Down to the Wire (4 page)

The next day I stood
with Chapling in our computer lab, staring at his computer.

He rubbed his hands together, looking like a little boy with a really cool toy. “Ready?”

I nodded.

“Computer,” he commanded.

HELLO, MR. CHAPLING, the computer typed back.

He giggled. “Coolcoolcool. It worked.”

I looked down at him. “Mr. Chapling?”

He shrugged, all innocent. “What? I deserve some respect.” Chapling elbowed me. “Now you try.”

“Computer,” I commanded.

HELLO, GIGI.

“It said my nickname.” I laughed. “That
is
cool.”

“
It’s
a she,” Chapling informed me.

I held back a smile. “Of course.”

“I’m so smart.” He clapped. “Smartsmartsmart.”

Chapling had been working on this new voice-activated system for months. And obviously, he was thrilled with the fact that it worked. But of course it would work; Chapling was a genius.

“Watch this.” His eyes brightened. “Computer, give me everything on…” He glanced at me, and I shrugged. “Costa Rica,” he said.

ONE MOMENT, PLEASE.

Chapling bounced. “I always wanted to go to Costa Rica. Thought I might try surfing.”

“Surfing? You?”

He looked offended for about a second. “What? You can’t see me surfing?”

I thought about that—his little, chubby, redheaded self riding a wave—and shook my head. “Nope. Can’t see you surfing.”

Chapling shrugged. “Yeah, well, me neither. But it’s fun to think about.”

Information scrolled across the computer screen, and we watched. Pictures, newspaper articles, history…anything a person could ever want on Costa Rica.

He did a jig. “Is she awesome or what?”

Smiling, I checked my watch. “Shoot. I’m going to be late for PT. Gotta go.”

I raced from the lab, through the underground corridors, up the elevator, and down the hall into our bedroom. Quickly, I changed clothes for physical training, slipping on a sweatshirt and a pair of exercise shorts. David had bought them for me during my first few weeks on the ranch. I’d shoved them into the depths of my dresser, planning on returning them.
Guess I changed my mind.

I zipped into the adjoining bathroom and gave my body a quick once-over in the mirror. I checked my front and sides and triple-checked my butt. You wouldn’t have caught me anywhere near these shorts a few months ago. With PT, though, I’d developed some tone and felt more confident now. I used to think these
shorts were too short. They weren’t. Girls wore them all the time around campus.

Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I rushed across the room and out the door, straight into Bruiser.

“Hey.” She grabbed my arm. “I was wondering where you were.”

How sweet.

“Yowza, babe.” She whistled. “You’re hot.”

Let’s hope David thinks so, too.

She pointed to her snug long-sleeve T-shirt, YO! I’M MEAN, DO I LOOK IT? “Got it yesterday. Like?”

“Yeah, I like.” Bruiser always had on a different custom-made T-shirt. “I swear, with the money you spend, you probably keep the local screen printer in business.”

“Probably.” She skipped down the hall. “Come on.”

She’d drawn martial arts symbols on an ace bandage that was wrapped around her knee. Bruiser
always
had an injury.

“What’d you do this time?”

“I tried a triple back flip from the ranch’s roof.” She shrugged. “Ended up a double.”

We exited the building, and I glanced up at the roof. That had to be at least twenty feet. No way I’d try anything off that, unless lots of ropes and harnesses were involved.

Bruiser had no fear.

We passed our brand-new in-ground pool, which sat beside the house. “Wanna go for a swim later?” Bruiser asked.

“Sure.”

“Let’s go.” She raced across the yard to the barn, where our physical training was always held, and I followed. We opened the door and made our way toward Mystic, Parrot, and Beaker, who were standing off to the right near the dumbbells.

Beaker wore her usual combat boots, dog collar, and black clothes. She’d chosen green lipstick over black and changed out her nose jewelry. Instead of her ring, a chain connected her nostril to her ear.

