Book 1
I stand outside a house on Glasgow Street and I shiver as I try to wait out the freezing storm. Suddenly, the door opens and I quickly stand up, looking at the teenage boy in front of me.
"I'm sorry, I'll leave now." I say nervously and walk away.
"Aren't you cold out here?" He asks.
"No." I lie.
"Come in for a few minutes, I'm sure you could use the heat." He says and gestures toward the house. It looks so inviting, but how do I know I can trust him.
"Thank you, but I really must be on my way." I say and nod to him as I walk towards the next street.
"You know, you shouldn't be out in this weather, where do you live?" He asks.
I turn around. I point vaguely in the direction of the playground, where I have been staying the past few days in on of the tunnels. I was on my way there from scavenging some trashcans when the storm hit.
"There isn't much over there." He states. I glare at him and walk away again, holding myself to try and not freeze to death.
I hear his door shut and I sigh as I keep walking.
A few hours later and I'm back at the same house as before. When I finally made it to the playground, there were other people there, and they were some of the nasty ones, so I just turned around and headed back the way I had come.
I huddle under the small porch as I wait for the storm to pass. I will have to find another place to live. No matter, I would have had to do it soon anyway.
I grow sleepy. I don't dare sleep though, because I know in this weather, I might not wake up. I close my eyes for just a few seconds…just a few.
I wake up abruptly as I feel something warm and wet against my forehead. I cough.
"Where am I?" I wonder to myself as I look around a rich looking house filled with all sorts of expensive things. I slept too long. Maybe this is heaven, or I'm dreaming, or…
The teenage boy from earlier comes in from another room. I notice that there is a blanket on me, and clothes that do not belong to me. I wonder how that happened. I try to stand up quickly, but I stumble and hit the wall with a thud. Who knows what this boy's intentions are.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He says. Yah right, that's what they all say before I'm hurt in some way. I look at him suspiciously, and then blush as I notice I am wearing some sort of pajamas.
"Don't worry, my mother put those on you." He said, sitting down on the couch and motioning for me to do the same. I shake my head and sneeze.
"Why didn't you go home a few hours ago? You're lucky I looked outside when I did, otherwise, you would be a girl Popsicle right now." He says, looking concerned. I slide down the wall into a sitting position cautiously, never taking my eyes off of the boy in front of me.
"What's your name?" He asks. I think about the question, simple enough I suppose. He notices my hesitation however and gives me his name first.
"My name is Jason Wheeler. My dad owns pretty much everything here." He says.
"Crystal." I mumble.
"What?" He asks, unable to hear.
"Crystal. That's my name." I say again, a little more clearly, but coughing after.
"You have a nasty cold there." He says.
I ignore him. A cold is a cold, and in my opinion, all of them are nasty.
"I'll leave when the storm lets up and my clothes are dry." I say, looking out the window into the dark sky.
"Oh no you don't young lady!" A middle-aged woman comes into the room with a motherly look on her face.
"I have to-" I start, but she interrupts.
"Don't give me that 'I need to go home' I already checked up a little bit on you and have gotten confirmation from several people that you are both parentless, and homeless, not to mention you have a cold, so NO you will not be going anywhere anytime soon!" She says in a firm tone while Jason gapes at me.
I try to protest again, but I am stopped by a fit of coughs that racks my body.
"Oh dear, let's get you into the spare bedroom. Jason, help her up the stairs would you? I will be right up with a bowl of soup for you and some medicine, and don't you even think about getting out of that bed!" He wags her finger at me and pats Jason on the shoulder, whose mouth is still agape.
I stand up on wobbly legs and make my way to the stairs slowly, but stumble and head towards the floor.
Two hands catch me about the waist and Jason pulls me up bridal style all the way into his arms as I weakly struggle to get out of them.
"Mom said I needed to help." He says with an impish grin as I give up into my coughing again.
"Nasty cold, I should think you need to stay in bed for at least a few days." He sets me down on a bed. It's a down bed. It's a bed with a mattress, sheets, blankets, and a comforter. I can't remember the last time I slept in a real bed and not just on the ground or on a mat. I sink into it and barely notice as the covers are pulled over me and the warm rag is put on my forehead again.
"Are you really a homeless orphan?" I hear Jason ask.
"Why do you care?" I mumble, already half asleep.
"Jason." Jason's mother says.
"It's just, I can't help but wonder where you were going when you first came to our doorstep.
"I was going to the playground." I say almost in a dream.
"The play-"
"Jason! Let her rest." Jason's mother says reproachfully.
"Why would she go to the playground?" He asks his mother.
"Jason, that's where she was sleeping." Silence.
"Oh. Then why weren't you there when I found you?" He asks me again, ignoring his mother's protests. I don't care, I'm in heaven by now.
