11. Clyde

How the hell was I going to explain why I was in this hallway? He would never believe it if I said I was working out at the gym.

Clyde was older than me. Ten years older to be exact. And anywhere he went, people could just tell he was one of our high-ranking Agents. It's the way he carried himself that gave him away; his demeanor was the definition of confidence and success. Even people who hardly knew him, found him intimidating.

He was clean shaven, with sleeked-back medium-length black hair, and always wore a black suit that seemed to hug his soldier-like frame perfectly. It was so unfair how fortunate he'd gotten with his looks. He had been gifted with his mother's high cheek bones and striking blue eyes. While I walked around with our father's boring brown eyes and big forehead. And of course, he found the time to go to the gym on the daily! Honestly, it shouldn't surprise me, that freaking over-achiever made the rest of us mere mortals look bad.

At least, despite growing up in the shadow of my perfect sibling, I was still dad's favorite. So, hah! Take that, Clyde.

"Clyde! Hey." I played the part of a lost puppy, as my brother drew closer, looking around with a confused look on my face. "Can you point me in the direction of the main entrance?" I said, carefully sneaking the walkie-talkie inside my work bag as I spoke. "I don't where I am anymore."

His eyes narrowed curiously as he closed the distance between us. "How in the world did you end up here in the first place?"

"I was working late and, in the midst of transcribing a bunch of reports, I started feeling pins and needles in my feet. So, I decided to walk it off... and I guess, I must have wondered too far?" He looked at me with added suspicion as he stopped in front of me. "I must have taken one too many turns."

"I see," he sang. "And why are you working so late on a Wednesday?" He asked, crossing his arms the way our father always did when we were in trouble as kids. "I didn't think the investigation department were allowed any big assignments this month. Do you really have that many reports to go through?"

"Not really, but, um..." I pointed at him and his incredulous disposition. "But, Percy and I have this little competition going on." These lies were melting out of me like butter. "Whoever converts the most reports into digital copies by the end of the week, gets the other as an assistant for a whole month! So, I've been working overtime. I really want to win." I punch him in the shoulder and snickered. "Do you imagine how horrible it would be to be Percy's assistant for a month? I'd probably live at the dry cleaner! What with all those fancy clothes he loves to wear."

He looked at the spot I hit, and glanced down at me with a dubious smirk. "Paperwork competition, huh?" His top lip lifted into an Elvis-type grimace. "It's amazing that you two found a way to keep that boring stuff interesting. I got to admit, I really don't miss having your job, Peanut. I'm glad I'm way past that."

"Oh, please. Do rub it in, Clyde," I said, rolling my eyes. My lies had a hook on him. All I needed to do now, was reel him in. "So, where exactly is this place I happened to stagger upon?" I motioned to my surroundings whilst playing dumb like the good actress I was. "I've never seen this place before."

"Not surprising. This place is called a gym." He leaned in. "A gym is a place where people work out," he teased.

My eyes bugged out. "Oh, so that's what they call a gym!" I joshed back.

He narrowed his eyes as if he were seeing something on my face...something that troubled him. I tried to keep my face neutral. For all he knew, I was as innocent as a baby fawn, and nothing I'd done was cause for concern.

"Alright. Come on," he said, obviously deciding that there was nothing to worry about. Taking me under his arm, he steered me away from the long corridor. "I'll walk you to your car, Peanut."

Looking back at the wall one last time, I clutched the strap of my bag, thinking over my conversation I had with Greyson.

Friday.

I matched my brother's pace as we marched on. I wondered how long it would be before I saw my brother again, after Friday. I was going to have to on the run for a while, and hide Greyson at my friend Leah's cabin, in the middle of the woods. The realisation hadn't hit me quite yet, but it was starting to. I was going to miss my family.

"So, why are you here so late, Clyde? Surely, it wasn't to go to the gym."

"No, I wasn't going to the gym." He smiled. "I did that earlier this morning."

"So, why?"

"That would be confidential, Peanut." He winked.

"When is it not confidential?" I rolled my eyes. "Every time I ask you about your day, you're not allowed to tell me anything."

"Well, I work here, and that's all this place is; a big secret." But he squeezed my arm, bringing me closer to him. "Though, if you can keep a secret, I'll tell you this: I'm investigating suspicious behavior from one of our higher-ups. The head of security was seen walking around the filing cabinet, earlier today, and we have no idea why."

Everett.

"...He was also seen by the gym, testing out some sort of equipment." The walkie talkies. "It's all very strange. So, I took it upon myself to survey the place, to catch some of this strange behaviour on film."

I lowered my voice, matching him. "Wouldn't it be on film already, because of all of our security cameras?"

Clyde scanned our path and leaned back towards my ear. "That's the thing! To top it all off, we've also been having strange circuit problems with our cameras. So, they haven't been working properly." He shook his head and chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Something definitely smells fishy about this whole thing."

I gulped. "That doesn't sound good."

"Yeah, perhaps, something is going on that security doesn't want us to know about," he concluded, his voice hauntingly serious. "But that would be against the rules and he knows it."

"Maybe it's just some big misunderstanding," I tried, afraid he would find out what Everett and I have been doing behind closed doors. I just needed Clyde to be in the dark long enough to get through Friday night without a hitch.

"Maybe." He squeezed my shoulder and smiled down at me. "But don't worry so much, Peanut. Your fearless big brother is here to make sure everything is okay." He rubbed the top of my head with his knuckle. "You're safe with me, okay?"

I shoved him off when my hair claw loosened and hair strands dribbled across my cheeks. "Don't! You're messing up my French twist!"

He put his hands up to his mouth in mock surprise. "Oh no, not the French twist!"

I elbowed him in the ribs- He acted like it hurt him more than it was intended to. "You're being annoying."

"Okay, I get it, my little sister isn't a kid anymore. Gone are the days when I was allowed to give her a Big-Brother-Noogie without her screaming at me."

"I didn't even scream at you." Pushing him aside playfully, I picked up my speed, but it didn't take long for him to catch up to me. "How's Dad, by the way. I haven't seen much of you two, since that whole Meteor fiasco started."

"He's good," Clyde sighed. "Even though the whole issue has been quite exhausting for both of us."

"I miss you guys," I confessed.

"We miss you too, Peanut."

"I would love to have the both of you over at my house for supper, tomorrow." I smiled wide, trying to hide the melancholy feeling that was tugging at my heart strings. This might be the last supper my family would enjoy together for a very long time. "I could make my famous chilli and cornbread and dad could bring some of his house-made wine."

"That would be incredible," Clyde said as he opened the front door of the Agency for me. "I'll plan that with him tomorrow morning."

Somehow, I hadn't realised we had already arrived at the main entrance. "Perfect."

"Well, good night, Ashlyn. Drive safe," my brother said, tussling my hair with one big hand one more time, winning himself an irritated growl from me. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

"Goodnight," I said with as much attitude as I could muster.

"Night." He waved and closed the door behind me.

In the lot with only the stars to keep me company, I yearned for someone to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be okay.

Some people saw something in the stars... Perhaps a future.

But me?

At that moment, I saw nothing.

So, I entered my car and turned on the engine. The car roared to life and the headlights light cut through the darkness ahead of me. I pushed away the anxiety that was building up inside of me like a wave, before it could drown me where I sat.

"Just drive, Ashlyn," I told myself, then steppedlightly on the gas.

I drove home with the radio blasting through the speakers. It helped to silence the myriad of thoughts buzzing inside my head.

"Just drive."