- - - - - - - - - - - - Secrets - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next few weeks became very busy for Seth. He still hadn't decided whether he liked Trenton's presence or not, though being associated with him, however indirectly, prevented much confrontation with the wrestling team from occurring. The only thing that bothered him was how much Trenton was now appearing at the Plummer house. He almost might as well move in, with all the time he spent with Zoe. Once, Seth even found the older boy poking around his room. What could he want there?
Then there was the play. Seth had nabbed the role of Jack, his first decisive lead. Reese would be both Sarah and one of the chorus newsies. With her background, she was also asked to work closely with the choreographer on how much of the dance numbers could be used from the movie.
Choreography. That bit alone seemed to take up all of the cast's time. The cast of the movie had trained for weeks before filming. This school production would be over in two months. On top of the routines, Seth had lines and songs to memorize, including an entire number to himself. And they still expected him to go to school?
"Okay, take it one more time. Five, six, seven, eight," Reese rapped out. She counted beats at half-speed from her spot in "Seize the Day" while the entire group reviewed a section of the dance. Some of the more coordinated ones mouthed the words for reference. It was all Seth could do not to trip over his own feet. Though his abilities had steadily improved since his first theatre experience, some of the moves taken from the movie were insane. How in the world were they going to pull this off? And dancing wasn't his only worry.
"Let's work the finale a little before we wrap up for the day," Shauna called from the seats. "Start from Jack's last entrance."
Seth groaned inwardly as everyone jostled to their places. This was his least-favorite scene in the history of shows he'd participated in. It was the only section of dialogue that hadn't been done with the entire cast present, and which he dreaded performing in front of anyone—he had to kiss Reese.
Why was this so difficult? Everything they'd worked on had lent itself to fully becoming the character, but he mentally stopped short of this moment every time. To his incredible luck, however, the focus this time was more on the crowd around them and their places within it than the blocked action. I just can't; what if she doesn't think it's just acting? It wouldn't be right.
Even so, he couldn't have survived without Reese's help. She coached him on memorization and acting techniques, drawing on her greater experience without an attitude of superiority. Despite his anxiety over the impending show, Seth had to admit he was growing comfortable around Reese. It was as easy to be himself as it was to get into character. Private rehearsals brought her to the Plummers' practically as much as Trenton came with Zoe. But he never expected anything of the two newcomers meeting face-to-face.
On the surface, it would seem that they'd never seen each other before. But there was some kind of unspoken tension between them, a stiffness that neither had displayed around anyone else. Seth didn't know why it made him so uneasy.
"Is there something you've got against Trenton?" he asked Reese one day as they headed up to his bedroom. Normally they got the living room to themselves, but today it was taken for Shane's surprise birthday party. "I mean, I know he's brainy and seems to know what you're thinking, but you get used to 'im."
Reese thought hard, and then shrugged. "I dunno. Sometimes just get a bad feeling offa someone. So, this is your room?"
"Yeah, it's a bit messy, 'cause I wasn't planning on coming up here." Seth grimaced, attempting half-heartedly to pick up a few stray clothes.
"I'm not exactly a neat freak, either. Hey, cool clock."
"Thanks, my dad gave it to me before…before his last trip. Said it was special."
Reese's gaze snapped around to meet Seth's. "He did? How so?" Seth saw the tiniest flicker of a deeper attentiveness that had just switched on. Why was she so suddenly interested?
He shrugged it off. "Didn't say."
"Oh." She went back to studying the clock, running her fingertips lightly over it. They paused, ever so slightly, on the right side. Then she dropped the hand to her pocket. "Could I, uh, hit the head real quick before we start? It's kind of urgent." Her face went pink with embarrassment.
"Oh, um, sure, up ahead. It's across the hall." Seth felt just as awkward. When he heard the bathroom door shut, he crossed the room and checked out the clock for himself. It was metallic blue and silver, equipped buzz alarm, radio, and MP3 plug-in. On the right side was the emergency battery socket, which had lost its cover not too long ago. He had never bothered to put a battery in, anyway. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Seth shrugged, and retrieved his script from his backpack. No further comments were made about the clock when Reese returned, so he put it out of his mind.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"…Happy Birthday to you!"
Shane rolled his eyes bashfully at the applause before hugging each of the Plummers in turn. Seth made sure to promptly introduce Reese, who had been given permission to stay. Trenton had bowed out with apologies about other engagements.
"Reese, eh?" Shane said as he shook the girl's hand. "I hear you're making quite the splash in the musical scene, from reliable sources." He smiled endearingly over his shoulder at Claire.
"Yessir," Reese answered briskly.
"Hey, no need for the 'yessirs' here; I'm supposed to be retired. Please, call me Shane." Yet the ex-SEAL's voice seemed a bit tighter.
