Chapter 6

"Clearly you are not doing your job!"

"Anna-"

"I was told the situation was being handled. She is still a child! I thought the idea was to keep her safe. If we can't do that the way things are, why have you not come up with another solution? What about relocating or-"

Kim tore her eyes from the tense scene unfolding in her kitchen.

Jack has stormed into her house unannounced, yelling for Kim. Anna had found him first and by the time Kim was downstairs, the kitchen was full of those men from before, her red-in-the-face mother, and a stone-faced Jack.

"What happened, Jack?"

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, his eyes roaming Kim's body in a way that made her squirm. She didn't like the look he was giving her, it made her feel uneasy like she was in the wrong place in her own home.

"I was just taking a nap… Why did you come charging in? And why is mom yelling like I've been killed or something?"

"You know how you asked me to get your folder from your locker?"

Kim nodded. Was that it? It didn't make sense. Jack wouldn't have come so quickly just to hand her a folder. And her mom certainly would not be making such a fuss over it.

"When I opened your locker there was a note inside. It was a… special kind of note. A bad kind."

Kim didn't understand. Somebody had slipped a note in her locker? Frank? Some freshmen prank? What was the big deal?

"Give me your lunch money or else?" Kim questioned, anticipating laughing off whatever teenage threat there was. Things were way too serious right now, they could all use the laugh.

Jack didn't laugh or smile. "No, like… like a death threat bad."

"What- What do you mean 'death threat?' Like 'nobody likes you, loser' kind of 'death threat?'"

"No," Jack swallowed, "like a death threat. A murderer's note."

"But," Kim shook her head, her throat closing in on itself.

Why?

"What does it say?" Kim finally asked, wanting to see for herself what was intended for her. She was curious and had never yet encountered a threat she didn't or couldn't handle.

When Jack didn't answer, she frowned. "Where is it?"

Jack pointed to Agent Alston, at whom her mother was currently screaming.

Interrupting the pair, Kim stood between them.

"Can I see?"

"No."

"Absolutely not."

The answers came immediately.

"B-"

"No!" Alston answered more forcefully, causing Kim to retreat slightly.

"Don't snap at her!" Anna retorted, pulling Kim towards her.

"I'm sorry if I hurt her feelings but I think she's got a heck of a lot more to worry her than a raised voice!"

"You're right, and you're the reason she even has to worry about it!"

"Don't you accuse me of threatening her! My job is to protect her. I do not create these situations, I handle them!"

"Then handle this!" Anna raised her hand to wave it accusingly towards Alston.

What caught Kim's eye was the paper she was clutching in her fist.

"What does it say, mom?"

Kim's voice was quiet but it silenced the room.

"It's… graphic, Kim."

"You can't keep shielding her like this!" Alston accused. "She's 17. Not too long ago she would already be wearing the c-"

"Enough!" Anna interrupted. "I don't care what would have been not too long ago. She is a child. I raised her, I know what is best for her! Perhaps I should call about having someone else sent."

Alston sighed. "There is no need for that. I… apologize. I was being insensitive."

Anna seemed to cool down as well. "Yes," she agreed "-but you are doing your job. It's just difficult for me to watch all of this."

Kim looked back and forth between the two. "Will someone tell me what it says? Please?"

Kim wasn't eager to see a threat on her life, but she knew so little of what was happening, if she could know this she would feel slightly better.

Alston looked to Anna for permission, nodding in acknowledgment when Anna shook her head no.

"I'm afraid it is not in my authority to tell you, Kim," Alston apologized. "I must say, you should feel grateful to be spared the details. I'm not sure how much longer you'll have the privilege."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Again, Alston looked to her mother for permission.

"Just tell me!" Kim pleaded.

Her mother stared at Kim. She seemed to be debating it, really thinking about it.

She stared for a minute. For one entire minute, Kim stood in silence, waiting for an answer.

As the second minute neared, Anna shook her head. "I can't," she whispered. "I can't, Kim. I love you, so much. I can't do this to you," she cried, pulling Kim into a tight embrace.

"Mom?"

Anna just held stronger.

"Mom?" Kim tried again. "I'm okay," she reminded her mom. Perhaps she was just worried about the note? Now Kim was really curious.

"Anna," Alston intercepted another minute later. "We should go…" he trailed off as he gestured to the clock.

Anna nodded and allowed Kim to slip out of her arms.

"Can I come?" Kim asked, not sure where they were going or why, but nonetheless eager to be a part of it.

"No. We have an emergency meeting but Kim," Anna began firmly. "Stay here. I understand you were tired at school and we will talk about your leaving later, but this is important. You must stay here, okay? Jack can keep you company if he wants. But you are not to leave."

Kim frowned up at her mom, but Anna didn't budge. "Okay?" she repeated.

"Okay," Kim mumbled.

"Promise me, Kimberly. I'm not kidding around," Anna insisted.

"I promise," Kim said, not feeling the depth of it.

"Good girl. Jack," Anna said, turning to the boy who had been awkwardly standing to the side. "Would you like to stay? Once we leave no one is coming in or out until we come back."

One look at Kim had Jack answering. "I'll stay."

Anna nodded. "Alright, I'll see you soon, Kim."

Kim gave a weak goodbye as she watched the two walk out, leaving Kim and Jack behind.

When the door closed and Kim was sure they were gone, she turned to Jack. "I don't suppose you'll tell me what the note said?"

Jack frowned. "This is one thing I think I have to side with your mom on. If she doesn't want you to see then I'm going to respect that."

Kim wanted to be angry at Jack. He was her best friend for crying out loud! Somehow, though, she couldn't be mad. It was as if he really cared about her. Not just in an I-like-you-I-hope-you-don't-die-anytime-soon kind of way, but something much deeper. He really cared about her.

