Crossfire

We exchanged nervous glances. Part of me wanted to flee to flee the house, before anyone noticed... And part of me was afraid that Jess was right. What if my father was ... How did they put it? Involved in 'suspicious activity'? What would happen if he knew I had left? If he knew where I went?

Jess would know. She was spying on him, right?

I stood. "What I don't understand, here, is-"

Th door snapped open. Light flooded my face, like a spotlight catching a criminal. "Freeze!", I could hear the police exclaiming. Their guns pointed at my stomach, telling me to raise my hands above my head. One word. That's all it took. Did that woman really distrust her daughter so much? Had she waited next to the door, ears peeled for another voice?

"Well, well. And with the boy you're assigned to, too. You didn't take my advice to get close literally, now did you?," the woman sneered. Her pretty face was twisted with disgust. "You're really too young for this, Jessica."

Jess's face went red. "You think that I... Him... We...", she spluttered.

I realized what she meant, and blushed. "Th- that's not... Definitely, I would never...!"

Her stiff, pulled-back hair was tied with a rubber band. The brisk, cool eyes flicked between us.

"I see."

The face of Jessica Fairbanks was now void of all color. Now we'd done it. She had been caught, sharing information with the enemy.

The candle had gone out.

A scratchy, familiar voice bounced into the room. "Hey, you! I see you in there! Where's Terry? I will shoot!"

An electric current shot down my spine. Dad.

He knew where I was, too.

Jess's mom strode to the window, and pushed it open. With a final, piercing glance at me, she said "I'll deal with you later."

It was only when she jumped out the window that I saw she was holding a gun.

Jess ran to the window, stunned. "Mom!!"

A gunshot stung my ears. "Get down, Jessica!!!"

She ignored me, but fortunately wasn't bold enough to jump out the window herself. I ran up to her, Linking my fingers with hers. "I can't believe it."

She leaned out the window, nodding. "Yeah. Why would she dothat?"

"No, I mean I can't believe my dad is standing outside the house with a gun."

Jess shrugged. "Hey, can you hear what they're saying?"

I stuck my head out the window, straining my ears. "Nope."

She burst out the door as soon as I'd uttered the syllable. "Hey, wait!," I hollered, running after her. Down the stairs, through the kitchen, and to the window beside the front door. She was captivated, in horrified fascination. I daren't show my face to my crazy dad, so I listened through the door.

"Hand over the boy." It was my dad's voice.

"You are in no position to negotiate, Mister Aspen. We know quite a lot about your plans. We also know quite a lot about how to stop them."

He laughed. "I know you know. Why else would I be here? Aren't you wondering how I know where you live?"

"Not really," she answered dryly. "But I am wondering why you still have a gun pointed at my head."

He continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"As soon as I knew, I told Terry to stop seeing your daughter, the little rat. But no, he had to see her again. If he knew what a sneak she is, taking advantage of him, he would have thanked me."

"I'm sure," Mrs Fairbanks said smoothly. Then she pulled the trigger. Bang! I ran to the windowsill, unable to help myself. He was regaining from a nasty stumble he must have taken while dodging the bullet. As soon as he was standing firmly on two feet again, he fired. The woman leapt out of the way, rolling behind a minivan. He began to approach the vehicle, then suddenly noticed the two faces pressed against the window.

He shot a bullet at my face, which missed by a fraction, chipping a brick that decorated the perimeter of the window.

I was stunned. Crazie in a gunfight with a spy? Yes. But attempting to kill me?

I grabbed Jess by the shirt, pulling her down with me. Several more bullets pierced the window pane, rattling my bones like a maraca. "Listen, we have to get out of here."

" We? " whispered Jess. " My mom isn't trying to kill me!"

"Well, I thought you just might want to evade Her wrath."

Jess swallowed. "Good point... But where?"

I sprang to my feet, and scrambled upstairs, with Jess on my heels. I wasn't taking any chances down there.

On my way into her room, I flipped the lightswitch. "I know just the place."