Reese nodded, though she said nothing else. Her manner wasn't rude or untrusting, but it wouldn't have looked out of the place in a military school. Then she turned and grinned at Seth, appearing to be her old self again. Maybe she was acting for Shane's benefit.
The party was a small, family affair. Lulu played a song she'd learned on the piano. Peter showed off the artwork he'd done in his preschool class, and Zoe was badgered into reading a poem that had won second place in the school competition. Seth turned down the uproarious calls for a preview performance, saying they'd all have to wait and see the whole thing.
Soon, however, the younger boys were nodding off, and Claire had an early staff meeting the next day.
"Well, thank you guys again," said Shane. "I have to say I didn't see it coming. Seth, I'll see you in two weeks, and—"
A loud thud came from upstairs. Seth looked around. Everyone in the house was still crowded around the door. Already Shane was running full-tilt for the stairs, with, of all people, Reese at his heels.
"Reese, wait!" Seth shouted. He tore after them. What did she think she was doing? And who wanted to break into the house this time?
The intruder was in Seth's bedroom, dressed in black all the way up to the ski mask, hastily picking up a thick, black case. Reese's backpack lay spilled out where it had been tripped over. Seeing he was discovered and outnumbered, the would-be thief abandoned the case for a safe and hasty escape.
"Shane?" called Seth's mom.
The ex-SEAL watched the retreating figure cross several lawns and out of view. "All clear." Everyone promptly stampeded up to join them.
"What was that all about, Shane?"
"What did they want this time?"
"Please don't leave us!"
"Do'ya think they'll come back?"
Shane raised a hand to stem the flow of sound. "Let's take a minute to calm down, here. Someone close the window. Now, I'm not sure what that was all about, but—"
"We should tell them, Shane."
Seth spun around. Reese was standing near the nightstand, holding the discarded case. "Reese? Whaddo you mean?"
"That's not necessary here," Shane ordered. But he was glaring at Reese, not Seth.
"Why not? They've seen it for themselves now anyway," the slight girl argued.
"You're a creative person. I'm sure you could've found plenty of inventive ways to keep your cover—before you made it so obvious, anyway."
"What cover?" Seth demanded.
Reese sighed, shot Shane a Look that plainly said, "Don't you say a word," and unzipped her black jacket. She was wearing her CIA shirt again.
"You know how reverse psychology works? You put the truth in plain sight when it should be your closest guarded secret. Stupid, right? That's what your opponent thinks. So he's searching deep for whatever hidden clue is actually right in front of his face—I work for the CIA.
"For the past six months, we've been trying to get ahead of a mastermind bent on snatching the world's most sophisticated computer. Several government scientists built a prototype some years ago, which was kept in possession of the project's leader. We've come to believe that leader was your dad. That means it's still somewhere in this house, and judging by what we just witnessed, I think I might know where to look."
She turned the case over, slipping it onto Seth's clock. It fit perfectly. "This guy, whoever he is, knew what he was after."
"You gotta be kidding," spluttered Seth. His dad hid a lot of stuff around the family, but giving him a super computer? Seth wouldn't trust himself with something like that.
Reese picked up the clock and pulled layers of some opaque tape from the right side. Then she turned it so the others could see. Several clearly-marked buttons were now visible inside the battery slot. Seth's mouth fell open.
"This is the most advanced system on the face of the planet," Reese explained. "No firewall or amount of computer protection in existence can stop it. Companies, governments, militaries…the most secure places possible would be sitting ducks if this landed in the wrong hands." Silence greeted this for several moments.
"So whaddo we do now?" Seth finally asked. "I mean, it's obviously not safe here in my bedroom anymore."
"No, it's not. As soon as I get home, I'll contact my supervisor about having the CIA pick it up. In the meantime, it'll be in the possession of my handler."
"Your handler?"
"Yeah—Shane, actually," Reese gestured to the ex-SEAL. "They dragged him out of retirement because he's worked with you guys before. I'll take all the intelligence I can get. Plus, if I get into trouble, I've got someone close by on the outside to cover my butt." She smiled at Shane, who returned it, somewhat sarcastically. Seth had the impression that he had not taken the job quietly.
"Well, it's not helping anything to stand here," Shane said in an obvious effort to cut the moment short. "Let's pack it up—I think your mom has a spare clock in the closet, to replace this one, Seth—and we'll see where to go from there."
So Shane led the way downstairs with the now-full case. Reese took a little longer, packing up her school bag. Now that the initial shock about the disguised computer was over, Seth felt a wave of indignity hit him.
"So all of this was just for a mission. Bit elaborate, isn't it, everything with school?" he asked Reese, who wouldn't look at him. "The stuff you're involved with, the friends you made…I guess the only reason you buddied up with me was to get your hands on that computer. How do you find time to keep this up and chase a nutcase?"
"Because that's where he is," Reese said tonelessly, even businesslike. She continued to keep her eyes down. "This guy isn't an adult; he's a teenage genius. We got the tip a couple months ago that he was heading out here. Schools have been his cover of choice."
