Nomad 101 (Completed)

Chapter 36

I hope you enjoy!!

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**| Sang's POV |**

"So, are you all looking for Kevin?" I asked after a heavy silence fell around the room for a few long moments. I tried to stare them all down but there were too many of them.

Marc spoke up after sharing a looking with the tall man who sat at the end.

"Yes, I didn't lie about that."

"No, you just lied about everything else," I snapped.

"I didn't—"

"I asked if you knew them," I pointed at Victor and Kota. "And you said no. You looked me in the eyes and lied to my face."

He fell silent, slumping in his chair.

"Will you let us explain before you pass judgment?" the tall man asked.

"Maybe after I know your name," I replied.

He stared at me, his expression hard. "Axel. And you've met everyone else."

I looked at the man with the European accent sitting next to Luke. He flashed me a bright smile, showing off his white teeth. "Silas," he said.

I looked over at the grumpy one. "North," he grunted, crossing his arms over his expansive chest.

I looked back at Axel and his lips turned up in amusement. "Now can we explain?"

I nodded.

"Our friend, Kevin, disappeared around September sixth, a month ago from today. He was supposed to check in on that day but never did. We are searching for him."

"Then why all the cloak and daggers, pretending you don't know each other?" I asked.

"We don't want to draw attention to ourselves. Kevin was living on the streets as he investigated the disappearances of the homeless. Our...organization noticed that people were going missing and it has been verified that those who went missing tended to be found later on in the harbor."

"Organization? Just stop with the cloak and daggers and tell me straight up. Who are you guys?"

"We are part of a group who refer to themselves as the Academy."

I frowned. "Next you're all going to tell me you're vampires, aren't you? I've read those books and I know we aren't in some teen fantasy novel. Try again."

A couple of them gave me confused looks while Kota let out what sounded like a snort, Owen's mouth twitched upwards, and Silas broke out in a smile. After glancing at them, I focused back on Axel.

"We are a group of people who do what the police can't. For example, a woman is getting beaten by her husband but she is too scared to press charges or go to the police. We step up and help her out instead. Help her get out of the house and hide her so that her husband can't find her. Then we coach her into going to the police."

"Vigilantes."

"Something like that."

"Why didn't you just tell me at the beginning?" I glared at Luke, then Gabriel, and then, finally, Marc. "Instead, you lied and I'm left feeling like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Sang," Gabriel said.

I shook my head.

"We don't like to advertise what we do because we don't want people to use us to get what they want. And a lot of these jobs create enemies—angry spouses or parents or coworkers—who would love nothing more than to lash out at us if they knew who we were and what we did."