Chapter 21- Cammie's POV
I can't believe Mairi pulled it off. In two days we head towards France. But Mairi finds the need to look for her best friend during his week off of work, as of which there is only one day left. We're knee deep in this mission and we cannot back out now. No pressure, none at all. Never mind, lots but I have to keep calm. Zach hung his arm around my shoulder. "How are we going to find Chal?" I sighed.
"Piece of cake, leave that to me." Mairi said with a wave of a hand. "But we're going to need a place to stay while we're in France."
"I'll call Aunt Abby." I pulled the phone out of my pockets and dialed the Abby's number without looking. I always knew that the spy of a life would be eccentric but I never knew it'd start as a senior. Before the seventh ring she picked up. "What's up, Squirt?"
"Hi, do you know where we could stay in France?" I separated myself from Zach and walked north.
"What are the odds? I own a small villa in Orléans." Voices yelled on the other side in Portuguese. It seems convenient that everywhere I go someone's safe house (or just plain house) is nearby. Again there was more noise. "I don't keep spare keys though so just pick the lock."
"Where are you?!"
"Rio de Janeiro, it's the first senior's mission we're taking down a gang. I'm giving them a taste of what they're training for."
"Oh." I glanced at the busy street and the two jaywalkers. "How do I find your house?"
"It's a small villa and the only orange house you'll see for miles." I made a mental note of an orange house. "I found my POI call me if you need anything." (POI is Person of Interest.)
I hung up so that she can go back to work. Bex leads the way back to the private jet. I'm not sure if I will ever get used to the roomy seats. Bex and Zach and Grant and I thumb wrestled throughout the first fifteen minutes. Halfway through out the trip Liz kneels next to me excitedly with her computer balanced in her small hand. Macey warned me to read carefully. It was a biological chart starting with Ioseph Cavan ending with a man who was orphaned, William Dwyer. What does this have to do with anything? I'm pretty sure Liz read my brain.
"Mairi what's your last name?" Liz asked innocently. I shot her a meaningful look.
"Dwyer,"
"What was that thing about your dad again?" Macey wondered aloud, except she knew the answer already. "That mom and him don't get along."
"He's adopted! You know that Mace. The same way we have no blood relation whatsoever." The outburst made everybody look up. Oh, now I know.
"Ioseph Cavan is your great great-grandfather." I quipped. All this time she was working against her ancestors. Jonas lost his composure, his jaw dropped. Bex, Grant and Zach remained remorsefully silent.
"Who's he?"
Bex grimaced before she answered angrily. "He's the founder of the Circle of Cavan."
"This means that your great great-grandma," Mairi points at accusingly Macey. "killed my great great-grandfather." She laughed to make light because there was no joy. "Well isn't that great."
Two enemies later on become family. Nobody talked to each other again after that.
Time Skip
I've been in this tropical island far too many times than I would like to in truth. I saw the now familiar beat up wooden beach house and actually it has a homely air. Liz, Macey and Bex linked their arms with mine when we walked down the sidewalk. The cool breeze blew into our faces. Mairi stopped abruptly; she said lowly. "You guys can stay outside while I check on something quick."
"We're not mad at you." Jonas told her apologetically. "You know that right."
"Yeah, but I'm mad at him." Him being, you know, Ioseph Cavan. Next she opens the screen door. I unlinked my arms. As if on cue Grant, Bex, Liz, Jonas and Macey walked towards the beach. That's when Zach and I we left alone. He wore a smirk and his green eyes sparkled. I was whisked away.
"What are you doing?" I laughed.
"It's been a while since you smiled." Zach gladly pointed out. We crossed the street. His arm wrapped around my shoulder and his hand interlocked with mine. "What's on your mind?"
"He isn't my dad."
"There is only one way to find out. Either way I won't let the boys work for them." The grip grew stronger.
"They won't. Not for long" I assured him. I just doubt we can stop them soon enough. Suddenly my head whipped back at screaming. I calmed down though when I saw Grant dumping Bex and Macey in the water. "Come on. Need help?"
I approach my friends who were completely drenched and sitting down on the sand. They're being ridiculous. They held up their hands for help. When I reached out Bex and Macey pulled me in. Yes, very funny and Grant and Zach looked down at us amused. "Help me up, please any day now!" Macey floated up; she tried to push Grant in the water. Jonas quipped. "It's physically impossible to push him, don't bother."
"Fine." Bex and I splashed him.
Liz signals at him. "Your shirt's wet."
"No, stop it ha-ha. Leave me alone! Put me down" I realized this area makes people louder than the usual. Mairi squealed with two girls following and one boy lifting her potato sack style. She hugged them all bone crushingly before skipping across the street with hysterical laughter. She seemed high with laughter.
"I found him let's go."
"Where is he?"
"Where any teenage boy would be, a party", more social places.
Time Skip
Saying the place was a shack should have been an understatement except it wasn't. The revolving green blue and red lights shone brightly. Liz and Jonas stayed outside because parties aren't their kind of scene. The music is thumping in my ears. Bex, Grant and Mairi wandered off to find Chal so it's now Macey Zach and me.
"Can you please relax?" Zach asked.
"Yeah," Macey agrees "and I'm telling you the last things you need are worry lines."
"Wanna dance?"
I looked around at the people gyrating suggestively. Dancing seems very unlikely in this lifetime (unless it's for Culture and Assimilation). Macey smirked, she probably overheard. I glanced over my shoulder and smiled apologetically at Zach. "No thanks."
"You sure?"
"Very," I can't believe Zach suggested that. I leaned towards Macey and asked in awe. "Does everyone dance like this?"
She gave a regretful nod. "Look at who the devil found. I'm blind!"
Instinct or not I followed her gaze. That didn't prepare me for what I saw next. Through the sea of people in the far corner Mairi was dancing the same way as everybody else with Chal. And now they're walking over.
"You need me?" It's Chal. Damn he's fast.
"Yes." But Mairi said a sarcastic 'No' in unison. Grant and Bex came out of nowhere. The faster we're out here the better. Once we're outside Grant and Mairi go head over heels, I mean literally all gaga over a cherry red Ferrari. Chal's borrowed car, apparently.
"I worked on it with your mom this week." Chal mentioned. Mairi countered from under the hood. "Ma did most of it."
Grant whistled as he circled the car. "Your mom did this; you too?"
"A woman can do a paintjob and fix a motor." Liz defended women's abilities. "Grant knows that, it's Chal he's not sure about." Jonas innocently teased.
"Let's take it for a ride." Mairi suggests pulling out the car keys out of her best friend's pocket. Guess who knows no boundaries. "Who cares if the airport is walking distance?"
No one was opposed to that, especially the guys; even Jonas was perfectly fine with it. You do not pile up into a sports car every day you know. Bex looked at me and playfully rolled her eyes. Liz scooted next to me sighing. "Boys."
"And cars." Bex agrees.
"And boys with cars." I sum altogether.
Do what you do best! R&R!