Page 12 of The Eagle (Spy Girl 2)
"What does that have to do with him if he was dead?"
"Exactly," the man states. "We believe the people who hired him found out he wasn't dead and attempted to rectify the situation."
"But no one knows for sure?"
"That's correct. He disappeared without a trace and more than likely altered his face. Facial recognition software has come up with nothing."
"Maybe he's living off grid?" the director suggests, although the way he says it isn't dismissive, more like he's playing devil's advocate.
"He had to get in our country somehow to do the hit."
"He could have been smuggled in."
"Something like that would require help from others. The Priest doesn't work that way. He never has."
"If he's truly alive, we need to find him before anyone else does. I want this played close to the vest. Get a team together. No more than four. And only those you trust explicitly. We can not allow this to leak until we know for sure."
"What will we do if we find him?"
"We take him out," the director says.
I realize they are finished with their conversation, and I need to get out of here quickly before they discover me. I manage to sneak back around the corner, but have only taken a couple of steps when my foot collides with an empty can, making an audible noise.
I hear the sounds of feet hitting pavement behind me, so I take off running.
I can't get caught.
I can't get caught.
Please, don't let me get caught.
I move as fast as I can back toward the entrance to the dinner party. Thankfully, no one is outside, so I barrel through the door and head straight for the ladies' room.
I lock myself in a stall and attempt to catch my breath.
Five minutes later, I text Ari.
Me: I'm feeling sick and want to go home. Should I go without you?
Ari: Where are you? I've been looking for you.
Me: Bathroom. Can you meet me out front?
He doesn't say anything when he sees me, just puts his arm around my shoulder and helps me in the car.
As he's driving away, he says, "What's wrong?"
"My mom worked for the CIA, and they think I'm dead."
"What do you mean?"
I tell him what I overheard in the alley.
"And you think they were talking about you? It could have been anyone."
I shake my head and lay my hand across my belly, my gut knowing the truth. "They were talking about me."
"So what if they were. How does it affect you now?"
I tell him about the locket and what Terrance found on it. About how whatever my mom was working on at the time got her and my father killed.
"I had to study The Priest in school. They told us the folklore. Based on the jobs he managed to complete, he was the best. I wouldn't say I idolized him, because I don't think random killing for money is right, but there was a respect level."
"There's nothing wrong with that."
"Except that he killed my mother and if Terrance is right about our upcoming mission, we'll be sent to deal with him. It's what they've been training me for."
"If that's our mission, we'll complete it," he states confidently. But Ari hasn't studied him. Doesn't know what The Priest is capable of.
"I don't know if I'm ready," I reply softly.
Ari is quiet during the remainder of our drive home, apparently thinking through this new discovery.
When we pull in the driveway he asks, "Why didn't they say anything about your dad? You said he was killed a few days later."
"I don't know. Maybe because he died differently?"
"Or he's still alive."
"No way. He was a good dad. He wouldn't have dumped me at Blackwood."
"What if it was for your own safety?"
I shake my head. "No. I don't believe that."
"You got out of the car," Ari disagrees. "What makes you think he didn't?"
"Because I watched the car blow up, and he wasn't out of it."
Ari purses his lips in thought and just nods.
Lorenzo isn't home yet, so I go straight to my room and take a hot bath.
I need to calm down and think.
Ari's right.
Why does it matter if they think I'm dead? If the CIA doesn't know I'm still alive, I definitely work for a very powerful covert agency, who more than likely hid me away not only to train me, but possibly to keep me safe.
But safe from whom?
And why?
MISSION:DAY THREE
The Queen of Montrovia is having tea in the castle's parlor and reading the paper when a photo catches her eye, causing her to frown.
Huntley Von Allister, who had all of Montrovia thinking she might be their future Princess, is holding hands with Daniel Spear while his father is sworn in as President.
With a sigh, she picks up the phone and calls her son.
"Hello, Mother," he answers politely.
"Lorenzo, there is a matter that I need to discuss with you."
"Very well. Would you like to do so now?"
"Yes, I must. I fear you will not take the news well, however. Before your father passed, he issued a decree changing the date by which you must wed."
"Why didn't he tell me?"
"He liked Huntley and had hoped things would progress, so he gave it to me. He didn't want to put unnecessary pressure on your relationship. Speaking of which, where do things stand with you and Miss Von Allister?"
"Things are--complicated."
"By the fact that she is seeing another man? She is holding hands with Daniel Spear during his father's swearing in. Is it true that you are staying at her home in Washington?"
"Yes. It is."
"And where do you stand with her?"
"Mother, we have only just recently met. We then went through something traumatic. It may take some time for us to work through the, uh, details."
"So things will work between you?"
"I honestly don't know."
"Do you want it to?"
"Yes."
"Are you saying that you love her?"
"She is unlike any woman I have ever met before. Would you approve of her if I did?"
"I would need to get to know her better and, of course, there is the law to deal with. Your bride must be a citizen of Montrovia."
"Her citizenship is already in place."
"When did that happen? How did it happen?"
"I had it approved by the Prime Minister before the Queen's Ball and had planned to tell her once we were alone. I hoped it would be the first step in an official courtship."
"And that was interrupted by the kidnapping?"
"Yes, Mother."
"So what changed things?"
"I was nearly killed by my own cousin. Did that not shock you?"
"Nothing shocks me anymore," she says with a sigh, the years of being in the spotlight having taken their toll long ago.
"Not to mention Father's passing, the funeral, and the coronation."
"I was told you gave Huntley use of the Royal Yacht, and Daniel Spear accompanied her."
"That is correct. She had been seeing Daniel before we met. She thought that I didn't fancy her further."
"Why did she think that?"
"Because of how I behaved after the coronation. She thought we were over."
"You are the youngest King of Montrovia in the last hundred years and, unfortunately for you, your reputation proceeds you. You are seen in the public eye as a playboy who only cares about his personal pleasures. When you were courting Miss Von Allister, that perception was starting to change, but the damage has not been repaired. The people need a King who they believe has their country's best interests at heart."
"And I will prove to them that I am worthy of their respect."
"You have two weeks to show progress with Miss Von Allister. If you are not together and publicly dating by the end of that time period, I will be forced to start arrangements for you
to marry."
"Marry who?"
"Lady Elizabeth Palomar."
"Lizzie?"
"Yes. She comes from a good family, and her father seemed amiable to the idea."
"How would you know that already?"
