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“Gene!” I gripped the window sill and leaned further forward, but the pressure on my chest reminded me how useless I was to help.
“I’ll get him.” Matt nudged me aside, pulled himself on to the windowsill, and dropped to the ground. He rolled with the impact and was up again in an instant, plowing into Gene’s attacker with a perfect football tackle.
There was no way I was going to follow that move, so I began shouting for help. Not that anyone could hear me over the music and voices rising from the parade grounds.
The attacker staggered to his feet and drew a gun from a holster hidden under his windbreaker. I stopped yelling. Gene was still on the ground where he had fallen when Matt took down his attacker. The man pointed his gun at Gene.
“One move, I’ll shoot!” The gunman looked first at Matt and then at me. As he looked my way, I recognized the scar that ran below his ear. He was the same man that had attacked me with the tire iron.
In one swift motion, Matt grabbed the man by the hand that held the gun and shoved it into the air. I winced as a shot went off. Perhaps now someone would finally hear and go for help. I remembered the phone on our bed stand and scooped it up. Keeping my eyes focused out the window, I began to dial 911. Before I could even press the first “one,” the attacker freed his arm from Matt’s grasp and flung him against the building. Matt fell motionless at the base of the brick wall. I froze as the man pointed his gun at Matt’s still body. My heart skipped a beat. 911 wasn’t going to help, if I didn’t do something now Matt would be killed. I did the first thing that came to mind. I yanked the phone I was holding away from the wall and flung it at the attacker.
“Get out of here!” I yelled as he raised his arm to deflect the phone. I quickly grabbed whatever was in reach and pelted the man with textbooks, alarm clocks, and the empty Risk box. Several of the objects bounced of the man’s back as he turned and ran into the darkness.
Now that the man had gone, I turned my attention back to Matt. He still hadn’t moved. I was really worried that he had hit his head against the brick wall or something.
“Matt!” I was tempted to follow his lead and jump to the ground myself, but that was a surefire way to land myself in the hospital. “Are you okay? Gene, help him.”
“I’m fine. Just had the wind knocked out of me.” Matt groaned as Gene went to his side. “Man, I thought I’d bought it.” He stood shakily. “Thanks, Scott.”
“No problem, I’m just glad you’re both all right.” I looked at Gene. “Gene, help him up here. And bring the phone. We’ll get the rest of the stuff later. I’m calling Chris.”
As soon as they got back to our room, I plugged the phone back in and punched in Chris’s number. Thank you, Lord, that no one was hurt.
“Chris?” I didn’t even let him finish “hello.” “This is Scott. There’s been another attack. This time on Gene. Matt and I were able to drive him off. I’m pretty sure it was the same guy that attacked me.” I paused to catch my breath. An attack on Gene? I was a little puzzled that this one had not been aimed at either Matt or me.
“Was anyone hurt?” Chris asked tensely.
“The man knocked Matt into a wall.” Matt scowled at me as if he hadn’t wanted me to tell Chris that. I followed up quickly with, “He just had the wind knocked out of him. He’s fine now.”
“Put Matt on,” Chris ordered.
I passed the phone to Matt.
“Yes, Chris. I’m fine.” Matt rolled his eyes. “Honest. I was just a little stunned, that’s all. Scott drove him off before he could...” He pressed his lips together as if afraid he’d said too much.
There was a muffled sound of talking on the other end and I was fairly sure Chris was asking, “Before he could what?”
Matt glared at me before answering softly, “He had a gun.”
There was a long pause, then a series of staccato commands on Chris’s end.
Finally, Matt said, “Okay, goodbye,” and hung up. He looked at Gene and me grimly. “Chris is on his way. We’re not to leave the room until he gets here. That includes you, Gene.”
Gene nodded solemnly as he puffed on his inhaler earnestly.
“He also said to close and lock both the door and the window.” Matt walked to the door and turned the lock. “We’re not to let anyone in but him.”
“So much for a quiet evening,” I commented wryly, leaning back to rest as Gene locked the window. There was nothing to do now but wait for Chris.
Less than a half-hour later, Chris knocked at the door. After making sure it was his brother, Matt let him in. Chris closed and locked the door behind him without even a word of greeting.
“Okay.” He put his hands on his hips and ran an evaluating gaze over each of us. “Start from the beginning.”
We took turns telling the story, each adding little details that only he had noticed. When we reached the part where Matt was knocked into the wall, Chris looked him over carefully, as if trying to satisfy himself that his brother was unharmed.
“What I don’t understand is why the same man that attacked me attacked Gene?” I said when the story was finished. “What would the Snake want with Gene?”
Chris exhaled slowly before answering. “Scott, do you remember when I told you that a man approached Gene’s dad about his research? That man was the Snake.”
“And this wasn’t important enough to mention before now?” Irritation crept into my voice. SATURN had a way of keeping back information until they thought we needed to know. That was the whole reason I had started my own search for my parents in the first place. SATURN wouldn’t tell me what had really happened.
“Mr. Jackson thought it was unnecessary for you to know at that time.” Chris’s eyes flashed and his jaw tightened at the mention of his boss, showing his own irritation.
“And what if Mr. Jackson thinks it is not necessary to tell me when he finds news about my parents?” I lowered my voice as I spoke my biggest fear about SATURN, “Can I even trust SATURN to tell me that?”
