Chapter 18 - Surrender

" My father sold weapons to criminals !?"

As I said those six words I could feel how my heart skipped a beat. Not only had the shock about not knowing his true identity hit me. Now I had to face the truth. My father was a rogue agent, arms dealer and betrayer.. Could that be the man who raised me? Could that really be my father?

" well. Yes.. but we assume he got tricked.. I don't have the whole story, only my boss's boss does.. "

" Then I want to talk to him!" I said, about to cry.

"Miss... You are a civilian.. " another agent said.

" MY FATHER WASN'T!"

" With all respect, you were never meant to know that... " Sam said, as if that was a excuse.

" Fine... tell me all you know then..."

" some think that when he quit FBI, reason unknown, he accidentally sold his first weapon to a bad guy.. and that bad guy , who we have no knowledge of, got him into trouble.. So he was almost forced to sell the rest to criminals... " he said. And when I didn't answer he continued." but he was never with them... all that time he gathered useful information about these VERY dangerous and "talented" criminals.. He designed his own computers where he put all information about his illegal customers, and other people he ran into. Information that is Very valuable to FBI . If we get that information we can catch these guys..."

"what does this have to do with me? And why did my dad visit a FBI hospital" I said, feeling like I was missing out on my fathers entire life.

"you're father died suddenly , am I correct?"

" y-yes.." I stuttered.

" He was poisoned... by someone called Radovano Tsikalo... that's all we know. The poison was Jorge own creation, on which he never got the time to make a cure for.. "

" he was poisoned by his own .. poison ?" I asked shocked. Is this some freaking action movie?!

"we don't know if he worked alone or had co workers, but when he got poisoned he called a friend of FBI and we took care of him.. but he wanted back home to his daughter so we had to let him go.."

" oh my god..." I said and remembered. One day he had come home with a fever, looking sick. But he had just told me he had been on a run and had to work. Then he was in his office 5 days in a row.

"6 days later we got the call that he had died... FBI found the house and cleaned up at the scene... but they found nothing"

" nothing? What were they expecting?"

" the computers! he designed his own computers and when FBI went searching in his office there

were nothing!"

" okay... so where do I come in ?!" I said, still not putting the pieces together.

" The threat Paul received was real.. but it was a bunch of childish idiots. They never planned to do anything.. But the guys that broke into your room, followed you and tried to kidnap you, They were the real guys. We don't know much but this is out theory:

They have planned to contact you to force you to give them your fathers computers, with all his creations and secret information files that will give them lifetime if FBI can get a hold of them. But they never knew if you really had the computer. If they took a chance they could risk getting caught for nothing. These guys are wanted all over the world, Vanessa! but when they saw FBI around you they became certain that we were protecting you BECAUSE of the computer! All they want is the computer... but they can't have it, do you understand? FBI needs it! so Vanessa... where is it?" he asked and now Every single agent looked at me.

"uh... I... he... FBI... "'

" I have told you everything now... now you have to tell me where the computer is ! THINK!" He said, and scared me by his eager. "Its all up to you now.. THINK!"

My head was a mess.. All this men looked at me curiously and it felt like they all leaned over me as I felt the walls close in on me. All thoughts and memories of my father flashed through my mind... all those days he spent in his office... especially that week before he died. Instead of telling her the truth he spent his last days creating more files and weapons. By the sound of her dad through Sam's mouth made me feel hate. Hate for a man that created weapons.. he never killed a man by pulling the trigger.. he just loaded the gun.. I wanted to throw up! Because even if I felt a sudden hate, I also felt my love for my father grow stronger. He must have had it really rough ! ..

Sam had walked closer and was still asking questions. Did he expect me to have any answers? I just found out my father was involved in all kinds of things! No, I needed to get out. Before I knew it I had started running up the stairs. Once I had reached the

first floor I saw Zac enter the house. Charles welcomed him and when they saw me they both looked at me worried, shocked and concerned.

"Vanessa... you're crying..." Charles said, worried.

I was? he was right.. I was... I hadn't even noticed, but now when he said it, I couldn't stop. I didn't want Zac to see me that way so I continued running up the stairs. I ran into my room and slammed the door.

Zac shook his head and walked down to the basement, pissed!

" SAM!" he yelled.

" In here" he answered.

" wha... woah, why are all gathered here?" he asked when he saw all the agents.

" well, I told miss Hudgens everything about the case that she needed to know.. and about Jorge Medina.. her father.."

" oh.." he said and understood why she had been crying.

" You didn't see her when she ran up?" Sam asked.

"no... Maybe she's with Charles... " he lied and left them. He walked straight up to Vanessa's room and knocked on the door..

" Charles?" I asked.

"No.. It's me"

"… come in" I said after hesitating.

Zac opened the door to find me sitting on my bed, looking at him.

" you were right... my dad was a agent... and a villain..." I said, still in shock.

Zac walked up to me , embraced me in his arms and laid down on the bed with me. His arm seemed fine.

" it was all lies... every day he lied to me..." I sobbed and rest on his chest.

" Schh... he did his job.."

