moustache. I smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back.
“Ms. Rachel, first you must understand one thing. What we are doing is not bad. We are simply taking back what is rightfully ours.”
“You mean what was yours,” I wasn’t giving in so easily.
“No, it still is,” Dr. Danver argued, “They have come to our countries and dug them up. Then they stole them. Those treasures are ours.”
“But you’re still illigally selling them to Nazis,” I spat the word.
Peterson narrowed his eyes. “As a consumer, Ms., we have made a fair trade, the money is ours and we may spend it how we like.” Coddie nodded. Theyu must both have been Nazis.
“As since the products are ours,” Danver spoke, “we may sell them as we please.”
I sat back in my seat. I had no answer. I was out of words.
Danver opened his mouth again, he was not finished.
“We would like to hire you.”
