One Girl Revolution

 

                As I walked down the streets in silence, well as quiet as it gets in the city that never sleeps, I started to become suspicious of the shadows and the creeps that would stand there and watch me pass. I kept my head high and walked pass them with ease and conviction, if I acted tough they’d surly ignore me and wait for something weaker and more nervous. I knew how to work the masses, how to give off vibes, that had been part of what my father had trained me in. He knew how hard life could be, and while he didn’t approve of my eagerness to follow into his line of work he still thought it would be good for me to learn these things. Slowly I approached my apartment building. With my head so far in the clouds thinking about how when I got home that I really wasn’t watching the allies. So when two hands clasped around my mouth I wasn’t quick enough to get him off.

                “Let me go,” I yelled at my abductor. I bit his finger and kicked him in the shin at the same time that made him release me real fast.

                “Jeez Ray, who’s you’re dentist, ow that hurt!” cursed Hound.

                “What are you doing here?” I couldn’t believe I’d let my guard down that way, if Ben found out I’d be in for it.

                “Hey look I’m here just trying to be the good guy. I thought you might like to know about your little boyfriend,” he said suspiciously.

                “What about B.. Brother Bear,” it was amazing how fast my mind went to Ben, better than that how could I almost reveal him like that? None of our names were safe in each other’s minds. In fact each of us probably had enough information about each other to start World War 3.

                “Well it turns out Brother Bear got himself in a bit of trouble,” he answered in a sing song voice.

                “What do ya mean trouble,” I grabbed his jacket and slammed him against the wall.

                “Hey chick! Are you sure you wana do it here,” he laughed and then brought his arms up like he was about to hold me, “I mean with all these people watching. I jerked him a little.

                “Sick b*****d,” I whispered.

                “Oy not so rough with the goods darling,” he joked.

                “You sickening!” at that point this was starting to get annoying. I pulled a blade out of my boot and put it to his throat.

                “If you don’t tell me exactly what I want to know right now you’ll never sweet talk another girl again, is that understood?” I said in my most menacing voice.

                “Oh the kitty wants to play rough now?” I tightened my grip, “Alright I’ll tell you what you want to know, but first…”

                “You better not,” I rasped.

                “No, no, no, I merely wanted a kiss fair lady,” he puckered them right then.

                “Look I’m running out of patience,” I took the knife and lowered it to the point where I knew he’d take me seriously, the only thing that really mattered to him, kiss, my a*s.

                “Fine I’ll talk. Jeez Ray, you need to take some anger management classes! I’ll talk, but can you get that thing away I’m starting to get sick.” I rolled my eyes but complied to his wishes. I backed away slowly knife in front of me.

                “Fast,” I said calmly.

                “Look all I know is there is an assassination attempt, and your beloved is at the end of the line.” He said it with a grin. I smacked him, I knew it would do no good but I couldn’t help myself.

                “Ha that’s your hit, what a girl,” he was laughing yet I could see the moisture in his eyes.

                “Who told you, where’s the attempt at?” these questions burned in my brain. I knew it would only hinder me to let my mind be overwhelmed with worry but I just couldn’t help myself.

                “You know where he went I presume?”

                “Baghdad.”

                “Right,” then and there I’d known my mistake. I might’ve told him exactly what he’d come to hear. I pushed him yet again to the wall and slid my blade back to his crotch.

                “Hey, I was just teaching you a lesson. Look he’s in Baghdad right now working on some business leaders to give him the information he needs, there’s supposed to be an assassination attempt on him tomorrow, I don’t know how serious of a performer they’ve got but surly good enough that you’d need to worry. I’ll take you, if you like, you know those Iraq people, so darn sexist.”

                “Yeah I bet you agree with them don’t you, and if you were to marry you’d become a Mormon so you could have all them you want then switch suddenly to protestant so you could dump them all with 20 kids. Look I’m not going to sleep with you and you’re going to take me to Iraq, but first there’s something I need to talk with you about,” I pressed the knife harder to stress my point then lowered my voice, “what aren’t you telling me.”

