Disclaimer: I don't own the 39 Clues.
Chapter 1 Sinead
Sinead Starling knew about the kidnappings and the attack on Amy and Dan Cahill's school bus months before those things happened.
Only she didn't alert the Cahills about it.
Because doing so would be the same as committing suicide. Or even worse.
It was now the day of the bus attack.
Act as normal as always, she told herself.
Using a mirror she randomly reflected the sun to create a series of flashes. She knew the Cahills wouldn't bother to try breaking it.
After a while she got into her four-wheel ATV and drove to where Amy, Dan, and the Tolliver boy were.
"The school bus is running early." She reported. "I was up on the roof and I saw it coming down the highway."
That was at least something true.
"Why were you on the roof?" The Tolliver boy asked her curiously.
"I'm refitting the furnace for zero carbon emissions, and I had to make a few chimney modifications. You guys should really let me take a crack at the monster in Grace's house. Your energy efficiency is pathetic." She replied.
She was doing that, and the energy efficiency was indeed pathetic.
Suddenly she heard the irritating sounds of the school bus as it approached the mansion.
"See you later." Amy said to Sinead as Evan escorted her to the road.
Sinead continued to pretend that she was still on furnace modification.
"I could cut your bill by two thirds."
"We're loaded, remember?" Dan retorted.
"Global warming doesn't care about what's in your bank account," She called after them. "Think it over." Not that she actually cared about global warming.
She watched as the bus lurched to a halt and the door fold open. Dan, Amy, and the Tolliver hustled in.
She checked her watch. Then took out her phone and sent a message to V-1.
Everything is going as planned.
The attack wouldn't be extremely dangerous. But Sinead still hoped that Amy and Dan would be OK.
\
The whole attack was done now and Sinead didn't know the results yet.
She did hope that Amy was safe.
For the past two years she'd pretended to be friends with Amy Cahill because of the Vespers.
She hated Cahills, but Amy Cahill…
Their friendship had certainly been made fake by Sinead at first, but as the months passed by she'd actually begun to like Amy.
She watched the sleek black Lincoln owned by William McIntyre which was now on the circular drive. He must've heard of the bus attack, and probably the kidnappings.
Amy and Dan arrived and she watched as the three of them talked.
Then her phone rang. The call she was expecting.
She answered her phone and heard Ned's voice come from the other side.
"Sinead!" Ned's voice was urgent and frightened. "Ted and Alistair have been kidnapped!"
Sinead faked shock and surprise. "What, Ned? This is just a joke, right?"
"No, Sinead!" Ned yelled. "I'm in Tel Aviv now ―" He started to say something but suddenly stopped. Sinead knew he was having one of his headaches again.
"Just stay where you are!" She said to Ned, pretending to be worried. "I'll go and get help!" She quickly hung up the phone and rushed to the parlor.
Pounding on the door and bursting in Sinead did her best to look frantic. It was easy, made by the two years of training and practice.
"Ned just called from Tel Aviv! Ted and Alistair have been kidnapped!" Sinead herself was surprised by how convincing she sounded.
She pretended to look upset when others just stared at her. "Well, aren't you going to say something? Do you even care?"
Amy Cahill then told her about the incidents around the globe and the bus attack, all of which Sinead already knew. She made mental notes on everything that Amy told her, to report to V-1.
Then Amy and Dan thought of Nellie Gomez and then realized that their au pair had been kidnapped, too.
Sinead watched all this like someone who was watching a movie which she knew all the events that would happen in it would.
Then Sinead heard the helicopter approach. She casually checked her watch. It was exactly on time.
"To the basement!" William McIntyre ordered. "Quickly!"
Sinead followed the three Cahills as they rushed to the cellar door. Then she watched along with them as the small parachute drifted past the lead panned windows.
She followed the Cahills again as they stared at the package.
"It could be a bomb." She suggested, pretending to be nervous. She was actually really nervous, though.
After a while Dan offered to get the package.
Sinead surpressed the urge to smirk as she watched the three Cahills open the box carefully like they were really expecting a bomb.
After they had all gotten a chance to examine the phone thoroughly, Sinead produced a Swiss Army knife and offered to open the phone up. She was willing to do so, but she knew it wouldn't be of any use.
"Don't you dare." Dan interrupted her, saying that the phone was obviously for the sender to call with.
She let out a sigh of relief as Dan pressed the power switch.
Vesper One's message appeared on the screen.
"What's a Vesper?" Sinead asked, playing dumb.
She then patiently listened as McIntyre gave then a lesson on Vespers. It seemed that they knew a lot already. Carefully putting her hand in her pocket she used her Vesper phone to send a report to V-1.
After she'd finished typing the short message Amy and Dan had already decided to go.
Then McIntyre had Amy and Dan talk with some Cahills.
They finally decided that Sinead would stay in the comm. center with Ian.
Sinead smiled to herself at that. Being in the comm. center would allow her to get more information. Information the Vespers would need. And it would also be safer.
Since she was already forced into the Vespers she saw no reason why she shouldn't forget her Cahill status and go on to become a true Vesper.
Her brothers might even get better.
She wasn't worried about Ian being in the comm. center with her. It was just a minor annoyance. (Or as she'd thought so at first) He was a natural lie detector, but she was even better a liar.
\
Sinead was hugged by Amy as she watched Amy and Dan get ready to go.
"You two have to promise to be careful!" Sinead said and then handed Amy a small plastic bag, while explaining how to use the smoke bombs. The bombs were invented by her but V-1 was the one who had made her give some to Amy and Dan.
After the two had thanked her they climbed into the car and headed to the airport, encountering the Tolliver boy.
Sinead watched as the car finally disappeared out of her sight. She had the comm. center to herself for now until Ian arrived.
She hurried upstairs; she had a lot to do.
\
Sinead had just received the picture of the hostages when Ian arrived.
Quickly saving the picture into her own flash drive she then pressed the button on one of the control panels to open the gate to allow Ian to come in.
She opened the door at the same time when Ian was about to press the door ball.
"Good…" Ian began, and then checked his watch. "Evening."
Sinead greeted him and led him into the mansion, showing him his room.
Ian seemed tired and worried, and Sinead left him alone to unpack.
After an hour Ian came to the comm. center. Sinead showed him everything new and at the same time carefully studied him. She needed to know everything about Ian if she were to be able to prevent him from knowing things he shouldn't know. Ian was definitely harder to fool than Amy or McIntyre.
His gaze was just as sharp and concentrated as ever.
But Sinead knew that with the Vespers' assistance and tactful planning Ian would be finished off eventually.