BERYL

CHAPTER FIVE

I awoke to the sound of shrieking metal bars as, the world around me still spinning. "Alright mam lets get a move on, common let's go" a guard ordered me from the passageway. I rose from the ice-cold concrete bed and followed him down the hall and into one of the offices. My body felt heavier than usual the image of Lilly's face was all that I could think of. I couldn't bear to imagine what he lifeless body looked like. Who could have done such an inhumane thing and at a public school? Why was the bad guy still roaming free? Why should I be paying the price?

" Here she is sir" the guard informed the grey-haired deputy seated on the edge of his desk case file in hand. "Oh thank you, lieutenant, I'll handle it from here," the man said as he closed the file walking toward me. " Miss Ashworth please come with me, we need to have a little chat," he said as he grabbed my arm firmly and lead me out his office and began walking through the office space again. Officers walked up and down space. the sound of a thousand telephones ringing and orders being given out filed the room. finally, we stopped at a solid wooden door. the label on the door read interrogation room. I swallowed hard as the deputy opened the door and grinned "after you" he gestured.

The room was cold and small, a table had been placed in the middle of the room along with two small hard metal chairs. " have a seat Samantha" said the man pulling up a chair for me. I obeyed. anxiety took over my body, my heartbeat sped up. "Miss Ashworth, how well did you know the victim?" he began placing a recording device on the table. "She was my friend" I forced the words out of me, my voice shaky and coarse. " for how long?" he asked his voice as calm as still water yet firm. " since, since middle school" I replied. " where were you the time of her death?" he narrowed his eyes staring firmly into my eyes. " I was attending a gym class with everyone else"

"and before that?"

"look" I cleared my throat " I was in attending classes all day I only saw Lilly this morning and in the changing room before she left for cheer practice and I went for gym class I swear I didn't kill her"

"then how do you explain her scarf and pompom that we found in YOUR locker!" he yelled banging his hands against the table.

"I, I don't know"

"maybe you got jealous of all the attention she was getting from her cheerleading events that you couldn't take it anymore and you decided to kill her in broad daylight!" he yelled, his voice echoing in the small space as tears streamed down my face. " I never killed her" I whispered. " Or maybe you were jealous of her relationship with people or her performance academically so you got rid of the competition!"

The door banged loudly as it hit the wall, stunned my father came storming in and two panicking officers followed after him. "what do call this!?" he shouted angrily. " dad!" I rose and ran into his chest.

" Sir please I'm only doing my job now if you could please allow me to finish" the deputy pleaded, avoiding eye contact. " no you are done here I'm taking her home out of my way". The room went silent, " let him go " ordered the deputy. " you ok Sammy?"

I nodded wiping away my tears as we walked out the station.

I barely slept that night. The events of the day replayed in my head haunting me. the embarrassment and fear came back to hurt me. I tossed and turned till eventually, I gave up on the idea of sleep I simply lay there in my zombie-like state until... milk! milk that's it! Amber always told me "there are no troubles in the world that a glass of warm milk can't fix"!

Mainly because she was a huge fan of all things dairy.

Halfway down the stairs, I heard the muffled sound of familiar voices. 'sounds like it's coming from the study'. making my way down to the kitchen I grabbed the nearest knife and quietly moved toward the room.

"Dad at some point she will have to know, we've been avoiding this for far too long" Amber spoke calmly.

He sighed "I prayed she wouldn't have to get sucked into this life"

What life are they talking about?

"I think you need to tell her especially after what she has been through," said a familiar voice, no it can't be. I peered through the keyhole in the door. no! what was professor Douglas doing here at such an ungodly hour! * clank* "shit!" the knife slipped from my hand, the room went silent. I watched as my dad rose from his seat and walked toward the door. "shit what do I say !?" I paced frantically around the door searching for a place to ide but it was too late.

"Samantha what are you doing here?" he furrowed his eyebrows as he lifted the knife carefully "and what's this for?"

"I, I thought I heard noises so I wanted to check it out thought you were a thief or raccoon or something."

"Well, I'm no raccoon but now that you're already here why don't you come in there's something important we need to discuss."

"Take a seat" he gestured toward the couch on which Amber was seated. Prof. Douglas leaned back into my fathers Italian leather office chair and nodded at him reassuringly. I stood in confusion. " Samantha take a seat" said Professor Douglas.

"Professor..." my dad said before Mrs Douglas cut him off.

" Thomas, we can't waste any more time, the opposition has already sent a warning, her ignorance could cost her her life," she said firmly.

"My dear what I am about to tell you might shock you but I want you to know that no matter what I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you." He gently squeezed my shoulders.

"Sammy dear this is going to confuse you a little bit but I'm not who you think I am."

"Are you trying to tell me I'm adopted?" I side-eye him leaning back bracing for his response.

"no, no I'm very much your dad and I always will be, it's just you see, I'm"

"I believe what your father is trying to tell you Samantha is that he is one of the many agents that work for the B.I.A"

Prof. Douglas interrupted as she rose from her seat and slowly moved toward me her arms crossed.

"Agent? B.I.A? ok what is the B.I.A? "

"The Beryl intelligence agency is one of the most important streams of the secret service of our country its main focus is to recruit and train often the youth who are capable of surviving and carrying out duties in our world. We make sure the world is a safer place for everybody else, my dear we make sure the world runs like clockwork". Explained professor.

"Woah, okay Amber you knew about this? Wait, ok you expect me to believe that you guys are spies? Guys, I mean dad you can't even handle a knife to cut your food and you expect me to believe you kick bad guys butts?"

Prof Douglas glanced at my dad and in one swift move, he sent the knife I had been carrying flying above my head landing in the eye of his portrait on the other end of the room. Shit! It barely missed my head! so he is a spy? No way! Wait what the fuck he could have killed me I'm your freaking child for crying out loud!

"So you mean to tell me even Amber is a part of this?"

"Amber and Jade are your assigned protectors." Said, Dad.

"Wait Jade is a part of this too? So you mean to tell me everything and everyone I love are all parts of one big lie!? My life is a lie? I am a lie?"

"Sweetheart I know... Amber began but prof Douglas raised her finger hushing her."

"Follow me," she said as she moved toward the fireplace. She gently pushed back the only copper-coloured fire iron. The fire extinguished itself and the fireplace detached itself from the wall and opened up sideways revealing a hidden elevator.