Nellie: And the chapter eleven's gon' be a rocker! And it's gon' rock! And it's gon'-
Amy: Dan, what is Nellie singing?
Dan: Oh, nothing. Just a song she made up about the next chapter.
Amy: You mean chap eleven?
Dan: Yup.
Amy: How? Has she read it?
Dan: *nod*
Amy: But how did-
Nathan: Oh yea! Sing with me, Nellster!
Nellie and Nathan: We read chap eleven. We hacked 'em from slurpie97's laptop. She don't no own the 39 Clues but she does own The Aftermath! And yo better watch out 'cause chap 11's gon' be about AMMIIIIIAAAAAANNN!
Nathan: *imaginary guitar*
Nellie: Oh yea! Shred that guitah, Nathan! Weeeew!
Ian: Can't a superstar get his very much needed beauty sleep around here? Hello?
Jonah: I second the motion, homie.
Me: Ayyay yay!
Boss, you might wanna check these out. -N
Ian received the message in his mail. Upon reading, he sat up straight. Nathan rarely got excited over things. And depending on his letter, he definitely seemed excited. Ian, as a Lucian, should know things like this.
He downloaded the file and extracted it, a tingly feeling rushing through his whole body. He knew this feeling. He usually experienced this before a business meeting and usually, he always ends up victorious with a very successful deal. So now, he regarded it as a good thing.
As the extraction had completed, he gaped at all the documents which had been sent to him. He has seen horrible things in the Lucian database. He saw "planned accidents", strategies of certain Lucian war leaders, concoctions which could render a man dead in a minute, and blueprints of apocalyptic weapons. As a child, he had ignored all these, thinking that they were all essential to Father and Mother's work. He had understood them all for he underwent training fit for a college student at a very young age. The difference was that the lessons were far more sinister and devious. But now, as Ian sat in front of the master monitor, he couldn't make his jaw close by itself.
There was one file which contained hundreds of documents. This folder read, Lionhead Forest Headquarters.
"What's that?"
Ian nearly doubled over. The voice was Amy's, and until Nathan's message, her conversation with Evan was what dominated his mind.
"Ian, you alright?" she now held on to the back of his chair.
Ian rubbed his jaw and nodded. He fumbled through his mind for something to say but all he could think of was, Did you break up with Evan because of me?
"Is that a Vesper file?" Jake asked from beside him.
Then again, Amy and Evan had talked about Jake too.
"Yes. It is," Ian said, opening the folder. "My agent came through. He sent me just one folder for safety purposes. But he had assured me that more had been retrieved."
Jake's lips curved up and he smiled. Ian frowned at him. He is almost as good-looking as Ian Kabra.
"'Sector Booby Traps'?" Amy read. "'Forest Blueprint', 'Animal Biodiversity', 'Secret Cabins',… Ian, what are all these?"
Ian ignored her. He quickly clicked on Sector Booby Traps and he found himself opening up several documents. Pictures flashed by. His blood was now rushing quickly. Such technology! Certain triggers camouflaged in the forest could easily trick even a trained spy. These triggers activate arrows, darts, quick sands, wake ferocious animals up, and more. In certain parts of the forest are land mines concealed in the ground. There are genetically engineered animals, and robotic ones too. Within the forest are hidden microphones and cameras which can pick any movement, and conversation up.
"The forest is a Vesper territory," Atticus muttered.
They were all silent, the pause deafeningly irritating and frightening. For within the silence, Ian's mind conjured several images: images of arrows shooting the hostages as they cluelessly step on a hidden button; young Phoenix Wizard getting bitten by a silent snake programmed with a lethal poison which kills a person numbly, not letting them feel the pain in his sleep; Nellie Gomez eating an endemic and poisonous berry; Reagan Holt underestimating mosquitoes; Fiske Cahill wandering into the wrong places; Alistair Oh running for his cane in an unexpected ambush; Ted Cahill, left all alone; and Natalie Kabra playing with colorful butterflies which have dangerous wings.
The Tomas and Lucians arriving too late.
"How could they?"
Ian turned and he saw Sinead Starling standing by the door. She was a complete mess. Her hair was messed up, her clothes all wet and clinging to her skin. Her eyes were red, and so with her cheeks and nose. When she saw them all though, she ran her fingers through her hair and it straightened a bit. She walked to Ian's unit and grabbed the mouse. She started browsing through all the files, her sky blue eyes, which had turned to the color of thunderclouds, then burning with fire. Her hands were typing on the keyboard so fast that her fingers were a blur. Ned cast his eyes downwards, his expression unreadable. Obviously, he was worried about Ted, and his being exposed in the enemy's territory. Now, he must also be worried about his sister's sanity.
Jake stood beside Sinead, his face filled with confusion. "Sinead, what are you doing?"
"What else?" she growled. "I'm gonna destroy the traps they put in the forest."
"What?" Jake exclaimed. "They'll be able to track the source down! Just wait for the SuckerWare to take effect."
"I studied your ware and it won't destroy the ones in the forest. That SuckerWare of yours will fry only the gadgets in their base," she was looking at Jake then. "The range is so pathetically small!"
