Chapter 3:
Zach POV – Four days before Winter Break Started
The only thing I heard was my feet echoing against the floor of the Tombs; that was my first mistake of the night.
I was doing a routine check in with my mother. She'd been meeting me here in the Tombs since I started at Blackthorne. She was one of the only members, of the once giant, Circle of Cavan. The only reason in my personal spy opinion that she hadn't been caught was because they weren't looking.
She had faked her death in a plane crash while being pursued by Joe Solomon himself. Even to this day he'd never guess it was a dummie plane and she'd jumped off of it before it left the runway.
How do I fit into this all? Well I'm her "Inside Little Man." Every time I meet her like this I give her Blackthorne progress reports. When I first started school here there were twenty one Cavan members in Blackthorne. Including me, now there is only three.
Matthew Morgan and Joe Solomon have been very busy. When they started teaching/Head mastering they made it very clear that they knew there were Circle members still in the school. They also made it very clear that they would find each of them and remove them.
I'd be lying if I didn't admit I've had bad dreams about the male dream team finding out.
The reason they've only moderately suspected me so far is because I've never officially lived with my mother, and I play it up a little that I hate her. Until I went to Blackthorne I lived with my grandparents who are retired (clean) spies for the CIA.
I guess no one every guessed that my mother would visit me without my grandparents knowledge.
So that's how I got here, giving Intel to my mother about a school I'd never truly got a chance to be a part of.
I was going to get a chance that night. I was going to get a chance to completely redeem myself for lying to all the friends I'd made and the teachers who'd taken me under their wings. I was going to get a chance to get out of The Circle.
I didn't take that chance.
"Ahh. How's my little man doing?" My mother's smile and singsong tone made my head perk up. We never had an official meeting place. I was just supposed to walk in the tombs and she would find me. Dumb spies had strict routines.
"Good, mom." I muttered. There was really only the last practice mission I'd been on to report, and I was feeling this was a huge waste of time.
She sat on one of the old stone tables. There were six of them all facing one wall. I silently noted this used to be a class. Her legs were crossed and covered by black dress pants when she asked, "So what's new?"
She asked so casually. For a second I felt somewhat normal, but then it all disappeared. Then the mood completely changed.
My mom had wiped out a gun I didn't know she was caring. It was pointed somewhere behind me as she ordered firmly, "Stand up with your hands in the air. Now!"
I was shocked. What was she doing? I was about to question the madness that had unfolded, when two little hands slowly raised up from behind what I assumed was the teacher's desk.
I'm sure my eyes bulged as Joey Morgan stood up. He was trying to hold it back, like any spy in training would, but looked terrified. He was looking me in the eye instead of the gun.
He looked nothing like his father. His hair was a deep chocolate brown with faint, natural highlights. His face was that of a child star, not a pavement artist. His eyes were a shattering blue; usually they weren't this could. Usually they were filling with mischief and warmth.
For a seventh grader he was about average height and build. Lean but fit as hell. All he had on was sweat pants and a black shirt that read "Blackthorne." He had no shoes on; he hadn't planned on this trip.
The realization hit me strong: this seventh grader had trailed me my whole way here. I hadn't noticed. Then another realization hit me: My mom has the perfect opportunity for revenge against Joe and Matthew for what they did to the Circle.
My mom's voice as she asked was far too chemically sweet, "So sweetie what's your name?" As if she already didn't know.
Joey's eyes left mine, "Joe Morgan." Her smile grew two sizes, as if hearing it was more validating than her memory. His voice didn't crack or waver when he spoke, "So what happens now?" There was only one person I knew who could teach that kind of unwavering; it was also the one person I knew he was named after.
"Mom …" I began, but didn't know how to finish.
"Shhh, sweetie." My mom didn't give me more than that before she turned back to Joey. "So obviously something has to be done about what you've seen tonight." She walked slowly toward the young boy. Her pace mirrored a zoo worker trying not to spook the animals. "Am I right?"
He didn't answer. With his hands in the air he just looked straight at me. His gaze questioned me. Was out brotherhood not good enough for you?
In return to his silence, my mother came down on his head with the butt of her hand gun. He yelped like a beaten puppy as he grumbled to the ground. While he lay there unconscious, my mother turned back to me.
Her tone became sharper, "Do you see what you've done Zachary?! This is your entire fault! I didn't want to have to do this so soon!" I was so confused as she marched toward me. Everything was happening too fast. I was ashamed to say that my spy abilities didn't prepare me enough for tonight. "Zach, do you understand what we're going to have to do?"
I didn't answer though, I just looked down to where Joey had been laying seconds ago. He'd slipped away. My mother's face became furious.
Without a word to me she yelled down the corridors, "Joey Sweetie! If you don't want Angus Stone to be found dead tomorrow, you'll turn around and come back here!"