Let’s hope it doesn’t get yanked out during PT.

They all glanced down at my shorts as we approached. They weren’t used to seeing me in them since I usually wore yoga pants.

“Well.” This from Mystic.

“Huh.” That from Parrot.

“Nice chicken legs,” snided Beaker.

Bruiser was always kidding me about my chicken legs, too. From her it came out totally amusing and fun. One friend teasing another.

From Beaker? Lighthearted camaraderie wasn’t part of her personality.

Nice nose chain
, I wanted to snide back, but didn’t.

Bruiser looped her arm through mine and turned me around. She rolled her eyes to the right. “What do you think of Adam?” she whispered.

Adam from Team One stood across the barn talking to David
and Erin. David had his back to me. He didn’t know I’d come in yet.

“Well,” Bruiser prompted.

I surveyed Adam’s messy blond hair and tall, lean body. I’d say he stood at least six feet five. Definitely the tallest person here at the ranch. “He’s all right, if you like blonds.”

Bruiser elbowed me. “You’re a blond.”

I elbowed her back.

“He’s been talking to me a lot more lately. I used not to think he was cute. But now I do. Weird, huh?”

“Nah, it’s not weird. He’s got a great personality, and he’s cute.”

“I’d need a ladder to kiss him. I’m like five feet, and he’s like, what, a giant?”

I busted out laughing. Leave it to Bruiser to say something like that.

David turned from his conversation. His gaze dropped to my legs and then came up to meet my eyes. My entire body shot to boiling point, and I knew my face had to be flaming red.

He didn’t look away,
wouldn’t
look away.

I wished I was one of those girls who could boldly hold a guy’s heated stare. Honestly, I was about to be sick.

Smiling, David bounced his brows, breaking the sexually tense moment, and I released a shaky breath.

Jonathan clapped his hands, and my attention shifted from David to our PT instructor. “Everyone over here.”

As we followed Jonathan’s instructions, my first PT came back to me with clarity. Falling on my head. Praying I
wouldn’t
be paired with David.

I’d come a long way.

We all came in closer, and I found myself standing next to Erin.

“Remember that PT a few years ago when we bumped heads and I broke my nose?” Erin said to David, nudging him with a smile.

He grimaced. “Don’t remind me,” he said, and playfully nudged her back.

I didn’t know why, but their cuteness bothered me.

“Spread out,” Jonathan graveled, knocking me from my thoughts. “Arm’s length between you. Feet together. Palms to the floor.”

I followed Jonathan’s orders, gritting my teeth, missing the ground by more than a foot.

Okay, so maybe I
hadn’t
come such a long way.

Five minutes later he split us into partners.
Please give me David. Pleasepleaseplease give me David.

“Know what I heard?” whispered Beaker, who was standing on the other side of me.

I shook my head, listening to Jonathan pair us up.

“David and Erin used to date.”

What?

“Parrot’s with Adam.” Jonathan pointed to Bruiser. “Bruiser and Mystic. Beaker’s with GiGi. And David’s with Erin.”

David’s with Erin?

Wait a minute. I’m with Beaker?

I glanced over at her. She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly.
What
exactly was her problem?

We each grabbed a mat and dragged them over to the corner. I glanced at Erin, sizing her up. Average height. Shoulder-length dark hair. Athletic build. She’d always been nice to me. She was the first person I met, actually, when I arrived here in San Belden.

She and David used to date? Why hadn’t David told me? Did they feel anything for each other now? Did David want to get back with her? Did she want to get back with him? Was Erin jealous? Was I? I glanced at Beaker—maybe she was just messing with me. But by the look on her face, I didn’t think so.

“We’re practicing floor restraint today.” Jonathan stepped onto a mat, interrupting my rambling thoughts. “When you’re on the bottom, how to gain control of the guy on top.”

Suddenly, David shot across the room, and I jumped.

He tackled Jonathan, plastering him to the floor. Wrapping both legs around David’s waist, Jonathan looped their arms together and bent David’s back.