"Then I was just 'a part of the mission.' All of the time we spent together was just so you could find this thing before he does."
"I'm an agent. It's my job. These things come with a price, Seth."
"And meanwhile you're letting me think what I want about it all? You really are an amazing actress. I thought for once that someone wanted to be my friend, that I wasn't totally invisible to the normal world. Do you know what it's like to think that about someone, and then find out it's all a lie?"
Reese jerked up to face him at last. Her eyes were blazing, but not with anger. "Yes, I do. Maybe more than you know. I became an agent because both of my parents were agents. They're dead now. Making friends isn't an option when they can double-cross you just as easily. I learned that the hard way, Seth. It haunts me to this day, playing over and over in my head. I never meant to hurt you. But like I said, I don't get a choice in having friends. Being an agent sometimes means being alone."
Seth realized that her cover had turned out to serve more than one purpose. It had allowed her to track this kid…and also allowed her a rare chance to be a kid herself, if only for a few weeks. Except now she was torn between the two.
"I wanna help, in whatever way I can," he told her.
"I'm not sure that's possible. You don't know what this guy does to get what he wants."
"Behind the scenes, then, moral support, I dunno! I'll do anything you or they ask me. Just don't shut me out. You pretended to have a friendship, and got a real one. What if I could understand more than you think? You're not alone this time."
Reese didn't answer for several moments. "I'll have to see," she finally conceded. "First I have to discuss the next step with my supervisor. Though this won't mean skipping play practice." Her smile was the first genuine gesture since the argument began. "I gotta go. School tomorrow, and my ride's leaving soon. See you then?"
"Of course," Seth replied. His own grin surfaced as inspiration crossed his mind. "Carryin' the banner, like always."
"Carrying the banner," Reese echoed, also still smiling, and left the room.
Seth flopped onto his bed, feeling suddenly so drained. He couldn't help but wonder who had double-crossed Reese, and what exactly they did to her to make her feel like she had to be so callous.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Reese was unprepared for what waited in her bedroom, yet at the same time knew it was inevitable. In any case, she closed the door and made it halfway across the dark room before the voice spoke.
"If I had any sense, I would shoot you right now," it hissed from a corner behind her.
"Well apparently you haven't had any all night, trying to sneak into a well-lit house full of people," Reese shot back, though not loudly enough to be heard outside of the room. "You didn't say that you'd already figured out where it was. Nearly blew everything! Luckily, I got away with just telling them the CIA part."
"Good. Nothing truly valuable was lost, then."
"Your antics could cost me my job!" A thought struck Reese. "And you, your little advantage. I guess it'd be too bad for—" Further comments were silenced as she felt something round and cool on the back of her neck.
"You forget, Agent Bryant, that your life belongs to me. I spared it three years ago, and I can just as easily take it back. I own you."
Reese sniffed derisively. "Too bad by now I know you wouldn't do it. I'm too valuable a source of information—inside information. Would you risk not being able to replace that?" She was being bold, but still couldn't entirely block the fear from her voice.
"My, my, we have gotten presumptuous. You see, once I have that super computer, inside information will be a thing of the past," the voice sneered coldly. "And so might you, if you keep this attitude up. Of course, there are much worse fates than that of your parents."
Furious tears surfaced almost before Reese could hold them back. "You know, you never did carry out your part of the bargain. Even these days, when you still say—"
"And yet you still follow. It's your own mess you've gotten into. Your fault, your problem. Not mine. What's the CIA's next step, now that you've secured the computer?"
"I haven't been able to notify them yet…imagine that. Most likely it'll take a couple weeks or so to line up transportation to Washington, between paperwork, priorities among the brass, and the fact that my age doesn't exactly carry much leverage."
"Pity."
"But there are ways to slip past those defenses, of course. They rely more on technology than personnel these days…"
"Thank you. Once again, you have earned your value…for now. Make sure you assist in that transaction. I will, of course, hear of all final details, right, Agent Bryant?"
"I could just do the snatch for you," Reese stammered. "Why risk exposing yourself at the most critical moment?" She stiffened as the cool gun barrel pressed harder into the back of her neck.
"You never were as convincing an actress when under such stress. Let me rephrase this—if you and I aren't both present for this hand-off, I may be led to believe that the computer is still concealed elsewhere. Say, with your friends, the Plummers. And I might slip up in my determination to succeed this time. No, you will follow my orders exactly as I give them to you. All of them."
Reese hung her head in defeat. The voice chuckled. "There's a good agent. Now, I'm afraid this little chat will have to close for the night. I will expect to hear from you very soon. Don't think I won't be watching in the future. Good night." And without another sound, he crept out through the window.
The adrenaline rush of the encounter finally left Reese exhausted. She sank to the thick carpet where she was, hugging her knees, letting her tears flow freely. Seth could never understand this, not even if she told him everything.