Chapter 21

David

My eyes stung.

“No, I’m not.” I hoped she believed me.

“Where’d you get all that from then.” She kept backing away, leaving me helpless.

“I… I,” I began, “I can’t tell you.” I looked to the ground ashamed. “Please don’t be mad, but I can’t.”

“Why.”

Could she make this any harder? “Because,” it will put you in extreme danger, “I just can’t. I’m so sorry.”

She looked away and my eyes stung worse. I thought she was going to stop talking to me, but she looked back up and added.

“Let’s go.”

I started walking again, slow at first until she caught up. No one talked for the rest of the trip.

    At last we reached the familiar metal building that looked as normal as anything. we walked up to front door and I knocked twice. CJ should still be here, he works late.

    The door opened and CJ’s narrow head stuck out with a frown. Then he saw me and a smile illuminated his face.

    “Come in.” He said roughly but kindly. “You staying for tonight?” CJ saw Josiphina and nodded.

   

she nodded back and CJ added, “A girl huh?” He winked at me.

    I rolled his eyes and Jo blushed. CJ escorted us to a room in the basement with two twin beds across from each other.

    “David,” he called to me, “quick talk in my office.”

    I didn’t ask because I knew exactly why.

    After our talk I crawled into the bed on the left side of the room.

    “Good night David.

    “Good night Jo.”

    I woke up early the next morning and stumbled out of bed. Josiphina was already showered dressed and braiding her hair.

    “Wow you’re gonna be late.” she teased.

    Of course it was already 7:00.

    “I’m leaving in five minutes,” she finished the braid and started slipping on her shoes, “You know school starts in thirty minutes, right?”

    “Yeah, yeah.” I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes. She ran up out the door and up the stairs. I wonder if I could miss first period. No, I’ll make it. I began to comb my bedhead. I won’t be perfect, but it won’t be bedhead.

    1½ hours later I was in my seat taking notes on a physics lecture when a note fell on my desk. I didn’t look up but slid the note onto my lap.

me etm ea thestor agebu ildin gat fift hpe rio d

At first I was confused, but I soon noticed the easy-to-know code.

meet me at the storage building fifth period

It had to be from Jo. I smiled at her but she was in her seat taking notes. She’s too good.

When fifth hour finally came I jumped out of my seat and tried to hurry outside before the rush of humanity came. I was already past the office when I heard my name.    

“David! David wait!”

I didn’t turn around, but knew the voice came from Jake. Don’t say a word, just keep going. Almost there…

“David stop, there’s something I need to tell you! Stop!”

Huh? Now that I listened, the voice sounded urgent. Sorry Jo. I whipped my head around to face him. Then a wicked grin passed his face.

“You okay man?” He didn’t answer.

Jake pinned me against the wall with one hand and drew a knife with the other.

“Whoa!” I called. Was he trying to kill me?

“You should’ve been watching me. I was there all along but you never cared to notice.” He whispered.

I glanced down at his necklace once again and sure enough, there was an emblem of a cobra with poison seeping from its teeth clearly visible. I never did care to notice. I never did.

“You think you're so smart and good. You think you can trick me.”

I have to say for the first time in my life I was truly scared. My hands shook but my eyes remained locked on the knife. If he would move it just a tad to the right I could use a judo move on him.

He shifted.

“Maybe thats why I would fit in so good with your gang.”

“Huh?” He barely had time to say before I grabbed his wrist with both hands and flung him over my hip. He fell with a thud.

“Ooh. That’s gonna leave a mark.” I taunted, slowly backing away towards the exit.

“Shut up.” He was already up and running full speed at me. I was forced to make a run for it.

I threw open the doors and tore through the grassy fields in front of our school. But he seemed to be just as fast. Jake was faster than ever before chasing me with his knife.

“Stop right there.” The voice came from behind me and was so powerful it almost knocked me down. But it wasn’t intended for me.

I turned around and fell down in the grass in both exhaustion and relief. Josiphina. She always was there to save me.

Now she stood tall on two good legs holding what looked like a derringer resting in between her palms.

“Now back away slowly.” Her voice was so strong and her eyes so stern that she reminded me of a warrior. Maybe she is. Jake dropped his knife and backed away until he was pushing against the bricks of Carnasie High. Jo bonked him squarely on the forehead with the gun and he slumped to the ground unconscious.

She turned and walked over to me.

“You weren’t really gonna shoot him, right?” I asked weakly.

She sighed and plopped the pistol onto the newly-mowed grass.

“Well…” she looked down at me and laughed, “it's not even loaded!”

We both laughed and she sat down beside me.

“Do you think its worth it.” She whispered.

“What do you-”

“To go all this way and not even know what you’re looking for.” She finished. I guess I never thought about it that way. We didn’t know what we were looking for.

“A sign.” I said, not even meaning to aloud.

Josiphina took out a small piece of paper and held it out in front of her.

“What’s that?” I leaned over.

“I don’t know,” she replied, “it fell out of CJ’s pocket when, you know, we were at the YBYS like yesterday days ago.” I didn’t see that, “What do you think it is?” She handed the paper to me.

I flipped it over in my hand a few times. What could it be? It may not be something important, but CJ doesn’t normally keep unimportant things. He always is a “just toss it” kind of person. I didn’t think a blank scrap of paper would make his “save” list.      

I ran two fingers along the front (or back?) of the paper. Was it wet? It did feel wet, but why?  I studied the paper and found that it was only wet in some places and seemed to form letters. Invisible writing.