"Taken." I mumble anyways, snuggling more into the covers.
"Taken?"
"By other homeless people Jason." His mother says, and I hear her drag him out of the room and I'm finally left in peace.
I wake up abruptly the next afternoon by yelling in the doorway. There is a man in a suit there, pointing at me and yelling something like , "What the heck is this girl doing in our house?" I jump out of bed, falling from the dizziness and crawl to the corner, watching the man closely.
The man runs out of the room and I can hear him address Mrs. Wheeler. I get up and as fast as I can, put on my clothes, which are on the chair in the room, and sneak downstairs and head away, leaving a thank you note.
I make it to the playground and look to find my tube empty. They must have moved on. I tiredly climb into the tube, curling up into a ball as I cough and wheeze. I feel better than before though, so I can take a little cold.
A few minutes later, I hear footsteps. I cover my mouth with my hand so I don't make a sound and peek out of one of the holes. There are two people coming. Jason, and a pretty brunette teenage girl I don't know. They look like they're searching for something. I hope it's not me. I curl up again and fight a cough that's trying to get out.
"Crystal." They both call. So they are looking for me. I'm doomed.
"Let's check in the tube." The girl suggests. I hold my breath and close my eyes.
"There you are. We have been looking all over for you." Jason says as he peeks in at me. I cough.
"You shouldn't have left. Poor mother has been worried sick about you!"
"I overstayed my welcome." I cough out.
"Of course not! You can stay with us! Mom always wanted a daughter, and once Dad meets you I'm sure he'll love you! He was just taken off guard is all." He said.
"I can't stay." I say.
"Of course you can. And you will! Believe me, if you don't come with me, I'll carry you there myself and if that doesn't work, Mom will!" He says, reaching for me. I gasp in alarm.
"Oh." He draws back.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He says embarrassedly. The girl leans in as I scrutinize her. She doesn't seem like she could hurt a fly. And she's a girl. That helps.
"You're burning up!" She says as she puts a hand to my forehead.
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" I ask.
"Oh, I'm Emma, Jason's girlfriend." There's no protectiveness there, just kindness and worry. I like her.
I turn to Jason. "Lucky man." I say and he blushes, nodding yes.
"Come on, you have a cold and if you stay out here, you could die!" Emma says, holding her hand out in an offering.
"I'm sorry, but I can't." I repeat, closing my eyes for a second.
"Hey guys!" A booming voice makes me jump as another boy with bad skin and messy hair pops into view at the other end of the tunnel.
"Who's this?" He asks, reaching out to touch me. I flinched back into a surprised Emma.
"Russel! You scared her! Go away before I strangle you myself! I'll call you later and explain!" Jason says threateningly.
Russel glares at Jason and says, "Fine, I'm going!" turning about and doing just that.
"Sorry about him, he can be a bit ornery sometimes." Emma says, stroking my hair comfortingly. I yawn.
"Come on." Jason says and lifts me into his arms as my eyes fly open
"You can't just let me live in your house!" I say.
"Sure I can, Mom likes you, Dad agreed to try, Emma likes you, I like you, no reason not to live there, it's not like you have anywhere else to go." He says and I shut up for a bit.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean that, I meant-"
"It's fine. All right, since I don't have much of a choice, can you at least put me down! I can walk you know!" I say and he gently sets me down.
Jason and Emma help me get there without over exhausting myself and I sit down tiredly on the sofa, listening to Jason and Emma chat. Mr. Wheeler suddenly walked in and everything got quiet. I quickly stand up and look him in the eye. A businessman. He doesn't seem bad, but he doesn't seem very friendly either.
"So, you're the homeless girl." He says accusingly. I hold his gaze.
"Crystal, sir." Take that Mr. I Think I Know Everything! I know manners!
"Well then, Crystal, what makes you think you are fit to live in this home when you nor your parents could keep one of their own?" He says. I manage not to glare.
"I don't, sir." I say honestly as I wobble a bit on my feet and cough into my hand as softly as I could.
He was stunned into silence for a moment. He thought this was MY idea?
"Dad, she has a cold, and she has no where to go, she would have frozen to death if I hadn't have found her on the porch.
"David, she stays." Mrs. Wheeler says as she appears beside Mr. Wheeler.
"Can you work?" He asks.
"Yes sir." I say, staring him straight in the eye as everyone else said, "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
He looks at his family, then at me.
"How much schooling have you gotten?" He asks me.
"I have managed to keep up with other students pretty well." I say, leaning on the table.
He turns to Mrs. Wheeler. "She can stay as long as she goes to school as soon as she gets rid of that cold." He says, then walks closer to me. My breathing speeds up.
