Deadly Embrace (Deadly Assassins Series Book 1) Page 6

  “The Naval Academy? I haven’t even applied yet or taken my SAT’s.”

  “I know, and you will take them and apply as normal to keep up appearances. You are to go on with your life normally, but make no mistake, you are dealing with forces that you couldn’t possibly imagine. As long as you follow the rules you will be just fine. Now get to class before you are late.”

  Chapter 12

  I left Mr. Thompson’s office more confused than ever. What is my future going to be? How can I live my life while being controlled by unknown forces? My word means everything to me. When I give my word I always deliver. I would never let anything happen to Ryan. He is my brother for life. For now, I had to put the recent events in the back of my mind and focus on the tasks ahead of me. At the end of the day I went to football practice. On my way back to the locker room, I got a text message from Ryan. I dialed his number.

  “Hey dude, what’s up?” I asked.

  “Hey Jason, Ms. V didn’t pick me up from school yet,” he said.

  “Really? Did you try calling her?”

  “Of course, butthead. Her phone just goes to voicemail,” he said.

  “I will be right there, don’t move.”

  “Okay. “

  I grabbed my bag and ran out to the parking lot and jumped in the Rover. As I raced over to Ryan’s school, I became worried about Ms. V. As I pulled up to Ryan’s school, he was waiting outside with his soccer coach Mr. Tramell.

  “Thanks for staying with him Mr. Tramell,” I said.

  “Of course, Jason, we are always watching. Have a good night,” he said.

  Mr. Tramell’s statement puzzled me.

  “Come on Ryan, let’s go,” I said.

  Ryan threw his bag in the backseat and jumped in.

  “I hope Ms. V is okay,” Ryan said.

  “Me too Ryan,” I responded.

  As we pulled up to our house, all the lights were out and Ms. V’s car was gone, too. I walked in and turned on the lights in the kitchen. Ryan walked in behind me.

  “Stay here Ryan, I’m gonna check things out around the house,” I instructed.

  “Ok.”

  I ran upstairs and checked the bedrooms. As I walked into Ms. V and Robert’s room, I noticed their closet door was open and some of Ms. V’s clothes were gone as well as her suitcase. Her cellphone was laying on the bed and it was turned off. It seems she left in a hurry. I walked out of their room and closed the door. I didn’t want to worry Ryan. As I went back downstairs Ryan was sitting at the kitchen table.

  “Okay dude, I don’t know where she has gone, but it’s time for dinner so I’m gonna cook us something,” I said.

  “Okay I’m starving, and I have math homework I need help with too,” Ryan said.

  “We can go over it while dinner is cooking.”

  I pulled two steaks out of the fridge and started cooking them in a black iron skillet. I also threw a few potatoes in a pot to boil them. As our dinner cooked, I helped Ryan with his math homework.

  “Hey Jason?” Ryan said.

  “What?” I said.

  “Thanks.”

  “For what butthead?”

  “For being my big brother and always having my back. What did you find when you went upstairs?”

  “Nothing. Don’t worry I’m sure Ms. V. just went on an errand and lost track of time is all.”

  “Stop treating me like a kid. What’s going on?”

  “Okay, the truth is I don’t know where she is. It looks like her suitcase is gone and she took some of her clothes too.”

  “What? Things have been really weird lately around here. What if she doesn’t come back? And where is Robert?” Ry asked.

  “The truth is Robert was in a car accident and he is in the hospital. Ms. V would never just abandon us with no explanation.”

  “Is he going to be okay J?”

  “Yes. I went to the VA hospital to see him and he should be home soon. Ms. V probably just went to see him and stay with him. We didn’t tell you because we didn’t want you to be upset.”

  “Well you should have told me butthead,” Ryan said.

  “You’re right Ry. Now go up to bed you have school tomorrow. I’m gonna stay up a little while to see if Ms. V comes home.”

