Page 7 of The Eagle (Spy Girl 2)
"She remembered the dog's name," the Ghost says, replaying the recent video footage from Ares Von Allister's former lab. "Do you think she will remember the rest? Could her memory be returning?"
"We can only hope," the leader of Black X replies. "She could very well be the key to unlocking their ultimate plan. The psychiatrist said she had a form of dissociative amnesia that caused her to block out the time period around the traumatic event. Her case was unusual because this amnesia typically leaves the patient unable to remember any personal information. She did not have such losses and retained those memories. The man believed she was simply stubborn."
"And you wouldn't allow him to medicate her."
"It would have done nothing but impede her training."
"If we could discover where they were before her mother's death, it could greatly help our cause."
The man nods. "That it would, but she must remember on her own."
When I arrive back at the house, I find not only my luggage from Montrovia unpacked and all my clothing hung, but I find new items in the closet, as well. Gotta love the Kates.
I had no idea what to wear tonight, but on each new item is a tag stating what kind of event it would be appropriate for and what to pair with it. There is everything from new bikinis to new ball gowns.
I work my way through the rack, finding a simple navy cotton shirtdress with a cute fit-and-flare profile. The tag suggests it would be perfect for a casual lunch or dinner and to pair it with the navy 'Kiki' fringe Jimmy Choo sandal and a red, white, and blue embroidered Gucci shoulder bag. Once I locate the proper shoes, I put everything on, spin around, and look in the mirror. Gone is the girl from Blackwood Academy who always had her hair in a bun to keep it from getting in the way of her training and who dressed in an all black uniform for years. And although I will admit that the upkeep of looking this way takes a lot of time, I kind of like this girl. She looks like she's having fun.
And I am. I'm in my element.
Successfully completing my first mission will hopefully lead to more excitement, danger, and intrigue.
And pretending to be Huntley Von Allister is turning out to be a much better gig than sleeping in sketchy safe houses and traveling by public transportation.
It's like the best of both worlds. The tricky part will be completing my missions without blowing my cover.
At seven, I step out the front door to find the Ferrari I asked for in the drive. Lorenzo and Ari are nowhere to be seen, but I can hear the sound of a throaty motor in the distance. Knowing them, they are probably going to take all the cars out for a spin.
Located on the northeast grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory, the Vice President's home is a beautiful, nineteenth-century Queen Anne-style house. Upon arrival, I'm greeted by Daniel and his mother, Dr. Amanda Spear, in a large traditional entry with yellow and white striped wallpaper, thick crown molding, wood floors, and oriental carpets. The house has a nautical, casual air.
Daniel's mother is indeed dressed in scrubs, having just arrived home from the hospital. Daniel introduces us, then she excuses herself to go change.
"My father should be arriving shortly," Daniel says, looking tired. "I've been in meetings regarding my safety since I left your house. If the Secret Service had its way, I would not be participating in the Olympics this year, but that's not going to happen. Would you like to see my new training facility?"
"Sure."
He grabs a couple water bottles out of the kitchen fridge and tosses one in my direction. Then he leads me out the back door, under an arched pergola, and to the pool. "It's not as long as it should be, but it is what it is for now."
"You seem upset."
"I'm only a few weeks away from the Olympic tryouts and this is where I have to swim. It's not an Olympic-sized pool."
"Neither was the one on the Royal Yacht, but you managed."
"That was different," he says, flashing me a dimple and slipping his arms around my waist. "I was there with you. By the way, you look cute tonight."
"That's good. I was going for cute."
He laughs. "Usually, you look drop-dead sexy, but this dress has a school girl quality to it. For one, it's navy, which is the color of the uniforms from the parochial schools of my youth. For two, I think you're trying to impress my parents because you like me."
"I've been sleeping with you, Daniel. Of course I like you."
"I think it's more than that."
"Maybe I'm trying to look sweet, like the kind of girl who isn't sleeping with their son. Although, they have to know how you get around."
"Not everything you read in the tabloids is true." I raise an eyebrow in his direction. "Fine, in my case, most of it is true. I'm a world-class athlete and I get a lot of women. It's one of the perks I enjoy. Is there anything wrong with that?"
"You're young and single. Of course there's nothing wrong with that. I know I'm certainly not ready to settle down."
"The Montrovian press seems to think otherwise."
"Yeah, well, they haven't photographed me with Lorenzo since the Ball, so I'm sure that will die down."
"And I posted a photo of us together on my social media," he says with a smirk.
"Daniel, my feelings are not a game to be won. And if you're doing that just to get back at the King, you're an even shittier friend than I thought."
He hangs his head. "I didn't do it for that reason. I just wanted . . ."
"Wanted what?"
"You to like me more. You turned me down in the bathroom, and what you said stung."
"Maybe I should just go."
"I don't bring many girls home, Huntley. I didn't ask you here to get you away from Lorenzo, I did it because I want them to meet you."
"I don't want to be in a relationship, Daniel. I just found out I have a brother. I can do all the things I used to dream about as a kid. I need to do those things, just like you need to go to the Olympics. Focus on your training. Your future. You get one shot at it. I don't want to be a distraction. But I'd love to be in the stands cheering you on when you win."
"You'll come to the Olympics?" he asks, his eyes brightening to their brilliant blue color.
"Absolutely."
The sound of a helicopter interrupts his leaning in to kiss me. "Sounds like Dad's home from work."
"Where does Marine Two land? Can we watch?"
He raises his eyebrows at me like I'm crazy.
"Although it may be an everyday occurrence to you, to most of us, it'd be a pretty cool thing to see."
He gives me a quick kiss, then grabs my hand.
"We'll have to hurry." We run up the back stairs and down a long hallway to a bedroom, where we rush to the window and pull open the curtains. "They will land on the lawn right across f
rom here."
I watch in awe as the helicopter lands, and the Vice President gets out and walks, flanked by Secret Service, to his home.
"Come on, let's go downstairs."
"Nice car," are the first words spoken to me by the Acting President of the United States.
"Thanks, it was one of my father's," I reply, shaking his hand. "I'm Huntley Von Allister."
"That was his first big break, you know," Daniel's father, Vice President Ryan Spear, says.
"What was?"
"Ares Von Allister is best known for his military inventions, but his first big financial deal was selling a high performance braking mechanism to Ferrari." He points at the wheel. "Take a closer look at the red caliper there."
I kneel down to inspect it, noticing for the first time the Von Allister company logo, a V and A layered over each other in a circular monogram that was prevalent at his facility. "That's pretty cool."
"I heard he had quite the Ferrari collection."
I nod. "I just saw it for the first time today. It is impressive."
We make our way into the house as Daniel's mother is coming down the staircase dressed in a soft teal wrap dress and sensible heels.
"You're late," she says to her husband and gives him a playful kiss. In one simple exchange, it's obvious how deeply they care for each other. "Grab a drink and join us in the dining room."
"My parents are on their way. They'll be staying with us for a few days," he says to his wife.
"Did you let the staff know?" she asks.
"Julie did," he says. "She said she texted you, as well."
She waves her hand. "Sorry, I forgot to look at my phone. I stopped by to see the First Lady before I left the hospital."
"How is she doing?"
"She's hanging in there, but his prognosis is not good. There's very little brain function. I feel so badly for her. I can't even imagine going through that. She feels so helpless. It's sad. There is literally nothing they can do but wait for him to pass."
"You don't think there's any chance of him recovering?"
"I'd say his odds are less than one percent and diminishing."
Daniel's father lowers his head and makes his way to the bar just as the front door bursts open due to a gust of wind catching the Secret Service agent who opened it off guard.
He grabs the door and announces, "Your parents have arrived."
