G.U.A.R.D. Book #4: Tracked

-5-

I stared at the ceiling. Thoughts passed through my mind. Was it really right to go to Mustard? Should I have waited until I was able to talk to Knife? But when would that ever be? I wondered if Ally was still with her, or if Knife had dropped her off somewhere.

With a sigh, I looked over my bed to see if Tim and Kurt were awake. They appeared asleep, so I threw off my covers and slipped down the ladder. One of my shirts was strewn on the dresser, and I pulled it over my dead. Then I grabbed the keycard and went out. Down the hall, down the elevator, out the building. Despite the humidity, I felt relieved at being out of there. My nerves were a jumble, and my mind was going crazy. I needed a walk.

Going down the path with my hands in my pockets, I walked through the darkness. Lamps were built every few yards to illuminate the area. It was a lot calmer than it was in the day, but I still passed an agent every so often. After a while, I came to the leaders' building. I stopped to stare at it.

What was Mustard doing right now? Had she already contacted Knife? Did she know what the file was about?

I shook away the thoughts and looked back the way I had come. The dorms were in the distance, two buildings squatting next to each other. Base 5 was separated by rows. The dorms were inline with the leaders' building.

I didn't know where I was headed. I just walked down the side of the road, past the school field, crossing the path. Between row two and row three. It was busier, but not by much. I looked across the road when movement caught my eye. Last building in the row. Specialized training. Someone was going into the door. Someone with a blonde ponytail and wearing black yoga pants. Cleve. My sneer turned into a frown. What was she doing there in the middle of the night? Without thinking, I followed her.

The inside of the building was similar to a lobby. It was mostly open with elevators on the walls. Cleve glanced around, and I quickly hid behind a column. After a few moments of waiting, heart thumping, I peeked around the column again. She was gone. Quickly, I ran to the elevator she had gotten onto. The screen above it showed its progress. It went all the way to floor ten, the top floor.

So, naturally, I went there, too.

The hall was big, black, and white. Doors lined the sides. I had no idea of knowing which one Cleve went into. For a moment, I just stood there like an idiot, waiting for an idea to pop into my head. Then the ladies' bathroom door opened, and I lurched to the side, slipping into the room next to me. It was mostly empty. There were a few chairs. A long, wide window covered one wall, showing the room next to this one. A two-way mirror, I realized.

After a few seconds, I looked out the door again to see Cleve disappearing in a room. I mentally counted the number of doors from mine to hers. If all the rooms were like this one, then I would be able to spy on her through the mirror.

Hardly believing my luck, I hurried down the hallway, then crept into the room. It was dark, just like the other room, but light shone in from the mirror. Beyond, I could see Cleve. She still wore the yoga pants, but had changed her shirt to a peach-colored cover up. Underneath the transparent fabric was a black sports bra.

I frowned. Not exactly durable material for a fight.

Cleve dropped her duffel to the side, then stretched her arms and legs. She turned sideways and back again. She rolled her neck. Once satisfied, Cleve bent down to her duffel and pulled out a phone. The girl tapped it a few times before music poured forth. "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran. I blinked in surprise.

Cleve tapped her foot to the ground, then gracefully walked forwards until coming to the mirror. We stood exactly opposite one another. From here, I could see her eyes were grey, devoid of any color. She traced a stray hair from her face. Then she took a deep breath and began to dance.