  “Okay, J. See you in the morning,”

  I sat down on the couch and started studying after Ryan went to bed, before I passed out on the couch a little past midnight. The next morning, I woke up to Ms. V calling my name.

  “Jason wake up.” she said.

  As I sat up on the couch and my eyes focused. Robert’s face suddenly came into view. He was wearing a sweat suit and sitting in a wheelchair.

  “Hey Jason. I’m home,” Robert said.

  As I looked at Robert, Ms. V was standing next to him with a big smile on her face.

  “Welcome home Robert,” I said.

  “It’s good to be home Jason.”

  “How do you feel?”

  “Well I have to take it easy and go to physical therapy three times a week. I can walk just fine though. They just gave me this damn wheelchair for appearance sake. But I don’t think I will need it really if you know what I mean?” he said.

  “Yes, I understand completely.” I said.

  Suddenly Ryan began running down the stairs toward us.

  “Robert! You’re home,” Ryan yelled.

  “Calm down dude he just got here,” I said.

  “Sorry. I’m just excited to see you. Are you gonna be okay?” Ryan asked.

  “I’m going to be fine Ryan. Just need some rest,” Robert said.

  “Okay you two. Ryan I will make you breakfast. Jason you go get ready for school. That’s enough excitement for one morning I think,” Ms. V said.

  I ran upstairs and got dressed for school. A short time later I came back downstairs and grabbed my bag and Ryan and I left for school.

  “See you both tonight,” I said.

  “Have a good day, boys.” Ms. V and Robert replied.

  Chapter 13

  As I drove to school I felt good that Robert was home. But the uncertainty of the future for me and Ryan was unsettling. I still had so many questions that needed to be answered.

  Over the next few months things went back to normal. Robert made a full recovery in a matter of a few weeks. I took my SAT and ACT tests and got high scores. I started ROTC combat training with Mr. Thompson in the Spring once football season was over and we won the State championship. Mine and Ryan supplements were increased as well. He got several inches taller during the summer. Ryan was excelling as well playing goalie on his soccer team and catcher on his baseball team. I took Sean’s sister, Aniah to the Spring formal and we were voted “Hottest couple”. I didn’t wanna go but Ms. V talked me into it. Ryan has been making jokes about it and acts like she and I are getting married or something. Ms. V decided to go back to work and practice law again. She joined a big law firm downtown and was working a lot now. During the summer Ryan went to summer camp for a month in July. During that time Ryan thought I was working at a summer camp with kids, but I was actually sent away to start my D.S.A.T. training. During my summer training I was able to meet a few of the other teens that were in the program as well. I couldn’t believe there was actually one girl in the group and her name was, Natalia. She had the most beautiful brown and gold eyes I had ever seen. They were dark brown on the outside and lighter around the pupils with specks of gold in the center. She had a beautiful, golden, tanned skin. This chick was badass. She could do all the obstacles just as well or better than some of the boys. After one of our training classes, she walked up to me slowly flashing a cute half smile and introduced herself.

  “Hi, I’m Natalia.”

  “I’m Jason.”

  I noticed that the other boys were watching us as we talked.

  “Nice to meet you Jason. It looks like all eyes are on us right now.”

  “Just ignore them. They are just intimidated because you’re a girl.”

  Natal
ia hit me on the arm.

  “Well I’m not just any girl you know,” Natalia said.

  “Well yes, I’m sure you’re right,” I laughed. “The training this summer has been really hard. Hopefully they are preparing me for SEAL training.”

  “Mr. Thompson mentioned something to me about SEAL training as well,” she stated.

  “I hope you know that no girl has ever completed SEAL training since it was founded,” I said.

  Natalia frowned at me as she walked away.

  “Well there’s a first time for everything, Jason.” She smirked.

  “Well you might just be the sleeper in this group Natalia.” I laughed.