"I am currently designing a ware to take care of that-" Atticus said.
"And when will you be done with it?" Sinead snapped. "When Ted's already buried? Oh, wait. Them guys won't even find his body 'cause the worms would be done with it already."
"Sinead!" Amy shouted.
Sinead laughed cruelly. "And maybe, after they're done with him, they'll move on to Phoenix's."
Jonah's head snapped to Sinead. He stood up, his hand reaching for the phone by his belt. He had installed a homing device there which will alert Janus agents to rush to where he is at just the push of a button. He flexed his fingers, and they dangerously loomed over his pants.
Sinead shook Amy's hands away. "And guess what? Maybe Fiske and Alistair will be killed too. And you know how they'll be killed?" She looked at Ian who was fiddling with the keyboard. He returned her glare and his hands froze. "Nat the Vesper will slice their throats open!"
Then, Jake restrained her, wrapping both his arms around her waist. She wiggled to get free. She screamed, cried, and called Ted's name. She shouted words which must not be heard by a child. She pulled on her hair, threatening them to fall off with the force she's applying. Then, she cursed people. She cursed Vesper One, Casper, Cheyenne, her parents, and Hamilton Holt.
Then, Ned started to scream.
He dropped to the floor, clutching his head and curling into a ball. His screams were bloodcurdling, especially as it reverberated through the room. One could almost see his head split in two. His veins stood out on his temples and neck, his hands fiercely pushing his head and his eyes closed so tightly. Tears continuously streamed down his eyes, and they snaked into his shirt and hair.
Evan ran to him and pulled him up to a sitting position, rubbing his back gently. Meanwhile, Sinead was still muttering senseless things, her thunderous eyes glowing with ferocity. Her red hair was flaming all around her, like fire. Right now, she looked like an uncontrolled flame. A flame which could swallow everything in just the blink of an eye.
Then, Amy slapped the back of her hand across Sinead's face.
Everyone was silent. Ian had his eyes shut, and his lips were moving. Jonah dropped his hands to his sides, forgetting about the phone. Atticus was now pushed up against the wall, his face pale. Dan murmured words of reassurances to him but Atticus just shook his head, his large eyes never leaving Sinead. Evan was pushing a glass of cold water to Ned's lips, and he drank willingly. Even though Jake was behind Sinead, his arms wrapped around her stomach, he was looking away, as if scared of Amy.
And Amy, well, she gave the word nightmare a new meaning.
Her eyes were red but she was not crying, nor were there evidence of tears. Her jade eyes were the color of dead plants: gray and green, wilting and weak. Her expression was stony and firm, her attention trained on Sinead alone.
"How could you, Sinead?" Amy muttered.
"For stating a fact, Amy?" Sinead replied.
Amy shook her head and grabbed Sinead's shoulders, forcing her to look at her. "For throwing your hope away."
Sinead weakly chuckled. She was looking at her feet, her head tilted to the side. A frightening smile formed on her face. "I'm being realistic."
"We are Cahills, Sinead."
"The very damn reason why we are in this hellhole!" Sinead's voice thundered. "You know what? If only Ned, Ted, and I hadn't gone to the gauntlet back then, none of this would be happening to us. Perhaps my brothers would even be healed right now!"
Amy blanched. She looked at Sinead with a softer expression, her eyes slightly lighter than before. "If you hadn't gone to the gauntlet, we wouldn't have been friends."
At this, Sinead's head shot up, and slowly, her lips crept up into a smile. "You know what? I guess I wouldn't have cared."
Amy felt tears pool in her eyes. Immediately, she turned around so no one would see her. She breathed heavily, a feeling of pain shooting through her whole body. She then recalled all those moments before the kidnappings. Sinead, Amy, and Dan had lived like siblings in the manor, just laughing and playing the whole day through. Sinead would be able to develop a new gadget, and Amy would be the first to know about it. Dan would be the first to try it. They had been a cozy little family, Sinead being the big sister they never had.
"I think you need to go to your room," Amy murmured.
Jake then let go of Sinead's arms. At that moment, when she noticed Amy's back shaking, Sinead realized what she had just said. She felt a hundred tonnes of weight drop on her shoulders, and push her down to the ground. She had never made Amy cry before, not ever. They were best friends, spending every minute of the day they could with each other. They share information, and these they put to good use. They made a great team, and they had proved that during the quest to satisfy Vesper One's demands.
When did I change? Sinead asked herself.
"Amy," she reached for her best friend.
Amy shook her head and sniffed. "Go to your room, Sinead. You need to cool down."
With that, Amy walked out of the CCC and slammed the door behind her. Sinead turned to the master monitor in front of her and she saw her program there, unfinished. The cursor was blinking, awaiting the next letters to be typed. She looked at Ian who had then stood up. His expression was of pure disgust and anger. He glared at her, and with the grace of a snake, he walked to where Amy had gone. Jonah was leaning into the monitor which he was stationed at. He had headphones on and he was typing something.
"Jonah," Sinead called.
Jonah held a hand out to her, palm out. "Ames is right, 'cuz. Yo need to chill. 'Fore you cause anymore damage."
