The Academy - Friends vs. Family (48 page)

“Say mercy and I’ll let you up,” Nathan said to me. He hooked
fingers into the hem of my shirt, lifting slightly to expose my belly. He aimed
the end of the gun there. “Do it.”

“Don’t you dare,” I called out. I had one more plan left, and it
was dirty. “Don’t or I’ll do it.”

Nathan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What?”

“Let me go or I’ll do it.”

Nathan smirked at me, curiosity in his eyes. He pulled the
trigger. A stream of ice water caught me square in the stomach.

I wriggled under him, trying to block the spray against my bare
skin. “You asked for it,” I said. “Silas!” I squealed out through my laughing.

“You did not,” Nathan said, his hand shot out to cover my mouth,
his head jerking up to scan the perimeter.

It was too late. Silas was on the warpath, barreling down after
us, aiming right for Nathan. Nathan scrambled to get off of me, aiming his gun
at Silas’s broad chest and firing. It didn’t deter him as Silas caught Nathan
in a full frontal tackle. Nathan was on his back on the ground. Silas sat on
his hips, capturing his wrists and pinning those to the ground with his knees.

I scrambled to get my gun, stepping up behind Silas, my stomach to
his back, as I aimed over his shoulder at Nathan’s face.

“Fucking shit,” Nathan said breathlessly. “She even cheats at
water guns.”

“Yup,” Silas called out proudly. “Get him,
aggele mou
.”

I pumped my gun and sprayed down Nathan with a long stream,
starting from his stomach and ending at his face.

Nathan laughed, stretching to try to pull his arms out from under
Silas.

“Thank you, Silas,” I said to him, touching lightly at the back of
his neck.

“Oy, Trouble!”

It was the only warning I got before Gabriel shot across the yard,
aiming his water gun at me. Luke was running behind him, firing, but his gun
was out of water.

I laughed, running away from Silas as he was letting Nathan up off
the ground.

“Meanie!” I called after Gabriel as I dashed across the yard,
heading toward the driveway, thinking I might be able to cut through the
basketball game. Maybe I could use Kota as a shield. Gabriel wouldn’t dare
shoot Kota.

I turned around as a gray BMW pulled into the driveway, parking in
the middle of it to give room to those playing basketball. A thrill swept over
me. Victor had left early to go to do some work for the Academy. I’d thought he
was going to be gone all day but was glad that he was back early.

His car also gave me perfect cover.

I ran right for the car, the plan formulating in my mind. Gabriel
hollered after me, but I was flying ahead of him. I had a clean head start.

From a deep instinct telling me that I could, I ran for the front
of the car. I jumped, pushing my body up to vault myself over the front. My
butt heated against the hood as I slid across. I landed like a cat on my feet
on the other side. I crouched, pressing my back against the wheel as I pumped
the pink water gun.

The Terminator couldn’t have done it any better.

The car door opened, followed by footsteps coming around the car.
I waited only a moment. Not that I would squirt Victor too much. Just a small
spritz to welcome him back.

I caught the shadow coming around the edge of the car, I turned,
propping myself up a little as I aimed at a red tie and fired.

And I fell back on my butt, when my gaze met with cool, steel-gray
eyes.

I dropped my gun to catch myself with my hands before I fell back
too far on the ground. The gun clattered to the ground.

Mr. Blackbourne finished stepping around the corner of the car, a
brown eyebrow shooting up over the rim of his glasses. The dark suit coat he
wore was open, revealing the white shirt, probably Armani or Gucci. A wet
splotch of water spread across his chest, center mass. “You should know who
you’re aiming at before you fire, Miss Sorenson,” he said, as calm as if he
were explaining a math problem to me.

My heart raced. I just iced down the only person I knew who, with
just a look, could send me to my knees.

“S... sorry,” I said, not feeling so confident now.

Mr. Blackbourne stretched out a hand to me, which surprised me
enough to make me hesitate. He’d never done that before. I lifted mine,
dropping it in his. His smooth, perfect fingers wrapped around mine as he
assisted me to standing. When I was on my feet, I was inches away from him.

“Remind me to have you trained in gunmanship,” he said. The tight
corners of his mouth moving up a millimeter.

I released the breath I felt I’d been holding that whole time. I
didn’t think I wanted to make him angry.

From behind him, the other members of the Academy collected:
Silas, Luke, North, Nathan, Kota and Gabriel. North held the basketball to his
hip. The others stood by, waiting. Derrick had fallen back, standing under the
goal, his arms crossed over his chest.

Mr. Blackbourne’s eyes remained on me as he spoke. “I came over
because I tried to reach certain members of my team by phone. Apparently,
they’re all... distracted.” The millimeter smile disappeared as he turned
toward the guys. “And I can see why.”

“Sorry,” Kota said. He flicked the sweat from his brow. “I didn’t
realize...”

The others murmured similar apologizes.

“We don’t have time for that,” Mr. Blackbourne said, turning
toward his car. “Kota, Luke, Nathan, in the car with me. North, Silas, Gabriel,
follow. We’ve got work to do.”

“What about Sang?” Gabriel asked, dropping his water gun to the
ground. Playtime was over.

“She doesn’t work for me. Let’s go,” Mr. Blackbourne moved around
the car again, heading toward the driver’s seat. Was this Mr. Blackbourne’s car
that looked identical to Victor’s? Or was he driving Victor’s car? Where was
Victor? And why were they all leaving now?

I bit back the questions. I knew better. Academy business was
secret. I wasn’t a part of it.

Kota, Luke and Nathan found their shoes and shirts quickly and
raced toward the car. Mr. Blackbourne pulled the car out of the drive as soon
as the doors closed and was down the road again.

I collected the dropped water guns and headed toward the garage.
Silas and Gabriel were collecting their phones they had left on the ground.
North was shuffling a shirt the right way to drop it over his head. “Derrick,
do me a favor?”

Derrick had collected the basketball and was taking random shots
alone at the goal. “What?”

“Stay with Sang? Until one of us can get back?”

“I’m fine,” I said. I thought I was. My mother wasn’t there with
any more crazy punishments for me. My father wasn’t there. There was no one
left to do any harm.

“Humor me, Sang Baby.” North eyeballed Derrick. “Please?”

“I guess so. Whatever,” Derrick said, shrugging and looking at me.

North frowned but nodded. He waved to me as he stalked off,
following Gabriel and Silas to North’s black Jeep that he had parked at Kota’s
house. They rushed over to it, getting in. The Jeep started up and disappeared
down the road, too.

T
he
A
cademy

Forgiveness and
Permission

Year One

Book Four

Coming October 2013 from

Arcato Publishing

ABOUT C. L. STONE

Certification

• Marvelour of Wonder
  
• Active Participant of
  Scary Situations
  
• Official Member of
  F.A.M.E.
  

Experience

Spent an extraordinary number of years with
absolutely no control over the capping of imagination, fun, and curiosity.
Willingly takes part in impossible problems only to come up with the
most ludicrous solution. Due to unfortunate circumstances, will no longer
experience feeling on a small spot on my left calf.

Skills

Secret Keeper | Occasion Riser | Barefoot
Walker Strange Acceptance | Magic Maker | Restless Reckless |
Gravity Defiant | Fairy Tale Reader | Story Maker-Upper | Amusingly
Baffled | Comprehensive Curiousness | Usually Unbelievable