  Over the next couple weeks approaching the end of our summer training, Natalia excelled in all the obstacles such as completing a 500 yd swim in seven and a half minutes, doing 25 pull ups in less than a minute, and running a mile and a half in less than eight minutes. This girl was a force to be reckoned with for sure. Her tight, curvy, gorgeous, body definitely caught my attention. On the last day of training I was walking to my truck when I heard her call out my name. I stopped and turned around and Natalia was running toward me.

  “Hey Jason. You just gonna leave and not say goodbye?” Natalia said.

  She had on these cute, tight white shorts, and cut off tee shirt that said “Property of the US NAVY”.

  “Sorry Natalia, just wanna get home it’s been a long summer. I want to get home to see my little brother, Ryan.” I stated.

  “Well here is my phone number. Call me sometime okay.”

  “Okay. I will.”

  As Natalia walked away swaying her hips, she winked at me. I felt good when I was around Natalia. I definitely had to keep in touch with her. When I drove up to the house I saw Ryan riding his bike with some of his friends. As I pulled in the driveway and got out my SUV, Ryan rode up next to me and jumped off his bike.

  “Hey Jason, you’re finally home,” Ryan said as he ran up and hugged me.

  “What’s up butthead. It looks like you grew a couple of inches since last time I saw you.” I laughed.

  “Maybe,” he joked.

  “So how was summer camp, Ry?” I asked.

  “It was so fun. We learned how to hunt for our own food, build a fire, boil fresh drinking water, build shelter for the night, and navigate through the woods using a compass too.”

  “Wow sounds fun dude.”

  I knew the camp he went to was probably a D.S.A.T training camp from the way he described it. I hated not telling him the truth about what was really going on. But if I did tell him, then what? I couldn’t risk our secret getting out to the wrong people. That would put us all in danger for sure. The rest of the summer actually went by quickly. In August, Robert took us back to Montana on vacation for a few weeks before my senior year started. During that time, I called Natalia a few times and she told me how she went backpacking through Europe with her foster parents and they even went to Russia as well. She also told me how she was the captain of her school’s volleyball team and on the swim team as well. I was surprised to learn that she got her acceptance letter for admittance into the Naval Academy during the summer just like I did.

  Chapter 14

  Robert and Ms. V enrolled Ryan and I at a new catholic school called, Briarwood Academy. It was a prestigious private school where all the participants in the D.S.A.T. program attended. Kids from grades six through 12 attended there. Finally, it was the first day of my senior year. I wasn’t happy about having to switch schools for my senior year but because of the D.S.A.T. program Ryan and I would now be attending Briarwood Academy together. I was anxious for this school year to be over because then finally I would be going off to the Naval Academy and another step closer to becoming a SEAL. It was early morning, around five am as I went for my morning run. I noticed the black SUV following me as I was finishing my run and entering my house. Ms. V was sitting in the living room putting papers into her briefcase getting ready to leave for work. Over the summer Robert had got a desk job for now at the federal building downtown and he worked odd hours. She looked up at me as I walked into the house.

  “Morning, Jason,”

  “Morning, Ms. V. How are you?” I asked.

  “Exhausted and I gotta get out of here. I have a big case I’m trying at the courthouse today.” She stated.

  “Okay. Is Ryan up yet?” I asked.

  “I didn’t hear him yet, but I gotta go so make sure he eats breakfast and takes his vitamins okay?” she said.

  “Okay I will.” I stated.

  As she rushed toward the door she stopped and looked back at me.

  “I’m so proud of you Jason. Good luck on your first day and tell Ryan I said good luck as well.”

  I went upstairs to wake up Ryan. As I opened his bedroom door, Brooklyn, Ryan’s new German Sheppard puppy was lying at the foot of the bed. As I turned on the light, Brooklyn barked loudly at me.

  “Hey Ry, get up dude, it’s the first day of school.”

  Ryan sat up in the bed and rubbed his eyes for a few seconds. He laid back down and pulled the covers over his head.

  “I don’t wanna get up J,” Ryan whined.