                “You’ve learned haven’t you, this is why it’s dangerous to keep people around for so long,” his voice shacked a little despite his brave voice, “look I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

                “You’re lying, I can taste it.”

                “What?” he asked tiredly and pushed his face closer to mine. And then an ideal came to me, so I pressed my face slightly closer to his.

                “Please,” I pleaded, “tell me.” With that I pressed my lips to his ever so slightly, I could smell the smoke on his breath and it made me want to puke but I kept my composure.

                “Look sweet heart why don’t we just forget that looser and shack on up over at my place?” he asked trying as he might to get another peck but I kept my head turned away on his shoulder.

                “Darling I don’t think I could do that with someone who won’t tell me what I want to hear.” I turned my head and went for it, the only thing that could get the information I needed out of him. Our kiss lasted at least five minutes. I let go after that and stared him in the dreamy eyes.

                “Who’s behind all this,” I whispered in the most pleading, lusty voice I could muster with the after taste of smoke and liquor in my mouth.

                “Wolfey,” he whispered back reaching for more with his searching face.

                “Oh my god. How… how could he? That b*****d.” Tears fell down my face. I mean I knew he was horrible but… this was beyond anything he’d ever done. I got sick of watching him reach for me so I came back to his mouth, just so I knew he’d be faithful to me during our mission. Then I broke off.

                “So what’d’ya say help a girl out?”

                “… uh… sure… why not, let’s go,” he said dreamily. As he fell out of my grip and went toward the ally entrance he sort of fell a little this way and that as if off balance. After all this time, I still had it.

 

 

                After an hour of getting ready we finally reached the air port. He paid for our tickets and eventually we got on the plain. Thankfully I was able to find a seat far enough away from that pervert and he got to sit beside some fat tourist. Ha, ha, that looser deserved it. We reached Bagdad after a stop in France. I was glad to be out of that little cramped place so I jumped out without giving a second glance at Hound. When I was out in the airport I turned around to look for him but even as the last few passengers stumbled out he was nowhere to be seen. This wasn’t good, what had happened to him. I started to look around when someone taped me on the shoulder and for a second I froze.

                “He’s not here,” said Fox calmly, “he’s not exactly supposed to be here you see, lots of enemies.” His face remained smooth.

                “Oh, so why are you here then?” I asked.

                “We wouldn’t leave you to get around this country all by your lonesome,” he smiled.

                “Why do you guys even care? I’ll never love any of you.” It was sad but true, these guys were only worthy of s***s and hoes and I wasn’t one of those.

                “Ray, we know perfectly well that none of us are worthy of you. At first it was maddening but after awhile it became some distant dream. It was fun to imagine but we’d never think of truly forcing you to do something you don’t want to do. You are our little angel, and we’ll protect you no matter what. You are everything we want cause you are everything we’re not.” It was such a meaningful statement I almost wanted to cry. Instead I ran to him and gave him a big hug and he hugged me back. That’s when I realized Fox and Hound were more my brothers than anything, even if they were a little romantically inclined.

                “Alright let’s go, he’s staying at a hotel on the main street,” he said as he let go of me.

                “Yes but where is he being assassinated?” why would we go to his hotel if it was the middle of the day.

                “Right that’s where he’s talking to the business men he needs information from,” he said as we started off at a fast pace. We got in a waiting cab outside. We went along the roads with tinted windows so others couldn’t see us. All along I was thinking of Ben. When we got there I burst out of the cab and ran for the door. Fox came right beside me. He asked the front desk for Damien Ross, the man led us off to some side room. I stepped in but Fox remained at the door.

                “This is my stop,” he said to the floor. I looked sideways at him then shrugged and went on into the room.

                It was very dark, the curtains were all closed and on chairs sat three men around a small table. After a minute of staring one of them went to get up but another waved him down and got up himself. He came straight toward me and then grabbed my arm tight. It was Ben.

