Arduous

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

[Anne, 00:23, Catherine's House]

We made it to the front door of our house. When Lucina was dropped off at her house, I went in with her to explain to her mom that she had been over and we fell asleep while doing homework. Her mother had been so relieved to know her daughter was safe now, and that we had only been at my house. It kind of made me wish I had a mom who worried for me.

Adam had been left at the mafia base in a cell. He had refused to go in, even going as far to hang onto Catherine. That had been a bad idea though, since she backflipped him. Finally, we dragged him into the cell and locked him in. When we left, we could hear him moaning like a ghost.

The mayor was given to the other mafia members. Truthfully, I didn't care what happened to him. I was too occupied with what happened to Catherine.

I watched Catherine as she entered the house, her expression grim. She had been liked this since the incident earlier.

"Lucas?" Catherine asked.

Everything went silent, and I turned my head to look at Adam. An expression flashed on his face, an expression indescribable, but only for a split second before confusion flooded his face.

Catherines face fell in defeat, and muttered, "I don't get it! He looks so much like Lucas."

"Who's Lucas?" I asked. I had known Catherine since we were seven, and I had never heard that name before.

"Forget about it." Catherine snapped. "We should get going."

I didn't believe her. I knew Lucas meant something to her, otherwise she wouldn't have asked.

I entered the house behind Catherine as she slumped in. I closed the door behind us.

"Catherine..." I started, hoping I would be able to get something out of her.

"Catherine! Anne!" I heard Mr Zonde yell from the living room.

I looked to Catherine in curiosity, wondering what we did this time. Catherine looked at me with the same look. That was the first change of her face I had seen since the mafia base.

We wandered into the living room to find Mr Zonde, Max and Jessica all sitting on the furniture. UGH! Why were they here?

"What are they doing here?" Catherine snarled. I can at least be polite, but it is obviously hard for her to do so.

Jessica snarled back at her, while Max looked sheepishly at us.

"Sit down girls." Mr Zonde commanded.

Obeying, we squished onto the only chair left.

"What did we do this time, dad?" Catherine asked.

"Im not here to scold you about Lucina, but for something else." Mr Zonde explained. "Max and Jessica overheard a conversation with the Russians while on their mission in Vancouver. They were talking about... what was it again, Jessica?"

"It was about," Jessica said, "how 'kind and overpowering Canada is', and how they were trying to 'take over the all the large cities of Canada'. They kept complaining about how the 'Canadian mafia was in their way'. They want to get rid of us."

I contemplate that over in my head. "Why would they want to take over all the large cities? What would that do to help them?" I asked out loud.

"The large cities have the power to all of Canada. Large cities are taken, then Canada is taken." Mr Zonde explained.

"Why Canada? Why not the states?" Catherine pondered.

We all sat in silence for a few moments.

"I don't know." Mr Zonde said. "So far, nothing around the world that concerns the mafia is happening. Nothing like this has ever happened before."

A thought sprung up in my head. "It would make sense. Our country is the only country that has a mafia to help people, not to harm them. I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner. Take the mafia of Canada, and take Canada to make sure no mafias realign. Even the stations in other countries from Canada will have to give up."

Catherine yawned in response to my logic. "Why is thinking so difficult? I'm going to bed."

I rolled my eyes but knew what she was feeling. I was exhausted as well!

"Alright girls." Mr Zonde said. "Go to bed."

We nodded, and simultaneously got up from the armchair. Jessica rolled her eyes at our tiredness, and Max looked bored out of his mind. Either that, or he was sleeping. Yeah, he was sleeping.

"Oh, and one more thing," Mr Zonde exclaimed, and I instantly knew it would not be good, "Adam is joining you for the day tomorrow. And don't you dare think about skipping your duty tomorrow. You have to go around asking the people about the mayor and anyone who might assassinate him. Thats why we moved here, remember."

Catherine groaned, tired out of her mind. "It's the Russians after the mayor. Oh look! I just solved the mystery! Now I just need to solve the mystery of why you moved us here just so you could ogle the librarian of the mafia base."

I stifled a laugh as I followed the pounding footsteps of Catherine.