"Give me the money."I hear the man say again in his Russian accent. My father answers no. The man shoots my mother. She is dead before she hits the floor. Then he shoots my father. He leaves me as he gathers the last of our money and heads off laughing.
"Come here little girl." The suspicious looking man says to me. I shake my head. He runs up to me and traps me against the wall. He takes out his knife, scrapes my shoulder, and knocks me out. When I wake up, the food I had managed to get was gone, and the cut had stopped bleeding. It would scar.
"Crystal!" Mrs. Wheeler says, shaking me by the shoulders. I go into a coughing fit. She makes me sip a bit of water.
"Are you okay?" Emma asks concerned.
"Fine." I mumble, looking about for Mr. Wheeler. He is looking at me weirdly.
He speaks.
"Might I ask how your parents died?"
Mrs. Wheeler gives him a look he ignores.
"They were shot by a thief." I say shaken.
" I'm sorry if I scared you. Has anyone…hurt you?" He asks cautiously.
"Just the passing thug or two. Not like that, just makes me sore the next day." I say nonchalantly.
"Well, I must be off." He says suddenly. He stops, looks toward me and reaches out his hand for me to shake it. I do so, keeping eye contact with him. He lets go and leaves without another word.
"I'm so sorry about him, he isn't very sensitive with words… something that runs in the family I think." Mrs. Wheeler says, throwing a look at Jason.
"It's fine. There's no way you are going to let me leave is there?" I ask forlornly.
They all shake their heads.
I sigh and ask if I can go to bed.
"Of course dear." Mrs. Wheeler says and Emma helps me up. I sleep soundly for the next few days and I'm finally well again. I start school on Monday.
I walk through the halls nervously, as I search around for malicious faces. During the classes, I manage to keep up, although I don't often answer aloud in class.
I sit with Jason and Emma during lunch. Russel has been joining us. He makes me a bit uneasy, but he's harmless in the way that class clowns are. The school bully, Alyssa, seems to take particular interest in me. I suppose because I have been homeless before the Wheeler's took me in.
"Oh look, its Miss Unfashionable herself!" She and her friends laugh at the lame joke. I borrow some of Emma's things that she never wears.
I walk by and smile at them sweetly. It makes them mad. It's funny.
A few weeks later and I'm about to leave when I hear Alyssa's laughter. I look over to see them tormenting Emma. I rush over there and listen in.
"Too bad you aren't pretty or smart. Otherwise Jason might actually stay with you! I will get him as soon as he leaves you, and I can't imagine him staying much longer with a girl like you." She sneers while Emma just stands there forlorn looking.
"You're just jealous because she's the prettiest and smartest girl in the school, not to mention she's much to sweet to do this!" I say and pour my coke all over her fancy little outfit as I angrily lead Emma to Jason's car.
"I can't believe them!" I say, throwing my hands in the air as we drive off.
"Poor Emma! Don't you listen to them sweet heart. You're much better than them and you're too good for that." Jason says from the driver's seat.
"You didn't have to do that Crystal." Emma says softly..
"Of course I did, and it was worth it! Did you see her face when she saw what I did to her shirt?" I smile and Emma laughs, nodding, back to her old self.
'You know, I think that's the most I've ever heard you speak." Jason says. I sigh and look out the window to see the playground in the park, and a man sitting on a bench staring right at me.
"Stop the car." I say. The car screeches to a halt.
I get out and walk away.
"Where are you going?" Jason asks.
"I'll meet you at home." I reply and walk toward the man as the car drives off. We are alone.
"Found yourself some friends?"
"What do you want?" I ask angrily.
"I want to offer you one last deal before the plans take place." He says, showing teeth threateningly.
"I told you no." I said and stuck my hands in my pockets.
"Then I have no use for you." The horribly familiar Russian accented man took out his gun.
I ran, being barely missed by a bullet and I hide behind a tree. I hear two men talking…
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I run as fast as I can to the house. I finally make it and Emma and Jason are anxiously waiting in the living room.
"Where have you been?" Jason asks worriedly.
"Park-man-plans-boat-trucks-bombs!" I gasp at the words.
"How hold on, catch your breath and then tell us everything." So I did.
Three weeks later-
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Jason asks me as the last net is put in its place.
"Nope." I say, tightening the trigger. It would work. It had to.
"Well let's hope it does because here they come with the bombs!" We dive into our selective areas. When the trucks pass over the spot we trap them in the nets, they have no where to go. They try to drive through them. We made the nets strong. They bounce back with a crash. Jason calls the police and we are out of there as we watch the police deactivate the bombs and arrest some of the Russian Man's henchmen. As Jason and Emma jump up in down in victory, I stand forlornly and stare at the Russian Man as he stares at me angrily, making a threatening gesture at me and disappearing.
