(Author's Note: I hope this chapter helps clear up the confusing bits from my last chapter. I loved all your reviews and hope you all come back to submit more! Disclaimor: Sadly, I do not own the 39 Clues.)
Chapter 2
Favors
Hamilton cautiously knocked on the cabin door of the second-to-last person he would ask for advice. A short boy with dark blonde hair answered the door.
"Hamilton?" he asked, confused.
"Ham, actually." Hamilton replied uneasily. "I need to talk," he continued and stepped towards the threshold. Dan didn't move to let him in. Hamilton gave him an anguished expression.
"Please, Dan, it's about Amy," Hamilton whispered, looking over his shoulder. Luckily for Ian, who had been spying in the bushes, Hamilton didn't see him. Ian sighed in relief.
A bit reluctantly, Dan stepped out of the way for Hamilton to enter the cabin. Ian made to take his chance. He pointed his dart gun at the back of Hamilton's head and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, just as Ian pulled the trigger, Hamilton moved out of the way. The dart didn't even hit Dan. Ian cursed.
"Your aim is pathetic," a voice said from behind Ian. Ian rolled his dark eyes.
"Well, excuse me for not taking a class in perfecting erasing memories," he retorted.
"Mother called, she wants to know why you even bothered coming to this camp." Ian was informed.
"Natalie, please, if I've learned anything from being a Lucian is that you never tell anyone your plans!" Ian hissed to his sister. Natalie scoffed.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Ian whispered. "You're supposed to be in London." Natalie ignored him, so Ian turned to face the cabin.
"Nice work, Natalie, they've closed the door!" Ian hissed. Natalie shrugged and pulled her own silver dart gun from her designer purse.
"No, matter, I'll deal with the Cahill boy," Natalie stepped out of the bushes and walked purposefully towards the cabin.
"Natalie!" Ian snarled, but Natalie was already listening to the conversation going on in the cabin. She had pulled out her cell phone from her purse and began to record the conversation. Natalie walked over to one of the cabin's windows to get a clearer sound. She also peeked through the window.
"Amy doesn't know who I am," Hamilton was saying. "She looks at me as if I'm some kind of parasite! She doesn't like to talk to me. If she has to at all, she calls me Hamilton. Not Ham, like she used to. She's making me feel like I'm invisible!" Hamilton was stressing. He grabbed at his chest as if to check if he was all there. Natalie could hear him groan.
"She doesn't seem any weirder than usual," Dan replied.
Natalie placed her cell phone on the windowsill and walked to the door. She pulled out her pocket mirror and looked herself over quickly. She sighed.
This will have to do. She thought miserably.
Ian watched as his sister rapped her knuckles on the door of the cabin. Natalie pulled out her silver dart gun as Dan answered the door.
"Can I help you?" Dan frowned.
"Yes: try not to hit your head too hard," Natalie purred. She shot Dan square in the forehead. He groaned and fell.
"Dan!" Hamilton rushed to the door. Natalie gave Hamilton a quick shot and ran to retrieve her cell phone. Hamilton fell face forward on the floor. Ian almost laughed. Natalie sped over to Ian.
"Come, I have a boat," she puffed as she continued to jog by Ian. Ian followed her. Natalie handed him her dart gun when they reached the beach so she could start the boat. Ian examined the darts in his sister's gun.
"These aren't the same as the darts I used," he told her.
"So?" she shrugged.
"So… how much have they forgotten?" Ian asked.
"They'll just forget this summer. I assume that's what you did with the Cahill girl," Natalie explained, revving up the engine. Ian nodded, but his eyes were still asking questions.
"Fine, they might be forgetting a bit more than just the summer," Natalie internally groaned for giving into Ian.
"Such as?" he prompted.
"I don't know!" Natalie exasperated. "Why is it so important to you?" Ian frowned but then shrugged. He didn't really care about Hamilton Dolt or Daniel Cahill.
"'Whatever' as the Americans say. But still, where did you get the darts?"
"Puh-lease," Natalie drawled, making the word sound like it had two syllables, "It's in the family business." Ian stepped onto the spacious motorboat.
"Of course it is," Ian muttered as they sailed away from the camp's shoreline.
Twenty minutes later, Natalie had managed to pry the truth out of Ian as to why he had even bothered coming to the camp.
"So Father knew, but Mother didn't?" Natalie asked him.
"Pretty much, yeah," Ian replied, sort of annoyed. He had already explained this to Natalie.
"So what you're saying to me is that you came down all the way from London, just to find out more about the Holts and Cahills?" Natalie summarized.
"Yes," Ian answered briskly.
"And this you could not tell Mother, but you could tell Father?" Natalie questioned.
"It was Father's plan, genius. We couldn't tell Mum, she'd want you in on it, too, and face it: You wouldn't be able to handle four weeks without a shopping trip," Ian explained. Natalie thought this over and smiled.
"So technically, you owe me thanks," Ian pointed out. Natalie shrugged.
"New dart gun?" She offered.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Ian declined. He had had enough dart guns to last him for awhile.
"New grappling hook?" Natalie suggested. Ian's ears perked up. He had always found grappling hooks quite entertaining.
"Depends… how new?" he cracked his knuckles. New, as in, what attachments? Ian thought and gave his sister a meaningful look. Natalie understood.
"Complete with the latest in spyware," Natalie supplied. Ian waited for more.
"I think grappling hooks can come attached to jet packs nowadays. You know Mother and Father won't settle for anything other than the best from the Lucian labs," Natalie elaborated.
"Whatever you get, make it good," Ian laced his fingers and put them behind his head. Natalie smiled somewhat menacingly.
And that's how it was with the Kabra siblings. A favor for a gift. Due to their extreme wealth, many favors were passed between Ian and Natalie Kabra. Many favors asked, many secrets kept. But not even to Natalie, would Ian tell about his feelings for Amy. He prayed and prayed they would go away. Fortunately for Ian, they did. But soon they would come crawling back.
(Author's Note: Thanks for reading, please review!)