"I won't tell your exactly what it said," Jack continued. "But I won't keep you in the dark."

Kim's heart blossomed. Jack knew her. He really knew her.

"It said somebody has been watching you. They wanted to talk with you after school. There were instructions on where to go and threats if you didn't do as it said. The only reason you made it home today was because you left early. I don't think whoever it was expected you to leave halfway through the day so they weren't prepared. They must not have seen you leave."

"And you won't tell me what it said?" Kim tried, knowing she was pushing her luck. As much as Jack knew Kim and that she didn't like being left out, Jack also cared about her and wouldn't hurt her. The note was evil and wicked and to know that the words on that paper were directed towards yourself would give anyone nightmares. Jack could never give Kim that kind of fear.

"No," Jack sighed.

"Well, thank you for telling me that much…"

Jack nodded along and suddenly there was an awkward silence between the pair.

"So…" Jack began, his curiosity getting the best of him. "How are you feeling?"

Kim shot Jack a look and he backed up. "Right. Stupid question… Do you want to do something or go back to taking your nap or…"

Kim realized suddenly that they had the entire house to themselves until her mom got back, which would likely not be for a very long time. She smirked at the possibilities.

"Mario Kart?" she asked innocently.

"Heck yeah," Jack agreed, following Kim to the living room.

Kim grinned as she set up the game. She didn't play video games often, but when she did, she played Mario Kart. She was surprisingly good at it too.

They started off with an easy course, Jack had hand-picked it. Kim didn't tell him it used to be her favorite course or that she used to play her dad on it every night for three months straight when she was 11.

Soon, the house was filled with shouts.

"That's the sixth red shell this lap! How have you gotten nothing?"

"I just sent a blue shell, how did you dodge that?"

"Baby Peach just ran over me!"

"You couldn't lap me if my remote was out of batteries!"

Then, "How do you manage to fall off a cliff backward?"

"It was a narrow bridge!"

"You were a bullet!"

The time flew by and only when Kim stopped to go to the bathroom and Jack looked at his phone did he realize the time. School was over by now, and he and Kim had texts from the guys asking where they were and if they were going to practice.

"Crap."

"Actually, I just peed. No crapping."

Jack jumped at the sound of Kim's voice.

"No, dummy, Jerry just asked if we were going to practice. Last time I checked, you were on house arrest."

"Crap."

Jack nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

"Well…" Kim began, already scheming in her mind, "maybe we could sneak out…"

"I don't think you should, Kim," Jack advised. Just because he didn't want to scare Kim with the note didn't mean he wasn't scared by the note. "Not after what has happened. I'm still with your mom."

"Well we can't both be gone from the dojo, they're going to ask questions!" Kim folded her arms frustratingly. "What if you go?"

Jack glanced towards the door. "I don't want to leave you alone. Plus didn't your mom say nobody was going in or out? Including me?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "They can't stop you. You're not the one in danger, just me. Nobody will notice you're gone until they're back and they won't care as long as I don't go."

Jack hesitated and decided to peek out of the front windows. Out in the street, he spotted another utility truck and what looked like a small device facing the front door. It would not have been noticeable, had Jack not been looking, but it was clearly a camera.

"What was that about nobody noticing?"

Kim followed Jack's gaze and saw the obviously CIA van guarding her house. Of course, her mom hadn't left her unprotected after everything that had happened. Of course there were eyes on Kim, the house, and their surroundings this whole time.

"Well, what are we supposed to tell the guys?"

Jack shrugged. "The truth?"

Kim smacked Jack for that.

"I'm being serious! You know we aren't supposed to tell them about any of this. I don't want to make them targets as well. Be serious."

"I am," Jack argued. "Tell them we were out together and we couldn't make it. We are playing Mario Kart so it wouldn't be a lie."

Kim still didn't love the idea, but it was the best and only one they had. Jack sent the text and then sat with Kim at the table as they waited for the response.

Rather than a text, the response came in the form of a call.

"Hello?" Jack answered.

"Jack!" Jerry yelled, loud enough that Kim could hear the conversation even before Jack put it on speaker. "What do you mean 'we got caught up, sorry. We won't be able to make it today'?"

"We lost track of time," Jack shrugged. Kim was thankful Jack was a much better liar than she was.

"We…" Jerry repeated. "You mean you and Kim?"

"Yeah…"

"You're on a date!"

"No!" Kim yelled.

"Yes!" Jack agreed.

"Jack!" Kim hissed. "Cut it out!"

"Is that her?" Jerry asked. Jack could practically hear the smirk. "She fighting with you? You tryna whip her into shape? Good luck with that one, man!"

Kim's eyes bulged as she sent Jack a meaningful glare. It was bad enough Jack agreed they were on a date—they weren't—but now Jerry was being… Jerry about it.

"Hold on, Jerry," Jack said, pulling the phone away from his ear and muting the microphone.

"Why did you say we were on a date!" Kim demanded.

"So he stops asking questions!" Jack hissed back quickly, unmuting the call. "We are on a date."

All they could hear was shouting from the other end as soon as the words left Jack's mouth. Hanging up, Jack gave Kim the most innocent look he could manage. "Rainbow road?"

Kim looked down at Jack's phone and for a moment she really struggled. Then she saw Jack's face and gave in. "You're on."

hey guys. like i said so many weeks ago, updates will not be regular hehehe. Sorry i left the last chapter so abruptly. I've just been busy writing other things (like the one-shots) and also I moved back to college so classes and moving in and readjusting my entire schedule has been a little crazy. But i just finished my first week back and it went well so here is to another year of school.

Also, I got a library card because I'm taking a class where I will have to read a lot of children's books and I got the card, walked out of the library, and then immediately walked back in and stayed there for an hour because the vibes were too good. Go to the library for the vibes. Trust me.