“Scott, that’s not fair.” Matt frowned at me. I knew that he felt I was attacking Chris. I wasn’t blaming Chris, but I didn’t quite trust the place he worked for either.
“No, Matt, Scott’s right.” Chris laid a hand on his brother’s arm. “SATURN has a habit of not being too... open... about things.”
Chris met my defiant gaze with an unwavering one of his own. “I can’t vouch for SATURN, Scott, but you can trust me. If I hear that we find anything about your parents, I will let you know personally.”
Satisfied, I nodded slowly. Chris had put his job on the line to help me before; I could trust him, at least.
“So you think Gene was the target tonight?” I gestured to Gene who was sitting on the edge of my bed, gripping the edge of the mattress with white-knuckled hands.
“His dad gets out of jail this week.” Chris tilted his head toward Gene.
Gene’s eyes lit up at the mention of his dad, and his hold on my bed relaxed just a little.
“We think the Snake wants to use Gene to coerce Dr. Rogers to work for him.” Chris continued, “He may actually have been the target yesterday when you were attacked, Scott.”
“If I was the target, why did the man beat up Scott so badly?” Gene asked, his voice small and soft.
“Probably to kill two birds with one stone.” Chris winced slightly when he realized how he had phrased that. “Sorry. Scott yesterday and Matt today were probably... bonuses, if you will.”
Chris looked back at Matt and me. “I need you two to keep an eye on Gene from now on. I’ll talk to Superintendent Hinkly about allowing SATURN to station men on the campus for added security. Until then, Mr. Jackson says you are to remain on campus, at least until Monday.”
“But that means we’ll miss church!” Matt cried out in dismay.
“I understand how important church is,” Chris said, “but this time I have to agree with Mr. Jackson. Until we can figure out security for you three, it would be risking your lives to leave the campus. I’d offer to escort you, but I’ll be busy trying to get you the protection you need if you ever want to leave the Academy again. Right now I think the best thing for you to do is stay put.”
Matt’s shoulders drooped, but we both were forced to nod our reluctant agreement.
“I’d feel better if Gene slept in here with you guys tonight,” Chris recommended as he stood to leave. “I doubt there will be another attempt so soon, but I’d rather the three of you stuck together.”
As soon as Chris left, Matt locked the door and I laid our blankets and a spare pillow out for Gene.
Exhausted, we all slept well that night. We woke up just in time to throw on some clothes and rush to the cafeteria for Saturday breakfast. Actually, Matt and Gene did most of the rushing. I was trying to be careful. I didn’t want to end up in my room all day.
“Good morning, guys.” Trinity waved to us from the table she was sitting at. “Over here.”
“Morning, Trinity,” I responded as we set our trays on the table and sat down. “How was the picnic last night?”
“Great!” Her grin faded quickly. “But I’m sorry you couldn’t come. Superintendent Hinkly said you haven’t been feeling well. Are you feeling better today?”
“I’ll be fine.” I shrugged. I did feel better today, as long as I didn’t make any sharp movements.
“Do you think you’ll be up for church tomorrow?” She looked from me to Matt eagerly. “I’ve decided to go with you again this weekend.”
My heart soared; then sank as I remembered we were grounded to campus. I had been trying to witness to Trinity for some time now, and any time she wanted to go to church was an opportunity I did not want to miss. “Sorry, Trinity, we’re... not going tomorrow. You can still go if you like. Maybe your dad or grandma can drive you.”
“Why aren’t you going?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and focused on me. “You guys never miss a chance to go to church. What’s different this week?”
I glanced at Matt and Gene for help. I hadn’t really wanted to go into all the details with her. I didn’t want her to worry about something she couldn’t change.
“Is this about that whole Winston thing?” She pointed her spoon at me as her voice took a hard edge. “Don’t tell me you guys got grounded for standing up to him.”
“No, for threatening to punch his face in.” Matt blew a short breath through his nose and flicked a sprinkle off his doughnut. He shrugged sheepishly. “Scott’s the only reason I’m not expelled right now.”
“Then why isn’t Scott going?” Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me that he got in a fight with Winston, too.”
It would have been so easy right then to lie and tell her that was all it was - and I was tempted to - but that would blow any chance I would ever have to share the gospel with her in the future. “Do you remember the letter I showed you?”
“The one with the threat from the Snake?” She nodded and frowned. “Did Superintendent Hinkly ground you to campus over that?”
“Not quite.” I pushed my unfinished breakfast away, suddenly not interested in eating. “There have been attacks.”
Her eyes widened and she set the spoon on the table beside her cereal bowl with a clatter.
“One on Scott and Gene Thursday and another on me and Gene last night,” Matt added.
Red-hot anger rose up to color her cheeks.
“Scott was hurt pretty bad,” Gene offered.
I grimaced. That was exactly what I did not want her to know.
“How bad is ‘pretty bad’?” Her voice rose and she glared at me. “Is that why you weren’t in class yesterday?”
“I’ll be fine.” I raised both hands defensively. “I just needed to rest.”
“And when were you going to tell me what happened?” Her angry glare flashed to Matt. “Or you. You could have told me yesterday.”
“I didn’t want you to worry,” I said weakly. I should have told her, but the last forty-eight hours had been a little out of control.
“Of course I would worry!” Hurt and anger boiled behind her blue eyes. “I’m your friend.” She stood abruptly. “Or at least I thought I was.”
With that, she stomped off, leaving her half eaten breakfast behind her.