"What happened, Sinead?" Jake asked.
Sinead looked at Jake and saw that he was glancing at the monitor. She knows that he is a smart man. After all, he was the one who created the design in the first place. Now, he looked at the screen as if it was roaring at him, scaring him. She had considered the consequences of trying to hack into the Vesper system from the units in the CCC. Almost immediately, Vespers would storm into the mansion and abduct them all. And the hostages will never get out of Lionhead forest alive. If the Vespers won't get to them first.
Sinead let her head drop down. She wanted the tears to come but none did. Perhaps she had shed them all, over the little things. She freaked out when Hamilton went to the forest. But why did she? He had a right to do as he pleased. He is a man already, that she understands. He's no longer fourteen. And he was never her responsibility in the first place.
"I became a Cahill, Jake," she looked at him with sorrowful eyes. "I woke up."
Then, stooping down to where Ned was, she hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, still panting. They were both caked with sweat and tears, their clothes and hair wet. But they still were family, even if Sinead might have lost her connection to Amy because of that outburst of hers.
Jake stared at the program for a short while. Then, he turned around. "You're a brilliant person, Sinead," Jake muttered, fingering the keys. "I would appreciate it if you didn't throw that talent away."
Sinead sniffed one last time as she stood. Removing her brother's arms from her neck, she handed him over to Evan who led him to his room. Once they were gone, Atticus and Dan excused themselves from the Center.
"You woke up to a nightmare, Sinead," Jonah said from his place. "I am requesting you to wake up once again. Have some trust in us, please. Accept that we can do anything as the next generation of Cahills. Believe in our bond."
Jake sighed. All this drama was making even Jonah Wizard sappy. Just a few weeks into this mess they call family, and he'd lose his sanity too. He'd done his best to extract Atticus and himself from all this. But Atticus had insisted, saying that "It is my duty to guard whatever it is I should guard. And right now, what I feel up to guarding is their family".
"Believe in the Hammer," Jonah continued.
At this, Sinead looked up at him. She was silent for a while, her eyes restlessly wandering through the Center. The color had returned to her face, save for her eyes, which were still gray. Her hands were fisted at her sides, and her gaze directed to the tracking monitor which bleeped with several red and blue dots.
And she left.
Yay! Haha...four days? Sorry if it took so long...and I am so horrible! Before I updated, I watched A Walk to Remember. It was such a sweet and cute story...so sad, too. I just hate it when the movie's so different from the book. It happened horribly for The Hunger Games, though it worked for A Walk to Remember. And I am prayin', just prayin', that the 39 Clues The Movie will be AMAZING! Or else...OR ELSE!
I dunno...haha. JK.
-KTRose12: a very reasonable super power. And yeah...I've been thinking about Ted and Reagan's age gap...I think it's five years. Reagan's thirteen and Ted's eighteen...but I guess I have a thing for huge age differences when writing a story. It, like, proves that love is unconditional and that age doesn't matter. hehe...being dramatic now, I know. ^^ And with school, I think you just gave me another idea...mwahahaha!
-clara0414: to tell you the truth, I was actually waiting for your review. I was all like, "When I log in, and she has reviewed, I'll update. If not, I'll continue editing." So edit, edit...and finally, when I logged in again that time, and you still haven't reviewed, I just thought, "Just update. She'll review soon." And so I did. Ta-da! hehe. Ooh..interesting trick question, though...what's the answer? :*) And thanks a lot for saying that I'm improving. I'm pretty impressed, too. XD And kudos for you for actually liking suspense! I, for one, would detest the author if the story ended in such a cliffhanger...haha.
-nellieawesomegomez: a VERY good idea for super powers. I am also a fan of the elements...haha. And whoa...what I would give to be neighbors with the ODAIR! haha...
-BookwormGirl16: Yeah..the Teagan ship's a bit low on crew members...actually, it's calling on SS Deagan to spare some mates of theirs 'cause the deck's gettin' a bit filthy..:D And yeah...my son, Ian, is actually the COMPLETE opposite of Kabra...minus the part that girls go gaga over them. And I think I'm getting a lot of action story suggestions! I hope you guys like my fighting description style...
-Sadie A. Cahill: Wow...now that you mention it, Nat does remind me of Clove. Clove is superbly pretty, by the way. :))) And with the mating season and Teagan scene, I didn't notice that! Haha...what a coincidence. But just as Jamie Sullivan would say, "There are no coincidences."
-amianfreak19: ditto on hating Isabel! truly, deeply..
-addicted2reading9: oh wow...I didn't notice those...congratz to you for being an amazing analyzer! haha...and just as the others, I didn't notice that what the Ekat and Tomas were facing is a bear. I guess that even if an elephant will walk infront of me, I won't know that elephants actually existed in our province...XD and yes, dear friend, all those events are happening at the same time, just like the kidnappings. haha...
-blackraven88: well...that's convenient. And ironic! when I said that you were usually the first to review, this time, you were the last...oh well!
please keep on reviewing because the more people who review, the quicker I update! i don't exactly know why but...still. PLEASE REVIEW! O.o
~ .twihardtribute.