  Brooklyn jumped off the bed barking and ran out of the room.

  Ryan sat back up in bed. “Brooklyn get back here!” he shouted.

  “What’s wrong, Ryan? Why don’t you want to go to school?” I asked.

  “I don’t wanna go to some new dumb school Jason. I won’t have any friends there.”

  “Yes, you will. I will be there too, remember?” I stated.

  “I know, but you’ll be hanging with the older kids and I will be by myself.”

  “Don’t worry Ry. Don’t I always make sure you are okay? You will still be able to play on the soccer and baseball teams. I will be playing football also. You’ll see you will make new friends in no time.”

  Ryan was growing up so fast and entering seventh grade this year. He was very popular at his previous school and I knew he would be here as well.

  “Okay Ry, get dressed before we are late.”

  I hurried down the hall to the bathroom to take a shower. As I was in the shower I could hear Brooklyn barking. I rushed down the hallway wrapped in a towel to my room, to get dressed as Brooklyn followed behind me. Brooklyn laid down in the corner of my room and stared at me. As I entered my room, Robert was sitting on my bed.

  “Hey Robert. What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Nothing, Jason. I just wanted to say be careful at Briarwood and watch out for Ryan okay. I’m leaving to go into work now.”

  Robert left for work and I finished getting ready. As I walked down the hall to Ryan’s room, Brooklyn followed behind me like always. I stopped at Ryan’s door and he was sitting on his bed putting things into his backpack.

  “Okay Ry, you ready to go?”

  “I guess so.”

  “Do you want something to eat before we go?”

  “It’s okay I will get something at school. I need to put some food and water in Brooklyn’s bowl before we leave.”

  Brooklyn followed us downstairs. It was always funny to see him slip and slide as he ran on our hardwood floors.

  “Okay Brooklyn, sit and stay,” Ryan said.

  “Good boy.”

  “Okay, well we have to take our vitamins before we leave,” I said.

  “Okay,” Ryan replied.

  Ryan and I jumped in my car and headed off to Briarwood. It was like a thirty-minute drive and I didn’t want to be late. They offered a pick-up service for their students but neither Ryan or I wanted to use it. Since I was a senior now, I got an allowance each month and so did Ryan for being in the program. As we drove to school, Ryan just stared out the window and was really quiet. I had some anxiety about going to Briarwood since Natalia would be attending there as well. As we pulled up to the school, I was amazed that the buildings all looked like old churches. Each building had stained glass windows and looked like they were rich in architecture. I parked in one of the a
vailable parking spots. Ryan and I both jumped out and grabbed our bags. There were students all around outside talking in small groups. Looks like no one noticed as Ryan and I walked up the sidewalk to enter the school. I looked at Ryan’s schedule and walked him to his first class.

  “Okay Ryan, we’re here. This is your first class.”

  I handed Ryan his class schedule and he had a worried look on his face.

  “Hey butthead, you’re gonna be okay. I made a copy of my schedule, so you know where my classes are too. I will check on you at lunch time, okay.”

  “Okay,” Ryan replied with a little more certainty.

  I watched Ryan as he walked into his class. I looked at my class schedule and I had all AP classes including AP Chemistry, English, Biology, History and Calculus. I hurried down the hall to my first class so I wouldn’t be late.

  Chapter 15

  As I walked into class I was the last one to arrive. I was shocked to see Mr. Thompson at the front of the class. As I looked for a seat I noticed Natalia was sitting in the front row and there was only one seat left and it was behind her.

  “Ah Mr. Armell. Welcome, you are just in time. Have a seat please,” Mr. Thompson said.

  As I walked past Natalia to take my seat, she winked at me. I sat down behind her and tried to pay attention to Mr. Thompson. Natalia was wearing a short, plaid skirt with white knee socks. Her navy-blue sweater was snug and hugged her curvy breasts. She smelled like fresh flowers and was definitely a distraction for me.