"It's not over." I say. Jason and Emma stop and stare at me.
"There are still the ships to deal with and we won't have as much time." I say, walking towards the river with more nets.
We waterproof the nets and leave them to dry in a safe place. The next day we manage to set up the trap, except this time the nets are a decoy. They will be expecting them and break through. We have sturdy wires set up under the water to activate the bombs and blow them up before they hit land, other than a big splash, nothing should get hurt as long as we stay out of the water. The ropes are set up in a way that regular boats may pass without a problem. Now we wait.
And wait.
And wait.
And wait.
A week after the traps are set, we sit in our places on the cliffs edge over the river, fanning ourselves in the hot sun. Clouds move in.
"Hey, I guess we have Someone on our side eh?" Jason laughs cheerily as I cast a glance gloomily at the darkening sky.
"Cheer up Crystal, the other trap worked without a hitch, why not this one?"
"I have a bad feeling about today." I say ominously. Thunder cracks as lightening makes a show and it begins to pour.
"Way to be a party pooper." Jason replies as he shakes the water from his hair.
"Wait, is that smoke?" Emma searches the bend in the river. I take a look with my binoculars.
"They're here!" I yell over the wind. We each approach our "stations". The armored ship approaches with an American flag. It looks harmless, but we know better. Standing on the front of the ship is the Russian Man, grinning victoriously at the bad weather. I quietly pull up the nets. He laughs from the far end, stopping the ship momentarily.
"Whoaaaa!" I hear Emma yell. I look over. There is a splash.
"EMMA!" I scream. I look over the edge.
"Help! I can't swim!" She cries. I dive in as I vaguely notice our nets on fire. Luckily, the wire is set to detonate the bombs.
"Crystal!" Emma screams as I appear over the water's surface. I take a gulp of air and swim quickly over to her. I hear a splash behind me.
"JASON!NOT YOU TOO?" I yell angrily. The pipes are slippery and far apart from each other on the side of the river. I swim with Emma over to the pipe as Jason arrives.
"Help her up!" I say to Jason as he manages to make it up the pipe. He gives her a hand and makes to help me once Emma is up, but the pipe breaks, leaving me no way out. Jason makes a move to dive in with me.
"NOO!" I'll be fine! Call the police if you want to help!" I yell and splutter as a wave washes over me as I desperately hand onto the pipe. I turn around. If I don't get out soon, I will be in pieces all over the river.
I glare at the Russian Man as he laughs maniacally.
"You thought those silly nets were going to do you good? Now you will pay the price for getting in my way…permenantly." He calls as he points his pistol at me. There is a large boom. He missed. He growls angrily and reloads as he get closer. I hang on for dear life, one of my hands slip and if I try to bring it back up, I'll fall.
Suddenly, there is a large crack of lightening and I feel something hot and burning pierce through my right shoulder, the one I am holding on to the pipe with, making it useless. I fall with a splash and sink. My clothes are heavy and pull me down as I only have one arm to swim with, my legs kick uselessly as I am swept away. I can't breathe.
I am swept up into a net and suddenly I am gasping for air on the deck of the ship as I collapse into a heap.
"Crystal!" I hear Emma scream and the Russian Man points his gun at her. I manage to creep forward in time to deflect his aim as Emma runs for cover. I hear the police sirens. There is a huge boom and a crash as the waves come up from the explosion and soak us to the skin. The bomb is now useless. Despite my current situation, I smile.
"You stupid, ignorant little girl. I hope you are happy with yourself, because these are your last few moments!" I heard the Russian Man exclaim as I lean back against the cabin and look at him with my smile still on my face.
He cocks his pistol. His finger pulls the trigger. I am pounded back into the cabin as I clutch my chest. It's oozing dark blood. I feel myself being painfully lifted into the air and I find myself back into the water. The rain has stopped, I notice as I sink deeper and deeper into the black pit. Someone dives in and clips me with him onto a rope that hauls us up into a helicopter. Emma and Jason hold each other as they worry about me. I look at them as I tire.
"The ship?" I ask.
"It just seemed to vanish. It's gone, but thanks to you, it was unable to blow the town up." Jason said softly. I feel tears streak down my cold cheeks. I fell myself fading away…
I hear beeping. What is that annoying beeping? I open my eyes.
"Welcome back." A man in a doctor's uniform says to me. I smile faintly. Maybe I can be free of my nightmares now that I have saved other people from the Russian Man. Although I can never bring my parents back, with my new family and friends, perhaps I can move past my fears. It will take a while, but I have all the time in the world it seems.
As I am wheeled home finally after weeks of being stuck in the hospital, the only thing that darkens my mood is the creeping feeling that the Russian Man will be back…