" I'm tired of all "it's a agents job" ! What about those that get involved without being a agent?!

Doesn't their feelings count?!"

Somehow Zac got the feeling that she wasn't only talking about her father now...

" about that kiss.." Zac said and cleared his throat.

"please, say it tomorrow, I don't want to hear more bad news.." I said and shook my head. I just wanted to lay here for a while.

"bad news?"

" Yes, first I find out that my father lied my whole life, and that his friends were super villains! and now you are here to tell me that the kiss was a mistake and you have rules and I can't take that right now.." I said and took a deep breathe.

Zac shook his head, placed his hand on my chin and pulled my face towards his. He bent down and kissed me sweetly on my lips and the room stopped spinning. Everything was clear again and I felt safe in his arms. He pulled back and smiled at me

"I was going to say that we can't tell anyone.. and we can't be to obvious.. we have to hide it..."

" y...you don't think it was a mistake?" I said surprised. I had sort of prepared me for something else.

" I kissed you, remember? I don't make mistakes " he said and smiled. I happily kissed him one more time before cuddling closer to him.

" can you stay ?"

" only for a while.."he said and kissed the top of my head.

I nodded easily and yawned.. It was so nice to just lay there, listening to his heartbeats.. it calmed me and also made me sleepy. Zac remembered what Sam had told him a few days earlier:

"I understand you and once this case is closed you can see her all you want"

His smooth fingers running slowly through my hair. His heartbeat pounding through his muscular chest. His scent and his calm voice , telling comforting words..It was all like a drug to me.. before I knew it I had closed my eyes and immediately fell asleep...I had forgot to ask him how he was feeling...

"Sam, she needs to get out of here. It's not safe anymore!"

"don't you think I know that ?!"

"why aren't you doing anything about it then!"

"the orders have to come from the boss.. as long as she wants to stay in the house we have to stay in the house!"

"so the boss doesn't want her to be safe ? She is Jorge Medina's daughter ! the way FBI treated him you would think they would try to make it up to him by treating his daughter well!"

" Don't you understand that FBI is shocked, they had forgot about Jorge and all his trouble making! and now these super criminals are after his daughter ! we don't even know if she knows ANYTHING!"

"BUT THEY THINK THAT SHE DOES! That's why we have to take her away from here! She is too damn stubborn to give in to whats necessary"

" I'm waiting for other orders, The last time the boss was here she said that she wanted to stay here!.So that's what we are doing until she says otherwise!"

" how long will it take to get his orders?"

"Depends... I haven't reached him yet"..

I could hear Zac's dissapointed sighs.. This was the conversation that woke me up.. I heard it from outside my room..

I looked around to see that I was still in my clothes since yesterday.. Man,I just wanted this all to be over. I hated this shit! all tough, if this never happened I wouldn't have met Zac.. But I wish I had met him under different circumstances..Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

" Come in !"

" Good morning, slept well?" he asked but something with his smile felt off.

" depends, how long did you stay ?" I answered after he had shut the door behind him.

" A hour or 2..."

" well, I slept great until you left " I said and sat up in the bed.

" smart answer!" he said with a chuckle.

"hey, you don't have to pretend that you are happy with me.." I said and looked down on my hands.

" what are you talking about ? I told you I was good with , ya know, you and me.." he said.

" Not that . I meant the fact that you think I'm stupid for wanting to be in this house" I said and when I looked at him I saw that he was speechless.

"Please just tell it to me, to my face! Say how I'm to stubborn to know what's good for

me!" I said , offended.

" Nessa, please. You know I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted Sam to take things in his own hands..." he said and walked in front of me.

" I can't do this anymore, if everyone just keeps talking behind my back!"

" with all respect, it's our job. You were not suppose to know anything. And definitely not Everything!" he said and defended his work, once again.

" Isn't that what you all are after?! That I should know everything about my father's business so FBI can use it to their advantage ?" I said angry and when I said that I felt how tears started to form in my eyes.

All of a sudden everyone was expecting for me to know so much and I know absolutely nothing! Zac bend down on his knees in front of me and stroke my cheek.

"That's not what I am after... I don't care if you know something or not.. " He said .

"I never even entered his office and now they want me to find something I never even knew existed?!

" I'm not after some old information.. I'm only after your safety... And that's why I think we should change location..." he said honest and looked at me.

" okay..."

"what ?" he said shocked.

" okay... I want to get out of here... " I said and smiled at him

" When I met you I never thought I would be the one to conquer your stubbornness! " he said and winked.

" don't flatter yourself!"

" Me, Zac Efron, managed to convince you , the queen of going after her own rules ! " he said and laughed.

" OH shut up! " I said and kissed him.

He stood up without breaking the kiss and held me in his arms. I deepened the kiss and kissed him passionate. Zac's ear set made a sound and then we heard Sam's voice, telling Zac to go down to the kitchen.

" duty calls..." he said as he pulled away. " but if you have decided to change location you have to tell that to Sam"

" will do .. I'll be down in a sec, just want to take a shower first " I said and smiled at him.

Maybe this all would be easier if I just did as they told me… Maybe if I just surrender..