“So, do you still have that, um, Invisible Pen thing?” I asked Jo.

“Yeah.” She pulled it out and laid it in front of me.

I turned on the light in the back and shone it over the paper. CS 4 4:30, it read.

“What could it mean?” I showed the message to Jo.

“Well,” she started, “4 is the fourth day of the week, and I think CS stands for Crysis Shelter.”

I was confused. “How do you know,” I asked.

“My mom used to volunteer at the Crisis Shelter. She took me there once so I know where it is. But, most people don’t. They tried to keep the shelter a secret.”

“So how would Gary and CJ get in… assuming they know where it is.”

“It’s been abandoned for several years,” she paused, “... its the perfect place to meet.”

I read the note over. “The fourth was yesterday, Wednesday.” She just smiled.

“That’s just the trick.CJ is spanish, right? So they believe Manday to be the first day of the week!” I processed what she just said.

“So the 4th is… today!” I jumped to my feet. “Its four o’clock c’mon!”

She stood up slowly and looked me straight in the eye. “You should leave this to me.” She said, “I’m good at… these sort of things.”

I think that was a challenge.

Chapter 22

Josiphina

We caught a taxi to Manhattan, a subway to Queens, and took a five minute walk, arriving 10 minutes early at the old abandoned stone building known only by few as the Whitney Crysis House.

I saw Gary Clark’s Corvette parked in the alley behind the mysterious meeting place. We were definitely at the right place.

“You stay hidden out here,” I whispered to David in the shade of a bush outside the front window, “It’ll be better that way.”

He said nothing.

“And I’ll signal to you. I’ll knock once on the walls to tell you to run, and twice to tell you I need help.”

He nodded.

“Fine be silent, whatever.”

I crept silently into the unlocked doors hoping to hide myself before CJ came and the two marched in. On my left was a giant living room with an old rotting chair and walls that needed a serious paint job. Nice place. To my right was the dining room that led to a kitchen with a large pantry that seemed to be almost in the center of the house. A perfect place to hide.

I risked a glance out the window to see Gary still waiting for CJ by his black Corvette. He suddenly whipped his head around and I had just enough time to duck under the windowsill before being caught. Was he expecting me? Is this a trap? Did CJ drop the note on purpose? Did they know I had an invisible pen? Did they know about my Mom? The idea sounded legit to me. I reached back and touched the back of my head where it had slammed on the windowsill. Blood. I groaned, and crawled to the kitchen pantry.

There was rats and mice all over picking at the remains of food leftover by the old volunteers. My first reaction was to scream, but I caught myself in the act and covered my mouth with both hands. I exhaled and my face turned white. Breath, I told myself.

I walked inside and many of the rodents scurried to the furthermost corner or through cracks in the walls. I settled down in the very center of the small room knowing that I could move to any side to eavesdrop on CJ and Gary’s secrets. I could discover what they’re holding back.

Ever since I started my lessons at the YGYS I felt different to the other girls. Gary always seemed to favor me. Jade was his second favorite so we competed a lot. But I always surpassed her. Jade could never catch up. Now as I snuggled into places where rats had invested I wondered if the joke was on me. Me and David.

A door slamming interrupted my thoughts.

“Don’t put your trust on her, old friend”  It was CJ’s smooth voice.

“I haven’t,” a scratchy low voice, Gary, “not yet.”

They were both here. And they were talking about me. The men passed into the dining room.

“She is a blonde,” CJ said. Jade?

I hadn’t thought about Jade for a long time. She was the one who passed David the note of the address of YGYS headquarters. If Gary knew this, he wouldn’t trust the spiteful girl at all. On the other hand, was Jade supposed to give the address away? It all came back to the big question. Are they on our side? The battle between me and Jade may have been over, but the war of good versus evil had just begun.

I listened intently with my ear pressed against the south wall. They were leaning against the wall of the abandoned dining room taking under their breath as if no one could hear. I could.

“I wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.” Gary said, “We told them once to back off with the USA. They just don’t listen.” I assumed that the partners were discussing the many invasions of the smugglers. But, what did they mean they told them to back off?

“I know,” CJ sighed, “with your connection and everything I thought you’d be taken seriously for once.” Gary’s connection?

Mr. Clark laughed. The sound rang through the empty corridors and filled my mind with memories of the past. Gary Clark one the best spy in the YBYS with CJ stealing a close second. All the girls admired him as the jolliest person that’s killed 12 people through the CIA. Gary also had many interactions with the MI6 and is known throughout America and Britain. The spies of America and Britain.

“I’m serious Mr. Clark.”

The world seemed to silence as Gary held his tongue.

 “What are we going to do,” Mr. Martinez spoke quieter and I strained to hear his solemn words, “I don’t want to get David involved any more in this than we have to. This should be a battle of us versus them, but the children had to get involved.”

I held my breath to hear David’s name. Was he still okay out there?

“Yes,”  Gary let out a breath of his own, “but you could never stop him,” he paused, “after what happened to my girl…”

“We have to try, Gary, if we don’t they’ll get themselves killed, or even worse-”

“Don’t talk about it, please,” Gary interrupted. What could be worse than death?

At this point I was pretty sure this meeting hadn’t been a trap. But I still wasn’t certain. And I still didn’t understand what they had meant about putting their trust in Jade. At first, I thought her act of betrayal was her own. Now I wasn’t so sure. Had Mr. Clark put her up to it?