                “What are you doing here?” he questioned through closed teeth as we went into a side passage.

                “I… I thought you might be dead?” I put it in question form because I really wasn’t sure why I was there.

                “What do you mean dead?” again through clenched teeth.

                “I heard you were going to be assassinated so I came as fast as I could,” why did he have to react so violently.

                “Sweetheart, we’re spies. There are lots of people who want to assassinate us every day. You can’t come to Iraq every time someone says something about killing me!” he whispered softly holding my head in his hands.

                “S… sweetheart,” I whispered questioningly.

                “Don’t worry about me okay, you need to go home now.” He looked at me seriously. “Who told you to come after me anyways?” he added.

                “Um… Hound,” it hit me then how idiotic this move had been. Of course there were always people who wanted to kill us on these missions none were better than the rest. It was an even playing field.

                “Darling, how could you let those idiots get to you? Look you need to go home now this place is too dangerous.”

                “Dangers my middle name,” I played.

                “No its not, its Ann.” He smiled at me then serioused up, “You need to go home.”

                “Do you really think it’s such a good idea to send me on my own on a plane from this country?”

                “Fine go hide in my room, here,” he handed me a room key, “go up to my room and stay there until I come get you. Understand?”

                “Yes sir,” I gave him a salute then ran off to the stairs. It was so exciting to get out of the U.S. for a little while. The room was really big, but I didn’t care to look around. I just grabbed a blanket and a chair and stared at the front door. It was well past midnight when I awoke to a knock on the door. I ran to the door and looked in the peep hole. There was Ben looking around with his arms folded. I let him in and closed the door behind him. He was wearing a black suit for his business meeting, he had a brief case in his hand, and his hair was slicked back with what must have been oil. I guess he wanted to look presentable and intimidating, he sure pulled it off. He put down his suit case by the door.

                “Now why don’t we go home,” he said seriously. He gave me a piercing glare and put his hands on his hips.

                “Why when we’ve got this whole room to ourselves,” I gestured toward the room, “can’t we just relax a little?” I turned and gave him an affectionate eye.

                “Izz, what would Victoria think if I were to spend a night with another girl in a foreign country?” He smiled as I came closer to him. That ruined my mood completely.

                “Well she doesn’t have to know,” I whispered and grabbed his shirt.

                “Izzy, don’t,” he said sadly with a frown.

                “Fine!” I shouted. I ran over to my chair and grabbed my shoes from under it. I stomped out of the room and he followed me cluelessly. So in the most anticlimactic way possible we headed home. No, nothing happened, no kisses, no dramatic get together, just a slow ride home.

                We got home, still nothing! Never anything, all I wanted to do was slap him, tell him I loved him, then hold him down and, well, you know. I stomped up to my room and slammed the door, he followed me close and I hope I hit his nose when the door slammed. The scream outside the door was encouraging.

                “Izzy, come out here. What was I supposed to say!? Damn it! Stupid teenage estrogen!” his voice trailed off and I couldn’t care. All he wanted was Victoria, Victoria, Victoria. I was tempted to pack up and leave right then and there but there weren’t any other places I could go. I jumped on my bed and started to cry. How could he do this to me!? Why did he do this to me!? Didn’t he know? How could he not? Tears fell all over and I cried myself to sleep.

                It was so late. I had school tomorrow. I wouldn’t skip. I couldn’t because he’d know; he’d want to talk to me. Maybe that would be best, but I didn’t care, I was fifteen, I didn’t have to reason!

                So by now you know for sure. My name is Elizabeth Ann Smith and I’m in love with Ben, my supposed “brother”. I’m a spy. I’m in love with Ben. I have a lot of friends. I’m in love with Ben. Oh my God. Can I make it any clearer!?

Reviews

[Dylan I. Cree]

Emotional, touching and slightly funny. This book is turing out to be a great read.