My eyes darted to my mother. Angus Young? He was the boy in seventh grade that'd gone missing over summer break. Apparently, his whole family had. His father had been one of the highest agents ranked in the CIA. Did she really have them? Why hadn't she told me?
Before I could voice my questions, Joey came running around the corner. His eyes looked like he'd seen a ghost; his lips quivered as if you'd told him that he'd won a million dollars. "You have Angus?" That's when I remembered that Joey and Angus had been best friends.
My mother, like only a highly trained martial artist/ soy can, grabbed Joey and twisted him into a chicken wing hold. With a little force she could break his arm. He made a noise of pain, but kept silent. "Yes, young Mr. Morgan. I do have Angus Stone, and his father. His mother though is dead in a ditch on the outskirts of Boston. I knew young Angus would be the perfect persuasion for his father to let loose."
My mother couldn't see Joey's face from behind. He didn't have to hide the look of pure hate he was sending me. "What do you want me to do?"
Whispering into his ear, she resembled the Cheshire Cat, "You are going to pretend none of this happened. You are going to act completely normal. You are going to go about your business at Blackthorne. You are not going to speak a word of tonight to your father or Joe Solomon! You are not going to tell anyone."
I'd been a statue while it happened. My body and mouth had become disabled as my mother broke his arm. At first he screamed in pain, but his sounds subsided to muffled grunts. "Okay, I'll do it. Just please don't hurt Angus and his father!"
Even in excruciating pain, he was more worried about them than himself.
"Oh that's not all," she sounded so ferocious. I didn't recognize this woman. She'd only ever been manipulating and kind to me. With every sentence she kicked him. They were not gentle blows.
"You will listen to everything Zach tells you!" Ribs.
"You will not research either of us!" Stomach.
"You will not so much as mention Zachary or I in a conversation," Chest.
"Anyone who you are stupid enough to tell will be killed!" Face.
"Do not think your father or your god father Joe can save you from this!" Face.
"Give me the slightest reason to suspect you of any of this, and Angus will be found dead within a mile of Blackthorne!" Face.
Joey didn't speak. He just nodded. He didn't stop nodding until my mother had said good bye me, instructed me to bring him back to Blackthorne and left. I didn't say anything to him as I helped him up and watched him wobble back down the Tombs to Blackthorne.
This was wrong! I was wrong for standing and watching! I should have done something! I should have stopped her!
But then I'd lose her. Then I'd have absolutely no one. I could never just be a Blackthorne Boy now. After tonight that bridge was completely gone.
We were at the exit of the Tombs now. Joey had stopped walking. He turned to me and asked, "If I do what you say, do you think she'll let Angus live?" His eyes begged with me.
I couldn't crush him even more. "Yeah, if you listen to her she'll keep her word." I lied.
A ghost of a smile crossed his face. "I'm going to go to the infirmary. I won't give them any details." His eyes became hard as he said, "I know how to keep quiet."
I'd heard the stories of his father's silence. "I know."
We parted ways. I went back to my room through one of the secret passageways. That night I didn't sleep. My brain was too full of dreads and worries for any of that.
Joey told no one of what had happened. He'd been grilled by his father and Joe, and had kept quiet. They'd made an announcement for anyone with information to report to them. It was the school wide mystery. The question on everyone's mind was simple: how?
There were theories about him going on secret missions and being a vigilante in the nearby city, but no one knew the truth except for him and I.
He'd kept our secret and Angus alive.
Zach POV – Present Day
Panic flooded me. How did she know? Had Joey told her? Regardless she knew something, and now so did our whole class. I was on my feet before Grant or Jonas could get to me. I was gone before they even got to the door.
Finding Joey was easy. I motioned with my head to an empty class. Soon we were the only two inside. He looked a little scared. I must have been livid.
They were the only words I could get out, "What did you tell your sister?"
I believed him when he answered. His eyes were stunned and confused. "Nothing. I swear nothing!"
If I wasn't worried about all the boys in the hall I would have shouted, "Well she knows! How could she have found out?! To top that all off, she basically announced to my whole class that I broke your arm!"
His face fell. I could almost see the words of my mother running through his eyes. "Anyone who you are stupid enough to tell will be killed!"
"Please Zach," His voice was cracking at the edges. "Please don't hurt her. Please. I'll talk to her. I'll make sure she stays quiet. Please don't kill her. I promise I didn't tell her!" His eyes started to glaze over. "I'll make this go away, I promise. Just please leave her out of this."
I didn't know what else to do than to give him a chance. I didn't want to kill her, even if she slugged me. I didn't want to do this at all. I just wanted to be a normal Blackthorne boy. I didn't want to have to be her "Inside Little Man." But what else was there for me?
My voice was steady, "Make it go away Joey."
