The RunAway Model

XIX. Into the Night

They were nearing the end of the cruise. They had an overnight stay in one of the docks near Chile two days ago and Desiree had hoped that Berkeley would approach her.

She couldn't ask the twins about his specific activities. If she wanted to save their lives, she had to be careful. They bought her mission game pretty well. Of course, they bragged about finding out that the Chinese couple and Berkeley were friends and that they often talked at night time when they thought that twins were asleep.

She was sitting just a meter away from them inside the loud arcade of the ship. They were there to talk about their current mission.

"So?" she asked them under her breath. She was pretending to read the book Theo was reading the other day while the twins pretended to be immersed in Rubik's cube which, with no doubt, they could solve even with eyes closed.

"Why is it that we always solve the mystery first?" asked the taller of the twins. She'd had always been stopping herself from asking their names. She couldn't get attached to them, Theo had said.

"Because there's two of you while there's just one me," she told them.

"Still, you're older."

"And you are always beside your brother. Of course, you'll solve the mysteries first."

"It's not challenging enough."

She took a deep breath to calm herself. Dealing with kids required a lot of patience, she thought, no matter how smart they were. "Don't worry. We will get a more challenging mission after you give me your reports, sirs." She gave them a salute and they both rolled their eyes. "I'm serious. And this time, I will win."

The two kids straightened in their seats. "What is it?"

"First, reports on the mission."

"You first."

She pretended to think. "Uh, I didn't find out much, really. I tried talking to your brother to know what he's planning once we reach our destination but he wouldn't talk to me."

"That's because he's keeping it a secret," whispered one of the twins.

Desiree widened her eyes in a pretend surprise. "Really?"

The two nodded their heads. "Because it is a very big secret."

"Why?"

"We're not telling that one," said the other as he diverted his gaze from her. They didn't know.

"But you know what will happen after we dock in Chile, right?"

They both nodded.

"And?"

They stared at each other conspiratorially and looked at her. "We're going to ride a big chopper."

"A really big one," added the other.

Desiree blinked. "A chopper?"

They both nodded. "Yes. And they said we are going to have a very big adventure with the new friends."

"I am not that excited though, honestly," said the other, his face growing grim.

"Why?" asked Desiree.

He shrugged. "I don't know. They don't tell us a lot of things. I think we should know what they are planning, right?"

"And we are going to find out."

"You mean you don't know?" she asked.

"From the moment they took us out of that orphanage, we are blank."