Shifting, Jonathan straightened one leg and crossed the other over David’s back. “Notice the position of my legs. This prevents my opponent from rolling out of the shoulder lock.”

Jonathan rotated David’s wrist toward his head. “Continuous pressure in this direction will dislocate my opponent’s shoulder.”

David and Jonathan released each other and jumped to their feet, our signal to begin the maneuver.

Beaker and I looked at each other. Her frown said she dreaded this as much as I did.

Behind me someone grunted. A body smacked to a mat. Someone else growled.

Everyone was already at it while Beaker and I continued eyeing each other.

A girl giggled. A guy laughed. Wait a minute. I knew that laugh.
David.

I whipped around. David had his legs wrapped around Erin’s waist and her arm bent back. She giggled again.

I narrowed my eyes. They were having
way
too much fun all intertwined like that.

“Aren’t they cute,” Beaker sneered.

I whipped back around and lunged, tackling her. She landed so hard her nose chain rattled. I couldn’t quite believe I just did that.

TL stepped into the barn. “David, GiGi, Wirenut.”

Beaker shoved me off her. I gave her my best don’t-mess-with-me glare before turning to TL.

“Conference room.” TL headed off. “Five minutes.”

[2]

David, Wirenut, and I
stepped onto the elevator.

“Why do you think TL wants to see me?” Wirenut smoothed his fingers down his trim goatee. “Food, school, physical training, homework, chores, sleep. That’s been my week. I haven’t done anything wrong. Did anything go wrong on the Ushbania mission? Did my schematics provide faulty information?”

Simultaneously, David and I shook our heads, hiding our amusement. Poor Wirenut. I was just as nervous the first time TL had wanted to see me away from the rest of the group. Right before he sent me on my first mission.

Which meant that Wirenut might be going on his first mission, too. But why would I be meeting with TL? It made sense David would; TL involved him in everything. But why me?

Unless he was sending me on another mission. I groaned inwardly. Whatever happened to working from home base?

“Last week I swapped chores with Mystic,” Wirenut continued worriedly. “We didn’t tell TL. Do you think he’s pissed about that? Ya know, overriding his authority or something.”

David shook his head, all calm. “No. But I wouldn’t do that again.”

Wirenut expelled a short burst of air. “Crud. What have I done? Since joining the Specialists, I’ve been living cleaner than ever before.”

I linked arms with him. “Everything’s going to be okay.” And I truly believed that. It was one of the most important things I’d learned since being with the Specialists. TL had only our best interest in mind. He really cared about each one of us.

The elevator stopped on Subfloor Four, and we made our way past a few locked doors to the conference room where TL waited.

Wirenut rapped on the open door. “You ever gonna tell me what’s behind those locked doors?”

He made stupid attempts at humor when he was nervous.

Without looking up, TL motioned us in. “When you’re ready.” He pointed to me and Wirenut. “You two have a seat.” TL rolled his leather chair out and stood. “David, come with me.”

“When I’m ready?” Wirenut asked after TL and David left. “What does that mean?” He looked at me. “You’ve got access to one of the doors. Apparently,
you’re
ready.”

TL had given me access to the government’s highest-level computer lab. Although we had split from the government, we were still able to access their resources. My team knew that it was a computer lab and that Chapling worked in there, but I wasn’t allowed to give them the details of what went on inside. The secretiveness of the lab was both a curse and a privilege. Right now, with Wirenut’s remark, it felt more like a curse.

“When I’m ready,” Wirenut mocked. “I could break into those stupid locked doors if I wanted to.”

“Wirenut—”

“TL should be rewarding me for having such self-control,” he railroaded on. “That in and of itself proves I’m ready. Maybe I should tell him that.”

He was right. With his electronics expertise, Wirenut
could
break into anything. It was the whole reason TL recruited him. Right now, though, his stress was making him act tough and ridiculous.