Page 8 of The Agency

training. I was taught to be strong for whom I am protecting, since Macey was one of those people I don't know how to react. I guess I'll need to stay strong for everyone else.

  It kills me to have to leave behind Macey for right now, but I will soon go after her and bring her back. I will have problems with her parents but I will be able to get her out of that rehab center, she doesn't belong there what so ever. Her parents might not have believed her but I do. I will always believe her. Everyone goes back in to the house but me. I stay out and try to calm my growing temper.

  I smack a water bottle off the railing and lean where it used to be, and hang my head controlling my breathing. I look up and hit the rail with the side of my fist. She was right; I should have shown her a defensive move. Then she could have at least had a chance against the officer twice her size. This was the one time I was unable to save her. I am determined to not let it happen again, for any reason. If a car is here that does not belong here I will literally pick up Macey and carry her to Sunder's old hidden lab that he tried to drown her in.

  With this thought I start pacing the deck running my hands through my hair. More plans file through my head, we could build our own house about two acres back on the 100 or so acre lot that the family owns. It could very easily be our little hide out. We would stay at the original house but when we caught wind from the guards out front that someone is coming we could high tale it out to the little cabin for a couple hours or however long it takes for the intruder to leave.

  Tim walks out of the house and grabs my shoulder in a friendly way and says, “You miss her already, don't you? I know I'm going too. She has taught us all different things that we may never have even tried without her. “I turn and look at him.

  As I shrug off his hand, not impolitely but enough I answer," You’re making it sound as if she's died Tim. I'm waiting for you to say something like rest her soul or something." I add a little chuckle trying not to sound too broken.

  "Well no offense to you or what you are feeling for her. Or even her personally but maybe we need to go and treat her as if she's died. It would take a lot of the pain away. Besides you still have Maria and Elaine"

  "I don't want them. They are nice pretty girls don't get me wrong Tim but Macey has that spark about her. She's feisty and yet kind."

  "If she's so feisty then how come she didn't get away from Sunder in the first place? Or how about the second? Don't get me wrong Chest I loved her just as I do you, the other girls, or Benjamin. To me she was like another daughter but we have to be willing to move on at times. I honestly think that this is one of those times."

  "Well I don't. I'm not going to be able to forget. Nor do I want to."

  He looked at me a little strangely but understanding," I don't blame you. I was only testing you to see how serious you were about her; I don't think that I could forget Amy if we were in the same predicament as you and Macey are." I breathe in relief to know that he wasn't serious. Out of the years I've been with Tim and Amy I'd never known him as inconsiderate of facts. But I understand what he’s saying. I can’t very well do anything right now. I’d have better luck later when I can fully explain what's going on. I don't even know what house or street her family lives on. So it will be kind of hard to talk her parents in to letting her stay with us if I don't know where she lives.

  Heck, I don't even know if her parents would be willing to let her live with us. I would be happy to just have her over in the summers, and maybe a week on Christmas. Just as long as I can see her again besides on a computer screen. Until then I will have to somehow pass the time without going insane. That is something she was good at; before I'd met her, my mind was on the brink of collapsing under pressure.

  When the family and I first found her along with the others I just thought more crowding in an already to small house. But when she had to ride on the back of my skis I couldn't help but like her. When she fell off the skis I was scared. What if she didn't survive? What if I couldn't get to her in time? What if I couldn't get to her at all? I was so relieved that I could help her, but when she fell out of my arms when I went to pick her up it terrified me. What if she didn't like me? What if I scare her?

  I couldn't stop, so I made her stay. I was so happy to just be holding her. She scared me when she almost fell asleep, I didn't want to lose her. This is why I freaked out when she rolled off the seat in the van and went under it. I couldn't reach her to pull her out, I could barely touch her. We finally were able to stop long enough to pull her out. But she was asleep. I panicked with worry that I'd lost her so I drove the rest of the way to our compound. But I didn't stop there.

  I drove all the way to our personal infirmary not too far from the house. I stayed with Macey till she awoke. I was so happy that I went and got Amy. There must have been too many people in a new place for her. I sat by her every minute. I can't believe that Sunder had the guts to come in to the compound let alone kidnap one of our own.

  As soon as we got to the lab the first thing I did was look for any signs that she was here. Of course I didn't see any. I was going to go bash on Sunder; I had it in mind until I got on top of the tank and saw her floating inside. She looked dead; I had no way of telling if she was alive or not. I threw Sunder off the glass and looked for a way to release her. The remote Sunder held I knew that it must be the way to help her I went to him and grabbed it away from him and went back to the tank. Already her body was sinking. I pushed buttons until I found the right one.

  When the glass slid away I made sure to throw the remote away. I don't know what happened to it but I know that Sunder or one of his goons didn't get it. I jumped in quickly and swam as hard as I could to get down to Macey. Once I did I pulled her up to me. It wasn't the best way to drag a secret love from the depths of her grave but it got her out. I put her on the floor, but she wasn't breathing. I checked her pulse, it was only barely beating, but it was still beating.

  I was about to breathe a breath of life for her when I realized I'd be so close to kissing her. I didn’t want to without her permission but it was the only way to save her. So I manned up and put my mouth to hers. It felt so right; I loved the feel of her soft lips against mine. After a few minutes of this she spluttered and emptied the water from her lungs. Her eyes opened briefly then closed again. I was so happy when she started to breathe.

  Looking around I saw a blanket draped over something. I didn't know what it was but a real human being needed the blanket more than a piece of steel did to keep the dust off of it. So without thinking twice I grabbed the blanket and ran back to the girl on the floor. I draped it over her with great care not sure if it could hurt her. I honestly didn't think so but you never really know. Newly enraged I went to work around her, beating on goons and a little on Sunder for good measure. I went back to her side periodically to make sure she was breathing right and just in case she woke up, I wanted mine to be the first face she saw.

  Amy caught me and joined me at her side; it didn't take long afterward for her to open her eyes again. This time she nearly jumped up and in to battle if it wasn't for the nausea and the fact she doesn't know how to fight. I hope it stays that way, women do need to know how to defend themselves but the men need to fight for them. Macey leaned back on her elbows getting used to the feel of her not being drowned and breathing air instead of water. The fight ended not too soon after that and we separated.

  Then the battle between me and her started up about the fighting lessons she wanted. I tried everything I possibly could to get out of them. But I was running out of excuses and people to have an excuse with. I got caught on laundry day, the day I thought would be the easiest lie to tell and excuse to pass. Little did I know that Macey and Amy were really close and that she would rat me out. So Macey and I fought, I didn't understand the point of the fight. It angered me that she caught me in my lies and called me out on them it wasn't really her fault as much as mine.

  I was off my guard when she brought Maria in the conversati
on. It was then that I felt like I had to reassure her that she doesn't compare to her. The only way to do that was to tell her how I felt. But the key was to tell her at the right time. That was one of the hard parts knowing when the right time would be to tell her. But when she said I was avoiding her question and to answer it truthfully that was it. My anger took over and I couldn't help erupting slightly, stop the rampage that was coming I showed her I wasn't lying to her this time. It pained me to lie to her anyway but it was the only way to protect her from fighting in the future.

  The sun moved across the sky in a slow pace. It had been at least an hour since the officer came and took Macey away. I wonder what they have done with her in the meantime while I sit here and do nothing. I am so disappointed in myself that I let Tim stop me and the officer get away with Macey. My thoughts turned to the tragic end of Romeo and Juliet. Where a good plan backfires because a simple letter can't be delivered in time to Romeo about Juliet's fake death.

  I could do the same thing, if I
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